Thursday, October 15, 2015

The Synod That is of Interest

Mospat: Russian Orthodox Church delegation arrives in Chambesy for the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference
The 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference begins its sessions
Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev's Facebook page appears to have been deleted or taken offline. I hope it will come back.

Christ and the Rich Young Man

Thoguhts from Dr. Robert Louis Wilken

Living in hard times — lessons from the early Christians…

Radicati nella fede Editorial

Rorate Caeli: Radicati EDITORIAL: "The New Mass, The Mass of the Assembly: the Cradle of Agnosticism"

Editorial: Radicati nella fede, September 2015
Newsletter of the Catholic community of
Vocogno, Diocese of Novara, Italy

We’d like to focus on one among the many: the disappearance of the submissa voce for the priest, which corresponds to lack of silence in the assembly. It appears to us that this is one of the points that most evidently indicates a radical change in the Catholic Rite. Then again, it is typically this which appears to be scandalous to the faithful who chance upon the Traditional Mass: the long parts where the priest, especially in the Canon, pronounces the words softly, and the faithful - not being able to hear anything - are obliged to be silent.

We have noticed many times that this is more of a problem than the use of Latin.

I think some may claim that the words of consecration being said in a low voice is proper to the Roman rite, but how far does this go back? Is the submissa voce proper to the low Mass or to the solemn form (before the low Mass was supposedly adapted to become the solemn form in the codification of St. Pius V)?

Pope Francis on Divine Justice

From Misericordiae Vultus:

20. It would not be out of place at this point to recall the relationship between justice and mercy. These are not two contradictory realities, but two dimensions of a single reality that unfolds progressively until it culminates in the fullness of love. Justice is a fundamental concept for civil society, which is meant to be governed by the rule of law. Justice is also understood as that which is rightly due to each individual. In the Bible, there are many references to divine justice and to God as “judge”. In these passages, justice is understood as the full observance of the Law and the behaviour of every good Israelite in conformity with God’s commandments. Such a vision, however, has not infrequently led to legalism by distorting the original meaning of justice and obscuring its profound value. To overcome this legalistic perspective, we need to recall that in Sacred Scripture, justice is conceived essentially as the faithful abandonment of oneself to God’s will.

The standard textbook Latin view? As for Pope Francis's opposition between faith and the observance of the law, is he getting the right opposition? Is he characterizing the problem with the Pharisees correctly? Is this rooted in an erroneous understanding of Divine Justice, which fails to see that it is actually identical, or an aspect of Divine Mercy, as is indicated in the Hebrew of the Old Testament and in the use of dikaiosune?

Another Stalwart Bishop from Kazakhstan

The Oct. 10 intervention of the Archbishop of Maria Sanctissima in Astana, Kazakhstan, Tomash Peta, in English.

Posted by Vatican Radio - English Section on Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Jean-Miguel Garrigues, O.P.

Un intellectuel à contretemps
Synode : le théologien Jean-Miguel Garrigues livre une analyse « autorisée » des orientations du pape François
Divorcés-remariés : le P. Jean-Miguel Garrigues répond à ses détracteurs

THEOLOGIE Père Jean-Miguel GARRIGUES