Bishop Morlino offering Mass in the Extraordinary Form
on Good Shepherd Sunday two years ago.
EWTN reports that Bishop Robert Morlino of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconson, placed priests from the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest in the parish of St Mary's Plattville (as well as a number of other parishes in the diocese). The Order is a traditional one (offering both forms of the Roman Rite from what I can see on the parish website). Fr Z has written about them on several occasions. Since arriving, quite a number of parishioners have been upset by the "traditionalist" activities of the priests. However, Bishop Morlino has told them:
That the priests are teaching the Catholic faith. Remaining problems, "personal likes and dislikes" but also "inflated rumours and gossip" and even "calumnious inciting of hatred of your priests, the faith, and myself," he lamented. "For these likes and dislikes, gossip, and hurt feelings, the Catholic faith is rejected.
Wow! I've so often heard of priests receiving very little, or only grudging, support from diocesan officials and bishops when parishioners complain about things being "too traditional". Usually, all that's happening is that the Catholic Faith is being taught when this accusation is levelled. Though to be fair, parishioners have often been led up the garden path by previous clergy who have taught them to believe great inaccuracies (to put it charitably) where the Church's teaching is concerned on all sorts of matters.
To use one example from my own experience, when I first arrived in this parish, the school told me that communion on the tongue was no longer allowed, so they had been (mis)informed. Sadly, what this means is that when the Catholic Faith is again taught, it is rejected as somehow "out of date". People have by then grown to like the informal, relaxed, less demanding version of the Faith that tells them they don't have to pay too much attention to authority, teaching, dogma and rubrics. But this is a fatally flawed version of the Faith that they have been sold - likes and dislikes to the fore, the life teaching of the Catholic Faith, way down in the background.
2 comments:
Yes Father, Bishop Morlino is a sound bishop who tells it like it is. He has a tough job as Madison, Wisconsin – the State Capital and seat of State Government - is also the most liberal city in the State.
Unfortunately, Bishop Morlino’s example in supporting his priests is noteworthy because we have had so many examples of the contrary here in the US – orthodox priests trying to do the right thing and being let down by their bishops.
It is telling about how far we have come when it takes priests from foreign countries to point the right way forward to the locals… The reaction of the laity speaks volumes about the lack of catechesis they have received for decades.
Paging Fr. Rodriguez and Fr. Grinazo..........
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