Vatican Moves

The re-ordered chapel at the Pastoral Centre for the Diocese of Leeds, Hinsley Hall.  I'm not sure there will be many such places to offer Mass in at the Congregation for Divine worship.

The move of Bishop Arthur Roche from Leeds Diocese to the Congregation for Divine Worship as Secretary is part of a small re-shuffle in the Vatican departments.  He replaces Archbishop Augustine Di Noia, who goes as vice president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (which oversees matters to do with the Extraordinary Form of the Mass).  The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (under which Ecclesia Dei operates) has put out a comment saying that, "The appointment of a high-ranking prelate to this position is a sign of the Holy Father’s pastoral solicitude for traditionalist Catholics in communion with the Holy See and his strong desire for the reconciliation of those traditionalist communities not in union with the See of Peter." So Bishop Roche replaces someone with a strong understanding and care of the traditional form of the Mass.  

This is interesting considering that even Wikipedia notes of Bishop Roche that, "He has earned a fair amount of controversy during his tenure for issuing restrictive guidelines for the implementation of Summorum Pontificum and for closing parishes in his diocese."

Fr Z notes the move and has this to say: "Bishop Arthur Roche, head of ICEL, has been named Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship.  He remains for the nonce Administrator in Leeds. I don’t know what this means.  The cynical part of my id tells me that, since there are quite a few sees in Blighty opening up in the near future, this might be part of a larger plan to adjust the balance in the episcopate of the region."

His new boss at the Congregation will be the Spanish Cardinal Llovera (known sometimes a the "Little Ratzinger").  He is also a member of Ecclesia Dei and has said of the Traditional Form of the Mass, "[The] intention of the Pope has not only been to satisfy the followers of Monsignor Lefevbre, nor to confine himself to respond to the just wishes of the faithful who feel attached...to the liturgical heritage represented by the Roman Rite, but also, and in a special way, to open the liturgical richness of the Church to all the faithful, thus making possible the discovery of the treasures of the liturgical patrimony of the Church to those who still do not know it...even if there were not a single 'traditionalist' whom to satisfy, this 'discovery' would have been enough to justify the provisions of the Pope." 

In 2008 Cardinal Llovera also spoken of the best way to receive the Eucharist: "What does it mean to receive communion in the mouth? What does it mean to kneel before the Most Holy Sacrament? What does it mean to kneel during the consecration at Mass? It means adoration, it means recognizing the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist; it means respect and an attitude of faith of a man who prostrates before God because he knows that everything comes from Him, and we feel speechless, dumbfounded, before the wondrousness, his goodness, and his mercy. That is why it is not the same to place the hand, and to receive communion in any fashion, than doing it in a respectful way; it is not the same to receive communion kneeling or standing up, because all these signs indicate a profound meaning."

Perhaps Bishop (now to be Archbishop) will soon be seen, like other prelates in Rome, presiding at the Traditional Form of the Mass.  Anyway, here is the statement via Zenit released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, explaining why Archbishop Di Noia has been moved.  It seems to be that he (his skills and  / or views) are thought to be a necessary help to the ongoing work with the Society of St Pius X.

Vatican: Appointment Shows Pope's Desire for Reconciliation With Traditionalists

American Prelate From Liturgy Congregation Named to Ecclesia Dei.

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 26, 2012.  The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith today issued a comment about the appointment of Archbishop Augustine Di Noia as vice president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, the commission charged with the efforts to bring about reconciliation with the Society of St. Pius X.

"The appointment of a high-ranking prelate to this position is a sign of the Holy Father’s pastoral solicitude for traditionalist Catholics in communion with the Holy See and his strong desire for the reconciliation of those traditionalist communities not in union with the See of Peter," the statement from the doctrinal congregation declared.

The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei was established in 1988 by John Paul II to facilitate 'full ecclesial communion of priests, seminarians, religious communities or individuals until now linked in various ways to the Fraternity founded by Archbishop Lefebvre' and to promote the pastoral care of the faithful attached to the ancient Latin liturgical tradition of the Catholic Church. In 2009, the Pontifical Commission was structurally linked to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to address the doctrinal issues in the ongoing dialogue between the Holy See and the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X.

"As a respected Dominican theologian, Archbishop Di Noia has devoted much attention to these doctrinal issues, as well as to the priority of the hermeneutic of continuity and reform in the right interpretation of Vatican Council II - a critically important area in the dialogue between the Holy See and the Priestly Fraternity," the statement noted.

Archbishop Di Noia previously served as secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

"Archbishop Di Noia’s experience and continued association with the Congregation for Divine Worship will facilitate the development of certain desired liturgical provisions in the celebration of the 1962 'Missale Romanum,'" the congregation continued. 

"In addition, the broad respect that Archbishop Di Noia enjoys in the Jewish community will help in addressing some issues that have arisen in the area of Catholic-Jewish relations as the journey towards the reconciliation of traditionalist communities has progressed."