ARINZE IN ENGLAND

Hat tip to Argent by the Tiber

LONDON (CNS) -- The head of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments urged Catholics to be reverent during Mass and to venerate the Eucharist properly. During a talk in Westminster Cathedral April 1, Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze called on priests to restore tabernacles to central positions in churches and for Catholics to rediscover the tradition of reverent genuflection in the presence of the Eucharist. He also called for an end to adding details to and subtracting them from the approved rites of the Mass and for an end to soft background music during Mass and other times when people were trying to pray in church. "This is doubtless well intentioned, but it is a mistake," said the cardinal. "People enter churches to pray, not to be entertained." The cardinal told about 400 audience members that Mass was the "supreme act of adoration, praise and thanksgiving which humanity can offer God."

I laugh because people from one certain liturgical music message board I formerly frequented once wrote that Cdl. Arinze is "clueless" and has been in the Vatican too long. They're more the Mahony/KoolAid type.

In the meantime, in obedience to the good Cardinal Arinze, here's our tabernacle, in the center - where it belongs.



And this hat tip to Shawn at The New Liturgical Movement

Cardinal Arinze discourages "liturgies to order"

Signs are growing that Benedict XVI intends to bring the liturgy back to a more traditional form after a top Vatican official protested the use of "do-it-yourself" services.

In a keynote speech delivered at Westminster Cathedral recently, Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, also said that individual priests should not add to or subtract from the approved rites, mentioning the practice of playing background music in particular as one practice that should stop.

"The Mass is the most solemn action of the sacred liturgy, which is itself the public worship of the Church," the cardinal said

Quoting John Paul II, he said liturgy is not a "private property" and that priests and lay faithfuls are "not free to add or subtract any details" from the official liturgy. He said communities that are faithful to the Church's liturgical norms demonstrate their love for the Church."

A do-it-yourself mentality, an attitude of nobody-will-tell-me-what-to-do, or a defiant sting of if-you-do-not-like-my-Mass-you-can-go-to-another-parish, is not only against sound theology and ecclesiology, but also offends against common sense," the Cardinal said.

"Unfortunately, sometimes common sense is not very common, when we see a priest ignoring liturgical rules and installing creativity, in his case personal idiosyncrasy, as the guide to the celebration of Holy Mass."

The cardinal's comments come a week after proposals were announced by a Vatican commission to outlaw the use of drums and electric guitars from church services. The commission outlined 50 proposals on reforming the liturgy, with Vatican insiders saying that the commission also proposed to increase the use of Latin during mass.

But Fr Tom Jordon from the National Conference of Priests, said he was unaware of any deviation from the Rubrics provided by the Roman Missal in the nation's churches but added that since Vatican II in was inevitable that the personality of priests shone through during Mass.

Source: Catholic News

Things are looking up, little by little, I think. That means, a certain LA Cardinal and a certain Erie PA bishop will be hiding those KoolAid pitchers pretty soon.

Peace,
BMP