Journeys of a Catholic Poster Girl

From Michael Novak on The Corner

In the longest and most beautiful of the liturgies of the Catholic Church, the Easter Vigil in the early hours of darkness last night brought an estimated 200,000 converts into communion with the Catholic Church. As catechumens, these expectant persons had been studying for months the big step they were taking last night. The faces of many of them afterwards were radiant.

At the Cathedral of St Mathew in Washington, D.C., some 17 new communicants participated in the Eucharist for the first time. If one assumes that an average of about ten persons entered the church in each of this nation’s 19,000 parishes, the total number just in this country alone is 190,000.
It is a blessed night. The liturgy at St Mathew’s was one of the most beautiful I have ever participated in. The quality of its music, and the dignity and peaceful orderliness of a complex liturgy, were at a level even the most practiced Benedictine monastery would have trouble matching.
Kierkegaard once noted, of course, that just when the music is celestial, the sermon moving (and not too long), and the dignity of the proceedings is picture-perfect — that is exactly when paganism begins, and true faith flies away. It is not the human performance, in other words, that ought to hold our attention, but the real abandonment and cruel suffering of Christ on the Cross, in a demonstration of how much the Lord loves us, despite our faults and our miseries and our own emptiness.

Nonetheless, it was a great and inwardly stirring liturgy, thanks be to God.

From that NY Times B XVI story:

A recent survey of the Church of England by researchers at the University of Wales showed that only 60 percent of its clergy believe in the virgin birth of Jesus, and 1 out of 33 Anglican priests doubts the existence of God.

Wow. That’s pretty telling, isn’t it? No wonder their population is declining.

BXVI in the NY Times Magazine .

Some choice bits:

Benedict is one of the most intellectual men ever to serve as pope — and surely one of the most intellectual of current world leaders — and he has pinpointed the problem of the age, as well as its solution, at the level of philosophy.

One remarkable thing about Benedict’s papacy has been that he has largely disarmed the left wing of the church. In his 24 years as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican enforcement office once known as the Inquisition, he built a famously fearsome reputation for doctrinal correctness: disciplining Latin American practitioners of liberation theology; restating the ancient dogma that “there is no salvation outside the church”; adamantly resisting any effort to change policies regarding birth control, priestly celibacy or the ordination of women; and having no qualms about stepping into the political arena, as when he instructed American bishops during the 2004 presidential campaign that it was wrong to grant Communion to a Catholic — like John Kerry — who supports abortion rights.

But when Ratzinger became Benedict, “God’s Rottweiler,” as he was sometimes known, grew far tamer; he has instead played the roles of pastor and father. With some notable exceptions (he issued a reminder last month that “hell, of which so little is said in our time, exists and is eternal”), the emphasis has been less on railing against the Catholic evils of abortion and birth control than on occupying the safe high ground: peace in Iraq, religious freedom, confronting poverty. One reason may be that while Benedict is the same person as the Cardinal Ratzinger who served as John Paul II’s enforcer, “he is also the same person as the young theologian who helped craft some of the progressive measures of the 1960s” during the Second Vatican Council, the Rev. Keith Pecklers, a professor of liturgical history at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, told me recently. “Perhaps he’s rediscovering some of that freedom.”

(h/t: Amy

From Fr. Z: yes, I posted the whole thing. Yes, it is long. But it is good.

You are wondering about the Motu Proprio, I am sure.

There are factors in Italy and in the Church at large which are probably influencing the release date.

Let’s move toward this with a not irrelevant tangent.

In the Italian daily Libero there is today an article by Marcello Veneziani in Latin. It isn’t good Latin, but it’s readable Latin. There is a rather amusing typo of the name Caesar in the very first sentence, for example. First, and second part.

Veneziani argues for the return of the use of Latin in two phases, first, in his Latin letter, then, in a postscript in Italian. The former for the use of Latin to help Italians understand who they are, recover what they have lost, and to help Europe be whole. The latter, argues for Latin in church. I will focus on the latter.

In the second part, the postscript in “the vulgar tongue”, Veneziani shares memories of a solemn Mass he attended as a child. He has never forgotten.

“Seeing as this is Easter, I would like to call to mind a Mass in Latin during my childhood, in the cathedral of my city, with an offering of 20 lire to sit in the choir with my father. I still have it before my eyes, in my nose, in my ears, the beauty of the rite, the scent of incense, the mystery of the words. It seemed to me I was truly linked to the Lord’s own network. The priest addressed himself to God and didn’t turn his back on Him in order to humor the faithful. The words, whispered and ancient, the mystery of those phrases, exuded the sacred and drew you closer to God.

Because Mass is not a soap opera, it in not necessary to understand the words; it is a rite of communion with God and not an instruction sheet for installing a washing machine. Whoever says that the mystery of those words only made power inaccessible to the people, isn’t taking into account all the obscure, esoteric, incomprehensible jargon used today in the fields of technology, economy, and physics to make them impenetrable and necessitate a caste of mediators. No. Better to have Latin, which above all wouldn’t be obligatory, but a free choice, as if by a democratic committee (the request of 30 devout souls, the Cobas* of the faith, would be enough). And so it is wonderful to think about the Resurrection of Latin at Easter of 2007, 30 years after the savage attacks on it by “Cursore Vespertino”’s (alias Corriere della Sera’s) Giorgio Manganelli, now reprinted in the book Mammifero Italiano (Adelphi, 2007). Let’s reinstate Latin also in view of the dies familiae – which sounds better than “family day”** (though “gay pride” sounds bad even if you translate it as idem sexus amator superbia).”
* “Cobas” – “Comitati di base” are radical trade unions which control nearly everything in Italy.
** “Family day” is a demonstration, a confrontation really, schedule for May about legislation proposed on civil unions, homosexual marriage, taxation rates for families, etc.
Veneziani deftly slides into the discussion of Italian politics and the influence of the Church in public life. There are references to Italian political life all through the pieces he wrote. For example, the reference to “mani pulite”, or “clean hands” isn’t just about what the Pope told young people in his homily on Palm Sunday. It is also a reference to the Italian political scandal in the 90’s (and still going on) of corrupt government officials receiving kick-backs for favors. When the Pope speaks about anything, it has a big impact on the press in Italy, and the intertwining of Church and state here is more tangled than a plate of long spaghetti.

These factors are of huge importance to anyone who wants to understand how decisions are being made about the life in the Church, both in Italy and abroad. Remember, the Pope is the Bishop of Rome. He has the good of the whole Church to consider, but he is also a bishop here in Italy, the Primate of Italy. As I have tried to explain to people for years, you have to grasp what is going on in Italian Church/State relations to really get what is happening even with decisions and documents of global importance.

The “Family Day” reference is crucial right now even, I think, for the date of the Motu Proprio.

Very bad legislation has been introduced in Italy about homosexual marriage, taxation rates for families, etc. The Pope and CEI (Italian Bishops Conference) have said clearly and repeatedly that Catholics must oppose this bad legislation every way possible. They have been very vocal about this and the lefties all going completely bananas. In their view of things, the Church is supposed to be a silent partner in reshaping society (after all… that’s the purpose of the Church, right? an instrument of social activism and change?).

Various Catholic groups suggested a demonstration, against these legislative projects, in favor of the family properly understood. Tension is building. The simmering hostility toward Benedict and the Church is starting to boil. I posted in another entry about posters put up in Genova, which is where the new president of the CEI, the Italian Bishops Conference is the Archbishop and soon to be cardinal.

In light of the importance of “Family Day” in resisting the evil legislation, it was decided by the Pope and the CEI that bishops should not participate in the May demonstration, though priests could.

“But Father! But Father!” you are saying with furrowed brow, “Why no bishops? Shouldn’t they be out there in the front lines?”

This is probably a good decision. In Spain on a similar occasion the leftists emphasized the conflict among the bishops on these matters, and that seriously undermined the Church in Spain, took away it’s voice. They are trying to rebuild their moral capital there. So, in Italy it was decided that LAY PEOPLE had to make themselves the force for change in the public square. The Family Day demonstration would not be led by clergy. It is better than lay people do this themselves, to test the wil of lay movements. Having bishops step aside is not going to be the best scenario in all social issues, but on this one, in ITALY, it probably is. People are divided on this, but there it is.
In Italy, Pope Benedict is making a huge splash. Since he was elected, the left-wing has gone nearly insane with confusion and rage. The main-stream press is waging a bitter campaign against him and the Church. The problem is that he is hugely popular especially among young people who are beginning to ask questions of their teachers and others about things they are not supposed to question (the left-wing agenda). Since the education system in Italy has been run by Communists for decades, this question asking trend is a very bad development. And… it is the Pope’s fault! If John Paul captured the imagination of young people and drew them in, they are now listening to Benedict with rapt attention. He is the only great public figure saying anything new or that makes sense. While the secularists are all shrieking about “thinking outside the box”, the Pope is the only one really doing it.

Benedict XVI is handling a great number of very difficult issues both in Italy itself, in larger Europe, and within the Church. There is huge tension now because he just isn’t doing what every splinter group thinks he ought to be doing. Instead the Pope is being the Pope. When you thnk about why we haven’t seen the Motu Proprio yet, consider that when he released Sacramentum caritatis it wasn’t enough for some people and it was ignored by others. He increases the use of Latin and it isn’t enough. If he releases the MP, it won’t be enough for many who will be the chief beneficiaries of what the Pope is trying to accomplish. I think if I were the Pope, I too would be very careful with the release of this document.

The Motu Proprio will be interpreted in a larger context of what Benedict is doing on many levels in Italy and Europe.

When Benedict does this, he must get it as right as he possibly can. The stakes are high in other sectors of the life of the Church.

And B XVI’s Easter Vigil Homily:

These words of the Psalm, read as a dialogue between the Risen Christ and ourselves, also explain what takes place at Baptism. Baptism is more than a bath, a purification. It is more than becoming part of a community. It is a new birth. A new beginning in life. The passage of the Letter to the Romans which we have just read says, in words filled with mystery, that in Baptism we have been “grafted” onto Christ by likeness to his death. In Baptism we give ourselves over to Christ – he takes us unto himself, so that we no longer live for ourselves, but through him, with him and in him; so that we live with him and thus for others. In Baptism we surrender ourselves, we place our lives in his hands, and so we can say with Saint Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” If we offer ourselves in this way, if we accept, as it were, the death of our very selves, this means that the frontier between death and life is no longer absolute. On either side of death we are with Christ and so, from that moment forward, death is no longer a real boundary. Paul tells us this very clearly in his Letter to the Philippians: “For me to live is Christ. To be with him (by dying) is gain. Yet if I remain in this life, I can still labour fruitfully. And so I am hard pressed between these two things. To depart – by being executed – and to be with Christ; that is far better. But to remain in this life is more necessary on your account” (cf. 1:21ff.). On both sides of the frontier of death, Paul is with Christ – there is no longer a real difference. Yes, it is true: “Behind and before you besiege me, your hand ever laid upon me” (Ps 138 [139]: 5). To the Romans Paul wrote: “No one … lives to himself and no one dies to himself… Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom 14:7ff.).

Dear candidates for Baptism, this is what is new about Baptism: our life now belongs to Christ, and no longer to ourselves. As a result we are never alone, even in death, but are always with the One who lives for ever. In Baptism, in the company of Christ, we have already made that cosmic journey to the very abyss of death. At his side and, indeed, drawn up in his love, we are freed from fear. He enfolds us and carries us wherever we may go – he who is Life itself.

snip

Truly Christ puts the lost sheep upon his shoulders and carries it home. Clinging to his Body we have life, and in communion with his Body we reach the very heart of God. Only thus is death conquered, we are set free and our life is hope.

This is the joy of the Easter Vigil: we are free. In the resurrection of Jesus, love has been shown to be stronger than death, stronger than evil. Love made Christ descend, and love is also the power by which he ascends. The power by which he brings us with him. In union with his love, borne aloft on the wings of love, as persons of love, let us descend with him into the world’s darkness, knowing that in this way we will also rise up with him. On this night, then, let us pray: Lord, show us that love is stronger than hatred, that love is stronger than death. Descend into the darkness and the abyss of our modern age, and take by the hand those who await you. Bring them to the light! In my own dark nights, be with me to bring me forth! Help me, help all of us, to descend with you into the darkness of all those people who are still waiting for you, who out of the depths cry unto you! Help us to bring them your light! Help us to say the “yes” of love, the love that makes us descend with you and, in so doing, also to rise with you. Amen!

A Happy Easter to everyone!
Upon returning from the blogging hiatus, here’s the rest of my Triddum report:

–Good Friday: I got there early, around 1:20, and I thought I would be early. But the church was pretty full, I would say almost halfway, with people doing the Stations, praying their rosaries, etc. That was great to see. I said my rosary, and then settled in with the rest of the choir for the service (Good Friday is not a Mass, since there are no hosts consecreated. It is also called the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified, since we use hosts consecrated on Holy Thursday. But, technically, no Masses are celebrated on Good Friday.) The Mass was really full, not entirely full but a good-sized crowd for a Good Friday (our Mass is at 2:00 so people usually have to work).

The service itself went well; from a choral standpoint this is our ‘easiest’ one because there’s very little singing. It seemed shorter than usual, somehow, but that could’ve been just me.

–Holy Saturday–The Vigil: I love the Vigil, and last night was no exception. Nice sized crowd (it’s never totally full, probably because of 1) the time and 2) the length!), and I was there really early. I was there before the priest! So I had plenty of time to sit in church, say my rosary and check out all the Easter lilies and tulips that decorated the sanctuary. Kudos to the Church Decorating Committee! Fr. Dan and John (our Choir director) were getting things ready–I thought it was very amusing to see the water for the baptisms being poured into the lovely crystal bowl from a rubbermaid bucket but that’s just me. It was blessed later so I guess it was OK. But it still made me laugh.
The rest of the choir and the K of C guys (who usher and distribute the candles for this Mass–they do the same thing for Midnight Mass at Christmas) started arriving around 7:10, and the RCIA folks started arriving then, too, as well as the people for Mass. So it was starting to get busy. And I am never still before a big performance; I have to pace, or move, or something. I was probably driving everyone crazy. If I had my way I would’ve been stalking the vestibule like a lion at the zoo. But nooo. And it was cold out so I couldn’t even go outside and pace. Oh well.
The Mass began at 8:30 with the Service of Light, which was optional this year for the choir since it was cold. Usually we go out with the RCIA kids and any congregational members who want to, and we process in. Not this year. I stayed inside, but I was amazed at how many people braved snow and wind. Thankfully Fr. Dan really moved that part so the poor people wouldn’t freeze.
Once everyone was back in, the candles were lit and the Easter Proclamation chanted by one of our deacons. We only do three readings (plus the Epistle) at my church (1, 3, and 5), so that helps. We had about 30 people in the RCIA class and a lot of baptisms, which is always nice to see. Some of the little girls had amazing dresses. I mean, really amazing. Lace and frills and one even had a bustle!
Singing the Gloria again was also great; we use the Celtic Mass (which I love) for Christmas and Easter. Lights, incense, good music–it was great. This Mass has lots of singing, so we were busy, getting our pieces ready and making sure we were on top. Whew.
The highlights, for me, was the Easter Communion (always great), and our singing of “Worthy is the Lamb” from the Messiah. Even though we do the “Hallelujah!” chorus every year, “Worthy” is a lot harder and, therefore, more satisfying when done right. And we did an awesome job, thank you. But it was exhausting…and we were all very warm when it was over. If you don’t think singing is an activity that requires energy, you are so wrong. The concentration, the timing, the sheer attention you have to pay is exhausting. But we were very happy with it. And, of course, the “Hallelujah” went off splendidly, even if people were leaving and taking pictures and doing all sorts of things while we were singing. GRRRR. It’s a four minute piece, people. You can wait until we’re done. Not that hard. I’m sorry, but I just think that’s rude.
Overall, it was probably the best Vigil I’ve attended. Very reverent atmosphere and everyone involved did their parts beautifully. We also had a very responsive congregation, which is always nice.
Today we don’t have to sing (yay!), so I m going to Easter dinner with my family. I hope you all have a great Easter!