Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Wednesday 21 February 2024

The Catholic Church in Germany


Two online items came my way today about the mood in the Church in Germany, where the Synodical Way has dominated discussion for a long while. I read that under pressure from the Vatican the German Church has put off creating a new body to oversee its life, but, it should be noted, has not so far rejected the idea. The story is reported on today by Zenit at Pope Averts Schism in Germany: Full Text of Vatican Letter

The two items which I saw today refer not to governance but to the liturgy and do indicate the extent of the divide in German Catholicism in respect of the liturgy to say the very least.

The first is a video, which speaks - or should I say swarks - for itself, from a Mass in the diocese of Passau and which is linked to by Rorate Cæli at A Vatican II Moment: The Chicken Dance Mass

The second is from Life Site News and is a concise and forceful article by Fr Joachim Heimerl, which focuses on the place of the liturgy in the life and mission of the Church, both past and present. His conclusion may well confirm one’s worst fears. It can be seen at German priest: Pope Francis' fight against the Latin Mass is ‘a fight against the Church’


2 comments:

Matthew F Kluk said...

Pope Francis ' fight against the TLM is diabolical. I don't want to see pictures of the Chicken Mass, or a Clown Mass, or a topic of the day Mass. He will have much to answer for one day soon.

Matthew F Kluk said...
This comment has been removed by the author.