RU 14/2006 - CATHOLIC TRADITION, RITE

- CATHOLIC TRADITION. One good thing: in the relations between the Priest's Association of +Mgr Lefebvre and the Vatican, the two sides seem now to make their best efforts "to arrive to a more perfect communion" (cardinal Hoyos). There is no reproach any more of a "schism" that never existed. Even the French bishops' Conference of Lourdes, usually quarrelsome regarding the "Lefebvrists" (some of them even had called them "lefebvrists, lepenists, and terrorists"!), mentioned the issue very delicately while saying that they "now are expecting measures from the side of Rome". The bishops of the Fraternity Saint Pius X, notably Mgr Fellay, see the future in three stages which must necessarily follow each other: 1) official cancellation by Rome of the "excommunication" of the 4 bishops ordained by +Mgr Lefebvre, together with a certain "liberalization" of the ancient rite of the Holy Mass; 2) then, after "a time of experience of the Tradition in the universal Church" (Mgr Fellay), there must be provided some doctrinal work by the two sides concerning certain principles elaborated by the Council Vatican II, notably the "religious liberty" and oecumenism, while verifying their orthodoxy in relation to the long tradition of the Church; 3) after that only, says Mgr Fellay, one has to work out a statute to be given to the Tradition in the Church, notably to the Fraternity St Pius X. This path can take some time - surely several years? - but the objective has been clearly fixed: "the perfect union" (Benedict XVI), so that the Church, Mystical Spouse and Body of Christ, may appear always more visibly as the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC Church. The UNEC association and its predecessor, the "Committee Saint Genoveva", spent much energy for this perfect unity since 19 years, more precisely since November 1987, date of their first meeting in Rome, on this issue, with the cardinal Ratzinger who is today Benedict XVI. The latter one spoke, at the time of the audience of last August 28th with Mgr Fellay, of the "venerable Eminence Lefebvre". May he re-establish his honor while cancelling his unjustifiable "excommunication"! The ball - stage number 1 - is now in the hands of the Vatican, we are waiting with impatience. May God grant the full unity in the charity! - (ru; cf. LPL 01/2006)

- RITE: Here is what Mgr Josef Ratzinger preached some 30 years ago when he was archbishop of Munich concerning the way to receive the Holy Communion (translation into English by UNEC): "We know that, until the 9th century, the Communion was received on the hand, the faithful being in standing position. Of course, this does nos necessarily imply that it must remain thus forever... It's why the new development - which began after the 9th century (the reception on the tongue) - has, as an expression of deep reverence, perfectly its right to exist. On the other hand, it's also necessary to say that it appears as impossible that the Church celebrated the Holy Eucharist during 9 centuries in an unworthy way... Cyrillus of Jerusalem, in the 4th century, described to the communicants, in his catechesesis of baptism, how they should proceed. They must advance and must form their hands like a throne while putting the right hand into the left one, so that they are a throne for the King and represent a Cross at the same time. For him, it's therefore a full expression of beauty and depth: the man's hands form the Cross that becomes the Throne on which the King deigns to descend. The advanced open hand can thus become the sign how man offers himself to God while opening his hands towards Him, in order to become the tool of His proximity, the throne of His Mercy in this world. The one who meditates this sign, will understand: here it would be displaced to battle about such or such position. We can and must battle solely for the respect of the heart which the Church intended, before and after the 9th century, this respect which bows before God's mystery going down into our hands. While doing this, we should not forget that not only our hands are dirty, but also our tongue and our heart, and that we are sinning more often by the tongue than by our hands. The biggest audacity - and at the same time highest expression of God's merciful Goodness - consists in the fact that not only our hand or our tongue, but our heart can touch Him. That the Lord condescends to enter into us and to live in us and with us; that He becomes, from inside, the middle and the transformation of our life"! - Of course, we are not living in the first millennial of Christianity, nor in the Orient (as Cyrillus of Jerusalem), and the Church - including Benedict XVI today - recommends since 11 centuries the reception of the Holy Communion on the tongue. But it is necessary to admit that our Holy Father grants the presumption of good intention to those among his sheep who think otherwise. An example of intelligence and charity to be followed! - (ru; cf. the book " GOTT IST UNS NAH" - God is close to us, sermons of cardinal Ratzinger from 1977 to 1982, Ed. Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Munich 2005).

- - A.M.D.G. - -