RU 43/2006 - GERMANY, TURKEY

- GERMANY: Who says that there are no good news any more? Here is a very big one. On the 16,100 Catholic priests in Germany, the SPX sent a first portion of 6500 letters - i.e. those in the dioceses of Munster, Trier, Berlin, Munich, Paderborn and Cologne -, plus to 300 priests abroad, proposing the purchase of a DVD to learn to celebrate the ancient Holy Mass in Latin, the so-called rite St Pius V which was the liturgy used in the universal Catholic Church from Gregorius I (+604) until 1969, that means during almost 14 centuries. Miracle: 1000 priests and 100 seminarists ordered the DVD. Often even with the option "annex material" (Canon tables on the altar, table of preparation prayers in the sacristy etc.). Early in November the same letter will be sent by the SPX to 4500 supplementary priests, and the balance (5100 letters) in the beginning of the year 2007. One can therefore reasonably hope that eventually 15 to 20 % of all priests and seminarists of German language will order this documentation in order to learn how to celebrate the ancient Mass. This is enormous in a country where the bishops' conference, after an investigation organized by themselves, judge that the ancient Mass occupies a "very small" place everywhere, and, according to the expression of cardinal Lehmann taken over by the bishops' conference, "the interest for the ancient Mass stagnates at an extremely low level; one cannot speak at all of a growing interest" (conference of the bishops at Fulda in fall 2006). It's those people who are informing the pope, one cannot believe it! It is to be noted that high number of priests asks for delivery of this material through a third party, or through their family, in order not to be detected as "traditionalists", a thing which is universally vomited since the Vatican Council II. The video shows, step by step, the old Roman ritual. The DVD is only sold to priests and seminarists, not to ordinary faithful. The SPX took care to inform, by a letter of July 28th, 2006, every bishop of this action. No answer has been received until now from the German episcopate. For them, this question is apparently of no interest, completely out of the way of their silk slippers. Only 8 priests reacted arguing in favour of the new liturgy compared to the ancient one (0.1 percent!). Therefore one can suppose that a large portion of the priests is deeply conscious of the devastations made by the new liturgy, along the words of the present pope when he was yet cardinal, in 2000: "The one who defends today the everlastingness of this liturgy (Saint Pius V) or who participates in it, is treated like a madman, in oblivion of all tolerance. One never saw such a thing in all the history, because one also puts aside, by this judgment, all the past of the Church. How could one yet have confidence in the Church, if it is like that? Honestly, I don't understand that so many of my colleagues submits extensively to this guideline of irrational intolerance which is opposed to the necessary interior reconciliations in the Church." (Gott und Welt, Munich, 2nd ed., 2000, p. 357). A priest wrote: "One year after my ordination I began, privately, to celebrate the ancient liturgy... since that time regularly was revealed to me Christ's Royalty, the spirit of the Church of all times, the source of strength of the martyrs and of all Saints. I pray so that this pure source can finally flow freely all over again, to water the arid fields of the Church." It's necessary that we all relearn the celebration of that ancient Holy Mass which is not only an inexhaustible source for our faith, hope and love, but an extraordinary mission tool. In every Mass, it's like if the Holy Cross of Golgatha, with its divine Victim, was planted all over again into the middle of the crowds of today, while bringing the salvation to those that want to adore the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. - (ru; cf. MB nov. 2006).

- TURKEY: Another good news? Benedict XVI is developing, in these days, heroic courage. He even maintains his journey to Turkey, by the end of November 2006, in spite of threats, even of a novel that circulates there: "Who will kill the pope in Istanbul?" At Mossul, a priest was killed one month ago, the 3rd crime committed on a priest this year in Turkey. The killer of John-Paul II, Ali Agca, wrote to the Holy Father: "Pope Benedict, don't come to Turkey now!" But he will go.- (ru)

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