On this episode of Faith and Reason, John-Henry Westen and Frank Wright discuss Charlotte Bishop Michael T. Martin's leaked proposals to ban traditional liturgical practices in the Novus Ordo.
(LifeSiteNews) — On this episode of Faith and Reason, John-Henry Westen and Frank Wright discuss Charlotte Bishop Michael T. Martin's leaked directives, which proposed banning traditional liturgical practices such as using altar rails, celebrating Mass ad orientem, kneeling, ringing bells to begin Mass, the use of Latin, and much more.
Earlier this week, following Bishop Martin's suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) last week, a draft of a letter placing further restrictions on reverent liturgical practices in the ordinary form of the Mass was leaked. The diocese later described it as “an early draft” that is still being sizably changed before any norms are promulgated.
READ: Charlotte bishop denounces Latin, altar rails, kneeling in leaked letter
Wright recalled thinking the letter was satire when it was first leaked.
"The first time I looked at (the letter), I couldn't believe that it wasn't satire, because it wasn't only inspired obviously by an undisguised hostility towards anything that resembles the Catholic tradition, but it also seemed to be rather absurd in some places," he said. "It would be an elaborate joke if it weren't so gravely serious."
The panel read several of Martin's proposed directives from the letter, starting with the proposed requirement that bells no longer be used to signal the opening of Mass.
"The ringing of a bell(s) to signal the congregation to stand before the Opening Hymn is no longer to be used at any Mass. A verbal welcome by the Lector (or other suitable minister), followed by an indication of the hymn to be sung and an invitation to stand, is most appropriate and should be normative at all Masses," the letter said.
Westen called this proposal "bizarre."
"There's always been this beautiful practice of ringing a bell so that everybody knows when to stand and the organist knows when to start playing and so on. ... That's banned," the host said. "In fact, in its place, we are supposed to have some kind of welcomer up front calling to them. ... This is actually so bizarre, it's unspeakable."READ: Charlotte diocese says controversial liturgy letter was only a 'draft'
The panel looked at another proposed directive on removing all altar rails from churches.
"Moveable altar rails should be removed, and permanently fixed altar rails should no longer be used. The placement of a prei dieu for the reception of communion is not appropriate," the letter read.
Westen pondered how this is fair for the elderly faithful who want to kneel to receive the Eucharist but struggle to get back up without an altar rail.
Wright emphasized that this directive appears to be the deliberate desacralization of Holy Communion.
"It's difficult to see this in any other sense than a deliberate desacralization of the right of Communion, because, of course, it should be taken when you kneel," he said. "And to discourage people from doing so seems to be spiteful to me, and especially in this exceptional detail."
"(The letter's) very precise, and it's expressed without any possibility of disagreement," he added. "I think this is frankly breathtaking to say that you actually remove any possibility of people comfortably and acceptably kneeling for Communion. Why on earth would you want to do that?"
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The panel then looked at part of the directive barring priests from celebrating Mass ad orientem.
"Mass must be celebrated facing the people," the letter said.
Wright underscored that this doesn't make sense since Mass is supposed to be offered toward God.
"The idea, I thought, of offering the Mass was that it was towards God. And to replace that with a directive to offer Mass to the people, again, seems motivated by a curious imperative," he said.
"There's no explanation as to why this is wrong, offering Mass towards God, as it were. I would like to see that explained, because I think it would be very difficult to defend it and remain credible," he added.
For more discussion on Bishop Martin's proposed crackdown on reverent liturgical practices, tune in to this episode of Faith and Reason.
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