LETTERS
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Contents © 1997
by Jim Holman.
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LETTERS
OCTOBER 1997
A MIX OF ORTHODOXY AND CONFUSION
In Cardinal Mahony's pastoral letter of September 4, 1997, Gather Faithfully Together, joyful Orthodox theology appears interspersed with vague Vatican II ideas. On page 8, he quotes from the Eastern Divine Liturgy: "God's holy gifts for God's holy people."
There are many Eastern influences in the ICEL liturgy: standing, petitions, processions, the epiclesis, and concelebration. Standing is a sign of attention. Most Eastern Christians don't sit in church unless they're sick! Other ancient customs are being introduced: altar bread that appears as bread, and not using bread consecrated at a previous Mass. Most altar breads today are being baked by huge commercial concerns and not by loving and prayerful hands. Early Christians used to pray for their loved ones as they baked the altar bread. Freshly baked bread can become mouldy, so the consecrated bread is carefully dried to inhibit mold and reserved for the sick in the tabernacle. An Eastern practice that Mahony recommends on a daily basis in preparation for the Eucharist is: prayer and Scripture readings. The Eucharistic fast from midnight should be mandated, not optional, as Mahony suggests, along with the Wednesday and Friday fast and abstinence in honor of our Lord's betrayal and death on the Holy Cross.
Use of horizontal inclusive language in the newly revised ICEL liturgy and the use of the condemned Revised New American Bible Lectionary are areas of grave concern. Of greater concern is the abandonment of some Sacred Traditions in the Catholic Church: the lack of the communion cloth or paten, the absence of the Holy Tabernacle on the Holy Altar, the lack of a communion rail or Iconostasis, and failing to observe the Holy Canons regarding women and the altar.
Concerned Catholics wonder if the cardinal will allow changes in the Eucharistic Prayer which would invalidate the Mass. I personally know a Los Angeles priest who has been changing the words of the Eucharistic Canon and baking altar bread, adding honey. Those who receive this "cake," knowingly or unknowingly, commit the sin of idolatry.
What choices do Catholics have? Attend Eastern Churches, go to traditional Latin Masses, or move into a traditional diocese and pray the bishop doesn't die!
Mrs. Elizabeth-Maria Hanson
La Canada
CRYING BABIES AND FOREIGN HYMNS
Your warning in the July/August Mission [See "Ever Ambiguous"] has indeed come to pass, as I see from reading the pastoral letter in this week's Tidings. It is distressing to me to see how Cardinal Mahony downplays the importance of what he calls the "European" influence in our archdiocese, i.e., English-speaking Americans! Our beautiful marble church, St. Andrew's, was built during the depression largely through the consistent and generous contributions (small but numerous) of Irish immigrants who were working as housemaids in the Pasadena area!
Cardinal Mahony's ideas on the importance of "cultural diversity" and the "many languages which must be raised in order to glorify God properly in the Eucharistic sacrifice" are unwise, untrue, and badly advised. He has fallen under the influence of Latino activist groups, but some of the more rational people in our parish feel he is being influenced by even more deceitful forces.
His pastoral letter enters heavily into politics, does not consider the comfort of persons who are disturbed by crying babies in church, or recognize those who need to hear Mass in an atmosphere of tranquility conducive to prayer. There are numerous Catholics in this area who would disagree that many voices chanting phrases of praise in many languages is "peaceful." To me, it would be like another tower of Babel.
The average Catholic is perfectly capable of "feeling in union with the Body of Christ through the Eucharist" in their own interior minds and hearts, aided by traditional music and ritual. Is there any group or committee or organization of Catholics who wish to continue to hear Mass in our country's language (English) and who appreciate a quiet church where very small children are either left home while their parents "take shifts" going to Mass? If they must bring small children, they should sit in the back of the church where they can more easily be taken out if they cry or otherwise disturb worshippers around them. Such courtesy has always been part of our culture until recently. We need to start now to combat the cardinal's proposed changes, to come together to discuss our options.
In my own parish, changes in the music liturgy have already impacted severely on our talented adult choir, who for at least 40 years have sung the beautiful traditional music of the Church, led by an exceptionally talented choir master (cantor) and organist. Recent forced changes in liturgical song have been so intolerable that our choir is ready to quit. If they go, what music would I be forced to listen to at the 12:30 Mass? Simple songs that "dumb down" the very idea of congregational singing, with a piano for accompaniment? That is not my idea of church music which helps bring peace to the soul.
Ann Druffel
Pasadena
Editor's note: In our article on the draft pastoral letter we did not wish to give the impression that we disagreed with cultural diversity in Mass, except insofar as it was a covert way of undermining Catholic doctrine and Tradition. We certainly did not wish to imply that we disparaged the cardinal's suggestion that young children be included in Mass; after all, one greater than His Eminence did say, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not."
UNSURPASSED ARROGANCE
Don't EVER, EVER send me a copy of your publication again! Your yellow journalism is divisive, selective in what it reports, and totally offensive to those of us who truly are members of the Roman Catholic Church.
I suggest that you review the sacred Scriptures of the new Testament. Jesus Himself said that He who is not with me is against me. Your flagrant misuse and abuse of the printed word tears apart the seamless robe of Jesus Christ, the very Body for which He died and rose from the dead.
The Roman Catholic Church has declared the reliability of the Holy Spirit in the extraordinary gift of infallibility to our Holy Father in matters of Faith and morals. It appears that your writers and editorial staff have usurped this gift by claiming it for yourselves. What a shameful corruption of reality, humility, perspective and the gift of communication. What unsurpassed arrogance!
I refuse to have any part with such deception and abuse. I never asked to have your propaganda sheet sent to me. Your presumption in sending it is an insult. Your attempted coercion to bend what I know is the reality of our Catholic Faith is heinous (and a TOTAL FAILURE). Your assumption that an educated and thinking readership will be taken in by your insidious charges and judgements is patently wrong.
This intrusion of my right to receive the reading material that I wish must cease. It is an invasion of privacy -- a crime of great proportions against the very foundation of the U.S. Constitution. If I were in your position (and I never would be) I would do anything I could to avoid the consequences of disregarding this civil (and moral) right.
Sister M. Emilie Ann Palladino
Los Angeles
CREASY TEACHES HIS OWN MIND
I don't know if "Creasy is as Catholic as Luther," or whoever, but in my knowledge of him, I find a man struggling to be Catholic, like many former Protestants steeped in their religion. I feel that he thinks of himself as being a great apostle of "ecumenism" and is full of zeal and good will to bring about "togetherness." However, I, as a convert of many years, feel that he does not really understand, except in a very superficial way, the ancient faith and traditions of the Church. He is the type of scholar who says he does not do apologetics and yet, if you read from his booklets, such as Introduction to Matthew, you find him bending over backwards to water down Mary, Purgatory, and many other things to make himself more comfortable with his struggle within. This is not a man strictly sticking just to Bible stories. He is "teaching his own mind," even though he may not think he is.
Yes, I do believe Dr. Creasy would die for his faith; I have seen him growing within the last year, and I pray that he does, because we need good teachers in the Church.
In response to Tempe, Arizona [see "Letters," September Mission] -- of course it is all right for a scholar to study other books and writings outside of the Catholic Faith. Please do not mix Bible scholarship with literature like Dante's Divine Comedy, which is a literary work with no claim to saintly visions. And as far as Dr. Creasy being responsible for Thomas' or Goins' faith, they may have been on their way anyway. God calls people in many ways. Your letter sounds very emotional.
Anonymous
Southern California