Quick Hits: Cardinal Sarah's speech, the Pope and his critics

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jul 07, 2016 | In Quick Hits

• Yesterday CWN reported-- and I celebrated -- the wonderful suggestion by Cardinal Robert Sarah that priests should celebrate Mass ad orientem. Today there’s more good news: the text of Cardinal Sarah’s address to the Sacra Liturgia conference is now available online, and there’s more gold to be mined from it. For instance:
  • the liturgical reform envisioned by Vatican II had not been realized, and the “reform of the reform” suggested by Pope Benedict XVI is the necessary corrective;
  • Pope Francis has directed Cardinal Sarah, in his capacity as the Vatican’s top liturgist, to continue pursuing that “reform of the reform;”
  • one main objective is to eliminate abuses and freewheeling liturgies, of the sort described by Cardinal Francis Arinze as the “do-it-yourself Mass;”
  • the Extraordinary Form should be encouraged, and priests should be trained to celebrate the traditional Mass;
  • the Anglican Ordinariate has introduced a beautiful example of authentic liturgical renewal; and
  • “we must sing the liturgical texts…, most especially that music proper to the Roman rite, Gregorian chant. We must sing sacred liturgical music not merely religious music, or worse, profane songs.”
  
  
• Ordinarily these “Quick Hits” pieces direct attention to items that appear on the internet. But today let me comment on an item that does not appear, because its disappearance is a positive development. Yesterday the National Catholic Register site carried a very unfortunate essay by John Paul Shimek, entitled “Should Good Catholics Read Far-Right Catholic Blogs?” Shimek answered that question in the negative, and roundly denounced the “far-right” bloggers—without identifying them, producing evidence of their offenses, or distinguishing between them and more responsible analysts. Today that article has been removed from the Register site, and in its place there is an editorial note indicating that Shimek’s diatribe was unauthorized and does not represent the views of the Register editors. That’s reassuring.
  There are, beyond doubt, some Catholic commentators who have been intemperate in their criticism of Pope Francis. But the fact that they are intemperate does not mean that they are always wrong. More to the point, it does not help matters to be intemperate and unprofessional in criticizing others for the same weaknesses. Finally, to suggest that it may be immoral to read “far-right” blogs, without distinguishing between hysterical commentary and more balanced analysis, is to imply that reasonable debate is impossible. That’s an argument that responsible Catholics will not and should not accept.


• For those many Catholics who have been understandably dismayed by recent papal statements, Father Peter Stravinskas provides practical advice in his 12 thoughts on the papacy and life in the Church today. He neither denies the problem nor offers a simple solution. But he does put things in perspective, balancing respect for the Petrine office with a healthy commitment to the truths of the faith—offering, as he puts it, “a path through the Scylla and Charybdis of denial on the one hand and vitriol on the other.” This essay (originally a homily) is through, balanced, and ultimately calming. I strongly recommend reading it. But I don’t think Father Stravinskas will object if I suggest reading Cardinal Sarah’s address first.