The ‘Signs of the Times’ Have Passed Them By
In The New York Daily News (July 12) there was a short column by the Rev. Brian Jordan, an immigration counselor assigned to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Manhattan. He comments on Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio, titled Summorum Pontificum (issued July 7), liberating the Tridentine Latin Mass.
Fr. Jordan says, “There continues to be no national pastoral need to celebrate the Mass in Latin other than to satisfy a small — albeit very influential — number of disgruntled Catholics…. And, more importantly, who really needs the Mass in Latin?… A certain few…. We must continue to be called to progression, not regression.”
Contrary to Fr. Jordan, we stated in our October 2007 Editorial that “we believe this is big news for the entire Church…. Catholic Tradition is the key to the future strength of the Church.”
Fr. Jordan says, “I myself have abided by the spirit of Vatican II to respond to ‘the signs of the times.'” He repeats the phrase “signs of the times” two more times.
You May Also Enjoy
Latin is an entirely suitable means for discussing all contemporary subjects, for bantering, arguing, playing games, and singing.
Nobody would ever mistake the timid troupe that makes up the majority of Catholic bishops for radical imams who issue fatwas.
The Extraordinary Form and Ordinary Form sat down to discuss the first eight years of their formal co-existence, and invited me to record and moderate the conversation.