Michigan Catholic

People are still on the Motu Proprio watch, with rumors predicting tomorrow or May 5th.   However, this is completely in the Pope Benedict’s hands and at his discretion.

One caution:  Be careful of articles, some of which we’re seeing already, trying to second-guess the pope over whether such a decision will be good for this or that group–ie. the Jews, the Evangelical Protestants, ecumenism, and so on. These are merely thinly veiled attempts to derail the release or politicize its appearance negatively. Expect the press to go ballistic when they believe the release is imminent.

There was a meeting of all the curia heads Saturday morning in Rome, 10AM their time.  The meeting was unannounced beforehand.  I don’t think Pope Benedict called it to wish himself “happy birthday.”   Something major is about ready to happen in the next week or two, I think.

Vatican Website

From CNS, the USCCB’s news division, comes this: 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Sometime soon, Pope Benedict XVI is expected to broaden permission to use the Tridentine Mass, a long-standing request of traditionalists who favor the rite used before the Second Vatican Council. 

See the rest of the article for more.

The new rectory at St. Mary’s in Paw Paw, due to be ready this week according to news reports, was vandalized.   I just found out about it on the 10PM local news.

See the article here. 

Una Voca, an organization faithful to Rome, is offering a workshop in June to teach priests how to say the Latin Mass.  Follow this link for more information!

Here is Una Voca’s regular website.

Latin readers have spotted several serious translation errors in the English language version of the new Apostolic Exhortation.  These “errors” all seem to be in places which address known areas of dissent.  Surprise, surprise.

Latin credit to Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, who was at the Holy Father’s press conference Tuesday and who spotted the discrepancies very quickly.  His website has been inundated now and he is off-&-online, but his blog is here if you can get through.

The Latin version is the official version, not the English, but the English gets used to set norms for all the English-speaking countries where dissent is a problem.  Therefore the English needs to be brought into line with the official version so that what the Pope has written can be understood correctly.

Discussions, with particulars, are continuing at several sites.  There are letters being written to get this retranslated to be in line with the other translations–in Spanish, Italian, German and Latin.

Discussions:

The New Liturgical Movement, Diogenes, The Cafeteria is Closed, Open Book

If you’d like to send a letter,  below are the appropriate addresses.  Be aware that a paper letter carries more significance than an email or a fax in Rome.

His Eminence, Cardinal Bertone (Secretariat of State) and Monsignor Sandri (Sostituto):
Mailing Address:
Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano, Citta del Vaticano 00120
Telephone: 011.39.06.69.88.39.13
Fax: 011.39.06.69.88.52.55

His Eminence, Cardinal Arinze (Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments) and Archbishop Ranjith (Secretary)
Mailing Address:
Palazzo delle Congregazioni, 00193 Roma, Piazza Pio XII, 10
Telephone: 011.39.06.69.88.43.16/ 011.39.06.69.88.43.18
Fax: 011.39.06.69.88.34.99

Archbishop John Patrick Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications
Mailing Address:
00120 Citta del Vaticano, Palazzo S. Carlo
Telephone: 011.39.06.69.88.31.97/ 011.39.06.69.88.35.97
Fax: 011.39.06.69.88.53.73

Contact info. for the Vatican Publishing House:
General Email: lev@lev.va
Director: segreteria.lev@lev.va
Fax: 011-39-06-698-85326

Address for letters:
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Via della Tipografia
00120 Città del Vaticano

Here’s one newspaper people could notify:
La Stampa: ufficiostampa@lev.va

There have been many struggles over translation  in English-speaking countries for the last 20-30 years.  Here is the Adoremus translation issues page.  As you can see if you scan that page, the whole issue has been a huge nightmare for years.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church actually underwent several translations which were totally unacceptable (goofy, actually) before it was translated by a single unknown priest, finally appointed by the Holy See to do the job, believe it or not. This is the reason English-speakers received their translation so long after the Spanish received theirs.  If you have the time to read it, the entire story can be found in Msgr. Michael Wrenn’s Flawed Expectations: The Reception of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  In fact, there are some hilarious excerpts of the unacceptable translations in the Appendix of this book.

…on the Vatican website….

UPDATE:  Sandro Magister at Chiesa magazine has an exceptionally fine article about the new Exhortation.

Announced by the Holy See today—The long-awaited Apostolic Exhortation will be released next Tuesday, March 13th, about noon, Rome time.  This means about 6AM our time. 

From the Vatican website:

“PRESENTATION OF POST-SYNODAL DOCUMENT ON THE EUCHARIST VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2007 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13, the presentation will take place of the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” on the Eucharist, source and summit of the life and mission of the Church. Participating in the press conference will be Cardinal Angelo Scola, patriarch of Venice, Italy, relator general of the 11th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which was held in October 2005, and Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.
OP/APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION/…VIS 070306 (100)”

This document has been expected for some time but was delayed because of the death of Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory.  It’s expected to contain some instructions on the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

It is not known at this time whether the much-mentioned Motu Proprio concerning freedom for the Missal of Paul V will be included in this document or will follow by some interval. 

 We are also waiting for the new translations of the Mass, but they are yet a bit down the road–1 to 2 years. 

Incidentally, I have been informed that under the old calendar, March 13th was the feast day of St. Benedict.  I don’t think this is a coincidence. 

Pope Benedict XVI is on his lenten retreat this week.  He has chosen Cardinal Biffi to be the retreat master.  Here are a few interesting segments from his talk, as reported in the Lifesite article linked below:

“The 78-year-old cardinal added that if Christians “limited themselves to speaking of shared values they would be more accepted on television programs and in social groups. But in this way, they will have renounced Jesus, the overwhelming reality of the resurrection.” “

“The cardinal said he believes that this is “the danger that Christians face in our days … the Son of God cannot be reduced to a series of good projects sanctioned by the prevailing worldly mentality.”"

I have seen many links to this today, as the type of information in the talk is rarely heard in this age.  Cardinal Biffi is an expert on the AntiChrist and has remarked in the past that he believes that the AntiChrist is alive today as you read this.

See the Lifesite article here. See the Zenit article on details of the talk here.   And the original Radio Vaticana link here (Italian).   The Zenit article is terrific.

The diocese of San Diego filed for bankruptcy late last night, just in time to avoid the failure of last-ditch negotiations for 150 sexual abuse lawsuits this morning.

The news item is here.  You can bet you haven’t heard the last of this.  Eventually, California is going to go “Boston,” only bigger.  Much bigger.