Letter of the Bishop of Norwich

[Congratulations to Fr. Gregoire Fluet, an NLM reader, for his new diocesan appointment -- I will let you read about it within the letter. Fr. Fluet has been saying the usus antiquior for some while now and has been quite active in that regard. I was also particularly pleased to see the bishop mention a number of the Western liturgical rites, such as that of Braga, Milan or the Dominican rite. Too often these are forgotten and so it was a delight to see them recalled. Let us hope they will become further recalled, and practiced again, in the very near future. One question that does come up as a point of hesitation are the mention of BCL "guidelines" as regards the implementation of the Motu Proprio; if there are to be such guidelines, they need to of course not mitigate Summorum Pontificum itself, something that Archbishop Ranjith has, thankfully, been very vocal about recently in Rome. Let us hope that vocal criticism from within the CDW will weigh heavily on the minds of any committee.]


Office of the Bishop
Diocese of Norwich, CT.

August 15, 2007.

Dear Brothers in Ministry:

You are aware that in the Roman Catholic Church there has always been a multiplicity of liturgical rites and usages. The two major liturgical families are, of course, the Western and Eastern Rites. Within these families are various rites: in the East: the Ukrainian Rite, the Byzantine Rite, the Malabar Rite, the Maronite Rite, to name a few; and there are various rites in the West or Roman Rite. Some of these have fallen into disuse, while others continue to be celebrated on a limited basis: the Rite of Braga, the Rite of Lyon, the Ambrosian Rite, and the Dominican Rite. Never has a rite been formally banned or abrogated.

By his Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI has clarified the status of the Rite of 1962, often called the Tridentine Rite, a rite used throughout the Church till 1969. Far from calling into question the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, the Pope has confirmed the liturgical reform of 1969, and has now made provisions that the wealth of this ancient rite be maintained for the Church. As Our Holy Father says, What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. (Letter to the Bishops accompanying the Motu Proprio, July 7, 2007.)

To properly implement the provisions of the Motu Proprio, I have established the Ecclesia Dei Ministry of the Diocese of Norwich. This ministry will respond to the spiritual needs of the faithful in the Diocese who have an attachment to the Extraordinary Rite of the Roman Rite, the Rite of 1962. It will provide the necessary resources and provide a place of reference should any of the faithful request celebrations of the Rite of 1962 for funerals or weddings or should pastors or priests have any questions. It will assist to make certain that every celebration according to the Rite of 1962 is done reverentially and correctly. It will implement the guidelines to be offered by the Bishops' Liturgy Committee. I have appointed Father Gregoire J. Fluet, Ph.D., Pastor of Saint Bridget of Kildare, to be Chaplain and Director of the Ministry. Father Fluet has celebrated the Tridentine Mass for the Diocese since 1990. Because our Diocese is small, this Ministry should be able to fulfill the stipulations of Summorum Pontificum.

Should you have any questions concerning Summorum Pontificum, or specific requests or concerns, I invite you to contact Father Fluet directly at Saint Bridget of Kildare Parish in Moodus, and to refer your parishioners who have requests or questions to him.

[...]

With every best wish, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+Michael R. Cote
Bishop of Norwich