The long-awaited Responsa are out, serving as a kind of application instruction for Traditionis Custodes, and everything you need to know about them is summed up by one fact to which I would draw the reader’s attention. The cover letter to the Responsa Ad Dubia says:
“It is sad to see how the deepest bond of unity, the sharing in the one Bread broken which is His Body offered so that all may be one (cf. Jhn 17:21), becomes a cause for division. It is the duty of the Bishops, cum Petro et sub Petro, to safeguard communion, which, as the Apostle Paul reminds us (cf. 1 Cor 11:17-34), is a necessary condition for being able to participate at the Eucharistic table.”
Isn’t it the height of irony to find 1 Corinthians 11, 17-34 cited in support of this latest assault on Tradition, when verses 27-29 are nowhere to be found in the new lectionary, with its supposedly “richer fare” of Scripture? (They are read multiple times each year in the old rite.)
“Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.”
Yes, in some ways richer fare from the Bible, but also different fare. And that is symbolic of this entire moment of crisis: different rites, with different theologies — an untenable situation finally coming to a head.
Commentary began to appear on Saturday, the day the text from the Congregation for Divine Worship was released to the public (although apparently it was approved a month before; presumably its release was delayed till a week before Christmas in order to guarantee feelings of comfort and joy). The reactions gathered here are not listed in the exact order in which they were published. I have deliberately left out mere news items and cheerleading from the hyperpapalist faction, in which I have not yet found anything of theological substance, just plenty of posturing and bullying. As usual, listing any article here does not imply agreeing with everything that its author says. We would, however, particularly recommend reading Fr. Gerald Murray’s piece.
If I have missed anything you found valuable, or if I have mistaken the dates of any of these pieces, please send me an email using the address in the sidebar. — PAK
“It is sad to see how the deepest bond of unity, the sharing in the one Bread broken which is His Body offered so that all may be one (cf. Jhn 17:21), becomes a cause for division. It is the duty of the Bishops, cum Petro et sub Petro, to safeguard communion, which, as the Apostle Paul reminds us (cf. 1 Cor 11:17-34), is a necessary condition for being able to participate at the Eucharistic table.”
Isn’t it the height of irony to find 1 Corinthians 11, 17-34 cited in support of this latest assault on Tradition, when verses 27-29 are nowhere to be found in the new lectionary, with its supposedly “richer fare” of Scripture? (They are read multiple times each year in the old rite.)
“Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.”
Yes, in some ways richer fare from the Bible, but also different fare. And that is symbolic of this entire moment of crisis: different rites, with different theologies — an untenable situation finally coming to a head.
Commentary began to appear on Saturday, the day the text from the Congregation for Divine Worship was released to the public (although apparently it was approved a month before; presumably its release was delayed till a week before Christmas in order to guarantee feelings of comfort and joy). The reactions gathered here are not listed in the exact order in which they were published. I have deliberately left out mere news items and cheerleading from the hyperpapalist faction, in which I have not yet found anything of theological substance, just plenty of posturing and bullying. As usual, listing any article here does not imply agreeing with everything that its author says. We would, however, particularly recommend reading Fr. Gerald Murray’s piece.
If I have missed anything you found valuable, or if I have mistaken the dates of any of these pieces, please send me an email using the address in the sidebar. — PAK
DECEMBER 18
Eric Sammons, “The Spiritual Abuse Continues” (Crisis Magazine)
Fr. Claude Barthe, “Resisting an unjust liturgical law” (Rorate Caeli)
Gregory DiPippo, “The Last Stand of the Brezhnev Papacy” (New Liturgical Movement)
Peter Kwasniewski, “A Supreme Moment of Decision, Courtesy of ‘Divine Worship’” (OnePeterFive)
Matthew Hazell, “A ‘Revolution of Tenderness,’ or ‘The Roche Christmas Massacre’: A Farce in Eleven Dubia” (Rorate Caeli)
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, “Additional Notes from @FatherZ on the Dubious Dubia concerning ‘Traditionis custodes’”
Press Release from Coalition for Canceled Priests: “Response to Bergoglio’s Christmas Massacre”
Rod Dreher, “Pope Francis, Ever The Iconoclast” (American Conservative) [Since Dreher in this piece quoted a friend who compared me (and by implication traditionalists in general) to Martin Luther, I wrote a refutation, which Dreher subsequently incorporated into his post.]
Brian McCall, “The Second Atomic Bomb Has Exploded: CDW Issues Directives Banning Traditional Confirmations and Ordinations, Decrees the End of Ecclesia Dei Communities” (Catholic Family News)
Michael Matt, “Pope of Mercy Restricts Traditional Sacraments, Bans Traditional Confirmations & Ordinations Without Exception” (The Remnant)
Caminante Wanderer, “Traditional Catholics: Exceptions to ‘Synodality’” (Rorate Caeli)
Phillip Campbell, “Pope Denethor: Reflections on the CDW Responsa” (Unam Sanctam Catholicam) [Incisive commentary on the many absurdities and impossibilities contained in the Responsa, such as its attempt to abrogate liturgical books by reference to a place in TC that says no such thing.]
Fr. John Hunwicke, “Nastier and Nastier” (Fr Hunwicke’s Mutual Enrichment) [Close analysis of the text and some of its key provisions—intended to tighten up loopholes in TC.]
Chris Ferrara, “A Schismatic Pope?” (The Remnant)
Dr. Adam A. J. DeVille, "Opinion: Let a thousand rites bloom and flourish!"
Shawn Tribe, Comment at the Facebook Group “Defense of the Immemorial Roman Rite: Traditionis Custodes v. Summorum Pontificum”
Amy Wellborn, “Things that might not make sense” (Charlotte Was Both)
“Vatican answers the dubia on ‘Traditionis custodes’ – Here’s what it means” (The Pillar)
Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Statement on the Dec. 18th Document from the CDW
DECEMBER 19, 2021
Latin Mass Society of England & Wales, “LMS’s initial response to the Responsa ad dubia”
Christopher R. Altieri, “Trying to make some sense of the responsa ad dubia” (Catholic World Report)
“An Eastern Catholic Priest on the Recent Vatican Document” (Rorate Caeli)
Chris Jackson, “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”
Fr. Dana Christensen, “Lawlessness, Part II” (A Living Sacrifice)
“How to Write Your Own Dubia” (Eccles is saved)
Rob Marco, “Why Faith Is Like A Marriage, and Why I Hold Out Hope For It” (Pater Familias)
“An Eastern Catholic Priest on the Recent Vatican Document” (Rorate Caeli)
DECEMBER 20, 2021
Fr. Gerald Murray, “The Cruel and Incoherent Further Restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass” (The Catholic Thing) [To my mind, this is the best thing written so far, on the whole]
Kennedy Hall, “Trust Your Catholic Sense” (Crisis Magazine)
Joseph Shaw, “A Small Difficulty with the Responsa” (Rorate Caeli)
Stuart Chessman, “Responses to the Dubia” (The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny) [Excellent!]
Maike Hickson, “‘From Benedict’s Peace to Francis’s War’ will help Catholics fight for the soul of the Church” (LifeSite News)
Ken Wolfe, “Suppression Has Consequences” (Rorate Caeli)
Michael Brendan Dougherty, “The Pope’s Vindictive Campaign against the Latin Mass” (National Review)
Phil Lawler, "Who denies the Novus Ordo is valid? Prepare for a surprise" (Catholic Culture)
Ed Condon, "Roche's Rules: Does the new Extraordinary Form instruction line up with Vatican II?" (The Pillar)
Steve Ray, "Vatican Further Represses the Latin Mass and Sacramental Rites" (Defenders of the Catholic Faith)
Fr. Zuhlsdorf, "Another Note on the Dubious Dubia™ concerning Traditionis custodes" (Fr. Z's Blog)
DECEMBER 21, 2021
Fr. Richard Cipolla, "Dear Archbishop Roche: The Attempt to Cancel Tradition is doomed to failure" (Rorate Caeli)
Sean McClinch, "It’s Time to Occupy the Churches" (OnePeterFive) [Excellent! The spirit we need to have.]
