Katolsk

Pave Benedikt forklarer hvorfor han gikk av

Katolsk, Paven /

Pope-Benedict-XVI

Jeg leste nettopp på CRUX om en bok om pave Benedikt som snart kommer ut (på italiensk), der han sier at han rett og slett var for skrøpelig til å fortsette som pave. Der står det bl.a.:

Ever since February 28, 2013, when emeritus Pope Benedict XVI unexpectedly, and in Latin, announced his resignation, theories regarding why became too numerous to count: scandals over leaked confidential documents, his health, an alleged “gay lobby” in the Vatican, and so on.

Benedict said at the time he was stepping down because he was 86 and lacked the strength to continue with his mission of leading an institution present in every corner of the world, with over 1.2 billion members.

In a recent interview he expanded on that explanation, adding more details. Among other things, he said that his March 2012 trip to Mexico and Cuba had taken such a toll that he knew he’d be incapable of making another grueling international trip. He says he agreed with his doctor it’d be better if he didn’t make such a demanding outing.

He had one looming: A July 2013 trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to lead millions of youth from around the world in a week-long festival known as World Youth Day in July 2013. Hence he saw it as his “duty” to resign from the papacy, sooner rather than later after his return from Mexico and Cuba.

That snippet was shared by the emeritus pope himself in an interview with Italian Elio Guerrero, author of the upcoming book “Servant of God and Humanity: The biography of Benedict XVI.” It’ll be released in Italian on August 30, and no date for an English publication has yet been announced.
The book includes not only a preface by Pope Francis, but also an interview Guerrero had with Benedict. …..

Takk for årene i St Hallvard menighet

Generelt, Katolsk /

I disse dager (kommende søndag er siste dag) avslutter jeg mitt arbeid i St Hallvard menighet, etter sju år, her kan dere leser hva jeg skriver til avskjed i St Hallvards menighetsblad:

Jeg skriver dette i slutten av juli 2016, og nå er det bare igjen noen få uker av mitt arbeid her i St Hallvard menighet. Jeg kommer til å huske spesielt alle menneskene jeg har møtt i mitt pastorale arbeid her i hele sju år; deltakere i messene i St Hallvard kirke (mest om søndagene, med første søndagsmesse lørdag kveld, fromesse, familie-/høymesse og engelsk messe, men også onsdagsmessene med kontaktklubben) og i kapellet (der jeg har feiret flere hundre kveldsmesser på hverdager, og også den tradisjonelle latinske messen), og også på Holmlia og på Nesodden. Jeg planlegger å feire alle disse messene for siste gang de to siste søndagene i august, og der ønsker jeg å ta skikkelig avskjed med dere alle.

Jeg husker også med glede alle jeg har døpt – det ser ut til å være i alt 230 på de sju årene jeg har vært her – for det meste er det småbarn, men også noen voksne og ungdommer, og i noen tilfeller har jeg døpt hele familier. Barna er nok så mange at jeg ikke husker alle, men det er alltid hyggelig når jeg blir minnet om at jeg døpte en person, og nå kan se hvor stor han/hun er blitt. Ungdommene og de voksne jeg har døpt, husker jeg bedre, og da gleder jeg meg alltid når jeg ser dere igjen.

Jeg har også hatt en hel del katekese her; aller mest konfirmantundervisning, der jeg underviste åtte kull (hvert kull på 40-60 ungdommer) de seks første årene jeg var her – det siste året hadde jeg jo en fire måneders studiepermisjon og dermed lite vanlig katekese. Jeg husker nok alle konfirmantkullene jeg har hatt – og med glede, for det var hyggelige ungdommer – men det er nok dessverre ikke slik at jeg husker dere alle, eller alle navnene.

For førstekommunion hadde jeg ansvar for hele kull av 3. klassinger i to år, og det var også hyggelig arbeid. I tillegg har jeg alle mine år i menigheten forberedt store barn og ungdommer til førstekommunion noen år etter vanlig alder. Slik ekstraundervisning gikk i mindre grupper – det er sikkert 50 stykker av dere alt i alt – og jeg husker dere alle med glede.

Kurs i katolsk tro hadde jeg også de første seks årene her, både på norsk og engelsk. På engelsk handlet kursene mest om katolikker som skulle forberede seg til å motta konfirmasjonens sakrament, mens de norske kursene for det aller meste var for mennesker som ønsket å bli opptatt i Den katolske kirke, enten ved konversjon eller ved voksendåp. Her var gruppene så pass små (6 til 14 personer) og vi møttes så mange ganger (hver 14. dag fra september til juni) at jeg nok husker alle, og prøver å følge litt med hvordan det går med dere.

Jeg har også vært så heldig at jeg har hatt ekteskapskurs (igjen både på norsk og engelsk) de siste fire årene i menigheten. Her møttes vi fem kvelder i forholdsvis små grupper, slik at jeg lærte disse unge parene (fra hele verden, så det har vært lærerikt for meg) noenlunde godt å kjenne. Flere bryllup har jeg også hatt gleden av å feire i Oslo, selv om flertallet av de som har gått på ekteskapskurs, har giftet seg i utlandet.

Til slutt vil jeg også nevne kontakten jeg har hatt med mennesker ved sjelesorgssamtaler og skriftemål, dette har også vært givende for meg. Jeg har også gått på en del sykebesøk, til noen regelmessig med den hellige kommunion over lang tid, til andre mer akutt med sykesalvingen ved slutten av livet. Jeg så nylig gjennom listen av begravelser jeg har hatt her disse årene, mange av dem husker jeg godt, og jeg har også alltid satt stor pris på kontaktene med nærmeste familie til de avdøde – om det har vært et langt og rikt liv som er avsluttet, eller om døden har kommet brått og altfor tidlig.

Jeg skal nå over i en nokså annerledes stilling (som sykehusprest og sekretær for liturgikommisjonen), og jeg gjør det med en viss spenning, for i mine 25 år som prest (de første 8 i en luthersk kirke) har jeg de siste 23 årene vært i vanlig menighetsarbeid, og har litt vanskelig å se for meg hvordan en prest ellers kan fungere. Jeg kommer nok til å savne den tette og regelmessige kontakten med menighetslemmer, og jeg tar i alle fall med glede med meg gode minner fra mine sju år i St Hallvard menighet.

Med vennlig hilsen
Pastor Oddvar Moi

Første bilde under er fra én av konfirmasjonsmessene i september 2013. Neste bilde er fra én av førstekommunionsmessene i mai 2015.

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Tamilsk Mariavalfart til Mariaholm

Generelt, Katolsk /

I dag leste jeg om den årlige, tamilske Mariavalfarten til Mariaholm (katolsk leirsted i Spydeberg i Østfold for uinnvidde). 1000 mennesker var til stede, leser vi, og det første bildet viser fremste del av en av prosesjonene. Det andre bildet viser et ganske overraskende, og stort, tilbygg til kapellet på Mariaholm.

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Om IVF – og genetisk ingeniørkunst

Katekisme, Katolsk, Teologi /

Vårt Land skrev i går om In Vitro Fertilisering at den kjente (og nokså radikale) telologen Jacob Jervell advarte mot den i 1984, litt før loven om kunstig befruktning kom i 1987:

Jervell var blant dem som (i 1984) fryktet at assistert befruktning ville kombineres med «den såkalte genetiske ingeniørkunst», at barn skulle bli menneskelige produkter med utvalgte egenskaper som går i arv.

Tre tiår senere konstaterer filosof Bjørn K. Myskja at Jervell fikk rett. Det er nå lov å kombinere assistert befruktning med «preimplantasjonsgenetisk diagnostikk (PGD) for å unngå alvorlige sykdommer, eller for å få et barn med en vevstype som egner seg for stamcelledonasjon til et sykt søsken», skriver NTNU-professoren i artikkelen «Assistert befruktning og familieverdier i forandring: Er vi på et moralsk skråplan?» i Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift. Der undersøker han om «utglidningen» man advarte mot på 80-tallet har slått til, og forskjeller i holdninger da og nå.

Få deler Jervells bekymring lenger, skal vi tro Myskja. Han mener folk har tatt en moralsk U-sving. Nå mener de at det er et gode å kunne få barn gjennom teknologi.

– Det de advarte mot på 80-tallet, ser vi nå som fremskritt. Det som før var åpenbart moralsk feil, er nå moralsk riktig. Flertallet har umerkelig endret syn, sier professoren til Vårt Land.

I samme artikkel står det også:

… teologen og feministen Astri Hauge skrev i Vidunderlige nye barn: Fra livmor til laboratorium (1988):

Når man først åpnet for assistert befruktning for ektepar, ville nye grupper kreve likebehandling. Man ville kreve at nye bruksområder ble åpnet.

Enslige og homofile ville kreve sin rett mens forskning på befruktede egg, surrogati og «kommersiell reproduksjonsservice» ville bli virkelighet, hevdet Hauge.

Argumentene ville fremstå som «logiske og akseptable isolert sett» … små skritt ville «naturlig» lede til nye små skritt ….

Noen (kanskje mange) vet vel at Den katolske kirke er mot all form for kunstig befruktning, siden «alle barn skal bli til gjennom en kjærlighetsakt». Medisinsk behandling kan sørge for at dette skal kunne skje, men man skal ikke flytte selve unnfangelsen bort fra kjærlighetsakten. Jeg skrev en oppgave om dette og andre medisinnske spørsmål på presteseminaret Allen Hall for akkurat 20 år siden, bl.a. dette:

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued on February 22, 1987: Donum vitae. Instruction on Respect for Human Life in its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation – Replies to Certain Questions of the Day.

Very early this document states that «From the moment of conception, the life of every human being is to be respected in an absolute way because man is the only creature on earth that God has wished for himself and the spiritual soul of each man is «immediately created» by God; his whole being bears the image of the Creator.»

From this basic understanding mainly two issues are discussed in the document; Prenatal diagnosis and Artificial fertilization. …

… When the document turns to Artificial fertilization it first of all says that the Church’s teaching on marriage and human procreation affirms the «inseparable connection, willed by God and unable to be broken by man on his own initiative, between the two meanings of the conjugal act: the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning. … fertilization is licitly sought when it is the result of a conjugal act which is per se suitable for the generation of children … from the moral point of view procreation is deprived of its proper perfection when it is not desired as the fruit of the conjugal act, that is to say of the specific act of the spouses’ union».

This excludes all kinds of In vitro fertilization, even the homologous kind, and also homologous artificial insemination, «except for those cases in which the technical means is not a substitute for the conjugal act but serves to facilitate and to help so that the act attains its natural purpose.» But the situation gets morally even more difficult when one considers that in the technique used for IVF several extra human embryos are produced and destroyed, and there are also other issues like heterologous artificial fertilization and surrogate motherhood to complicate the matter. Many of these issues are discussed in Donum vitae in great detail.

An underlying issue here is the question of a right to have children: «the desire for a child is natural: it expresses the vocation to fatherhood and motherhood inscribed in conjugal love. …. Nevertheless, marriage does not confer upon the spouses the right to have a child, but only the right to perform those natural acts which are per se ordered to procreation. A true and proper right to a child would be contrary to the child’s dignity and nature. The child is not an object to which one has a right, nor can he be considered as an object of ownership: rather, a child is a gift … (therefore the child has the right) to be the fruit of the specific act of the conjugal love of his parents; and he also has the right to be respected as a person from the moment of his conception.»

Den katolske kirkes katekekisme skriver også nokså tydelig om dette (og bygger på dokumentet Donum vitæ fra 1987):

2376. Teknikker som medfører adskillelse av foreldreopphav ved at en tredje person bringes inn (sæddonasjon, eggdonasjon, leie av livmor) er dypt uhederlige. Slike teknikker (inseminasjon og kunstig befruktning ved en annen person) krenker barnets rett til å fødes av en mor og en far det kjenner, og som lever sammen i ekteskap. De utgjør et brudd på «eneretten til å bli far og mor bare ved hjelp av hverandre».

2377. Dersom slike teknikker (inseminasjon og kunstig befruktning ved egen partner) praktiseres innenfor ekteskapet, er de kanskje mindre skadelige, men de forblir moralsk sett utillatelige. De skiller den seksuelle handling og forplantningen fra hverandre. Den handling som gir opphav til barnets eksistens, er ikke lenger en handling hvor de to gir seg hen til hverandre, den «legger fosterets liv og identitet i legers og biologers hender, og lar teknikken overta styringen med menneskets opphav og bestemmelse. Et slikt maktforhold er i seg selv i strid med den verdighet og likhet som foreldre og barn skal ha felles». «Forplantningen mister moralsk sett sin særegne fullkommenhet når den ikke er villet som frukt av den ekteskapelige handling, det vil si ektefellenes særlige forening. (…) Bare ved å ta hensyn til det bånd som finnes mellom betydningen av den ekteskapelige handling og enheten i mennesket, kan forplantningen finne sted i samsvar med menneskets verdighet».

Kirker og kirkekunst i det sørlige Frankrike

Generelt, Katolsk /

Mandag var vi i Beziers og så bl.a. på den flotte katedralen der – den kalles fortsatt katedral selv om de mistet biskopen for litt over 200 år siden; Napoleon mente nemlig at Kirken burde organiseres mer effektivt og med større bispedømmer. Tirsdag og onsdag formiddag så vi kirker og museer i Toulouse – katedralen, den like berømte St Sernin og Église des Jacobins (der St Thomas Aquinas ligger under alteret) – og onsdag ettermiddag så vi katedralen i Bordeaux, der vi er nå.

I går besøkte vi også Musee des Augustins i Toulouse og så bl.a. denne flotte statuen – kalt Virge et l’Enfant, dite Notre Dame de Grasse.

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Pave Frans: Vi må være nær det sekulære samfunnet

Katolsk, Paven /

John Allen skriver om pave Frans’ møte de de polske biskopene for noen dager siden, og sier at pave Frans der fremhevet «vicinanza» (nærhet) heller enn konfrontasjon for å overvinne sekulariseringen:

On Tuesday the Vatican released the transcript of a July 27 question-and-answer session Pope Francis held with the bishops of Poland, in which he seemed to suggest that the right way to resist secularism isn’t to prevail in intellectual arguments, but to “out-love” the opponents of the faith. … There are several fascinating nuggets, including:

– Francis’ reflection on what he sees as a contemporary form of Gnosticism that seeks to separate the individual from the community, especially the Church.

– His fiery rejection of “ideological colonization,” especially the promotion among children of the theory that people are free to choose their own gender.

– His insistence that the roots of the contemporary refugee crisis are in wars driven by financial interests.

– The pontiff’s ringing defense of the parish as the basis of ecclesiastical life, that must not be “thrown out the window.”

– Francis’ call to treasure the elderly, the “grandpas and grandmas” of society, as the “memory of a people.”

At the big-picture level, however, perhaps what’s most fascinating is the alternative way of reading the “progressive” social and ecclesial agenda that’s been associated with Francis since the beginning of his papacy.

Clearly, Francis has shifted the focus away from the “wars of culture” in the West and open confrontation with secularism, towards a more pastoral and social action-oriented approach. In the eyes of some observers – including, it has to be said, some senior Churchmen – that’s risked confusion about Catholic doctrine and the traditional spiritual pillars of the faith, opening the door to ever-greater capitulation to secularism.

What becomes clear listening to Francis speak to the Polish bishops, however, is that seen through his eyes, the aim isn’t giving in to secularization – it’s staging the battle on a different field, away from abstract debates towards hands-on pastoral proximity – what Francis likes to call vicinanza, “closeness” – especially to people in greatest difficulty.

Though he doesn’t quite put it like this, the idea seems to be that the right way to resist secularism and to win souls isn’t to prevail in intellectual arguments, but to “out-love” the opponents of the faith and thereby draw people to the Church.

There are several places in the text where, if one hadn’t paid careful attention to the header, it would be tempting to think this was actually a transcript of Pope Benedict XVI. That’s especially true of Francis’ diagnosis of Gnosticism and Pelagianism as the most worrying contemporary heresies, and his insistence that neither God can be found without Christ nor Christ without the Church. …..

Hl Olav – samlet landet og grunnfestet den kristne tro

Generelt, Katolsk /

I St Olav domkirke i Trondheims nylig utgitte hefte om Hl Olav leser vi også:

Ættesamfunnet i Norge hadde siden uminnelige tider vært splittet i storfamilier («ætter») , som kriget mot hverandre. Da Olav kom tilbake til Norge var dette «ættesamfunnet» delvis i oppløsning. Ættefaren var nå blitt bygdehøvding eller hersker over store landområder.

Ættehøvdingene misbrukte makten de hadde. På tingene dømte de bønder og småfolk etter landets lover, men selv tok de seg friheter som truet landets fred.

Som lovgiver og lovens håndhever fikk kong Olav sin viktigste oppgave: Å gi lover som beskyttet nyfødte barn, kvinner, treller og andre svake i samfunnet, og straffe dem som forbrøt seg mot landets lov og rett. I lang tid var disse lovene kjent som «St. Olavs kristenrett». Ennå i dag er deler av vårt rettsvesen tuftet på denne lovsamling.

Olav konge fikk 10 relativt rolige styringsår, og i denne perioden førte han samlingen av Norge et mektig skritt videre. Olavs samlingsverk inneholder blant annet følgende:

1) Han hadde herredømme over et stort rike. Olav var trolig den første rikskongen som sikret seg reelt styre i innlandsområdene Trøndelag og Opplandene.

2) Olav Haraldsson la grunnlaget for en riksomfattende lokal styringsordning. Han skal ha innsatt lendmenn i alle landsdeler.

3) Olavs rolle ved innføringen av kristendommen er grunnleggende. Ved tingmøtet på Moster, i Sunnhordland i 1024, fikk Norge også en riksomfattende kirkeorganisasjon med kirker og prester, en kristen rettsordning og fremfor alt forbud mot all annen religionsvirksomhet.

Kristendommen (Den katolske kirke) ble som kongens tro – rikets eneste tillatte religion.

Kongen ble i sin levetid Kirkens øverste leder, inntil Kirken senere ble helt selvstendig.

4) Gjennom kamper mot politiske motstandere økte Olav kongens riksgods betydelig. Han var den første rikskonge som i omfattende grad lot prege norsk mynt. Olav var den første rikskongen som hadde effektiv styring over hele Norge. Han foretok også mange misjonsreiser i de landsdelene som ennå ikke var blitt kristnet, og gav slik kristendommen varig fotfeste.

Hl Olav – Norges evige konge

Generelt, Katolsk /

Hellig_Olav
I St Olav domkirke i Trondheims hefte om Hl Olav leser vi videre:

Etter kong Olavs død begynte mirakuløse ting å skje. En solformørkelse ble umiddelbart koblet til slaget på Stiklestad, som et bud om himmelens vrede. Man hørte om flere helbredelser, blant annet fikk Tore Hund leget et sår i hånden da et stenk av kong Olavs blod kom på det. Vel ett år etter kongens fall, ble liket gravet opp, og biskopen erklærte ham for en hellig mann, 3. august 1031. Dette fikk folkets tilslutning – både av hans venner og tidligere fiender, og senere også av paven. Han ble lagt i skrin og satt på høyalteret i Klemenskirken i Nidaros, som Trondheim den gang het. Senere ble skrinet flyttet til koret i Nidarosdomen.

Kulten til St. Olav bredte seg hurtig over hele Nord-Europa. Det skjedde mange undere når folk i Norge og i utlandet ba om hans forbønn, ja, det gjør det fortsatt den dag i dag! Det ble bygget svært mange St. Olavs-kirker – ikke bare i Norden, men også i større byer som Novgorod, London og York. Olav ble helligkåret som martyr for sin død under korsmerket. Han blir i tillegg æret som Norges evige konge og landets og folkets vernehelgen, fordi det var han som fullførte den lange kristningsprosessen. Ved siden av Maria var St. Olav den mest avbildede helgen i nordisk middelalderkunst, både i maleri og skulptur. Disse fremstillingene går fra 1100-tallet og frem til reformasjonen. Olav vises enten stående, kronet og med en øks i den ene hånden, eller sittende, og oftest med et uhyre under føttene – symbolet på de onde maktene han overvant. Den sterke folketradisjonen om St. Olav vitner om den kraft han hadde i folks trosliv i Norge – ikke bare i katolsk tid, men også lenge etter reformasjonen i 1537. …

Historisk kunnskap er viktig for å forstå kong Olav Haraldssons samtid. Olavs konversjon og kristenliv viser hans lange vei fra hedensk råskap, til et liv mer i samsvar med Hvitekrists vilje. Olav overvant det onde ved å gi sitt liv for den kristne rett og for Norges enhet. Kong Olav var den første av de europeiske herskerne som ble gitt tittelen «Rex Perpetuus» – «evig konge». Han er Norges evige konge. Hans kongstanke skulle lede hans etterfølgere og gi folk trygghet og rettferd.

Hl Olav – dåp, og forberedelse til kongegjerning

Generelt, Katolsk /

HlOlavSt Olav domkirke i Trondheim har nylig utgitt et hefte om Hl Olav (på flere språk), der det bl.a. står:

Mens Olav Haraldsson overvintret i Rouen (1013 – 1014), ble han kjent med kristentroen. Han fikk grundig undervisning om «Hvitekrist» og Hans synlige samfunn her på jorden (Den katolske kirke). Erkebiskop Robert forberedte selv det norske kongsemnet til dåpen (i 1014).

Den katolske kirke feirer Olav den Helliges dåp og omvendelse som fest eller minnedag den 16. oktober. Ved Olavsalteret, det norske nasjonal-alter i Roma, blir dagen feiret som fest.

Av hertug Richard II lærte Olav hva et sivilisert og moderne statsstyre innebar. Da Olav senere ble konge i Norge, innførte han den katolske kristenretten, hvor den svake for første gang i vår historie oppnådde beskyttelse mot den sterke. Dette hadde vært utenkelig uten kongens læretid i Rouen. Her fikk han også høre om keiser Karl den Store (768 – 814), som ville bygge ett stort frankisk og katolsk rike. Han ble nå Olavs store forbilde; «Rex iustus». Olav ville bygge Norge til ett, kristent rike, bygget på lov og rett.
Etter et års opphold i Rouen dro han til England og videre derfra til Norge for å erobre landet.

Palmesøndag 25. mars 1016, i sjøslaget ved Nesjar, seiret han over jarl Svein Håkonsson, Einar Tambarskjelve og Erling Skjalgsson – landets fremste høvdinger. Og samme år ble Olav valgt til konge i Norge på Øretinget i Trøndelag.

Pave Johannes Pauls hjemby

Katolsk, Paven /

Viewed from his hometown of Wadowice, Poland, Pope John Paul II could be styled as the last and greatest expression of the Habsburg spirit, meaning a a broadly tolerant, open and cosmopolitan view of the world that saw national pride and loyalty not as a threat of imperial cohesion but one of its sources.

wadowice

John Allen skriver slik om pave Johannes Paul og verdensungdomsdagen:

From the beginning, Catholicism in principle has been a universal, global faith, addressed to “the nations” in every corner of the earth. In many ways, however, it was John Paul II who made the Church truly global in practice, first by being the first non-Italian pope in 500 years, second through his staggering commitment to foreign travel – 104 foreign trips covering three-quarters of a million miles, more than three times the distance from the earth to the moon – and third, through his foundation of World Youth Day.

Because of John Paul, Catholics tend to think in more global terms about their Church, realizing that the experiences and priorities of believers in, say, Chicago and London, are not always those of Catholics in Jakarta, or Mumbai, or Riyadh.
Anyone who watched John Paul II during the eight WYD celebrations over which he presided, including Argentina, Poland, the United States, the Philippines, Spain, France, Canada and Italy, was always struck by the delight he took in seeing young people waving the flags of their countries and projecting pride in their cultures. Those instincts resonated with John Paul, because he took such fierce pride in his own Polish roots. … …

Fakta og feil om å vende seg ad orientem

Katolsk, Liturgi /

Den kjente (og ikke spesielt konservative) liturgen og jesuitten John F. Baldovin skriver i magasinet America om hva som er fakta og hva som er misforståelsen når det gjelder prestens retning foran alteret, bl.a.:

Turning toward the East, or ad orientem, is technical liturgical language for the priest and people facing in the same direction. The suggestion is nothing new. The decision to allow Mass facing the people has had its opponents since it was allowed shortly after the end of the Second Vatican Council. And more recently it has been championed by none less than Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in his many writings on the liturgy. …

… Opponents of Mass facing the people often point out that the Second Vatican Council’s “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” contains no provision for the practice. They are correct. The issue was discussed in the commission that produced the document as well as in the debates on the floor of the council. … But shortly after the constitution was approved in December 1963, the first instruction for implementing the reform appeared. “Inter Oecumenici” (1964) stated: “The main altar should preferably be freestanding, to permit walking around it and celebration facing the people. …

The alert reader will observe several things. First, the altar is described as both the place where the “Sacrifice of the Cross is made present” and “the table of the Lord.” … Second, it is interesting to note that facing the people is not mandated. That is, it has never been forbidden, perhaps because too many chapels were built in such a way that having an altar separate from the wall was not architecturally feasible. Nonetheless, the preference is clear that the main altar of a church is to be separated from the wall to make Mass facing the people possible.

Another “fiction” that is sometimes repeated is that the General Instruction presumes that the priest will face East. Critics point to four points in the description of the Mass (Nos. 124, 146, 157 and 165) when the priest is directed to turn towards the people. Two cautions are appropriate here. These directives may be in place to deal with the possibility that the priest can face East, in which case the Instruction makes clear that there are times when he must face the people. But the document does not direct the priest to turn around again to the altar after the prayer over the gifts and the eucharistic prayer—that is, it does not presume that he will be facing East.

One last fact: At the time of Vatican II some argued that the original position of the priest was facing the people. This, too, seems to have been a fiction. All of the evidence we have from the early church shows that facing East whence the Lord was expected to make his final coming was expected. In church building that could not be oriented (e.g., St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome) the priest faced East, which was also toward the people.

Baldovin skriver en hel del mer i denne artikkelen, bl.a. om hvorfor dette spørsmålet er blitt så veldig viktig i Kirken i vår tid: «A reversion to the pre-conciliar position of the priest at Mass would be a profound signal that the forward steps the church took in Vatican II are in question.»

Mer om ad orientem

Katolsk, Liturgi /

Hos Corpus Christi Watershed kan vi lese at en biskop i USA har nektet alle feiring av messen ad orientem i sitt bispedømme, men et dokument fra Vatikanet fra år 2000 nekter biskoper å komme med slike bestemmelser:

When the 2000 (2002) Missal was promulgated, the Vatican’s CDW was asked whether bishops have authority to forbid “ad orientem” celebration. Dated 10 April 2000, the CDW response was unequivocal:

HIS DICASTERY [i.e. the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship] wishes to state that Holy Mass may be celebrated versus populum or versus apsidem. Both positions are in accord with liturgical law; both are to be considered correct.

There is no preference expressed in the liturgical legislation for either position. As both positions enjoy the favor of law, the legislation may not be invoked to say that one position or the other accords more closely with the mind of the Church.

This letter (PROTOCOL NO. 564/00/L) specifically addresses whether a bishop can forbid “ad orientem.” They stated that, while exercising his rightful role as “moderator of the Sacred Liturgy in the particular Church entrusted to his pastoral care,” the Diocesan Bishop can neither “exclude nor mandate the use of a legitimate option.”

This letter was sent by the same congregation responsible for drafting the 2000 (2002) Missal and GIRM, which was approved by Pope St. John Paul II. The letter was signed by Cardinal Medina, CDW Prefect, and Archbishop Tamburrino, CDW Secretary. I have no idea why so many people commenting on this issue refuse to make reference to it.

Referater fra Sacra Liturgias konferanse i London

Katolsk, Liturgi /

Sacra Liturgia UK har nylig hatt en interessant konferanse i London, og på NLM-bloggen har de offentliggjort referater fra konferansens fire dager.

Her er referatet fra første dag med (det svært mye omtalte) innledningsforedraget til kardinal Robert Sarah. Hele dette foredraget kan leses her.

Andre dag inneholder følgende referater:
The day began with Dom Alcuin Reid and his paper entitled On the Council Floor: The Council Fathers’ Debate of the Schema on the Sacred Liturgy, in which the question was posed: what did the Fathers of Vatican II think they were approving in Sacrosanctum Concilium – liturgical evolution or revolution? …

Dom Charbel Pazat de Lys then gave a paper entitled The Public Nature of the Liturgy, in which he examined the practical, sociological, institutional and christological meanings of the word «public». …

Prof. Peter Stephan’s paper was entitled The Vicissitudes of Liturgy and Architecture Shown at the Example of Berlin’s Cathedral of St Hedwig, in which he explored the «anti-liturgical modification» of historical churches. …

After lunch, Dr Jennifer Donelson (of NLM) gave her paper, Origins and Effects of the Missa Lecta: Priestly Musical Formation in a Low Mass Culture. …

A panel discussion on Sacred Music followed, which included Prof. William Mahrt, the publisher of NLM. There were lively discussions and exchanges regarding the best ways to introduce into a parish the singing of the propers and the resources available to help with this, along with other topics. …

Tredje dag er det referat fra:
Dr Clare Hornsby gave a lecture with the title: The Council of Florence of 1439: Diplomacy, Theology and the Arts in Early Renaissance Italy.

Fr Uwe Michael Lang was next to speak, with a paper entitled The Tridentine Liturgical Reform in Historical Perspective.

The next paper was delivered by Bishop Alan Hopes, entitled Sing a New Song to the Lord: Towards a Revised Translation of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The fourth paper of the day was by Prof. Joris Geldhof, entitled Liturgy Beyond the Secular.

The final paper of the day was «Especially in Mission Territories» (SC 38)? New Evangelisation and Liturgical (Reform of the) Reform was given by Dr Stephen Bullivant,

Fra fjerde dag er det følgende referater:
Prof. Helmut Hoping’s paper on one of the most fundamental aspects of our liturgy, Liturgy and the Triune God: Rethinking Trinitarian Theology.

Fr Michael Cullinan then gave us a slightly different perspective as a moral theologian in his paper The Ethical Character of the Mysteries: Observations from a Moral Theologian.

The next paper was given by Prof. David Fagerberg on Doing the World Liturgically: Stewardship of Creation and Care for the Poor.

The fourth talk was given by Mgr Andrew Burnham, on Divine Worship: The Missal and «the liturgical books proper to the Anglican Tradition» (Anglicanorum Coetibus, III).

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone then offered some concluding reflections, summing up the talks and liturgies of the conference. He urged patience with regard to the upcoming work of the CDWDS regarding the question of the reform of the reform, but said that the celebration of the Mass ad orientem in the usus recentior would go a long way towards preparing the way for it, and reiterated Cardinal Sarah’s appeal to priests to begin celebrating Mass eastwards from the 1st Sunday of Advent this year. He encouraged all present to pay attention to the details of the liturgy in the celebration of it, holding up the London Oratory as an model and exemplar.

Et veldig kontroversielt tema

Katolsk, Liturgi /

Det er litt underlig at hvilken vei presten står ved alteret har blitt så veldig kontroversielt i Den katolske kirke; i den lutherske og den anglikanske kirke (der prestene ofte(st) vender seg ad orientem) er det ikke slik. Og det handler jo også bare om hvilken vei presten vender seg ca 10 minutter i løpet av messen. På (den nokså liberale/ moederne) liturgibloggen Pray Tell fikk et innlegg om kardinal Sarahs forslag om at prestene bør vende seg ad orientem 148 kommentarer på tre dager før debatten ble stoppet.

I et annet innlegg på samme liturgiblogg kan vi lese ganske treffende i kommentar 35 og 36:

#35
… Cardinal Sarah said nothing controversial about ad orientem, unless ad orientem, the ancient and traditional Catholic practice, which is alive in the Church today, is controversial.

Eastern Catholics celebrate ad orientem. Catholics who offer the Mass of Pope Saint John XIII celebrate ad orientem. Catholics in the Ordinariates celebrate ad orientem. Catholic bishops and priests offer the Ordinary Form ad orientem.

Pope Francis has celebrated ad orientem.

The Orthodox celebrate ad orientem.

Never did Cardinal Sarah say even one word that should have led anyone to say that Pope Francis planned to implement ad orientem Mass at Advent.

There wasn’t anything “controversial” (unless an ancient and totally acceptable Catholic liturgical practice, which is alive today) about ad orientem. There isn’t anything controversial about promoting ad orientem.

Cardinal Sarah did nothing wrong. I also don’t accept the interpretation that the press release indicated that Pope Francis “slapped down” Cardinal Sarah. …

#36
If the explosion on the blogosphere in the last few days have shown anything, it is that promoting ad orientem it is highly controversial!

Note, I am not one to condemn ad orientem, nor have I done so. I have celebrated ad orientem. But I’m perfectly aware that promoting it – which I don’t do – is highly controversial.

I suppose one should that that it SHOULDN’T be controversial, that there’s NO REASON why it should be. But yet, it is. I state that as a fact, apart from my judgment of it.

Ny leder av Vatikanets pressekontor

Generelt, Katolsk /

GregBurke
Johan Allen skriver at pave Frans slo tre fluer i ett smekk da han utnevnte den amerikanske legmannen (og medlem av Opus Dei) Greg Burke til ny leder av Vatikanets pressekontor, etetr p. Federico Lombardis, SJ:

… First, he’s helped lay to rest perceptions that he’s anti-American. It’s well known that Francis had never traveled to the United States before his papal voyage in September 2015, that much of the most strident criticism he’s drawn since his election has come from American circles, and that his comfort zone is mostly defined by Spanish and Italian-speakers.

Up to this point, Francis had not turned to an American for a single truly significant Vatican post, and the longer that drought went on, the more pronounced impressions would have become that the pontiff had imposed a “no American need apply” policy.

A native of St. Louis (and a lifetime Cardinals fan), Burke is as American as they come. Granted, he’s spent much of his adult life in Rome, he speaks multiple languages, he’s traveled widely and is a citizen of the world, but his personality and outlook are still quintessentially American. By naming Burke to one of the most visible Vatican positions of all, Francis effectively has inoculated himself against impressions that Americans don’t have a significant place in his Church.

Second, Francis has also demonstrated that subject-matter competence is important in making important Vatican personnel choices. Burke came to Rome as a journalist working for Catholic news outlets, which gave him a deep understanding of the story. Because he was exceptionally talented, however, he quickly transitioned to the big leagues, first to Time magazine and then to Fox News.

That background means Burke has an insider’s understanding of the dynamics of the news business, and he speaks the language of professional journalists. Burke was hired by the Secretariat of State in 2012, and took over as the number two official as the Vatican Press Office in February. At the senior levels of the Vatican today, there’s simply no one better positioned to engage the media.

A similar observation could be made about Garcia, by the way, a veteran journalist who’s well-liked and well-respected in the Vatican press corps, and who brings enormous good will to the post. In that sense, Francis will get credit for naming the right people to the jobs.

Third, Burke is a member of Opus Dei – in their parlance, a “numerary,” meaning a lay person who nevertheless is celibate – which is a Catholic group typically seen as fairly conservative. By conventional standards, Burke’s personal politics (which, by the way, have never interfered with his job) could probably best be described as center-right. At a time when some see Pope Francis as a liberal stacking the deck with like-minded progressives, this appointment runs counter to the stereotypes and invites observers to consider whether for Francis, it’s ultimately more the quality of the individual than their ideology that actually matters. …

Om reformasjonen og prestetjenesten

Katolsk, Paven, Teologi, Økumenikk /

Sandro Magister skriver i forbindelse med Joseph Ratzingers markering av presteordinasjonen 29/6 1951 en artikkel med følgende ingress: «“And so on the Catholic priesthood fell the fury of Protestant criticism.” At the anniversary of the priestly ordination of the future Benedict XVI, Cardinal Müller recounts his unyielding resistance to Luther’s followers.»

Til Ratzingers jubileum var det utgitt ei bok med 43 av hans prekener, og i bokas innledning skriver kardinal Gerhard L. Müller en del om reformasjonens og den moderne bibelkritikks uheldige virkning på forståelsen av prestetjenesten, bl.a.:

Vatican Council II sought to reopen a new path to the authentic understanding of the identity of the priesthood. So why in the world did there come, just after the Council, a crisis in its identity comparable historically only to the consequences of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century?

I am thinking of the crisis in the teaching of the priesthood that took place during the Protestant Reformation, a crisis on the dogmatic level, by which the priest was reduced to a mere representative of the community, through an elimination of the essential difference between the ordained priesthood and the common one of all the faithful. And then of the existential and spiritual crisis that took place in the second half of the 20th century, which in chronological terms exploded after Vatican Council II – but certainly not because of the Council – the consequences of which we are still suffering from today.

Joseph Ratzinger highlights with great acumen that, wherever the dogmatic foundation of the Catholic priesthood declines, (it) does dry up that spring from which one can in fact drink of a life of following after Christ, …

…. Joseph Ratzinger subjects to detailed critical examination, in its turn, the historical criticism imprinted on Protestant theology and does so by distinguishing philosophical and theological prejudices from the use of the historical method. In this way, he succeeds in demonstrating that with the accomplishments of modern biblical exegesis and a precise analysis of historical-dogmatic development one can arrive in a very well-founded way at the dogmatic statements produced above all at the Councils of Florence, Trent, and Vatican II.

That which Jesus means for the relationship of all men and of the whole of creation with God – therefore the recognition of Christ as Redeemer and universal Mediator of salvation, developed in the Letter to the Hebrews by means of the category of “High Priest” (Archiereus) – is never made to depend, as a condition, on his belonging to the Levitical priesthood.

The foundation of the being and mission of Jesus resides instead in his coming from the Father, from that house and that temple in which he dwells and must be (cf. Lk 2:49). It is the divinity of the Word that makes Jesus, in the human nature that he assumed, the one true Teacher, Shepherd, Priest, Mediator, and Redeemer.

He makes participants in this consecration and mission of his through the call of the Twelve. From them arises the circle of the apostles who found the mission of the Church in history as a dimension essential to the ecclesial nature. They transmit their power to the heads and pastors of the universal and particular Church, who operate on the local and supra-local level.

65 år siden pave Benedikts prestevielse

Katolsk, Paven /

I dag er det 65 år siden den unge Joseph Ratzingers presteordinasjon. I en samling i går i Vatikanet snakket han offentlig for andre gang på over tre år, se under.

Catholic News Agency skriver om dette:

On Tuesday, Benedict XVI gave his second public speech since his final day as Pope, expressing gratitude for a lengthy priesthood and for Pope Francis’ “goodness,” which he said moves him deeply.

Speaking to Pope Francis and members of the College of Cardinals gathered inside the Vatican’s small Clementine Hall for the 65th anniversary of his priestly ordination, Benedict said the Greek word “Efkaristomen” (let us give thanks), expresses “all that there is to say” for the occasion.

“Thank you, thank you everyone! Thank you Holy Father – your goodness, from the first day of your election, every day of my life here moves me interiorly, brings me inwardly more than the Vatican Gardens.”

“Your goodness is a place in which I feel protected,” he said, and voiced his hope that Francis would be able to “move forward with all of us on this path of Divine Mercy, showing Jesus’ path to God.”

Since his resignation from the papacy in 2013, Benedict XVI has made only a handful of public appearances, speaking only at his reception of an honorary doctorate from the University of Krakow last year in Castel Gandolfo. …

Father Z skriver også om dette.

De amerikanske biskopenes respons til massakren i Orlando

Generelt, Katolsk, Teologi /

Hos First Things kan vi lese en interessant artikkel om de amerikanske (katolske) biskopene og deres respons til massakren i Orlando – uenigheten handler om hvem man burde uttrykke sin medfølelse til:

On Tuesday, Fr. James Martin, the Jesuit journalist and editor-at-large of America, posted a video on Facebook about the recent massacre in Orlando. In his video, Fr. Martin expresses his dismay over the responses of the American Catholic bishops, not because the bishops failed to express sorrow, outrage, and solidarity with those suffering, but because they did not (except for Chicago’s Blaise Cupich) direct their condolences explicitly to the LGBT community.

Note well—Martin’s complaint is not about any lack of sympathy or solidarity, but about the language with which the bishops chose to identify the suffering. “All those affected” (Abp. Kurtz) isn’t enough. “The people of Orlando” isn’t enough, either. We need to stand with the identity group of which those affected were mainly members, because they were targeted neither as residents of Orlando, nor as random bystanders, but as members of that identity group. …

… The Catholic Church and the LGBT Community have divergent understandings of human nature, personal identity, the proper use of bodies, and the requirements for happiness. As Fr. Martin rightly points out, Catholics treat the LGBT Community as “other”—not because the Church wishes to exclude members of the LGBT Community from the mercy of Christ, induction into the Church, or eventual participation in the Sacraments (on the contrary, this is one of our great hopes), but because the beliefs, practices, politics, and morals proposed by the LGBT Community as an ideological bloc are fundamentally inimical to the primary end of man.

Those on the other side recognize the divide perfectly well. This is why defenders of traditional family structure are eo ipso “bigots” in their eyes. It’s why dissent from the political demands of Gender Ideology and its current linguistic usages is so severely punished. What, then, is Fr. Martin asking for when he chides the bishops for not expressing solidarity with the LGBT Community, or with “our LGBT brothers and sisters,” as Archbishop Cupich expressed it? He’s asking, whether or not he realizes it, for the bishops to recognize and tacitly endorse the sexual identities promoted by the LGBT Community—identities bound up fundamentally with the gender ideology promoted by the Community.

This, of course, would be deeply misleading on the part of the bishops, since the Church cannot endorse this ideology. It would also be an evangelical failure, and a failure of charity. The mission of the Church with respect to the LGBT Community is to oppose the fetishization of gender identity. The bishops’ duty is to tell LGBT people that they are known and loved as more than just exemplars of a sexual type. …

Kardinal William Levada åtti år

Katolsk /

Katolsk.no skriver her om kardinal Levadas 80-årsdag 15. juni, bl.a.:

Onsdag den 15. juni 2016 fylte den amerikanske kardinalen William Levada åtti år. Han ledet fra 2005 til 2012 Troslærekongregasjonen i Vatikanet som kardinal Joseph Ratzingers etterfølger. ….

William Levada var erkebiskop av San Francisco da pave Benedikt XVI (2005-13) i mai 2005 utnevnte ham som sin etterfølger som prefekt for Troslærekongregasjonen, som kardinal Ratzinger hadde ledet siden 1981. Levada var den første amerikaner i dette innflytelsesrike vervet. Han ble født den 15. juni 1936 i Long Beach i California, og allerede fra 1976 til 1983 arbeidet han som saksbehandler i Troslærekongregasjonen og fikk da sin sjef Ratzingers tillit.

I motsetning til sin forgjenger Ratzinger sto Levada ikke i offentlighetens søkelys, men virket heller i det stille. I hans embetstid ble ekskommunikasjonen av Pius X-brødrene opphevet og de vanskelige og hittil resultatløse diskusjonene ført om tradisjonalistenes gjenforening med Den katolske kirke. Han la ned sitt embete da han var 75 år gammel, med sviktende helse og manglende motivasjon. Han vendte tilbake til USA, hvor han bor i Menlo Park i California. Hans etterfølger ble den tidligere biskopen av Regensburg, kardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller (69). …

His_Eminence_William_Cardinal_Levada

På engelske Wikipedia står det svært mye om ham – han var i mange år erkebiskop i min amerikanske hjemby, Portland – bl.a.:

William Joseph Levada (born June 15, 1936) is an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. From May 2005 until June 2012, he served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict XVI; he was the highest ranking American in the Roman Curia. He was previously the Archbishop of Portland (Oregon) from 1986 to 1995, and then Archbishop of San Francisco from 1995 to 2005. Levada was elevated to the cardinalate in 2006. The cardinal’s resignation as prefect for reasons of age was accepted on Monday, July 2, 2012 (having reached 75 years of age in 2011 …

… In 1987, Levada and six other bishops were chosen by Cardinal Ratzinger to edit the forthcoming Catechism of the Catholic Church. When the Catechism was completed in 1993, the first English translation was very loose and used a great deal of inclusive language. Along with Archbishop Eric D’Arcy of Hobart, Australia and Fr. John Wall, Levada insisted that this be replaced with a more literal translation, and it was a new and more literal translation that was published in English in 1994. Levada also authored the glossary for the second edition of the Catechism. …

En ny festdag i Kirken for å minnes hl Maria Magdalena

Katolsk, Liturgi /

I dag ble det kunngjort at pave Frans og Liturgikongregasjonen i Vatikanet har opphøyet minnedagen for den hellige Maria Magdalena til festdag – samme nivå som de fleste apostlene feires. Om dette kan vi lese på Vatikanets nettsider, bl.a.:

Archbishop Arthur Roche, secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, explains the meaning of the decree that will enable Mary Magdalene to be «celebrated» liturgically like the rest of the apostles. «The decision is situated in the current ecclesial context, which calls upon us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of women, the new evangelisation and the greatness of the mystery of divine mercy. …

… The archbishop took the opportunity to highlight two ideas inherent in the biblical and liturgical texts of the new feast, which may contribute to a better understanding of the current importance of a saint such as Mary Magdalene.

«On the one hand, she has the honour of being the ‘prima testis’ to the resurrection of the Lord, the first to see the empty tomb and the first to hear the truth of His resurrection. Christ has a special consideration and mercy for this woman, who shows her love for Him, looking for Him in the garden with anguish and suffering, with ‘lacrimas humilitatis’, as St. Anselm says in the aforementioned prayer. In this sense, I would like to show the difference between the two women present in the garden of Paradise, and in the garden of the Resurrection. The first disseminates death where there was life, and the second proclaims Life from a tomb, the place of death. … Likewise, it is in the garden of resurrection that the Lord says to Mary Magdalene, ‘Noli me tangere’. It is an invitation not only to Mary, but also to all the Church, to enter into an experience of faith that overcomes any materialistic appropriation or human understanding of the divine mystery. It has ecclesial importance! It is a good lesson for every disciple of Jesus: do not seek human securities and worldly honours, but faith in the Living and Risen Christ.»

«Precisely since she was an eyewitness to the Risen Christ, she was also the first to testify before the apostles. She fulfils the mandate the Risen Christ gives her: ‘go to my brothers and say to them … Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her’. In this way she becomes, as is already known, an evangelist, or rather a messenger who announces the good news of the resurrection of the Lord; or, as Rabano Mauro and St. Thomas Aquinas said, ‘apostolorum apostola’, as she announces to the apostles what they in turn will announce to all the world. The Angelic Doctor is right to apply this term to Mary Magdalene: she is the witness to the Risen Christ and announces the message of the resurrection of the Lord, like the other apostles. Therefore it is right that the liturgical celebration of this woman should have the same level of festivity given to the apostles in the General Roman Calendar, and that the special mission of this woman be highlighted, as an example and model to every woman in the Church», concluded Archbishop Roche.

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