This interior renewal of all priests is very important to the life of the Church, to the health of the whole Mystical Body. In the face of continued secularization and its rejection of God and the supernatural life, a corresponding lack of understanding and appreciation of the priesthood has inevitably developed. This has become immediately and unfortunately clear in the first reaction to the ‘Year for Priests’ by some, who have used it as an opportunity to speak out against such constitutive elements of the priesthood as celibacy and the office of governing.
In this atmosphere of negativity and confusion there is the heightened danger for the priest himself of losing his sense of identity as a priest. In his address to the Congregation for Clergy, where he first announced the ‘Year for Priests,’ the Holy Father alludes to just such a threat of ‘undervaluing the ministerial priesthood’: “The centrality of Christ brings with it the correct appreciation of the ministerial priesthood, without which neither the Eucharist nor, consequently, the mission and the Church herself would exist. In this connection it is necessary to watch so that the ‘new structures’ of pastoral organizations are not thought out for a time in which the ordained ministry is ‘undervalued,’ starting from an erroneous interpretation of the correct promotion of the laity, because in such a case the premises would be established for an ultimate dissolution of the ministerial priesthood and the eventual presumed ‘solutions’ would coincide dramatically with the real causes of the current problems linked to the ministry.”

All too often, wherever it finds a distinction between men, this secularized world tends to try to cultivate a state of continual class warfare or at least seeks to introduce the specter of ongoing status-rivalry. It posits struggles between men and women, employer versus employee, and even the laity against the priest as if everything could be reduced to a struggle for power.

Unfortunately, this perspective has encouraged some erroneously to conclude (either implicitly or explicitly) that the best way to underline the dignity of the laity is by diminishing the character of the priesthood in its three offices of teaching, sanctifying and governing. This is to reduce the relation of priest and laity to a conflict about subordination, ignoring the corresponding duties and responsibilities in each state which, having been established by Christ in constituting His Church, are in fact fully complementary.

This error is exemplified in the general practical reaction to the attempt of Vatican II to address the situation of the Church in the modern world and thus to aid the Church in finding the best means to reassert its voice in a world which had already become dramatically secularized by the 1960s. The actual goal in view was to alert the laity to their particular duty and role within human society and its culture (Lumen Gentium 30, 31). They would exercise an ecclesial service in which, through their own insertion into the world, politicians, lawyers, scientists, doctors and others who determine policy and direction in our society would have an opportunity to encounter in them the truth of the Gospel. In a secularized world very few of these would ever stumble first into a church to hear a sermon from the priest, but all of them would rub shoulders with the Catholic laity in the workplace and general society.

Unfortunately this signally important duty of the laity to bring the faith with them into the proper exercise of their state in life has become too often obscured or altogether forgotten in the scramble for ‘power’. The proper position and contribution of the laity to the life of the Church has been replaced in many minds with an idea that the best way to stress the dignity of the laity is to ‘clericalize’ them, especially within the sanctuary and in the context of the sacred liturgy. Such a simplistic response does nothing to promote understanding either the identity of the priest or the real and important duties of the faithful in the world. If the Church is to have its voice in the current culture it must have faithful clearly and carefully instructed and inspired to serve the Gospel by the way they live their lives in accord with their duties of state instead of being encouraged to evaluate their value as dependent on the attainment of elements proper to the clerical state.

The model for the priest offered by the Holy Father in this year is of course the patron of parish priests, St. John Marie Vianney, who spoke often to his flock about the great gift of the priesthood: “A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy.” He stressed the priesthood as essential to the salvation of souls: “Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord would be of no avail. It is the priest who continues the work of redemption on earth.” Finally, he marveled at the gift which he himself had received: “If the priest really knew what he was, he would die, not of fear, but of love.”

With all of this in mind, it seems especially opportune this year to speak about priestly identity. Just before the moment of his ordination the bishop exhorts the young man to do precisely this throughout his priesthood: Agnoscite quod agitis; imitamini quod tractatis; quatenus mortis Dominicae mysterium celebrantes, mortificare membra vestra a vitiis et concupiscentiis omnibus procuretis. “Understand that which you do; imitate that which you treat; as you celebrate the mystery of the death of the Lord, look to mortify yourself from all vice and every evil desire”

Given that “the object of the Fraternity of St. Peter is the sanctification of priests through the exercise of the priesthood, and in particular, to turn the life of the priest towards that which is essentially his raison d’être” (Constitutions, 7), it seems only fitting for the Fraternity to offer a small contribution in celebrating this year by providing sources which will help in the work of deepening our knowledge of the priesthood in order to promote a clearer understanding of this immense gift and thereby to encourage the corresponding response of generosity that it demands of the ordained.

Our Seminary in Wigratzbad will begin the academic year with a pilgrimage and Mass at the tomb of the Holy Curé of Ars in September. Along with other sources which we hope will be an aid for priests throughout the course of this year we would like to provide a series of meditations on aspects of the priesthood which Pope Benedict XVI himself emphasizes in his Apostolic Letter proclaiming the ‘Year for Priests.’ These aspects will be especially considered in light of the life of St. John Marie Vianney.

July-August : The office of sanctifying: the Mass and Confession
September-October : The office of teaching
November-December : The office of governing
January-February : The priest and poverty
March-April : The priest and chastity
May-June : The priest and obedience

May this series provide encouragement to the members of the Confraternity of St. Peter and all the faithful for pray ardently for priests. Most of all we hope that it will be a small aid to priests in understanding the riches of their vocation to bring about the “interior renewal” hoped for by the Holy Father, and the imitation of the Sacred Heart of Christ, the one High Priest. “For in the end, God is the only richness that men wish to find in a priest” (Benedict XVI, address to Cong. for Clergy).

June 19, 2009, Feast of the Most Sacred Heart, Opening of the Year for Priests

Very Rev. Fr John Berg
Superior General

Divine Providence, having the Divine intellect as the cause of all things, orders things toward an end. The execution of this providential plan is called divine governance.

Like the prudent person who decides the means to be employed to attain an end, God, from all eternity intends the end and purpose of the universe and provides the means for each soul living in the world to attain its end. Since God is the cause of all being, His Divine plan extends to everything which exists, and His plan of providence has been determined down to the last detail. Yet, it also safeguards the freedom of our actions, for it anticipates the cooperation of our will.

By abandoning our self to Divine Providence, we participate in the wisdom and goodness of God. All events have been foreseen by God from all eternity, and He has willed every reality and goodness. Of course, He does not will evil, but whatever evil occurs, He merely permits for a greater good.

Since nothing can be willed or permitted by God which does not contribute to the manifestation of His goodness and infinite perfections, then our temperament, consequences of heredity, the influences of our emotions—all are known by God and are present to attract, enlighten, and strengthen us for our end: life in Heaven with God.

Thus, our trust in God cannot be too docile, since we should be more convinced of His designs than we are of our own best intentions. By submitting to God’s plan, we will overcome the fear of being deceived by our own emotions or self-love.

This surrendering of self to God doesn’t mean we remain inactive or in a state of quietude; rather, we exert ourselves wholeheartedly and unselfishly as God’s holy plan unveils itself to us. By doing so, we conform ourselves to His good pleasure, however mysterious it may be, for we are certain that it contains nothing contrary to holiness and a good end.

By a constant fidelity to our duty, we enter into that which is unknown to us, but which is comprehended by God. We also let God reveal it to us in the degree he wishes us to understand. We then face every obstacle with firm hope and confident labor. In His hands, our future is entirely dependent on the events controlled by God. Yet we have to remain faithful in our surrender to God, since our free will will try to rise up in contradiction to God’s will.

Our abandonment of self to God should embrace everything in our life and for the remainder of our life. Even our past actions are included, since we have to live with the consequences of our past decisions. Our sicknesses, joys, tribulations,  shortcomings, the state of the world, the time we live in, the hour of our death, our riches or poverty—all will require humility, gentleness, and patience to live in the wisdom and goodness of God.

In times of affliction, we become accustomed to saying, “Thy will be done.” Our acceptance of the present trials in a spirit of faith, confidence, and love will become a fount of merit. By abandoning ourselves in the sprit of faith, we realize that “all things work together unto good,” (Rom. 8.28) since God arranges everything for our welfare and permits us to be cast down so that He can raise us up higher than before.

By abandoning our self in a spirit of confidence, we acknowledge that God’s hand is ever helping us against what seem to be insurmountable obstacles in this life. And by surrendering our self in a spirit of love, we are fulfilling God’s plan in the most perfect way and with the purest possible intention.

Thus, by fulfilling the duties of the present moment, we live according to God’s will. Whatever is happening at the moment is a sign that God wills or permits it for our good. Life ought to be seen as a succession of events coinciding with graces attached to each of our actions. This cooperation with the multitude of graces enables us to draw great spiritual strength by following the lead of God.

Why complain in this life, since it is a succession of gifts from God? The present moment is nothing more than the expression of the Divine will towards us, yielding a constant source of grace and merit. Every hour and every minute take on a supernatural significance and remind us that the history of our soul is being written down and will be read for all eternity.

Published April 18, 2009 10:14 pm –  Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg announced Friday that a second community of Discalced Carmelite nuns will be established in the diocese in the monastery in Elysburg.   These nuns have the joy of having the extraordinary form of the mass.  The FSSP seminary in Denton, NE worked closely with these nuns to start their foundation in Valparaiso, NE.  FSSP priests and seminarians rolled up their sleeves to help build the monastery in Valparaiso, NE, beginning in 2000.  Priests and Seminarians continue to support the monastery by assisting their chaplain.

HARRISBURG — Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg announced Friday [April 17, 2009] that a second community of Discalced Carmelite nuns will be established in the diocese in the monastery in Elysburg.

The new community will be founded from the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph of Valparaiso, Neb. They come to the Diocese of Harrisburg because of a constant increase of vocations to their monastery that has caused crowding.

St. Simon Stock who received the Brown Scapular from Our Lady was elected Prior of that Order in Aylesford in England in 1247. The first recorded appearance of Carmelite nuns was in 1452 when a community of nuns was granted affiliation with the Carmelite Order.The release continued, “Under St. Teresa of Avila, with the help of St. John of the Cross, the famous reform of the Carmelite Order of nuns was accomplished. It is to this group that both communities of discalced Carmelite nuns in the Diocese of Harrisburg belong. Discalced means ‘shoeless’ and refers to the fact that these nuns wear sandals as opposed to shoes as a sign of poverty and sacrifice.

“The nuns who arrive will live a strictly cloistered life setting themselves apart from the world in order to dedicate themselves to God and His saving plan. By means of their prayers and sacrifices, Carmelite nuns participate vitally in the redemption of the world.

“In imitation of Mary the Mother of God who stood at the foot of the Cross, they are intimately united to the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The separation of the cloister attunes the heart of the Carmelite nun to the Heart of Christ and the needs of people.

“Freed from noises and distractions, the Carmelite nun becomes more aware of the struggle of people today to know and love God. She then offers herself in prayer and sacrifice for the salvation of all. No radio, television, newspaper or Internet is permitted, in order to avoid distractions from their life of prayer and sacrifice. While walls and grilles separate them from the world, their hearts are not bound but, rather, radically freed to love God and neighbor.”

http://www.ccacarmels.org/ElysburgCarmel.html

Their community is currently at 33. The maximum number of nuns in a Carmelite monastery is about 21.

The Valparaiso, Nebraska Carmelites join the Danville Carmelites and the Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary in Lancaster as the third contemplative community of nuns in the 15 counties of the Diocese of Harrisburg. Bishop Rhoades said, “I feel incredibly blessed that we will now have three contemplative communities of nuns in our diocese. We welcome the Carmelite nuns from Nebraska whose lives of prayer and asceticism in the cloister remind all of us of our call to holiness.

“To these Sisters, I extend my deep gratitude for their coming to our diocese and for their prayers for all of us. Their presence and prayers are a gift to us from the Lord! May God the Father bless these, His daughters, consecrated for the glory of His Name,” the bishop said.

Mother Teresa of Jesus, Prioress of the Valparaiso, Nebraska Carmelite community expressed these thoughts, “We are very excited and grateful to make a foundation in the Diocese of Harrisburg.

“True to our Carmelite vocation our main work is our prayer life. We are praying for Bishop Rhoades, the clergy and all the faithful of the Diocese of Harrisburg, and we will do even more so upon our arrival.”

Sister Joan Lundy, prioress of the Carmelites of Danville commented, “We warmly welcome Mother Teresa and her Sisters to the Harrisburg Diocese. We are happy that the Monastery will continue as a house of prayer for that has been the wish of so many people. We are grateful to Bishop Rhoades and to Fr. Waltersheid for the close contact they have had with us, this past year, in preparing for the transfer of the Monastery and its property to another Community of Carmelites.”

The new community will inhabit the now vacant Carmelite Monastery in Elysburg. That monastery was built in 1961 as the permanent home of a foundation of Discalced Carmelite nuns that came to the Diocese in 1953 from Loretto, Pennsylvania.

This community moved to Maria Hall in Danville in January of 2008 where they remain a vibrant presence of prayer and witness to consecrated life for our Diocese.

Fr. William Waltersheid, diocesan secretary for clergy and consecrated life commented, “We are grateful to the Carmelite nuns of Danville who continue their great offering of prayer as they have since 1953 and we offer our gratitude to the Carmelite nuns newly arriving so that this great legacy will continue.”

The new foundation of Carmelite nuns comes from the Diocese of Lincoln.

They came there in 1999, with roots reaching back to Las Vegas, San Francisco in the United States, Guadalajara and Puebla in Mexico, and Caravaca in Spain.

The monastery in Caravaca was one of the original foundations of St. Teresa of Avila. When they arrive, the nuns will be living temporarily in St. Peter Convent on West Avenue in Mount Carmel while they work to ready the monastery for habitation.

The release from Bishop Rhoades said this is a case of history repeating itself. When the nuns arrived from Loretto in 1953 they lived in a home on East Avenue in Mount Carmel until the monastery was built in 1961. Carmelites trace their origins from Old Testament times as the nuns consider themselves daughters of the Prophet Elijah.

At the time of the Crusades, the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel who lived an eremitical life on Mount Carmel in Palestine came to Europe.

For more information go to: Friends of Carmel JMJ

Today the Church celebrates the I Class feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Collect for the Day:

Latin:

Deus, qui de beatae Mariea Virginis utero Verbum tuum, Angelo nuntiante, carnem suscipere voluisti: praest supplicibus tuis; ut, qui vere eam Genetricem Dei credimus, eius apud te intercessionibus adiuvemur.  Per eundem Dominum, etc.

English:

O God, Who didst please that at the message of an Angel Thy Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant unto Thy suppliants that we who believeher to be truly the mother of God, may be aided by her intercession before Thee.  Through the same, etc…

The Annunciation in Scripture

Luke 1:26 – 38

26And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. 31 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. 33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? 35 And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: 37 Because no word shall be impossible with God. 38 And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her

Priestly ordinations were conferred on May 30th, 2009 of the following men:

• Brian Austin

• Matthew Goddard

• Michael Stimson

Please remember these men and the entire Fraternity of St. Peter in your prayers that they may continue to be blessed.  Congratulations to our new priests!

(more…)

VATICAN CITY, 16 MAR 2009 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican the Holy Father received members of the Congregation for the Clergy, who are currently celebrating their plenary assembly on the theme: “The missionary identity of priests in the Church as an intrinsic dimension of the exercise of the ‘tre munera'”.

“The missionary dimension of a priest arises from his sacramental configuration to Christ the Head”, said the Pope. This involves “total adherence to what ecclesial tradition has identified as ‘apostolica vivendi forma’, which consists in participation … in that ‘new way of life’ which was inaugurated by the Lord Jesus and which the Apostles made their own”.

Benedict XVI highlighted the “indispensable struggle for moral perfection which must dwell in every truly priestly heart. In order to favour this tendency of priests towards spiritual perfection, upon which the effectiveness of their ministry principally depends, I have”, he said, “decided to call a special ‘Year for Priests’ which will run from 19 June 2009 to 19 June 2010”. This year marks “the 150th anniversary of the death of the saintly ‘Cure of Ars’, Jean Marie Vianney, a true example of a pastor at the service of Christ’s flock”.

“The ecclesial, communional, hierarchical and doctrinal dimension is absolutely indispensable for any authentic mission, and this alone guarantees its spiritual effectiveness”, he said.

“The mission is ‘ecclesial'”, said the Pope, “because no-one announces or brings themselves, … but brings Another, God Himself, to the world. God is the only wealth that, definitively, mankind wishes to find in a priest.

“The mission is ‘communional’ because it takes place in a unity and communion which only at a secondary level possess important aspects of social visibility. … The ‘hierarchical’ and ‘doctrinal’ dimensions emphasise the importance of ecclesiastical discipline (a term related to that of ‘disciple’) and of doctrinal (not just theological, initial and permanent) formation”.

Benedict XVI stressed the need to “have care for the formation of candidates to the priesthood”, a formation that must maintain “communion with unbroken ecclesial Tradition, without pausing or being tempted by discontinuity. In this context, it is important to encourage priests, especially the young generations, to a correct reading of the texts of Vatican Council II, interpreted in the light of all the Church’s doctrinal inheritance”.

Priests must be “present, identifiable and recognisable – for their judgement of faith, personal virtues and attire – in the fields of culture and of charity which have always been at the heart of the Church’s mission”.

“The centrality of Christ leads to a correct valuation of priestly ministry, without which there would be no Eucharist, no mission, not even the Church. It is necessary then, to ensure that ‘new structures’ or pastoral organisations are not planned for a time in which it will be possible to ‘do without’ ordained ministry, on the basis of an erroneous interpretation of the promotion of the laity, because this would lay the foundations for a further dilution in priestly ministry, and any supposed ‘solutions’ would, in fact, dramatically coincide with the real causes of the problems currently affecting the ministry”.
AC/PRIESTS MISSION/CPCVIS 090316 (530)

View the Retreat form for more information.

CONTACT

English-speaking candidates from the Asian/Australian/Indian region should contact:

Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter Vocations Director
ATTN: Fr. Duncan Wong, FSSP
Ezechiel House Novitiate
PO Box 917, Petersham
NSW 2049, AUSTRALIA

English-speaking candidates from the African region should contact:

Fr. Evaristus Eshiowu, FSSP
Nne Enyemaka Shrine Umuaka
PO Box 430
Imo State, Orlu, Nigeria

English-speaking candidates from all other regions should contact:

Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter Vocations Director
ATTN: Fr. Joseph Portzer, FSSP
Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary
7880 West Denton Road
PO Box 147
Denton, NE 68339

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
CONCERNING THE REMISSION OF THE EXCOMMUNICATION
OF THE FOUR BISHOPS CONSECRATED BY ARCHBISHOP LEFEBVRE

Dear Brothers in the Episcopal Ministry!
The remission of the excommunication of the four Bishops consecrated in 1988 by Archbishop Lefebvre without a mandate of the Holy See has for many reasons caused, both within and beyond the Catholic Church, a discussion more heated than any we have seen for a long time. Many Bishops felt perplexed by an event which came about unexpectedly and was difficult to view positively in the light of the issues and tasks facing the Church today. Even though many Bishops and members of the faithful were disposed in principle to take a positive view of the Pope’s concern for reconciliation, the question remained whether such a gesture was fitting in view of the genuinely urgent demands of the life of faith in our time. Some groups, on the other hand, openly accused the Pope of wanting to turn back the clock to before the Council: as a result, an avalanche of protests was unleashed, whose bitterness laid bare wounds deeper than those of the present moment. I therefore feel obliged to offer you, dear Brothers, a word of clarification, which ought to help you understand the concerns which led me and the competent offices of the Holy See to take this step. In this way I hope to contribute to peace in the Church.

An unforeseen mishap for me was the fact that the Williamson case came on top of the remission of the excommunication. The discreet gesture of mercy towards four Bishops ordained validly but not legitimately suddenly appeared as something completely different: as the repudiation of reconciliation between Christians and Jews, and thus as the reversal of what the Council had laid down in this regard to guide the Church’s path. A gesture of reconciliation with an ecclesial group engaged in a process of separation thus turned into its very antithesis: an apparent step backwards with regard to all the steps of reconciliation between Christians and Jews taken since the Council – steps which my own work as a theologian had sought from the beginning to take part in and support. That this overlapping of two opposed processes took place and momentarily upset peace between Christians and Jews, as well as peace within the Church, is something which I can only deeply deplore. I have been told that consulting the information available on the internet would have made it possible to perceive the problem early on. I have learned the lesson that in the future in the Holy See we will have to pay greater attention to that source of news. I was saddened by the fact that even Catholics who, after all, might have had a better knowledge of the situation, thought they had to attack me with open hostility. Precisely for this reason I thank all the more our Jewish friends, who quickly helped to clear up the misunderstanding and to restore the atmosphere of friendship and trust which – as in the days of Pope John Paul II – has also existed throughout my pontificate and, thank God, continues to exist.

Another mistake, which I deeply regret, is the fact that the extent and limits of the provision of 21 January 2009 were not clearly and adequately explained at the moment of its publication. The excommunication affects individuals, not institutions. An episcopal ordination lacking a pontifical mandate raises the danger of a schism, since it jeopardizes the unity of the College of Bishops with the Pope. Consequently the Church must react by employing her most severe punishment – excommunication – with the aim of calling those thus punished to repent and to return to unity. Twenty years after the ordinations, this goal has sadly not yet been attained. The remission of the excommunication has the same aim as that of the punishment: namely, to invite the four Bishops once more to return. This gesture was possible once the interested parties had expressed their recognition in principle of the Pope and his authority as Pastor, albeit with some reservations in the area of obedience to his doctrinal authority and to the authority of the Council. Here I return to the distinction between individuals and institutions. The remission of the excommunication was a measure taken in the field of ecclesiastical discipline: the individuals were freed from the burden of conscience constituted by the most serious of ecclesiastical penalties. This disciplinary level needs to be distinguished from the doctrinal level. The fact that the Society of Saint Pius X does not possess a canonical status in the Church is not, in the end, based on disciplinary but on doctrinal reasons. As long as the Society does not have a canonical status in the Church, its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the Church. There needs to be a distinction, then, between the disciplinary level, which deals with individuals as such, and the doctrinal level, at which ministry and institution are involved. In order to make this clear once again: until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers – even though they have been freed of the ecclesiastical penalty – do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.

In light of this situation, it is my intention henceforth to join the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei” – the body which has been competent since 1988 for those communities and persons who, coming from the Society of Saint Pius X or from similar groups, wish to return to full communion with the Pope – to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This will make it clear that the problems now to be addressed are essentially doctrinal in nature and concern primarily the acceptance of the Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar magisterium of the Popes. The collegial bodies with which the Congregation studies questions which arise (especially the ordinary Wednesday meeting of Cardinals and the annual or biennial Plenary Session) ensure the involvement of the Prefects of the different Roman Congregations and representatives from the world’s Bishops in the process of decision-making. The Church’s teaching authority cannot be frozen in the year 1962 – this must be quite clear to the Society. But some of those who put themselves forward as great defenders of the Council also need to be reminded that Vatican II embraces the entire doctrinal history of the Church. Anyone who wishes to be obedient to the Council has to accept the faith professed over the centuries, and cannot sever the roots from which the tree draws its life.

I hope, dear Brothers, that this serves to clarify the positive significance and also the limits of the provision of 21 January 2009. But the question still remains: Was this measure needed? Was it really a priority? Aren’t other things perhaps more important? Of course there are more important and urgent matters. I believe that I set forth clearly the priorities of my pontificate in the addresses which I gave at its beginning. Everything that I said then continues unchanged as my plan of action. The first priority for the Successor of Peter was laid down by the Lord in the Upper Room in the clearest of terms: “You… strengthen your brothers” (Lukek 22:32). Peter himself formulated this priority anew in his first Letter: “Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” ( 1 Peter 3:15 ). In our days, when in vast areas of the world the faith is in danger of dying out like a flame which no longer has fuel, the overriding priority is to make God present in this world and to show men and women the way to God. Not just any god, but the God who spoke on Sinai; to that God whose face we recognize in a love which presses “to the end” (cf. John 13:1) – in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. The real problem at this moment of our history is that God is disappearing from the human horizon, and, with the dimming of the light which comes from God, humanity is losing its bearings, with increasingly evident destructive effects.

Leading men and women to God, to the God who speaks in the Bible: this is the supreme and fundamental priority of the Church and of the Successor of Peter at the present time. A logical consequence of this is that we must have at heart the unity of all believers. Their disunity, their disagreement among themselves, calls into question the credibility of their talk of God. Hence the effort to promote a common witness by Christians to their faith – ecumenism – is part of the supreme priority. Added to this is the need for all those who believe in God to join in seeking peace, to attempt to draw closer to one another, and to journey together, even with their differing images of God, towards the source of Light – this is interreligious dialogue. Whoever proclaims that God is Love “to the end” has to bear witness to love: in loving devotion to the suffering, in the rejection of hatred and enmity – this is the social dimension of the Christian faith, of which I spoke in the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est.

So if the arduous task of working for faith, hope and love in the world is presently (and, in various ways, always) the Church’s real priority, then part of this is also made up of acts of reconciliation, small and not so small. That the quiet gesture of extending a hand gave rise to a huge uproar, and thus became exactly the opposite of a gesture of reconciliation, is a fact which we must accept. But I ask now: Was it, and is it, truly wrong in this case to meet half-way the brother who “has something against you” (cf. Mt 5:23ff.) and to seek reconciliation? Should not civil society also try to forestall forms of extremism and to incorporate their eventual adherents – to the extent possible – in the great currents shaping social life, and thus avoid their being segregated, with all its consequences? Can it be completely mistaken to work to break down obstinacy and narrowness, and to make space for what is positive and retrievable for the whole? I myself saw, in the years after 1988, how the return of communities which had been separated from Rome changed their interior attitudes; I saw how returning to the bigger and broader Church enabled them to move beyond one-sided positions and broke down rigidity so that positive energies could emerge for the whole. Can we be totally indifferent about a community which has 491 priests, 215 seminarians, 6 seminaries, 88 schools, 2 university-level institutes, 117 religious brothers, 164 religious sisters and thousands of lay faithful? Should we casually let them drift farther from the Church? I think for example of the 491 priests. We cannot know how mixed their motives may be. All the same, I do not think that they would have chosen the priesthood if, alongside various distorted and unhealthy elements, they did not have a love for Christ and a desire to proclaim him and, with him, the living God. Can we simply exclude them, as representatives of a radical fringe, from our pursuit of reconciliation and unity? What would then become of them?

Certainly, for some time now, and once again on this specific occasion, we have heard from some representatives of that community many unpleasant things – arrogance and presumptuousness, an obsession with one-sided positions, etc. Yet to tell the truth, I must add that I have also received a number of touching testimonials of gratitude which clearly showed an openness of heart. But should not the great Church also allow herself to be generous in the knowledge of her great breadth, in the knowledge of the promise made to her? Should not we, as good educators, also be capable of overlooking various faults and making every effort to open up broader vistas? And should we not admit that some unpleasant things have also emerged in Church circles? At times one gets the impression that our society needs to have at least one group to which no tolerance may be shown; which one can easily attack and hate. And should someone dare to approach them – in this case the Pope – he too loses any right to tolerance; he too can be treated hatefully, without misgiving or restraint.

Dear Brothers, during the days when I first had the idea of writing this letter, by chance, during a visit to the Roman Seminary, I had to interpret and comment on Galatians 5:13-15. I was surprised at the directness with which that passage speaks to us about the present moment: “Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another.” I am always tempted to see these words as another of the rhetorical excesses which we occasionally find in Saint Paul. To some extent that may also be the case. But sad to say, this “biting and devouring” also exists in the Church today, as expression of a poorly understood freedom. Should we be surprised that we too are no better than the Galatians? That at the very least we are threatened by the same temptations? That we must always learn anew the proper use of freedom? And that we must always learn anew the supreme priority, which is love? The day I spoke about this at the Major Seminary, the feast of Our Lady of Trust was being celebrated in Rome. And so it is: Mary teaches us trust. She leads us to her Son, in whom all of us can put our trust. He will be our guide – even in turbulent times. And so I would like to offer heartfelt thanks to all the many Bishops who have lately offered me touching tokens of trust and affection, and above all assured me of their prayers. My thanks also go to all the faithful who in these days have given me testimony of their constant fidelity to the Successor of Saint Peter. May the Lord protect all of us and guide our steps along the way of peace. This is the prayer that rises up instinctively from my heart at the beginning of this Lent, a liturgical season particularly suited to interior purification, one which invites all of us to look with renewed hope to the light which awaits us at Easter.

With a special Apostolic Blessing, I remain

Yours in the Lord,

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Immaculate Conception (ICC) Church is the new home of the Latin Mass Community in the Diocese of Omaha and Father John Brancich, FSSP, now serves as pastor at ICC and Father Chad Ripperger, FSSP, the Parochal Vicar.

The diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Voice of Omaha, reports that according to chancellor Father Joseph Taphorn:  “The change of parishes for the Latin Mass Community was prompted by concerns about the continued viability of ICC.”

The former pastor of ICC, Fr. J. Buckley, “saw that the parish faced financial challenges including both current and future needs.” Consequently, Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss conducted an “assessment of the viability of ICC in light of changing demographics, Mass attendance, parish needs and income.” This resulted with the Fraternity be asked to supply a pastor for ICC.

“As for the parishioners, Father Taphorn said he understands ‘change isn’t always easy.’ Those uncertain about the Latin Mass can attend the Saturday evening English Mass, using the next several months as a transition period to make a decision about either another parish or the Latin Masses at ICC.” The Saturday evening Mass, said by a Columban father, will be phased out.

Father Taphorn believes changes mean improved viability for ICC.

“The 110 or so households in the Latin Mass community will inject new life into ICC in a variety of ways”, he said, “And since the church building is in good condition at ICC, there will be no need to fund restoration or repairs.”

The parish has gone from having one diocesan priest with duties in other churches to having two priests from the Fraternity of St. Peter.  Father Brancich was installed as Pastor by the local Vicar Forane and  Fr. J. Buckley  at the 9:00 A.M. solemn high Mass on Sunday August 25^th.

As the decision was made only recently, the members of what was previously known as the Omaha Latin Mass Apostolate and existing parishioners of ICC put in long hours preparing the rectory and church for the first Traditional Latin Mass. During the next few months, the priests and parishioners will be planning for a grand renewal of the church, which was built in 1926 and renovated several times during the past 40 years. The project should be one of the ways to help the two communities to get settled as one parish. The Fraternity is delighted to see that many original parishioners of ICC have chosen to stay in the parish and participate in the extraordinary form of the Mass.

It looks like a parish that was having financial challenges will now be a growing and vibrant one.

XXth Anniversary Pilgrimage

On October 18, 2008 our Fraternity celebrated in Rome the twentieth anniversary of its canonical erection. All our members and faithful were cordially invited to partake in this anniversary, either through prayer or if possible by attending, according to their pastoral and academic availability. Several groups were formed in various countries.  It was understood that Americans are much less likely to attend in large numbers, due to the distance and time and costs involved. Still, since many of our faithful do travel to Rome every year on pilgrimages, it would seem most fitting to seize this opportunity of our XXth anniversary, obviously spending longer time than only a week-end in Rome or Italy.

The Pilgrimage schedule was:

Friday 17 October 2008:

18:30 Solemn Vespers.
19:30 Dinner with German-speaking pilgrims (compulsory booking with group leader), followed by talk by FSSP Superior General Very Rev. Fr. John Berg.

Saturday 18 October 2008:

7:00 – 9:30 Private Masses. The faithful who wish may attend.
10:00 Pontifical High Mass with President of the Pontifical Ecclesia Dei Commission His Eminence Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos.
12:45 At the end of Mass, group picture outside the church.
13:00 Lunch with French-speaking pilgrims (compulsory booking with group leader) followed by presentation by FSSP Superior General Very Rev. Fr. John Berg.
16:00 Petrine mini pilgrimages to various places (freely selected) linked with Apostle Saint Peter, our Patron: St Peter in Chains Church, St Pudentiana Basilica (originally Senator Pudens’ house, where St Peter dwelt), Quo Vadis, Mamertina prison, Saint Peter Basilica (cathedra, confession), guided by FSSP priests and seminarians.
19:00-20:00 Benediction and renewal of promises for members of the FSSP and then for members of the Confraternity of Saint Peter.

Sunday 19 October 2008:

7:00 – 09:30 Private Masses. The faithful who wish may attend.
10:00 Solemn High Mass.
15:00 Solemn Vespers and Benediction.
16:30 Solemn High Mass for Anglophons.
19:00 Dinner with English-speaking pilgrims (compulsory booking with group leader), followed by talk by FSSP Superior General Very Rev. Fr. John Berg.