Well, now I know why we have no bells at St. Joseph's. Bottom line - Bishop Tod Brown has promulgated liturgical norms for the diocese whereas he hath decreed "No bells!" And Fr. John takes very seriously his vow of obedience.
And people think that one about celibacy is the hardest!
12 comments:
Digi, I don't think much of our "powers that be" but your bishop sounds like a micromanagement freak. What is his little problem? What's he going to do if someone "disobeys?" Send them out to the wilds of Temecula wine country? What if every parish "disobeyed?"
I'd love to be in little Todd's office and have him go out to use the rest room or something. He sounds like one of those idiots who start foaming at the mouth if the pencil isn't exactly an inch and exactly parallel to the right of the pen. The one who'll go off on an "and then there was the strawberry incident" mode if a picture is a little crooked. With all he has to worry about and this gerbil is worried that somewhere someone in his diocese might ring a sanctus bell? What does the minimind do for the Tridentine Mass which is particular about that.
What's he going to do? Throw himself on the ground and start kicking and screaming? He needs to be carted away.
Okay, in your diocese at all your parishes at every Mass, someone in the congregation, buried where little Todd can't see him or her, gets to ring bells. It would drive him nuts. His type desperately need to be pushed over the edge. All the payouts in the scandals over the years and this duffus is worried about bells? Does he have a "spy" in every parish to report back to him for "violations?" It seems to me this would be like him dictating that a priest had to use Eucharistic prayer II or a children's EP for each Mass.
God help us.
BTW, regards celibacy being the hardest vow, some years back I was talking to a former pastor of ours, I won't say which although HIS former boss has "assumed room temperature" some time ago. I said "Let me guess, it's not celibacy but having to obey someone who might be a total nut." His answer? "Bingo."
Karen,
Just to correct you, it's not "Todd", but "Tod" - just like the German word for "death" is spelled, coincidentally.
Good news is that he should be around for only another two or so years. There are priests who "disobey" him and ring bells, but my pastor feels differently, even if it means being obedient to a "nut job."
I plan on using my office stationery to write to the liturgy office for the diocese and ask - why no bells? For all I know, Bishop Brown quietly changed the policy and just did not get around to announcing it.
Fr. JWM, if you're lurking, please be assured that (a) the letter would be polite and (b) I will not identify the parish, but let them assume I belong to Holy Family due to my address.
I suppose it's entirely possible too that some freak in some "liturgy office" has taken it upon himself or herself to send out "guidelines" without the bishop's knowledge. But I wouldn't hold my breath on it.
Am I mistaken, or is Bishop Tod Brown, warts and all, not an appointed shepherd? Respect is due him, even if we disagree with what he says ought to be done.
On another note, I wish and wish for the bells at Mass. I remember clearly when my parish took them away when I was a little girl. "That was for when people didn't know what was happening, to alert them about the Consecration. We don't need them any more."
I still hear them in my head at the right moments.
Christine,
You can show respect and still complain when the appointed shepherd does not reciprocate to the very people he is supposed to serve. This is only a small "ding" against Bishop Brown - there are other reasons as to why I dislike him.
The respect I am showing is to refrain from bringing my own bell to ring. As I said below in my comments for my posting "The Tentative Ruling is In My Favor", although it was suggested, I would not do that out of respect moreso for my priest.
I like the Novus Ordo Mass, but I don't see the reasoning behind abandoning "traditions-with-a-small-t" that made it special and replacing them with things like musical tripe and liturgical dance.
Again, Mass is worship - not performance art!!
Christina - I 2nd digi 100% on what she said respect owed the bishop. If it's a faith an morals thing (if the bishop is teaching correctly) then yes, I'll kiss the ring. But otherwise? He's going to have to EARN respect, just like everyone else has to.
As far as being told "it's because they couldn't see what was going on" - yes and no. Certainly had beople been WATCHING rather than off in the ozone as they should have been, the mere fact of the elevation would signaled the consecration of the Sacred Species. What I don't like are terrorist liturgists throwing out all that was old and good so they could experiment with pap in what they came to think of as their own personal playpens. Don't get me wrong, I, too, like a NO Mass. I just want to see it executed WELL.
The bishop in question, or any bishop for that matter, does not have the authority to ban the use of bells. Their use is an option provided for in the Missal. The liturgical principle is that an ordinary cannot ban a optinion in the liturgy unless the authority is specifically granted by the norms.
Thanks for confirming that Fr. Erik. I had a feeling it was like the Bishop trying to dictate which EP must be used!
Here's the $64,000 questions: Why do these micro managers need the "power trip" on those things?
Karen
Well, Fr. Erik, I do plan on contacting someone at the diocese for clarification, although to be honest, I am not expecting any answer from their offices. You can always pass your thought on to your brother-priest (see link to my parish on right side of blog).
My inner youngest-child is coming out...I tried to hold her back, but I just couldn't...
I think if you go back and peruse the comments, you will find that a certain someone thought this might be the reason Fr. John was reticent... (cough)
OK, enough with the sin of pride. Now I have to go do penance. :-p
Seriously, I have to commend Fr. John for his obedience to his bishop, irrespective of whether Bp. Brown is within the bounds of his proper authority. I think it speaks very well of Fr. John that he is so careful about not violating the vow of obedience.
You, on the other hand, have taken no such vow; and I hardly think it's inappropriate for you to ask the Worship Office (or whoever it is at your diocese) about it.
Bishop Brown used to be ours. We traded him for Bishop Driscoll. I think they were trying to get Bishop Driscoll out of Dodge before some sort of doo-doo hit the fan.
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