It's an interesting calculation (based on a rough tally of LMS and SSPX Christmas Masses (Midnight and Christmas Day itself) that 26 of them will be offered by SSPX priests and 43 through the normal parish channels.
On the one hand it is impressive that the Society has such a strong input in the provision of the Latin Mass but, on the other, it is a damning indictment of how poor the provision is within the mainstream Church.
"Oh, but we do not have enough priests" howl their Lordships but they do or, rather, they could have them, if they thought and planned as a business person would.
For a start, they could implement the request made by Pope Benedict for parishes to federate, to form a cluster with a small number of priests at the hub. Centralised to the benefit of the priests (fraternal support both practical and spiritual) and the people (a priest always available day or night).
Perhaps the Bishops could then call a halt to dragging young African, Indian and Philippino priests away from their own countries, where they are desperately needed and, instead, open up a dialogue with some of the traditional orders; the FSSP and ICKSP.
It's not rocket science.
And then, in a relatively short period of time perhaps we would be reflecting on the small number of SSPX Christmas EF Masses compared with the vast number offered by the parish churches.
PS I am grateful to those who pointed out that my original heading did not quite add up. It made a sort of perverse sense in my fevered brain but, it makes much better sense in its amended form.
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| Making provision for the Latin Mass is much simpler |
On the one hand it is impressive that the Society has such a strong input in the provision of the Latin Mass but, on the other, it is a damning indictment of how poor the provision is within the mainstream Church.
"Oh, but we do not have enough priests" howl their Lordships but they do or, rather, they could have them, if they thought and planned as a business person would.
For a start, they could implement the request made by Pope Benedict for parishes to federate, to form a cluster with a small number of priests at the hub. Centralised to the benefit of the priests (fraternal support both practical and spiritual) and the people (a priest always available day or night).
Perhaps the Bishops could then call a halt to dragging young African, Indian and Philippino priests away from their own countries, where they are desperately needed and, instead, open up a dialogue with some of the traditional orders; the FSSP and ICKSP.
It's not rocket science.
And then, in a relatively short period of time perhaps we would be reflecting on the small number of SSPX Christmas EF Masses compared with the vast number offered by the parish churches.
PS I am grateful to those who pointed out that my original heading did not quite add up. It made a sort of perverse sense in my fevered brain but, it makes much better sense in its amended form.
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