Motu Proprio News/Rumour Round Up

Item #1

The Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, has declared this Wednesday in Vienna, in an interview to Kath.net, that the Motu proprio on the "old Mass", willed by Pope Benedict, will certainly come [be released]. Questioned on the matter of the delay, Fr. Lombardi detailed that the exact date is still unknown; however, publication is expected for this year. (Rorate Caeli, translating Kath.net)

Item #2

The Papal "Motu Proprio" for the liberalization of the Latin Mass according to the Tridentine rite of Saint Pius V is ready, is about to be translated into several languages and will be published right before the departure of Benedict XVI for the summer vacation. [Rorate note: The Pope's early vacation this summer will be spent in a small villa owned by the Diocese of Treviso, in the tiny hamlet of Lorenzago di Cadore, Province of Belluno, in the Veneto region, in the July 9-27 period.]

The text has already been signed by the Pontiff, who has even written a long exaplanatory letter, of a theological character, "addressed to all the Bishops of the world", as it can be read in its introduction, "so that they may receive this document with serenity and patience".
The Pope thus asks the Bishops, the clergy, and the faithful for a serene mood in the acceptance of the "Motu Proprio", which will be presented in a Press Conference by Cardinals Francis Arinze, Dario Castrillon Hoyos, and Julian Herranz. [Psalmus 42 Comment: Strange. Motu Proprio News/Rumours seem to be becoming more and more elaborate at each turn. Not to long ago there was comment about the lack of information about pending press conferences... but then again, the main question of exactly when is still not answered.]

The delay in the publication of the document seems to be related to strong oppositions from some sectors of the clergy (especially from the French Episcopal Conference).

Monsignor Nicola Bux (a personal friend of the Pope), a theologian and collaborator of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, declares: "You may write calmly [that] Pope Benedict XVI loves agreement and collaboration, and does not wish to decide everything on his own, which is why he has heard several and repeated opinions, but the Motu Proprio for the liberalization of the Latin Mass has been signed and its publication is imminent, I would say it is a matter of days." (Rorate Caeli, translating Petrus)

Item #3

Letter from the President of the International Una Voce Federation:

11th/13th June 2007
Short Preliminary Report

Dear Friends,

Leo Darroch, Monika Rheinschmitt and I have just returned from a visit to Rome. On Tuesday 12th June We were received in separate meetings by Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos and Mgr Perl of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei and Archbishop Ranjith of the Congregation of Divine Worship.

On Wednesday morning 13th June we were at the General Audience of Pope Benedict and were granted seats on the "Prima Fila" (="first row"). This gave us the opportunity of having some private words with the Holy Father for a couple of minutes. Conversations with the Holy Father are confidential but we can confirm by the words of His Holiness that the Motu Proprio will come soon.

Both Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos and Archbishop Ranjith were very open and friendly. We gave them some papers about the situation in our countries and said that a great many lay people and priests are waiting patiently, and impatiently, for news from Rome about greater freedom for the traditional liturgy; not only the Mass but all the liturgical books. We gave them each a bound volume of all the public manifestos that have been published around the world in the past few months in support of the Holy Father.

We expressed our regret that some bishops conferences had written to Rome against the forthcoming indult but gave our opinion that they had not consulted anyone about their decisions and, in this matter, they did not speak for their people or for many of their priests. We were urged to pray for the Holy Father and the whole Church in these difficult days.

Best regards

In Christo

Jack P. Oostveen
-----------------------------------------------------
Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce
President
(Rorate Caeli)

Item #4

Vatican - Agence I.MEDIA - 15 June 2007

The Motu Proprio liberalizing the Tridentine Rite has been signed by Benedict XVI

[Main excerpts:]

The Motu Proprio which will liberalize the Tridentine Mass has been signed by Benedict XVI and will be published very soon. An explanatory letter addressed to all the Bishops of the world will be joined to the text, Vatican sources close to the dossier have confirmed.

... Benedict XVI signed the document "a while ago", [the sources] have confided.

...

If "a precise date has been chosen" for its publication, it is still kept secret in the Vatican, it has been explained to I.MEDIA. While it is close, it would seem more prudent "to speak of weeks, instead of days".


... Father Federico Lombardi has for his part confirmed the information to I.MEDIA, without specifying the date of publication. He has not wished to confirm the fact that the document could be presented in a press conference at the Vatican. "I cannot tell things until they are confirmed and may be communicated, which I usually do by way of the Bulletin of the Press Office".

...

According to some Vatican rumors, the document could be published when Pope Benedict begins his Castel Gandolfo vacation, in late July [Rorate note: the Pope's late summer vacation this year at Castel Gandolfo will begin on July 28]. [The publication of] important and delicate documents [by the Holy See] during summer and vacations has already happened [in the past]. Such was the case of the Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the collaboration of men and women in the Church and in the world, of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, released in late July 2004. (R0rate Caeli)