New Oxford Notes: October 2009The NOR has long been trenchant in its criticism and pugilistic in tone when it comes to facing down the deceit and buffoonery of bishops, priests, nuns, and theologians in the Church -- whether they are of a liberal or conservative bent. Let's face it: There's never any shortage of grist for the mill. From feminist nuns to philandering neocons, from light-in-the loafer liturgists to Holocaust-denying "trad" bishops, the NOR has tackled a generous sampling of silliness in the Church and in the world -- and we'll continue to do so. That's what we do!
At this juncture, however, we would certainly be remiss not to recognize some very promising developments in the life of the Church -- developments which would have been unthinkable just a decade ago. In the recent past, signs of a recovery from the ecclesiastical silly season have typically come by way of some small pockets in relatively obscure corners of Christendom -- obscure, yes, but still mightily important. Thomas Aquinas College in the realm of Catholic higher education; the School of Architecture at, of all places, the University of Notre Dame, representing the renaissance of traditional church design; burgeoning young religious orders like the Dominican Sisters of Mary and the Society of St. John Cantius; and the staunch witness of Catholic prolife activists like Joe Scheidler and Judie Brown, who have accomplished so much through prayer and activism amid unrelenting adversity -- these are just a few of the promising people, places, and movements that spring immediately to mind.
What's new and noteworthy over the past year or two is that many of the new positive developments in the life of the Church are not only coming from the obscure corners of Christendom, but are now emanating from the words and actions of the Church's hierarchy -- from Pope Benedict XVI (think of the Holy Father's universal indult for the Tridentine Mass) and his bishops. Even the trend of new bishop appointments is cause for optimism. Cautious optimism, yes, but optimism nonetheless. The Cardinal Bernardins and Archbishop Weaklands of the U.S. Church have given way to the promising likes of American prelates such as Timothy Dolan (New York), Samuel Aquila (Fargo), Robert Carlson (St. Louis), Raymond Burke (Vatican), Charles Chaput (Denver), Thomas Olmsted (Phoenix), Robert Finn (Kansas City-St. Joseph) -- well, you get the idea.
It used to be that Lincoln's Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz was the lone voice of ecclesiastical orthodoxy in the U.S. Thankfully, he seems to have a growing cohort. The fact is that, with more regularity, certain American bishops are turning heads -- and for the right reason: by acting as courageous defenders of the faith, even when they must swim against the tide of their lazier and more liberal episcopal brethren. Archbishop Burke, for example, is known for his advocacy of denying Holy Communion to Catholics who are public sinners -- like politicians who support abortion. Not so long ago, such outspoken views would have been rewarded with alienation and pillory. It is instructive to note then that Archbishop Burke's outspoken stance on an unpopular subject among his fellow bishops was rewarded with a "promotion" -- from archbishop of St. Louis (one of the most influential American sees) to prefect of the Vatican's Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial body in the Church, second in authority in judicial matters only to the Pope himself.
Most of the new breed of Bruskewitz-style bishops have made news for their uncompromisingly orthodox views on life issues, but some are now making waves with their stances on matters liturgical -- arguably a more volatile subject overall, at least within the Church. Ten years ago, who would have dared to imagine that an American bishop would criticize Mass "facing the people," and actually promote the celebration of Mass ad orientem? This summer, Bishop Edward Slattery not only did so in an article in his diocesan magazine, the Eastern Oklahoma Catholic, he put his liturgical views into practice. He now celebrates Mass ad orientem at his Tulsa cathedral, an encouragement "by example" for the parish priests throughout his diocese. "Even before his election as the successor to St. Peter," Bishop Slattery explained in August, "Pope Benedict has been urging us to draw upon the ancient liturgical practice of the Church to recover a more authentic Catholic worship. For that reason, I have restored the venerable ad orientem position when I celebrate Mass at the Cathedral."
Ten years ago, a statement like that would have ruffled so many episcopal feathers that one would more likely expect to see Bishop Slattery's head on a pole than his "back to the people" (as some misconstrue the posture). Not only does the bishop explain his reasons for restoring the ancient practice -- the priest and the people should pray facing the same rather than the "opposite" direction -- he explains that the post-Vatican II practice of Mass versus populum (facing the people) was a misguided innovation with unforeseen consequences and largely negative effects: "First of all, it was a serious rupture with the Church's ancient tradition. Secondly, it can give the appearance that the priest and the people were engaged in a conversation about God, rather than the worship of God. Thirdly, it places an inordinate importance on the personality of the celebrant by placing him on a kind of liturgical stage."
It is one thing for a particular parish to return to ad orientem worship, but when initiated by a bishop at his diocese's primary church, it has the potential to inspire many of his priests as well as other bishops to follow suit. This could very well be the beginning of a turnaround, and Bishop Slattery will have made his mark on U.S. Church history.
Up the road in Indiana, Bishop John M. D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend made his mark earlier this year by publicly rebuking Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins for his decision not only to invite U.S. President Barack Obama to deliver the May commencement address but also to bestow an honorary degree upon the most pro-abortion president in U.S. history. That takes guts! Most American bishops wouldn't dare criticize the president of a Catholic college or university, let alone the president of the most influential Catholic campus in America, as well as the president of the United States. Bishop D'Arcy was repeatedly in the news for his unwavering -- and unpopular -- stance. Three months later the Indiana bishop even penned an article for the left-leaning America magazine in which he singled out Fr. Jenkins for his failure to witness to the Gospel, reiterating that a Catholic university has "the responsibility to give witness to the Catholic faith and to the consequences of that faith by its actions and decisions." Well said!
Most Catholics, however, are unaware of the watershed letter the same Bishop D'Arcy wrote to the priests in his diocese in July. The bishop quietly issued new norms for the placement of the tabernacle in churches, aiming to end controversy on the topic. "The presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is at the center of our faith and of the devotional life of our Catholic people," his letter began. "The place of the tabernacle in our church should reflect our faith in the real presence of Christ, and should always be guided by church documents," Bishop D'Arcy continued.
In his experience, he explained, people have always desired the tabernacle to be "central and visible" and find it "confusing" when it is not. His new norms state that the tabernacle should be "prominently located in the sanctuary of the church, along the central axis behind the main altar…at an elevated, open location in the apse area, or in another central place in the sanctuary that is equally conspicuous." If a high altar with a tabernacle remains in place, the norms add, "it is appropriate to continue using this noble structure for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament."
Perhaps some bystanders will fail to understand the significance of such a promulgation, but most NOR readers will no doubt recall the church "wreckovation" wars of the 1990s and the mass propaganda put out by certified liturgists and liturgical-design consultants arguing -- with a straight face -- that the Church has mandated the removal of tabernacles from the sanctuary, and preferably from the church entirely. To be sure, priests here and there have been quietly restoring their sanctuaries and moving their church's tabernacles back into a true position of pride of place, but perhaps Bishop D'Arcy's clear-cut norms will inspire not only his own priests but his fellow bishops to follow his lead.
We are often asked if "the tide is turning" in the Church. So, with some evidence to support our reply, we say -- with cautious optimism -- yes.
Pieter Vree is Editor-in-Chief of New Oxford Review since the retirement of his father, Dale Vree. His foregoing article, "With Cautious Optimism," was originally published in New Oxford Review (October 2009), pp. 19-20, and is reproduced here by kind permission of New Oxford Review, 1069 Kains Ave., Berkeley, CA 94706.
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