Worship Times

“I fear the restorationist implementation that  is characterizing the second post-conciliar generation will err on the side of rigidity, rubricism, and a fear of the gifts of individuals, especially the lay, and build their renewal more on reaction than on theological insights,” wrote Archbishop Rembert Weakland in a “confidential” letter to the priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. A report by Tom Heinen and a copy of the text appeared on the website of the Feb. 25 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, www.jsonline.com/news/state/ feb00/arch25022400a.asp. Weakland sent the letter to 400 priests to begin a “discussion among the members of the Archdiocesan Council of Priests” and “the priests in their respective districts” in preparation for Weakland’s retirement in April 2002. Weakland will then be 75, the retirement age for bishops.

The archbishop was trying to prepare his clergy to work with a successor whose style is likely to be very different than his own. Weakland noted that the next bishop will probably not permit general absolution and will insist on candidates for first communion going to confession first. The new archbishop, according to Weakland, will insist on kneeling during the eucharistic prayer but will still continue the practice of shaking hands during the sign of peace and allowing women servers, readers and communion ministers. On the other hand, Weakland thinks the practice of holding hands during the Our Father will be discontinued. Weakland himself does not approve of that practice. “Personally, I find it childish and uncharitable — in that it makes so many people, especially elderly, feel uncomfortable,” Weakland wrote.

Weakland wrote of the church coming into a period of more uniformity and less creativity. “I do not wish to say that this trend is wrong,” he wrote. “It may well be that at this given moment more consistency of practice is important for the stability of the church ….” He concluded the letter by writing: ”The subsequent or third generation may well just get it right, but most of us by then will already have seen the fullness of Truth. Peace!"

Mass turnaround

Mother Angelica has to face the music and her priests have to face the television camera. Bishop David Foley, Diocese of Birmingham, recently issued norms for televised Masses within his diocese, which is the home of Eternal Word Television Network. The norms require that “all televised Masses will be celebrated in such a way that when the priest is standing at the altar he is facing the faithful (‘versus populum’). This practice, currently observed in all but a relatively few parishes throughout the dioceses of the United States, has proved its pastoral effectiveness.” The norms were issued on Feb. 22. In the liturgies that had previously been broadcast from EWTN, the priest celebrated facing away from the people. Mother Angelica has said she will comply with the new norms.

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