Reflection on Pope Benedict 16's agenda for "reform of the reform" (DV this file will be updated to include many more articles....soon)
see http://ncronline.org/blogs/essays-theology/reversing-liturgical-field
Benedict and his supporters have a hit list that includes the following items:
No more Communion under both kinds No more Communion on the hand. No more Communion while standing. Must kneel No more special ministers of Communion No more lay people - especially women - doing anything on the sanctuary No more altar girls No more permanent deacons Mass to be said in Latin according to the old
rite, the priest not facing the people Strict Vatican control of all Catholic organizations - especially universities Vatican control of all appointments - including bishops Censorship of all Catholic publications and websites Vatican control = European control of the
church Ecumenism means "Catholics are right,
everyone else is wrong". The recent controversy about a new English
translation of the Mass is all about control, not about liturgy. Does Jesus want us to go back to the old Latin
Mass? What can we do? see http://www.jesustower.com/Thinktank/nextpope.htm |
footnote re China:
Vatican
& Beijing: failure to communicate
Benedict's 2007 letter put the relationship car in reverse.....it was too
strong. It was the beginning of a down-turn in relations.
It caused government to call a hastily arranged meeting of Chinese bishops for a
"toe the line" session.
I remember asking one experienced China hand what he thought of the letter on
the day it was published. His one sound re-action: "Yuck".
The
full letter + follow-up
letter to try to justify/explain the letter (Matteo Ricci would
never have written letters like these!).
Benedict's hard-line approach to everyone and everything has alienated not just
Catholics, but Protestants, Muslims, Chinese Governmemnt etc