Military Archdiocese Says No to Latin Mass

(Trust me, This BS Will NOT Stand! I Urge All Caveman Catholics to sign this Petition.)

Article from "Catholic Family News."

By Edwin Faust

Since the publication of the motu proprio “Summorum Pontifcum”, requests have been made to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, to provide Tridentine Mass at military installations. To demonstrate the widespread desire for such a provision, a petition was briefly posted on a Web site during the Veterans Day holiday in the U.S. and more than 150 military personnel signed the petition and added their heartfelt comments. This information was forwarded to the new archbishop, Timothy Broglio, who delegated the matter to one of his subordinates, Msgr. James Dixon, whose disappointing response appears (at the bottom) on this page. (Go to the web site to read this letter.) According to Msgr. Dixon, there will be no attempt made to implement the motu proprio in the archdiocese on the grounds that the military do not constitute a stable community.

We cannot accept such reasoning, as it would also preclude celebrations of the Tridentine Mass on college and university campuses, where students also come and go; yet, we have seen several such Masses being offered on a regular basis and attracting large followings. The refusal of the archdiocese also appears to presume that no such Masses can be offered without a request by what it considers a stable community. This is simply not the case, as in many locales Masses have been initiated by priests, even with the help of their ordinaries, and drawn many of the faithful. The community request appears to require a response, but not to be a sine qua non.

In any event, there is a demonstrated widespread desire for the ancient Mass in all branches of the military. The previous ordinary, Archbishop O’Brien, refused implementation of the 1988 indult, despite repeated requests; his successor seems intent upon continuing this policy, suggesting that those who want the Latin Mass look elsewhere. But this is not possible in many cases. My son, a cadet at the military academy at West Point, is restricted to post most weekends and, were he not, there is no Latin Mass available within a reasonable distance. His situation is quite common.

Despite its somewhat unctuous tone, Msgr. Dixon’s letter makes it evident that the military archdiocese has bent its mind, not to finding ways to provide Traditional Latin Masses, but to preventing them. There is no provision in the motu proprio that allows an ordinary to send those who want the Tridentine Mass on a search through neighboring dioceses. And many in the military, for one reason and another, cannot travel far from their duty station.

There have been generous responses to the Holy Father’s motu proprio, such as that of Archbishop Burke in St. Louis, who is providing training for those priests who wish to say the Tridentine Mass. Several workshops have also sprung up in various dioceses and those orders specially dedicated to offering the Tridentine Mass have been providing help to the many priests who want to learn this ancient and beautiful rite. There is no reason that the military archdiocese should not take steps to conform itself to the mind of the Holy Father and satisfy the legitimate aspirations of those in its spiritual charge. The problem is not the lack of a stable community, but the lack of good will in high places.

I would ask all of you who are reading this to please speak up for those members of the military who want the Tridentine Mass offered at major military installations. Below is the contact information for the Archdiocese for Military Services and the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. There is also an interactive Web site offering information, updates and comments on this situation:

These brave people in our military are willing to lay down their lives for us. Surely, it is not too much to ask that their shepherds provide them with the spiritual nourishment they need in the legitimate form in which they request it.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio Archdiocese for the Military Services, USAPost Office Box 4469Washington, D.C. 20017-0469Telephone: 202-269-9100Fax: 202-269-9022

Dario Castrillon Hoyos, Cardinal, PresidentPontifical Commission Ecclesia DeiPalazzo della Congr. Per la Dottrina della Fede00193 RomaPiazza del S. Uffizio, 11

Sign the Petition for the Restorationof the Tridentine Mass for theU.S. Armed Forces
go to: milmotu.lyon.edu

From the April 2008 Catholic Family News MPO Box 743 * Niagara Falls, NY 14302905-871-6292