Mexican archbishop abolishes FSSP parish, citing decree of Pope Francis

Cardinal Robles’ decree, issued on Tuesday of last week, implies that the ultimate goal is to eliminate the traditional rite of Mass completely in the Archdiocese of Guadalajara.

Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega of Guadalajara, Mexico, is pictured Oct. 8, 2012 after a meeting of the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Citing Pope Francis’ recent motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, the archbishop of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, has decreed the abolition of the local quasi parish administered by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), which has been celebrating the Mass and other sacraments according to the traditional Latin rite in the archdiocese since 2008.

In addition to suppressing the parish, Archbishop José Francisco Robles Ortega has restricted the number of Masses permitted in the archdiocese, effectively eliminating Masses for weddings, funerals, and other events. He has also prohibited the FSSP from doing public masses at their pastoral house, and states that he will soon decide who will be permitted to celebrate the traditional Mass and provide spiritual care for the faithful, implying that the FSSP might be excluded completely from the archdiocese.

Robles’ decree, issued on Tuesday of last week, implies that the ultimate goal is to eliminate the traditional rite of Mass completely in the Archdiocese of Guadalajara, citing Francis’ statement in a letter accompanying Traditionis Custodes that he wishes to “work for a return to a unitary form of celebration” that will exclude the ancient rite. It also implies that further restrictions on the number of Masses will be imposed in the future, decreeing that “the celebrations will be carried out without adding to those already established . . . Once the time of the pandemic is over, the number of celebrations will be reviewed in each case.”

CWR has obtained an English translation of the decree, as well as an image of the original in Spanish.

According to members of the parish who spoke to CWR about the case, the cardinal archbishop and his subordinates did nothing to discuss the matter with the lay faithful of the parish nor the FSSP priests before making his decision, despite claiming in a July press conference that he wished to have a “dialogue” with the FSSP following the issuance of Traditionis Custodes, which requires priests to obtain permission to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass according to the 1962 missal, and prohibits the creation of “new groups” associated with the ancient liturgy.

When several members of the parish attempted to approach the cardinal on Sunday to respectfully ask for an audience with him about the matter, he refused, claiming he was speaking to their priests – a claim that CWR is told is untrue – and quickly withdrew, appearing to be discombobulated by the encounter.

Robles is known for his aloofness, and is believed to rarely grant audiences to laity in the archdiocese, in marked contrast to his predecessor, Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, whose doors were open several days of the week to any who sought an appointment with him.

So far the decree seems to be bringing about the opposite of its intended effect, spurring record levels of attendance at FSSP Masses. Sources tell CWR that a total of 798 people attended the Sunday Masses yesterday, a number that exceeds the earlier record of 715, which occurred on the Sunday following the issuance of Traditionis Custodes in July of this year.

Faithful left without rights and “unsheltered” by the archdiocese

The decision has left former parishioners feeling betrayed by the archdiocese, who committed more than ten years of work to build up the quasi-parish since it was founded in 2010. They note that the parish community brought several priestly and religious vocations to the Church, as well as many lay conversions, and led to the creation of a highly active community devoted to works of charity for the poor, orphans, and the sick in local hospitals, as well as street evangelization and missionary work in smaller towns in the region.

“Without any previous dialogue by the archbishop with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) nor with the faithful, the quasi-parish that was based in the church of Our Lady of the Pillar in the historic downtown of Guadalajara has been eradicated, leaving more than 150 families that had been members without a series of canonical rights and unsheltered,” stated a group of the faithful in a press release issued on Saturday.

“It is important to note that in no part of the document [Traditionis Custodes] is there a suggestion or a requirement for the suppression of parishes or quasi-parishes that were already erected under the previous motu proprio Summorum Pontificum issued by Pope Benedict XVI,” the press release continued.

“The now ex-parishioners, who were surprised by the notice, believe that this measure is being taken to bring about the elimination of the celebration of the Eucharist according to the Missal of Saint John XXIII in the archdiocese of Guadalajara, since, despite the fact that Robles Ortega indicated in a press release in July that he would meet with the Fraternity to have a dialogue, this never happened.”

Calling the decree, “cruel and unjust,” the former parishioners note that “the edict will destroy the work of more than a decade of a devoted and vibrant community . . . In the little more than twelve years that the FSSP has been in Guadalajara, many people have returned to the Catholic Church and to the practice of their faith thanks to its apostolates. During that time, the community has given to the Church four priests, one nun, conversions and baptisms of non-Christian adults who continue to have an authentic spiritual growth.”

The press release led to articles in Guadalajara media about the suppression of the parish, which appeared yesterday in Guadalajara’s El Informador and Mural newspapers.

Decree marred by contradictions and factual errors

Sources among the former parishioners stated to CWR that the decree appears to have been hastily composed, and contains errors that tend to confirm suspicions that the cardinal archbishop and his chancery secretary know very little about the quasi-parish and the Fraternity of St. Peter, despite the fact that the order has been present within the archdiocese for almost thirteen years.

The most glaring error is the naming of the Fraternity of St. Peter as “The Fraternity of St. Peter in Chains,” confounding the name of the FSSP with the name of the quasi-parish erected in the archdiocese. The document additionally states that the parish has the same name as the FSSP, confirming that archdiocesan officials are confused about the FSSP’s actual name.

In addition, the decree incorrectly calls the FSSP pastoral house a “house of formation,” although it was canonically erected for pastoral work and not for the formation of priests. The decree cites this designation as its basis for prohibiting public Masses and restricting the number of Masses at the house, although it is not clear that the archbishop has the authority to impose such a restriction over the house of a society of pontifical right that was expressly created to serve the pastoral needs of the laity, who carry out their activities there.

The document also permits FSSP priests to continue the celebrate Mass “according to the 1962 Missal (art. 2 TC), with the sole proclamation of the readings in the vernacular,” a mandate that appears to be self-contradictory, given that the 1962 missal requires that the Scripture readings be done in Latin. Sources tell CWR that the FSSP priests already proclaim the Scriptures in the vernacular when giving their homily after first reading them in Latin.

Despite the obstacles they face, the ex-parishioners continue to “reaffirm their unbreakable fidelity and service to the Catholic Church and to the successor of St. Peter,” and still express “hope that we will be heard by Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega” and obtain the reversal of his decree, according to their press release.


If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.


61 Comments

  1. Just right! Pope Francis has corrected the wrongful mental gymnastics created by Pope Benedict XVI in having the extraordinary and ordinary forms of the mass. There can be only one organic Roman rite of the mass and it is today the Vatican II mass. Since the FSSP let the Catholics they serve remain in this Benedictine fantasy by not celebrating the Vatican II mass, it is right that their parishes should cease to exist or that their congregation be abolished or they return to the fold of the SSPX.

    • “Hey, Jude”,

      The Novus Ordo is not “the Vatican II mass”. If you would check into the facts and not rely on various blogger assumptions, you would find that the current N.O. was fabricated POST Vatican II, in spite of fervent objections by many bishops & cardinals.
      Kumbaya!

      Now, where did I put that banner and Mod-Podge…?

    • Jude,
      The Mass of Paul VI did not develop organically. How do you figure this?

      If you’re basing legitimacy on organic development, I think you just destroyed your argument.

      • Steve:

        The liturgical reform, in its concrete realization, has distanced itself even more from its origin. The result has not been a reanimation, but devastation. In place of the liturgy, fruit of a continual development, they have placed a fabricated liturgy. They have deserted a vital process of growth and becoming in order to substitute a fabrication. They did not want to continue the development, the organic maturing of something living through the centuries, and they replaced it, in the manner of technical production, by a fabrication, a banal product of the moment. (Ratzinger in Revue Theologisches, Vol. 20, Feb. 1990, pgs. 103-104)

    • Dear Jude
      there are 26 different rites in communion with Rome.
      What is wrong with 27? The problem with the Extraordinary Form is the sound Doctrine, Solid Theology, and Efficacious Sacraments associated with it that protect Catholics from unsound doctrinal deviations, flaky-puff theology, and homeopathic remedies (the latin rite of Exorcism is the one that works according to Gabriel Amorth…)
      Vatican II opened the Church to demonic attack from within.

      • there are 26 different rites in communion with Rome.(sic)
        24 Churches sui juris in 8 different Rites. Don’t confuse a Church with a Rite.

    • This might be shocking to your mental gymnastics Jude. But some of us prefer to worship God instead of ourselves. To this day liturgical abuse still goes on in what you erroneously call the “Vatican II” Mass. There are several YouTube videos chronicling liturgical abuse. They would be funny if they were not so viciously insulting to God. Go watch the one simply entitled Liturgical Abuse, and then come back here and lecture us on what is so wonderful about these atrocities.

    • Do you not think there may be room for both forms of the Mass? What harm can come from that if both forms are attended in good faith. How about showing some charity to those who are more comfortable with one particular form?

    • Jude C – what about the variant liturgies that are found under the “umbrella” of the Catholic Church in various parts of the middle east and far east ? should they also be abolished to bring about the rather dull and pedestrian Mass you seem to be advocating with its “protestant” style essence ? (written by a Presbyterian minister with great appreciation of the Tridentine mass).

  2. Seems the Pope and those who align with his agenda to abolish the TLM (in other words, all who seek to abolish anything and anyone who clings to the pre-Vatican II catechism and liturgy because of their rigidity) are being quite “rigid”! Like the “Catholic” Democrats (Biden, Pelosi, etc.) in the U.S. who claim to unify the people, but only unify those who agree with their liberal Catholic and censor and attack all dissenters, it seems we have leaders within the Catholic Church itself doing exactly the same thing. This is political ideology driving the decisions of the Church. The only work of the Holy Spirit I can see here is God making it very clear who are the wheat and who are the tares.

    • Right on Todd. Sound Doctrine (everything Pre-conciliar) is rigid by nature. Why? Because it is prescriptive, in line with the Covenants from Moses and Jesus: the Ten Commandments “Prescribe” the ideals. Freemasonry is Descriptive: it describes observed human behavior and legislates to normalise it (sodomy, canabis…). The Three Eyes of Bergoglio’s “Year of Mercy” image which he had displayed in every church is alien to all Christian iconography. It symbolises something alien to Christianity. Rather than Divine Mercy forgiving man and helping him accord his life with the Prescribed Path, it associated in an equal – Relative – way the Three Eyes of Sinner/Mercy/Prescription. The melting pot of this relativism is not sound doctrine but pure Bergoglioism. Know that “Three Eyes” is the name of the Superlodge that was behind the Vatican P2 Lodge which gave rise to Vatican II, and you can make the link that freemasons made when they saw Bergoglio’s Icon: “three eyes are back in power”? (Source: Les Super-Lodges Internationales (Ur Lodges) by Heni Barbier editions Saint Remi 2020) PS: listed members of Three Eyes are Bergoglio’s chums: Jeffrey D. Sachs, Xi Jinping, Bill Clinton.

  3. So this is how some bishops think we build up the unity of the Church?
    It’s maybe just as well that we know where people stand.

      • Mal, PPBXVI – threatened by death 1 year before renouncing just the active ministerium – has retained the Munus: the charge and grace of the Papacy. He created de facto an Extended Petrine Ministry. By subverting the Summorum Pontificum of PPBXVI, Bergoglio signifies the dilemma of the present Extended Petrine Ministry. I use “Bergoglio” out of my respect for St Francis of Assisi and in view of this quote from 1226 [source: Acosta,2021. ISBN 9798708567543 page 237]:
        “Shortly before he died, S. Francis of Assisi gathered his followers and warned them of the coming problems by saying:
        “Be strong, my brothers, take strength and believe in the Lord. The time is fast approaching when there will be great trials and tribulations; perplexities and dissensions, both spiritual and temporal, will abound; the charity of many will grow cold, and the malice of the wicked will increase.
        “Demons will have an unusual power; the immaculate purity of our Order and of others will be too much darkened, since there will be very few Christians who will obey the true Supreme Pontiff and the Roman Church with loyal hearts and perfect charity. At the moment of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will rise to the Pontificate, and with his cunning will strive to lead many to error and death.
        “Then scandals will multiply, our Order will be divided, and many others will be entirely destroyed, because error will be accepted instead of being opposed.”
        We cannot extract ourselves from the ecclesial situation of our day. There are two Popes in Rome. As a Catholic, I am perfectly in my right to maintain fidelity to the living Pope for whom there is no question concerning the canonical validity of his election and whose words and actions remain in accord in the Charge and Grace he received – today in stark contrast with the second bishop in white who one might think the Pope…

  4. This is indeed disturbing, but I must confess here that the description of the Cardinal as “discombobulated” is what caught my eye first.

    I am pleasantly surprised to see that that word seems to have made the big time.

    We’ll get through this.

  5. The mass in Latin is not understood by those who hear it. Willingly or not they are supporting a parallel church and hence the fierce opposition and criticism of the Pope in matters that not 8nly concern the liturgy but also his policies and choice of persons for leadership in the Church.

    • What should we do, then, about the many instances in the Church today where so many people must hear Mass in a language they don’t understand, such as a friend of mine who just returned from a vacation in France? Or the Spanish-speaking immigrants who attend the English-language Masses at my parish? Or my wife and two of my children who several years ago visited Iceland and heard Mass in Icelandic? By your standard , we’ve got a major problem here, don’t we?

    • At many of these Masses the little red booklet, which gives the whole text of the Mass, is followed by the members of the congregation. They understand ver well what is going on. I would propose a test: what percentage of the people attending these Masses believe in the real presence in the Eucharist vis a vis the percentage of those attending the “Mass of Paul VI.”

    • Latin is the language of the universal Church. Moreover, I better understand the Mass and the meaning of the Holy Sacrifice since attending the usus antiquor. I know this is true for many of us assisting at FSSP Masses. And, the majority are more adherent to the teachings of the Church than the majority attending the Novus Ordo. I’m so tired of the idea that restricting access to something so holy is going to “fix” whatever problems exist among individual Catholics assisting at the TLM. Talk about something being “of the devil” — it’s the idea that valid and beautiful form of Holy Mass must be abolished in order to sanctify. This is madness.

      • I returned to my Holy Mother Church, after 50+ years, when I found this beautiful FSSP mission in Guadalajara. This is heartbreaking! And yet, there is so much more pain to come for worldwide Catholic and Christian family. Christus Vincit ~ Christus Regnant ~ Christus Imperat

    • What exactly does a “parallel church” mean? If all churches lead to Christ, what’s the harm in that?

      Because Latin is a non-vernacular ‘dead’ language, we consider it ideally consecrated—set aside and dedicated solely to render man’s praise, thanks, and adoration to God, worthy of use at the sacramental recreation of Our Lord’s ‘once and for all’ sacrifice.

      If the goal is to universalize, unify, or unite the OneHolyCatholic Church, what is wrong with using the only language which NO ONE uses except for WORSHIP? The Roman Rite is not currently celebrated in a uniform manner for many reasons, only one of which is language diversity. One Mass I attend offers prayers in THREE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES so as not to show preference toward any one group. This seems counter-productive [and suggests Babel] since obvious differences within the parish community are accentuated.

      Each Mass, representing the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary, offers unlimited benefit to man and unlimited glory to God. Decreasing the number of Masses deprives both man and God of His and our best salvific work. Every Church hierarch surely should prayerfully evaluate whether his ‘unification’ efforts tend toward his and our salvation or toward injustice. Heaven help us all.

    • Having mass in Latin can make it universal. Anywhere in the world a person can hear the same mass and understand the mass, it unites the people of the world. A Missal with Latin on one side and English (or your language) on the other makes it easier to follow along until a person is more fluent in another language. Of course, there is the option to attend a mass in the native tongue. Isn’t there also a Spanish mass form and is the mass of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter the same??? The many rites must have different forms??? So beautiful the many options of our church, like a worldwide mix rising to the heavens!

    • I can’t tell you the number of times I traveled in numerous countries of Europe, Africa, Israel, Guatemala and Haiti and didn’t understand one bit of the Mass. Yet, as a boy toting my St. Joseph’s Missal, I could follow the pre-vatican II Mass in Latin using simultaneous translation. But, again, I was a very advanced 7 year old.

    • B.S. We understand it very well. We know everything that is going on and its meaning. Your snootiness toward us is unchristian and decidedly uncatholic. Why don’t you learn a few things about us before condemning us? OR maybe you are projecting your own ignorance on us. Pfffft!

  6. J’aime bien le Pape François, mais il y a des limites. Dieu a créé la diversité et dans le catholicisme,elle y est présente. La preuve, les schismes : orthodoxe grec, russe, roumain, coptes, vieux catholiques, maronites, syriaques et j’en passe. Pourquoi ne pas garder le rite ancien qui est celui des Pères de l’Église au sein du catholicisme romain !!! Lorsque l’on voit leurs seminaires, ils sont pleins de postulants, de vraies vocations et de prêtres à la différence des églises modernistes désertées qui sont obligées de passer par des campagnes de recrutement… Le Vatican est entrain de pousser les fidèles vers les Églises évangélistes pourtant les colonnes de la place Saint Pierre ont la forme des bras qui accueillent..mais bon…il y a trop de théologiens,d’intellectuels qui font de la forge. Laissez les fidèles vivre leur foi dans les rites qui leur conviennent l’église se portera mieux.

    • L’objectif c’est précisément des séminaires vides. La mission des infiltrés est très clairement d’effacer le Catholicisme.

      • Gabriel Maïndo, le Congo est victime de terribles troubles civils et l’Eglise catholique aussi. La guerre civile de l’église entre la mafia de Sankt Gallen et les catholiques est réelle. En ce moment, le vrai Pape est décrit par le Cardinal Sarah d’Afrique comme le “Pape martyr” et ce n’est pas sans raison. Nous avons en ce moment deux papes : un pape avec la grâce, la fonction pétrinienne – PPBXVI – et le chef de la mafia de Sankt Gallen – sur le trône de Rome. La mafia de Sankt Gallen a mené une guerre civile terrible contre le vrai catholicisme pendant des décennies. C’est la bataille finale qui est en train de se jouer en ce moment même.

  7. That word got me too. Fun to see it; hard to say it. I have been following Pope Francis daily for months and am so inspired by this man. He truly follows Jesus’ ways. He shows compassion to all men. I’m not Catholic but will continue to pray for him and his work. He is a light for my soul in these telling times.

    • Becky,
      “He shows compassion to all men.”
      Patently false statement. Try making your argument with a TLM Catholic. This current pontiff has ZERO compassion for those he desires to suppress.

      • Joseph,
        I’d take it easy on Becky. She’s not Catholic and certainly has a different perspective than we do as Catholics. If she finds Francis to be inspiring, I’m okay with that.

        With that said, I think one of her comments needs to be appended: For example, “He shows compassion to all men [that he likes]. 🙂

        • Steve,
          You are a kind soul and right to take me to task. That my comment was perceived as harsh was not my intent. I still believe that Becky is out of her depth which is understandable as she is not Catholic. This is a hard-ball site not for the thin of skin but of course I will never defend a lack of graciousness. If my tone was unfortunate I apologize but the substance of my comment I defend.

      • Very true! What compassion is Pope Francis showing towards the Traditional societies? Isn’t he being rigid for suppressing the Mass of the Ages? It’s a diabolical act crept thru the hierarchy. St Michael pray for us!

  8. With all the serious problems that the Church in Mexico has today, you would think that the bishop would be busy unifying and focusing his people. Instead, he’s busy playing ecclesiastical tiddlywinks.

    • The population served by the Archdiocese of Guadalajara is 5,692,300 Catholics (91.4% of 6,229,800 total) (2018)

      Statistics: 493 parishes, 1,125 missions, 1,613 priests (1,271 diocesan, 342 religious), 2 deacons, 3,665 lay religious (755 brothers, 2,910 sisters), 529 seminarians (2018).

      The above stats are from http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/guad0.htm.

      Consider that the FSSP parish is one of 493 in the archdiocese. It serves about 800 people on a typical Sunday (800 of the approximate total 5.5 million Catholics in the archdiocese). Typically an FSSP parish is staffed by two priests. Again, the total number of priests within the archdiocese is about 1,600.

      I am astonished at this Archbishop’s attempt to squelch the celebration of the TLM because the number of priests and Catholics affected in his archdiocese is so small. Evidently the THREAT posed by the tiny ant is lethal, considering the size, weight, and horrific power the elephant bestows.

    • Steve – Your 10:52

      I am amazed – A Cardinal who is already afflicted with discombobulation is playing (ecclesiastical) tiddlywinks!!

      Alert the authorities!!

    • “Ecclesiastical tiddlywinks” is way too polite. This is a war between the Catholic children of light, and the Apostate-Prince Bishops of Darkness.

  9. Recently, I inherited my mother’s daily prayerbook (Latin/Flemish). I don’t know why I was surprised to note that the Mass section was fairly well-worn. But of course she would have used that section for the first ten years of her transplantation to Canada. Don’t talk to me about Latin being a divisive language.

  10. One has to wonder why the Latin Mass seems to be a problem for some in the Catholic Church. The Mass is said in many different languages across the world. There are Eastern Rite Catholics, as well Roman Rite Catholics. I prefer the Latin Mass, but I have no desire to prevent my fellow Catholics from attending Mass said in their local language. If you believe that the Latin Mass is dividing the Church I don’t see how Mass said in the vernacular is any different.

  11. If you are familiar with The Great Fascade by Christopher Ferrara, this comes as no surprise. The Church doesn’t even promote evangelizing much anymore. We’re too busy ecumenicalizing. I don’t say this glibly, but this an almost as self-destructive as the predator priest scandal. The current mission statement is discourage the faithful. Tragic.

  12. I don’t know what angers me more: Every time another leftist Bishop decides to lash out against Traditional Catholics in his diocese, or every time said lashing out brings out the unhinged leftcath trolls to crow over it on online forums.

  13. A person must realize that our Deposit of Faith consist of Sacred Scripture and SACRED TRADITION. The TLM has been basically the same ( with a few changes ) for a millennium and a half. The TLM was proclaimed to be the official Catholic Mass in the 16th century by the Council of Trent and by Pope St. Pius V’s Quo Premium Tempore. What was proclaimed then was upheld by every pope for the next four hundred years and reaffirmed by the First Vatican Council ( yes, there was a Vatican I ). The TLM is part of Sacred Tradition and is thus part of our Deposit of Faith. No pope ( especially one who I believe to be a heretical anti-pope ) can abrogate it. Pope Benedict XVI stated in Sumorum Pontificum every catholic priest has a right to say this Mass and every catholic has a right to hear it.

    As far as saying the Mass in many languages, has anyone heard of the Tower of Babel. One language promotes unity. Many languages promote factions, divisions and schisms.

  14. What does it even mean to “work for a return to a unitary form of celebration” based on the Novus Ordo? Does that mean bishops must prescribe, for any given day in all parishes across his diocese, that ALL Novus Ordo Masses must use the SAME introductory rites, penitential rite, Eucharistic prayer, etc.? Even then, that would do nothing to solve the problem of Spanish vs. English vs. Vietnamese, etc. What a load of hypocrisy this motu proprio is. The Novus Ordo – whatever defects or merits it may have – is absolutely riddled with options, and can hardly be seen as the basis of a “unitary celebration”.

    • All the uniformity desired by PF could be achieved if the priests were robots and the Mass were virtual. We lay people, hooked into ear phones, would listen to the drone of our computer fans as we watch it all unfold. That looking and listening would represent our uniformly unitarily united active participation.

  15. I agree that it’s terribly sad. But the lay faithful must never ever forget – holiness and worship in the mass is first and foremost about what you GIVE and not what you get – whether from a priest, a homily, a rite, etc.

    Don’t ever let anyone steal that away. Whatever mass being said in this archdiocese is not preventing you from personal sanctity. It might be very frustrating but it is in itself a situation wherein obedience and patience may very well bring you to new levels of holiness yourself. Bring the same level of reverence you have for TLM to the NO mass – and use that to combat the liturgical abuses. Those abuses must never get in the way of what you personally give during mass. That is up to you alone and no person can ever take that away no matter what they do.

    • Do you have children? Do they ever try your patience? Abuse is not easily prayed away. Ask Mr. Grein. Try being friends with McCarrick.

      I agree with your point in theory. As a convert to TLM after years of frustration with the NO, as a resident of the ultra-heterodox Pacific Northwest where the spirituality of the enneagram was pushed by Richard Rohr and his adherents in my parish hall, I submit that the practice of sanctity in a swamp is very difficult. I submit that St. Therese would agree. The company we keep in our convent among our saintly parents and siblings surely differs from the company we’d find in our prisons and at work these days. In theory you are very right. Jesus uttered no words from the cross, and St. Paul did not rail against his jailers. My charity is not at that level yet.

      PS: Reverence is not due the parishioner. It is due Our Lord.

  16. The FSSP would be right to shake the dust from their feet and hit the road to a more welcoming diocese. The disappointment of the people will be on the head of the Cardinal, another misinformed prelate who is failing to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit.

    Meanwhile, as Catholic Guy is saying to those affected, “Bring the same level of reverence you have for TLM to the NO mass – and use that to combat the liturgical abuses.”

  17. So Cardinal Robles Ortega prefers the irrelevant modern Mass with the Eucharist in the hand and mariachi music blaring throughout the Mass instead of the Beautiful Traditional Latin Mass with incense burning and Beautiful Gregorian chant. What a crying shame.

6 Trackbacks / Pingbacks

  1. Mexican archbishop abolishes FSSP parish, citing decree of Pope Francis – Catholic World Report – The Old Roman
  2. Canon212 Update: Don’t Respect These Damn ‘Respecters’ – The Stumbling Block
  3. Zap Big Pulpit – Big Pulpit
  4. Mexican cardinal boots FSSP - JP2 Catholic Radio
  5. Guadalajara comes down hard on Latin Mass - California Catholic Daily
  6. FRIDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit

Leave a Reply to Joseph Meynier Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*