Catholic impatience with the Pope.
It is not just traditionalists growing impatient waiting for the Motu Proprio, reportedly members of the Curia are also getting a little rebellious around the collar. From Catholic News Service:
“More than two years into his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has proven to be a very patient decision-maker — so patient that even some of his Vatican bureaucrats are chafing a little.
“There are all these decisions that you thought were already made, and then nothing happens,” one Roman Curia official said in early June.” - CNS
You people read the blogs, the impatience is not as polite as all of that - and it isn’t just trad blogs either. I’m reminded of the repetitive rebellions of the Israelites in the desert, berating Moses with complaint after complaint, and Moses’ repeated intercession before God on their behalf. The Lord was not at all pleased with the constant murmuring and complaints of the people.
Everything will happen when God wills, as God wills. The sins of the Israelites earned them another 40 years of wandering in the desert. It has been 40 or more years since the Council - perhaps if we keep goading the Holy Father, complaining and fighting amongst ourselves, it may be another 40 years of wandering for us as well.
June 11th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Thanks for the reminder…me in my prison of a bad job. I know I’ll get out on God’s time (but I think OLPH might bribe the jailer for me), but it’s so hard to wander in the desert.
I actually don’t think the Motu Propio will do anything to change our current atmosphere as most priests aren’t trained for it. But hopefully it will become more accessable. I’m patiently waiting because I see no reason to get excited when nothing will change.
And yes, I do want the Motu Propio to come. Absolutely, but as you said..on God’s time.
June 11th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Oh, dear, was I being obsequious just then?
June 11th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
It is a point I’ve made many times. Things will happen in God’s time, not ours.
June 11th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Good post Terry.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Excellent point! People who get too impatient deserve to be kept waiting. I think the time spent obsessing with the Motu Proprio would be much better spent in talking to one’s own bishop about the availability of the Tridentine Rite.
What worries me is that, when it does arrive and the most vocal bloggers realize that it’s not the panacea they expect, they’ll react by attacking the Church. Most people just don’t want the Tridentine. It’s not because priests aren’t trained. ( Yes, always blame the priests.) but because most people would really prefer a reformed Novus Ordo.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:23 am
I agree with Julie that not much will happen if/when/ever the Motu Proprio is passed.
But there are other things hanging, too.
The “for many/for all” translation controversy and the final revised translation of the Latin Mass (N.O.) into English getting rid of some of those awful mistranslations of the past.
And there are an awful lot of empty “Bishop slots” awaiting appointments.
It’s great that we got our Co-adjutor, but how about some of those dioceses that have been waiting as much as two years for a Bishop:
Birmingham, Little Rock, Des Moines, Alexandria LA, Shreveport, New Ulm, Great Falls-Billings, Pittsburgh and Knoxville (as of today).
And I would bet that many dioceses, like St Paul-Mpls, could use another Auxiliary Bishop or two also. If we had more Auxiliaries, it might be easier to find Ordinaries.
Maybe those new Auxiliaries could be trained to handle “discipline” within the diocese. Lord knows, we need something like that.
June 14th, 2007 at 7:58 am
I am very willing to wait. In my years as a Protestant minister nothing was more wearying that running to and sometimes from the latest change of all changes. I’ll wait and trust the Holy Spirit is leading the Holy Father.