Sunday, July 4, 2021

Blogger Predictions Re Changes to Summorum Pontificum?? Reality Check.

Taylor Marshall this last week released some "breaking news" click bait:  an insider has leaked to him the REAL plan for changes regarding Summorum Pontificum.  We are told.  Francis will not change SP, but instead issue an addendum motu proprio that "goes further," to put an end to "TLM-only-ism."  

A term invented by Marshall that "we are all going to need to learn and use."  All Priestly Society's will be required to say the Novus Ordo, declares Taylor.

Like the Pachamama Tosser event, this news was leaked first to him.  (Correction, Marshall later confessed he himself orchestrated the whole Pachamama tossing story).

Another Trad, Inc. blogger, Ann Barnhardt herself enlightened the world as to the "real" reasons Benedict gave us SP, with the language of "extraordinary form" and "ordinary form."  It was to prevent bishops from requiring priests to get "bi-ritual faculties."  Somehow in her convoluted logic, without those terms, then the bishop could still require special permissions, even though Pope Benedict declared that, you know, every Roman rite priest can use the 1962 missal without needing permissions.

And she gives her own solo prognostication, claiming Francis will release a document about SP to come out this very Wednesday, July 7th. 

Here are my predictions:  none of these "predictions" will come true.  They're just short-sighted, sensationalist (not to mention nonsensical) click bait to drive up stats and revenue.  Johnny-Come-Lately's, with a bit of knowledge, a URL, and a free work schedule, taking advantage of people desperately searching for information, to rake in the bucks.  Here is how I make these commonsensical deductions.

1. SP was given mainly for diocesan priests and non-TLM only religious institutes.  Not for the likes of the FSSP or SSPX.   Apples and oranges, Taylor.  The priests then availing themselves of SP/TLM ARE ALREADY saying the Novus Ordo.   Only a tiny number have gone "TLM only" which usually means going on permanent sabbatical.

2. SP was issued by Benedict primarily as a measure to reconcile the SSPX, which asked the Pope for such a declaration that every priest, including them, has a right to say the Traditional Mass.  Forcing groups like the FSSP to now start saying the Novus Ordo would not only END any possibility of an SSPX reconciliation, it would create a wide state of conflict within the Ecclesia Dei side of the Latin Mass movement, many priests and laity resisting the "new motu proprio" requiring them to use the Novus Ordo.  

Recall the "Protocol 1411" controversy regarding the FSSP back in 1999 (LINK).  That controversy was just about whether or not the FSSP can forbid vs. allow one of its priests to say the Novus Ordo, a much lighter issue than the Vatican requiring all of its priests to do so.  The Vatican is not going to start yet a new phase of liturgical war with Trads, let alone the Fraternity or the Society, unless they are about to deliberately unleash war in the Church, which is unlikely.

The fundamental problem with these blogger prophecies is that they interpret Church news mainly from inside and in reference to the closed bubble of the trad blogosphere itself, as if Traditionalism vs. the Crisis in the Church began with the rise of blogs, or the era  of "Francis-Church."  It is  tunnel vision to begin and end your analysis with the advent of social media, and online pundits "setting the narrative."   

After around 2007 with social media starting to take over everything, even more so after 2010, and even more so since the 2013 papal conclave, Catholic blogs have become the new lens and source where Catholics get their information.  Instead of mainly from real journalists, scholars, priests, priestly societies, books, sermons, homilies, conferences, etc (the real world), the new go-to are a few crazed lone lay pundits with a website (not all Catholic bloggers).

Case in point, try reading in its entirety this representative blog post from the Queen of Catholic Bloggers, and try disagreeing with my points, keeping a straight face:  LINK.  

Up until now, you got a much better, birds eye, mature view of the unfolding of events.  The terms were clear.  The Catholic Church vs. the "conciliar church."  The Traditional Mass vs. the Novus Ordo.   It was no "secret discovery" revealed by celebrity bloggers why Benedict issued SP, or called the TLM the "extraordinary form."  Or that Modernist Rome is trying to get all Trads to bridge over to the Novus Ordo church and its liturgy.

From the birds eye, mature view, what keeps coming down the pike should not elicit a surprise or shock, but more a "Yeah, this is nothing new" yawn.

Here is a more sober analysis: LINK.

Obviously, I value the Catholic blogosphere enough to contribute my own "Catholic blog" discussing and pondering, once in a while, Church events and topics, outside of my reflections about life in Oklahoma from the Catholic viewpoint.  For example, when I interviewed Bishop Gracida here about the problems of the 2013 conclave.  But there are other sources, and generally much better, more reliable sources, than the Internet world Matrix of "Professional Catholic" prophets and pundits.   Consider also reading publications like Angelus magazine, or books by the old guard writers like Michael Davies, Christopher Ferrara, or Fr. Wathen.  Anything put out by TAN books or Angelus Press.  Or listen to talks by traditional priests on YouTube.  

Conclusion:  I don't doubt that the Vatican is soon going to make some changes Re the Motu Proprio, or its applications.  God knows how this will play out.  But the situation will not fundamentally change anything.  It will come down to traditional Catholic priests and laity refusing to participate in a Protestant-ized version of the Mass and the Catholic Faith, as this remnant Church has done SINCE DAY ONE back in 1970.