Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference: SACBC Secretary General's clarification: Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference authorised to proceed with the implementation of the New English Translation of the Roman Missal.

(Southern African Catholic Press Releases)

Introduction by Marc Aupiais

Details of message received, and our forwarding:

I am privileged to forward the following message from the SACBC, it concerns the  introduction of the new liturgical changes in Southern Africa:

Rebroadcasting, or forwarding, or publishing this message does not imply endorsement of the Bishops conference, or any person mentioned in the contents of this dispatch/article, nor does it imply any endorsement of the accuracy, or content of views expressed in the forwarded content, which was sent to us by the Southern African catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC). We do not guarantee the accuracy, nor content, nor orthodoxy or fidelity of views expressed by the bishops conference, by emails sent to us via them, and by views recorded by them. These are not necessarily our views, nor do we necessarily express, or ascent to the views expressed in the message we are representing here for you:

The following is nothing, but a quotation of a source, that being an email we directly received from Father Townsend, of the SACBC, as a press release:

Received at: 14:59 (2 hours ago)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fr Chris Townsend 
Date: 2009/3/11
Subject: SACBC Secretary General's clarification: Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference authorised to proceed with the implementation of the New English Translation of the Roman Missal.
To:

Contents:

"Statement issued by Fr Vincent Brennan SMA, Secretary General of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Pretoria
11 March 2009.

For Immediate Release.

STARTS>

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has accepted the explanation by the President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference regarding the early implementation of the new translation in English of the People's parts of the Roman Missal.

The Congregation has agreed that the implementation continue along with continued catechesis explaining the changes. This catechesis should include preparation of music for singing the new texts.

The other approved texts of the mass (e.g. the Eucharistic Prayers) will be implemented when the rest of the English Speaking world implements the changes.

A fuller statement may be issued by the President on his return from Rome.

Fr Vincent Brennan SMA
Secretary General

ENDS>

Issued on behalf of the Secretary General by Fr Chris Townsend.



Fr Chris Townsend
Information Officer
Office for Communication and Media.
Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC)
P.O.Box 941 Pretoria 0001 South Africa
Khanya House - 399 Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria, 0001
Tel: +27 (0)12 323 6458
Fax: +27 (0) 12 326 6218
Mobile: +27(0)82 783 4729
www.sacbc.org.za
P Please consider the environment before printing this email"

Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference ask for Vatican help on Litergical alterations!

(Southern African Catholic Press Releases )

Article by Marc Aupiais

The following message, was sent to a facebook event which South African Catholic has set up in South Africa: to forward messages from the Bishops' Conference in Southern Africa, which they send to us, as a media initiative. Our Service is independent of the Bishops conference, even as we fall under Canon Law:

Message:

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Details of message, sent to us at: 15:37 today, by the Bishop's Conference:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fr Chris Townsend < townsend@sacbc.org.za >
Date: 2009/3/4
Subject: SACBC: Secretary General's Clarification on the Implementation of the new English Language Text of the Roman Missal in Southern Africa.
To: (excluded by South African Catholic (us))

Contents of message:
"Statement by Fr Vincent Brennan SMA, Secretary General of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference.

Pretoria

Immediate

4 March 2009



STARTS>



Clarification on the Implementation of the new English Language Text of the Roman Missal in Southern Africa.



On Wednesday 28 February 2009 the President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI received a letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The letter asked that the current implementation of the new English Text of the Roman Missal be halted until the process had been finalised internationally and all English-speaking churches could implement the new translation at the same time.

Normally a recognitio given by the Congregation approves a text for implementation at a time determined by the Bishops’ Conference. In this case, the recognitio approved the text but only for Catechesis of the people and the preparation of music for the Rite and not for immediate implementation.

The Bishops’ Conference has explained the situation to the Vatican and has requested that their decision be allowed to stand. They await Rome’s response.

In the meantime the President, Archbishop Tlhagale, and the Bishop in Charge of Liturgy, Bishop Risi, have requested that Churches that have implemented the changes should continue to use them until a response has been received from the Holy See. Churches that have not implemented the changes should not do so until further notice.

The Bishops regret the confusion that may have arisen. They ask for patience and they pray that the misunderstanding that has arisen will not take away from the prayerful and joyful celebration of the Mass in English. They wish to point out that the only issue in dispute is the date of implementation, not the text itself.



Fr Vincent Brennan SMA

Secretary General.



ENDS>



Issued by Fr Chris Townsend on behalf of Fr Vincent Brennan SMA. All Media Queries to



Fr Chris Townsend

Information Officer

Office for Communication and Media.

Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC)

P.O.Box 941 Pretoria 0001 South Africa

Khanya House - 399 Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria, 0001

Tel: +27 (0)12 323 6458

Fax: +27 (0) 12 326 6218

Mobile: +27(0)82 783 4729

www.sacbc.org.za

P Please consider the environment before printing this email"

Note, this is nothing more than a quotation of an email sent us by the SACBC, it does not imply any sort of endorsement of them, or their words.

"

Spaces added where necessary to keep substantive formatting, colors in original email formated out.

The Disclaimer linked to governs this email, and should be read, South African Catholic, refers to us!

Ash Wednesday: a point of what?

(Journey in a Broken World)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Besides marking the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday, not a Holy Day of Obligation, is an important day in the liturgy (Public Worship) of the Roman Catholic Church.

Odd, or useful is a reading: one about not trumpeting good deeds in the marketplace. You see, Ash Wednesday, is the holding of the line. It is a Catholic Pride march, as well as a special day, when we gain ash on our foreheads. The ashes are made from Last year's Palm Sunday leaves. The crowds who praised Jesus with Palm leaves, turned on him, and crucified him.

Ash Wednesday, is both a statement of faith, designed to remind the world of what it once knew, and it is the holding of the line, as well as a really special day for many people. The ashes are from the palm leaves that represent the fickle loves of men. In wearing a ashen cross, on our foreheads: we show our loyalty is to God, not them. It is not the showing off of righteous deeds before men, but the rejection of men when contrary to God, the symbolic burning of their gifts. We must also, beyond wearing Ashes, also give up something for lent.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Let us wear our ashes if we do: to please God not men: therefore, let us not wipe them off, but rather show the world, through our constant-ness, that we serve a God, who unlike men: is not fickle, but constant.

So, what is the true meaning of Ash Wednesday. It is a call to penance, and contrition, and repentance to us and the world: the beginning of the Lenten Abstinence/fast. Further, from Ashes we come, from dust we come: to ashes we go, to dust we Go: it shows how easily human existence fades, or is lost.

Ash Wednesday shows our reliance on God. It says who we serve, and who serves us. Let us not be embarrassed out of it. Let us always put God first, knowing that those who do not, are not making as correct and wise a decision, for God is constant, but man is fickle, changing his heart, or dying so quickly. Our allegiance is to the constant, to God.

Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference Answers Catholics on New Liturgy Translations!

(Southern African Catholic Press Releases)

Introduction, disclaimer: by: Marc Aupiais

As a media contact, we were emailed this by the SACBC's (SOUTHERN AFRICAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE) Information Officer:

Please consider this, purely as a quotation, it is not an endorsement by us, nor do we guarantee the standards or anything else about these contents: as these are their words, or words they quote, and not our words. We are simply quoting them, and we have supplied a disclaimer below, which we advise you read:

Message we received:

Email We Have Received from the Information Officer of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference:
Details:

"

from

Fr Chris Townsend

to(many addresses excluded in publishing for security reasons)

date2 February 2009 12:03

subjectA pastoral response to the faithful with regard to the new English Language mass translations

mailed-bysacbc.org.za"

Attachment to Email dispatch we received as a member of a list of media who they send dispatches to:

Note: our service has no affiliation with the southern cross, with whom we have cut any ties on our part: since articles promoting abortion supporting political argument(s) and politician(s).

As the text version is unclear on spacing: view the PDF version online, with our same disclamer and conditions applying: if you can view a pdf on your computer/viewer, this may help: otherwise search the url in google, and click: view as html, our terms, conditions and disclaimer still apply to such!:

View Online Version of the PDF: Note: same  terms, conditions, and our disclaimer apply:

09-02-02 ER CT English language texts PASTORAL RESPONSE.pdf

http://sites.google.com/site/catholicaffiliates/Home/09-02-02ERCTEnglishlanguagetextsPASTORALRESPONSE.pdf?attredirects=0

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Introduction of the New English Translation of the Mass The Bishops of the Southern African Bishops Conference have been evaluating the response to the implementation of the new English texts of the Mass. We wish to thank all who have cooperated in the implementation of this first phase which involves by and large the responses of the faithful. We have attempted to identify the problem areas with a view to facilitating the second phase which will provide texts for the ordinary parts of the Mass which are used by the priest. We have studied the letters and emails addressed to us directly as well as those from the readership of the Southern Cross. We have decided to appeal to the Holy See on the use of „man‟ and „men‟ in the creed and the fourth Eucharistic Prayer. Only the Holy See has the authority to alter the text – no one of us nor any priest has that authority. In the mean time we ask our Catholics to be patient since the process of appeal takes time. For those who find it difficult to use the term „man‟ or „men‟ because they feel it to be not inclusive enough, in the spirit of our Catholic tradition we ask them to bear in mind that one text which is meant for universal use will always make some demands on us, and there will always be some give and some take. This is made all the more challenging in that English is the new Latin in the Church. ‘For us men and for our salvation … and became man’ In the creed the main intention is to proclaim that Christ, in becoming incarnate, became MAN. He is the new MAN, and, by our baptism, we are all men and women in the new MAN. “For all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:27,28) ‘You formed man in your own image …’ Similarly in Eucharistic Prayer Four, addressing God, the priest proclaims, „…you formed MAN in your own image‟. This carries the meaning of the old MAN redeemed by the new MAN in which there is nolonger distinction of male and female, as St. Paul taught. Sufficient catechesis and preparation Before we implement the second phase - texts for the ordinary parts of the Mass used by the priest - we would like to give our priests a further opportunity to study the reasons behind certain choices made in the new translation so that they may pass these on to the faithful. Towards this goal, we will issue a series of three further letters and ask them to see that the formation and information is passed on to all our members. We will make the new texts of the four Eucharistic Prayers available to them, not for use, but for study. The text differs in places to what is contained in the ICEL book issued in 2007. (ICEL: International Commission for English in the Liturgy). We ask that the period of embargo be respected so as to give everyone the chance to prepare adequately. The date of implementation will be TRINITY SUNDAY. ‘And with your spirit’ We once again hear the response to the greetings of the priest, „And with your spirit‟. In some of the languages used in Southern Africa this is not strange – „ibe nomoya wakho futhi‟ is the answer in isiZulu. The reason for the reverting to the old form of the response in English is because it is closer to the scriptural origins of the formulation, as one can read in Galatians 6:18 or 2 Timothy 4:22. It is not the isolation of the soul from the whole person of the celebrant but rather the recognition of that special character or spirit which the celebrant has by virtue of his priestly ordination. It would be a misunderstanding to claim that this formulation creates clericalism. Clericalism is a sign of something dysfunctional. What should really be acknowledged is that from within the community one has been called to serve the community with the spirit of Christ. The dictum of St. Augustine is appropriate here: „For you I am a bishop, (a priest), with you I am a Christian. The first is the title of the office I received, the second is by grace …‟ (Augustine, Sermon 340, 1). The threefold ‘through my fault’ Here again we revert to the formulation in existence in the Council days. The International Committee for English in the Liturgy, in the years immediately following the Second Vatican Council and the introduction of the rite of the Mass in English, interpreted their mandate to remove certain repetitions in formulations found in 2 the Mass. However, when the new rules of translation were drawn up in 2001, it was noted that some of the repetitions were characteristic of the Latin Rite and should therefore be restored. This applies to the „through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.‟ You take away the sins of the world … you are seated at the right hand … The pattern of threefold repetition also applies to the threefold invocation of Jesus in the Gloria : „you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.‟ ‘People of good will’ In proclaiming the words of the angels, the new formulation, „people of good will‟ replaces „peace to his people on earth‟. The origin of these words is found in Luke 2:14 which in the Latin Vulgate read: „Gloria in altissimis Deo, et super terram pax in hominibus bonae voluntatis‟ Dialogue introducing the Preface The response „It is right and just‟ in answer to the priest‟s invitation „Let us give thanks to the Lord our God‟ may sound incomplete. It will only begin to make sense when the full missal is introduced and the celebrating priest takes up the words of the congregation, expanding on them thus: „Truly it is right and just …‟. Renewed theological insights An example of renewed theological insight is the greeting: „The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all‟. The choice of „communion‟ in place of what has been commonly used up to now, „fellowship‟ is because from the outset the liturgy looks forward to the Holy Communion by which we find fellowship with each other and communion with God. Another example of renewed theological insight is the formulation concluding the penitential rite: „May almighty God have mercy on us and lead us, with our sins forgiven, to eternal life’. A renewed faithfulness to scriptural formulations It is important to note that it was one of the principles established in the new rules for translation was that the Mass formulations reflect more faithfully the scriptural texts which are used in prayer and proclamation. For this reason one will find „Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts‟ which comes from Isaiah 6:3. Also the formulation as was in former times in English: „Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed‟ – Luke 7:6-7. This latter is an example of the genius of the Roman Rite which begins with the words of the sacred scriptures andbrings them to focus on the person him/herself. ‘Consubstantial with the Father’ As for “consubstantialem”, the problem arose when there was no agreement from the Bishops‟ Conferences the use of “one in Being” and “of one Being”. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments maintained that, in the matter of the Christological definitions expressed in the creeds, absolute uniformity throughout the Universal Church was necessary. Edward Risi omi Dept. Christian Formation, Liturgy and Culture SACBC

"

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South Africa: Bishops survey views on New Liturgical reform

(Tridentine South (And Southern) Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference is surveying the effect of the new liturgical changes to the mass in South Africa. So far, the response seems mixed.

We have provided a link to this: from a facebook event:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=48242856559


Obviously, we are independent.

Tridentine South (And Southern) Africa: Latin mass is wonderful: soft, and tribal, and elegant and poignant

(Tridentine South (And Southern) Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The horrid, ugly, rude : selfish actions of drivers, who continuously broke the law, not a traffic officer in site, made us arrive 50 minutes late. We took seats in the Cathedral, outside a small: overflowing chapel. Black and white stood, knelt, and sat on time; black and white replied in Latin. All desired to be there, it was like a soft, Irish Gaelic countryside event. It was soft, and God was attending with our help.

I noticed as hooting continued, and an ambulance moves, glided past, and a truck loudly hooted. Outside: twisting, ugly chaos: we were in a foreign sanctuary, a natural, earthy, universal, simple: elaborate lover's theater. We truly saw the sacrifice of Calvary. We sensed it softly: the obedience and love of God: our sacrificed unblemished lamb.

Truly, here, we felt privy to a secret, an uniting bond beyond all bonds!

Suddenly, our angers and frustrations went, they flew forth, our minds naturally clear: all secular worries were no longer there. We were at peace, we were privy to beauty, and secret: a small dusk bound village ritual of such dedicated love; charismatic fellowship and sharing.

I had never before attended a Latin mass: it has been illicit in Johannesburg for over 40 years, even my parents scarcely recall any of it.

Yet, I sat outside: listening in the Cathedral: the small chapel overflown with loving, considerate people, hardly hearing distinct foreign words; I sat and I marveled, and enjoyed, cherished greatness, as faint yellow and gray light filled my soul with healing peace. Here was truth, here was essence, here was mystery: my God was being crucified through time, beyond time: beyond me, as I sensed, or felt like I sensed all things pass. The ritual folded space and time, and retold history in soft spoken words of love. I had came late, and was a spectator, but witness to greatness, like one in cold snow, watching laughter around a fireplace. I loved the peace, and refused to listen to music afterward, when classical sounds turned to talking.

The peace was naught only from the Cathedral, a marvelous entity of God: the Latin mass was the source of the peace. I have never felt so soft a grace: I have never looked forward to anything but the Eucharist in mass, or perhaps the speaking with pretty, and beautiful Catholic girls and ladies afterward, or perhaps obedience or some things else: yet I look forward to Thursday, when again I can be part of a small: secret, hidden, special ritual: Sometimes not understanding: is wondrous: what a mystery, like roasting marshmallows in the bushvelt: like lying down, counting clouds and stars in the grand Drakensburg, on our backs: we experienced mystical miracles: in the sacraments and sacramentals and ritual and word. Let us all begin to attend the Valid Latin Mass, now we have it again: what a ritual: what a powered miracle: softly watching as God is killed for us!

My heart was combined, as it never is in normal mass: no foolish concerns: Christ occupied our minds and hearts, as all other worries, they came for moments, but past, and peace, in darkness: heavenly light remains. What cherished morsels, what delightful radiance of Christ.