Response of Cardinal Napier on certain abuses in South Africa; including anti-Vatican sentiments aired in the Southern Cross

Cardinal Napier was informed of a Priest who got his congregation to sing happy Birthday to a member of it, and got them to clap for success in a recent fund raiser: something directly condemned by Pope Benedict XVI: as meaning that all meaning of the mass is lost: the mass centering on the Eucharist:

"You are obviously French-speaking, and that is why some of the points that you make in your correspondence do not come across as clearly as they would need to. That is a problem that would best be overcome by first speaking to someone face to face and only then putting your thoughts to paper.
Regarding the issues that you raise, namely 1) cheering and clapping in the Church at Margate and 2) the orthodoxy of the Southern Cross’s editorial policy and practice.

1)      Cheering and clapping in Church

The first thing to say is that anyone who attends Mass in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, will know that it is quite common for the participants to cheer and applaud the Holy Father when he enters the Church for Mass, and that they do the same every time he mentions their country or nation in his message of greetings.

I had the good fortune to attend the African Synod held in St Peter’s in April-May 1994. The first thing that marked that Synod was the way in which Pope John Paul II accepted and even encouraged lively African style singing, which necessarily include ululating, cheering and clapping. I remember in particular that the choirs who sang at the opening and closing Masses used banjoes and drums among other instruments popular with African congregations.

The second element of good fortune that I attribute to the African Synod is proclamation of the principle of inculturation. Inculturation was introduced into Catholic thinking by Vatican II and was incorporated by the Holy Father in the post Synodal exhortation “Ecclesia in Africa”.

This important Church document sanctioned inculturation and then proceeded to spell out two criteria that were to be used to distinguish genuine from false inculturation. The first is “compatibility with the Gospel” and the second is “unity with the universal Church”.

So, the questions to be asked are: a) Is cheering and clapping incompatible with the Gospel? b) Does it break the unity of the particular Church with the universal Church?

I would say that in neither case does singing and clapping offend those two principles.

2)      The orthodoxy of the Southern Cross

In this case I would argue that from time to time, and on given issues, editorial practice does not follow stated policy as closely as one would expect. At times there may be justifiable divergence of opinion, at other times it would seem that editorial independence is being given priority.

If you are a regular reader of the Southern Cross you will know that I have often expressed my concern at its anti-magisterial bias. I do not mean that it openly opposes Church teaching but like a nagging sore keeps on putting the world’s view rather than the Church’s. This is often done I would say rather by the choice of letter for publication rather than by direct editorial statements.

As you can see I am not a total fan of the Southern Cross, but I would not seek to shut it up. I would prefer to see ordinary Catholics take issue with its position by affirming their faith in letter that tell their faith stories. I am confident that these stories would reveal a reality that is very different from the reality which certain people are trying to present through the Southern Cross.

By the way, the parish of Margate is in the Diocese of Umzimkulu, and is in the capable hands of one of the best young priests in the country. He is very much in touch with me as Apostolic Administrator and together with the other members of the Presybterium of that Diocese is very involved in seeking way to ensure that the Mass is a lived experience of our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, which becomes actualized when we receive Holy Communion and carry over its effects into our daily life.

May I use this letter to offer you some advice, and I do so not to put you down, but to point you in the right direction, because I sense that you are genuinely concerned about your faith and the way your Church is living, teaching and passing it on.
“Try to be humble enough to see good in others, even when you don’t, or even can’t, agree with what you see them do or say”.
Why? Because it was the way Jesus interacted with the “sinners” of his time. It was the way he led them in great numbers to conversion  them.
I am sure that a similarly humble, honest and compassionate approach will help you lead many more to conversion than your current approach, which falls more into the category of “hammering the heretics into orthodoxy.
  
With best wishes for a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year,

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, OFMArchbishop of Durban"
Email from the cardinal's office to a private individual: confirmed by our organization!

It was then pointed out that it was not the letters in the Southern Cross, which have been internationally condemned by the esteemed Trinity Communications, known for their connection, and the used of these by EWTN. No response was given.

While at time of publishing, no response was given, and while we have great respect for the Cardinal, we still are looking into what can be done on these issues, which we have got evidence of. We would like to remind our readers, that the bishops are the true heirs of the Apostles. Whether we agree or disagree: we cannot create animosity towards these men: only try the best we are able to obey our church, our pope first, and and then our bishops and others in line with Canon law. Much of what the Cardinal says is well said, and based on the experiences of a servant of the universal church. Perhaps, in future, something may be done, perhaps not.

Catholic Women's league- encourages parishioners to thank priests on Sunday dedicated to priests- our disapproval of how this was and likely will be done in the given context!

(Tridentine South and Southern Africa; Catholic Connection 22/07/08; 23/06/01)

Article by Marc Aupiais

I went to the early mass today- the Saturday night one, and what should be happening in parishes across the country tomorrow- happened tonight. A speaker from the Catholic Women's League spoke, thanking the priest, from the women's league, and the congregation for his work. This far it is good, she then encouraged the congregation to show this, this point it is no longer so compliant with Catholic Traditions of Eucharistic respect.

It is perhaps an unwritten law, which is serious enough- that should this have been done during the mass, we could apply Benedict XVIs words to it, and say that the essence of the mass is lost. Quite simply, even if it was in the announcements, as many of these will be- it remains in the presence of the Eucharist, and is before the priest leaves, and before the final prayers are said, as likely will be with many parishes tomorrow.

In fact, some ancient groups within the church found it so serious to do similar things, that we have centuries old canons recorded in these areas, utmost forbidding clapping in worship.

Now, what purpose does the Catholic Women's League (CWL) have in this- perhaps political- the advancement of the league in public eye, and in the eyes of priests, perhaps genuine aims at appreciating priests, or perhaps knowing aims at "reforming" the church. The league does not give us much to go by as to judging if they are orthodox or spurious. Organizations without clear pledges of loyalty to Orthodox teachings and practice are often ones to watch- for anything spurious. Participation by leading figures in Canada's Catholic Women's League in a pro-abortion march recently is only further proof of this. Unfortunately, in South Africa- it is unlikely that these practices will be stopped, even as 9 out of ten catholics in my own archdiocese, do not attend mass, we still are not returning to the Orthodox practices of before, instead- many choose something almost protestant, or African Traditionalist in nature to worship to. The Pope himself recently stated that the church is not ours but God's. We are to worship God at church, not continue human traditions, or further human politics within a purely human organization. The danger of seeing the church purely as a body of people, is that it is not a human body, but a divine manifestation, which we will be punished if we misrepresent.

At Trinity church at Wits, the other day when I attended, there was use of bongo drums in worship. The use of modern drums may well be justified, in that the sounds made by these are far from those of early drums, and the effect on the audience of the early drums are prevented- in that these simply compliment music, and do not induce any real form of trance, or dance feelings, or the darker group emotions- if used in a respectful manner. It is noted in old testament regulations, that Israel was not to use drums in their worship, the reason was the effect these had on the people worshiping. Perhaps one day we will regain respect for the ancient ways in which Catholics have worshiped for thousands of years.

It is when Catholics have returned to Orthodoxy in that past, that the church has been revived, attempting to water down the faith will only hurt it more.

What should the Women's league have done- they should have asked people to stand in agreement, or perhaps take something a bit more protestant in agreement, and say "amen"- it is. The simple fact is, we are to love God firstly, with heart mind and soul, and that means respect also, and secondly our neighbor. No man should ever be clapped for in a church, even as sometimes, such as at priestly ordinations, clapping may be permitted, but this clapping must be for God, and his working, and not for the priests.

Please also read the works of Saint Thomas Aquinas's Summa theologica on "Superstition". Aquinas is one of only a few saints to be called a Doctor of the church, in Catholic Belief, his words carry more prominence than popes, and are often quoted by important figures... unless the pope speaks excathedra, in which case it is God we respect, and the pope's words, as regards morals and doctrine are to be taken as true.