Cardinal Says No Bishop Above the Pope- PRIESTS CAN CELEBRATE THE "LATIN MASS"

Today is of course Sept 14th. It is the day that the Pope's Motu Proprio on the extra ordinary form of the liturgy(Latin Mass and other Liturgy) goes into full effect.

I sahll have some more post on this later today if I can. The Ratizinger Forum has translated this important piece of news from PETRUS.

CASTRILLON REPLIES TO TETTAMANZI: NO BISHOP IS ABOVE THE POPE

By Angela Ambrogetti

VATICAN CITY - "No bishop can prevent a parish priest and a group of faithful from celebrating Holy Mass with the Missal of 1962, because no bishop is above the Pope," Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos told PETRUS today, commenting on the decision of Cardinal Dionigio Tettamanzi, Archbishop of Milan, to discourage, if not prohibit outright, the application of Summorum Pontificum to his archdiocese.

This is not about a choice for the bishops," Castrillon said. "The Pope has invited them to join him, and it would be good for everyone to accept. The choice is for the faithful, who can request their parish priests for the traditional Mass, and the bishops only step in to try and resolve any disputes at their level."

Castrillon re-affirmed: "There is no turning back here. Rather, it must be seen as realizing one of the intentions of Vatican-II - that we should not lose the richness of a thousand years of tradition, and no one should think that any Mass that is not celebrated according to the Novus Ordo is wrong or not valid. The Holy Father's gesture increases freedom within the Church - it does not restrict anyone."

Therefore, Castrillon said, "No one is being told to attend the traditional Mass unless they want to. Everything will be as it was in the parishes, with respect to the Mass according to the Novus Ordo. There will be traditional Masses only in parishes where it has been duly requested by interested persons and where there is a priest who is qualified to celebrate it." These Masses will, of course, be open to everyone as well, and Castrillon said this offers a possibility for others to experience the traditional Mass and learn about it.

I think that is pretty clear. If that is not clear enough here is a transcript that again the Ratzinger forum has provided(on that same link) of a interview the good Cardinal gave on Vatican Radio

Here is a translation of an interview by Vatican Radio's Giovanni Peduto with Cardinal Castrillon. Under the MP, Ecclesia Dei, the cardinal's commission, will resolve any disputes that may arise at diocesan level on its implementation.

Cardinal Castrillon: I would point out that John Paul II had already tried to give followers of the traditional Mass the opportunity to attend a rite which was closer to their sensibility. These followers include those who belong to the Lefebvre movement, as well as those among them who have since re-entered into full communion with Rome.

The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, took part from the very beginning in all the Vatican actions regarding the Lefebvrians and knows what problems they have with the 1970 liturgical reform. The Holy Father has a special love for liturgy, which he has translated into much liturgical study in depth.

That is why he places inestimable value on the liturgy that the Church celebrated before the 1970 reform. Still, the Pope is not taking a step back from that reform. He has made clear and underscores that Vatican-II never abrogated nor prohibited the older rite. The Council intended to give more freedom to the faithful. One of these is to take the treasure that liturgy represents and keep it alive.

What are the actual changes with this Motu Proprio?

Not very much, really. The principal thing is that priests can decide to celebrate the traditional Mass on their own, without requiring permission from the Pope or the bishop. And parish priests should open their Church to any qualified priest to celebrate the Mass. No other permission is needed.

Eminence, this document has been greeted by some with objections and fears. What is true about what they have alleged so far?

First, it is not true that the MP takes away from bishops their power over the liturgy. The Canon code states who can give the permission to say Mass, and it is not the bishop. When every priest is allowed to celebrated the traditional Mass, as this MP does, then the parish priest and his assistants must provide the altar at which this Mass is offered. If anyone prevents them from doing this, then Ecclesia Dei will take measures, in teh name of the Holy Father, to make sure that the priest's right - and that of the faithful he serves - is respected.

What are your own wishes on the eve of this change?

The Eucharist is the greatest thing we have, the manifestation of the greatest of all loves, the redeeming love of God who accompanies us in his Eucharistic presence. The Eucharist and its celebration should never be the subject of discord - only of love.

So I wish that this will give joy to all those who love tradition, to all the parishes who will no longer be 'divided' - but will provide the faithful with more spiritual opportunities through a rite that has been a factor and an instrument of sanctification for so many in the course of centuries. We must thank the Holy Father for having recovered this treasure for the Church.

Nothing is imposed on anyone. The Pope has not made this an obligation, only a possibility for the faithful who want it. If there should be a conflict in its implementation, then teh bishop, as the MP provides, should intervene to avoid such conflict without overriding the authority that the Pope has over the whole Church.