The Rest of the Bishop’s Letter

From the Pastor:    The Rest of the Bishop’s Letter

       Last week I typed out the first part of Bishop Parkes’ letter regarding the two-year dispensation granted to the three parishes in the diocese where the Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated. (Read it on our website if you missed it.) This week I will give you the rest of the letter, which part begins explaining what we are asked to do during those two years. Once again, I have made no edits or corrections to the text with the exception of leaving out our Bishop’s actual signature. It is unbecoming of a priest, after all, to engage in forging his Bishop’s signature!

Specifically, the Holy See presented the motu proprio’s provisions which those granted the dispensation should keep in mind, namely,

• Pastors should take steps over the next two years to lead the faithful toward the celebration of the Roman Missal of Saints Paul IV and Pope John Paul II. The Holy See encourages the faithful to celebrate the Eucharist in the Novus Ordo in Latin, “wherein the nobility beauty and grandeur of the Roman Rite can be fully experienced, including its musical patrimony.” At the very least, parish leaders should not manifest and attitude of disparagement toward the Novus Ordo or the faithful who celebrate the liturgy according to the current Roman Missal. Nor should parishes promote the antecedent liturgy as a purer or more traditional alternative to the current liturgical books, which uniquely express the Roman Rite.

 

• Further, the Holy See reminded parishes that they were granted the dispensation specifically for the spiritual good of the groups of the faithful who are attached to the liturgy celebrated according to the Roman Missal of 1962. Therefore, the antecedent liturgy should be distinguished from properly parish masses. This reminder indicated that pastors should not promote the antecedent liturgy as a parish mass or schedule these liturgies when parish masses or other parish activities are scheduled. The parish bulletin and website should not include the mass times for the antecedent liturgy. At Epiphany this precept may require some nuance adaptation. However, you should be attentive to how the spirit of this norm can be implemented as much as possible.

You should see the dispensation as a pastorally sensitive response to the spiritual needs of the faithful who are attached to the pre-conciliar liturgy. The favor also allows time for deeper reflection on how to proceed celebrating the antecedent liturgy in manner that is respectfully obedient to the Holy Father’s supreme authority in shepherding the liturgical life of the entire Church. As Diocesan Bishop and the one responsible for moderating the liturgical life of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, I look forward to cooperating with you and your parishioners in finding the way forward with prudence.

With every best wish and a promise of a remembrance in prayer, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Gregory Parkes
Bishop Of St. Petersburg

       At this point, the letter being ended, I return to my own words. I asked you last week to do two things to show the Bishop that we appreciate the work he does as our Bishop and, specifically, what he has done for our parish. In case you missed it, let me repeat this request by copying (below his address) what I wrote.

Envelopes can be addressed to:

The Most Reverend Gregory Parkes
Bishop of St. Petersburg
PO Box 40200
St. Petersburg, FL 33743-0200.

The salutation on the letters may be either, “Your Excellency” or “Dear Bishop”.

       Now I want to ask you for a favor. Bishop Parkes is not completely convinced that we fully support him. He would like to know that we not just grudgingly support him, but fully support him as he does us. I can think of a few things that might help convince him. Number one: Money talks. Loudly sometimes! The Bishop’s Catholic Ministry Appeal is a good place to start. If you have not yet donated to this year’s appeal (we only have 15% participation so far), please do so now. I had told him earlier that it was hard to convince people to give if they were unsure of the parish being kept open. Now we know we will be here for at least two more years. There is now no reason we cannot meet our goal in both years. Number two: Prayers. Now is a great time to send the Bishop a personal letter thanking him for his support and pledging your prayers for him. 900 personal notes (have each child send a separate card too!) sent individually will capture his attention far more than all of the spiritual bouquets we have sent him in the past, which arrive in one single package. Thank you for following through on this!

With prayers for your holiness,
Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka

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