If you’ve completed one Copernican Revolution before breakfast, why not round it off with Breakfast at Milliways?

While we’re at it (as they say over at First Things)…

I have always had my doubts about the Jesuits at the Vatican Observatory. Not their science, mind you, which I am not qualified to judge, but their theology (which, IMHO, I am so qualified—so are most of you, dear Readers, for that matter). They are always trucked out by the media whenever there is some point to score against the silly old folks who believe Intelligent Design (the Holy Father included?) And I often find myself wondering afterwards how these priests can turn from their telescopes to their altars and celebrate Holy Mass. That must require the equivalent of a Copernican Revolution at least once a day!

Well, it seems that I am not alone in my misgivings. Stephen Barr, a member of the editorial board of First Things magazine and an interlocutor with the hardened Intelligent Design enthusiast, Cardinal Schönborn of Vienna, has come out with this:

“On the one hand, Coyne [Fr George Coyne, SJ, director of the Vatican Observatory] says that science is “completely neutral with respect to philosophical or theological implications that may be drawn from its conclusions.” On the other hand, he says, “If we take the results of modern science seriously, then what science tells us of God must be very different from God as seen by the medieval philosophers and theologians.” One cannot have it both ways. What Coyne means by “medieval” conceptions are the doctrines of God’s omniscience and what theology calls God’s “immediate providence” over all events in the universe. These are clearly de fide teachings of the Catholic Church, and someone who has the word Vatican in his job title, even if he has no magisterial authority, should be more careful.”

Ah yes, well that’s just the point, isn’t it? What claim to fame would these priests without a pastorate have if it were not for the fact that they had “Vatican” in their title? Would the media be so interested in Fr Coyne’s ideas if he were director of the plain old “Jesuit Observatory in Texas”?

The Anglican Fallout and Luther’s Precognitions

The developments in the Anglican Communion are fascinating to behold—if that’s the word for it. Read here Archbishop Rowan William’s address, and here you can read Stephen Bates’ column in The Tablet.

I must admit to being rather astonished at the calmness with which our local Anglican brethren and sistern are taking this. There is something of an assumption of inevitability about it all—even to the extent that they believe that the Catholic Church will eventually come to see things in the same light as the Anglicans do (ie. that in the end, whether you are talking about ordaining gays or women, or even if you are talking about treating HIV/AIDS and condoms, it is all a simple matter of justice and equality for everyone).

You sometimes hear people saying “Everyone is grappling with these issues—including the Catholics”. Yes, that is true. The ordination of women may not be such a hot topic within the Catholic Church these days (certainly there are a lot of people outside the Catholic Church who seem to want the Catholic Church to change its unchanging tradition in this regard), but the issues of whether or not gay men can be ordained, or whether priests should be married, or about conscience, and contraception etc. etc. are indeed hot topics of conversation. The difference is that we are not “grappling” in the dark. The fact that the Catholic Church, alone of all the Christian communions, has a living teaching magisterium makes all the difference. We have clear parameters within which these discussions are taking place. Not everyone accepts those parameters, but the parameters as such are not going away.

And when I say that, I am not saying that they are not going away soon. I am saying that they are not going away ever.

There is a remarkably prophetic, and insightful, and indeed true, passage in the Lutheran Confessions. Martin Luther wrote, in the Smalcald Articles of 1537 (Article IV. para. 7-9):

“Suppose that the pope would renounce the claim that he is the head of the church by divine right or by God’s command; suppose that it were necessary to have a head, to whom all others should adhere, in order that the unity of Christendom might better be preserved against the attacks of sects and heresies; and suppose that such a head would then be elected by men and it remained in their power and choice to change or depose this head. … If, I say, the pope and the see of Rome were to concede and accept this (which is impossible), …Christendom would not be helped in any way. There would be even more sects than before because, inasmuch as subjection to such a head would depend on the good pleasure of men rather than on a divine command, he would very easily and quickly be despised and would ultimately be without any adherents at all… What a complicated and confused state of affairs that would be!”

To all this, one can only say, “Amen, Brother Martin”. But he goes on to give a description of what history may call “the Anglican Experiment”:

“Consequently, the church cannot be better governed and maintained than by having all of us live under one head, Christ, and by having all the bishops equal in office (however they may differ in gifts) and diligently joined together in unity of doctrine, faith, sacraments, prayer, works of love, etc.”

Ah yes, if only. However, like all else in this universe, the communion of bishops tends also to be subject to the laws of entropy (tending to the state of greatest disorder). One cannot but regard it as a sign of the greatest divine beneficence that our Lord Jesus Christ did in fact institute, precisely by divine right, a “ministry of communion” (as the Petrine Office has come to be called) to maintain the unity of the bishops.

I have strayed somewhat from the outset, but I think you get the drift.

Where can I find the Missale Romanum Editio Typica Tertia on the net?

Today I received this query from a Lutheran clergy mate:

Hi there David – I always enjoy reading your blogs. Quick question about the new mass translation: where can I get the Latin text of the Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia on online? For the life of me, I haven’t been able to find one. I can find GIRMs galore, and also Tridentine Ordos, but not the current Latin of the Novus Ordo. Am I blind or just plain Protestant?

Here is my answer:

No, the problem is with our assumption that we would find it on the net. It isn’t there, and neither is the editio secunda. For that matter, even the current English translations are a devil to find, let alone the new translations (which no one is supposed to have seen yet, but its not much different—in style at least—from the Lutheran 1972 Service with Communion in the old black book; personally I wish they had stayed a little closer to the BCP translations of Cranmar, which is what the Service with Communion was).

The text of the mass is a very carefully guarded one. It is thought of as being secured between two thick red covers, rather than something malleable which could be cut and pasted into worship booklets (called “missalettes” by Catholics) or onto overheads. The actual printed thing is a real beauty to behold, and more so because it has the music of the Gregorian chant printed with the text. The music is regarded as integral to the text, not an appendage. This is one difference between the editio secunda (which had the music in the back) and the tertia.

How long will this mentality last? I don’t know. I expect that since the English translations will be copyrighted by ICEL they will not be officially made available on the internet. But in this day and age, someone will do it. For that matter, before long, maybe an unofficial latin text may emerge on the net.

I expect that plans for our new music and hymnody resource which will replace the out-of-print/out-of-date Catholic Worship Book are also more likely to appear on a website than between two covers (partly because of cost, partly because of a desire to reach as many people as possible—like “we” Lutherans did with “our” Worship Resources when I was editor of them back pre-2000).

We will have to watch how this pans out. It seems that there will be a clash of two cultures: one strictly print and the other multi-media. Let the games begin!