The Diocese of Palmerston North hosted a three day Symposium on Prayer, Contemplation and Liturgy, on 11 – 13 August. Three hundred people attended the first day and, over the course of three days, a total of three hundred and seventy spent some time there. A spokesperson for the Diocese, Lynette Roberts-King, said that Symposium was a great success and that Read more
The Second Vatican Council called for a revision of Catholic Liturgy and an increased use of the vernacular. In 1969, under the authority of Pope Paul VI a revised Missale Romanum was promulgated. This was the Novus Ordo – the new rite of the Mass. It incorporated features called for by the Council, including dialogue, Read more
It’s ‘back to the future’ when receiving Holy Communion, if Head of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera has his way. According to Llovera, kneeling and receiving on the tongue are the recommended ways of taking Holy Communion. The cardinal’s remarks came in response to a question about whether Catholics should Read more
At the May meeting of the Bishops’ Conference the NZ bishops received the “recognitio” (approval) for the English text of the Missal. The ICET text of the Our Father (what people refer to as the “new” Our Father) was not among the texts given recognition for the Missal. This means that all English-speaking countries will Read more
A funny thing has happened as the story of a recent Vatican crackdown on a legendary monastery in Rome has made its way into the English-language press. I mean that literally — the story has been turned into a joke, thereby obscuring its real significance. For those with eyes to see, the suppression of the Read more
The profound changes, historical, are not always the most spectacular. What just happened this week in Rome is like a palace revolution unimportant but it is highly significant. Because it confirms the direction taken by the papacy of Benedict XVI and the entire Catholic Church. In a word, Rome has “taken over” a whole sector Read more
The Vatican has instructed bishops to be generous in offering the faithful Tridentine Mass if they request it. The instruction, issued by the Ecclesia Dei Commission and approved by Pope Benedict on May 13, says Tridentine Masses should be made available to even small groups of people. However these “traditional catholics” are not permitted to Read more
St Pixels, an online 3D church is hosting the first interactive church service on Facebook. “Love it or hate it, Facebook is where people are in 2011,” said St Pixels pioneer Mark Howe in a statement. “If the Gospel is for today’s connected culture, it has to find a distinctive but culturally-appropriate place within social Read more
Despite all the really weighty issues Roman Catholics face, including the latest sexual abuse scandal playing out in Philadelphia, the most passionate debate this year may well be whether the Nicene Creed should say “one in Being with” or “consubstantial with.” That’s because the Vatican plans to introduce a new English-language Roman Missal, the prayer Read more
Archaic, elitist, obscure, awkward and sexist are just some of the words used by clergy to describe the English translation of the new Roman Missal. Priests in Australia, Ireland, the United States and New Zealand have also criticized the new translation, which is being partially used in New Zealand and will be used by the Read more