September 2024 – Dominus Vobiscum: Notes from a massgoer's underground

No mass today. Someone didn’t show up and know what? I did not miss it. Had been meditating 15 minutes up to the announcement, to good effect I might add, what I could not have done once the yelling and moving about started, the back and forth, up and down of the Mass of Now.

The young priest said the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, “Defend us in battle,” etc., after mass, and got called on it, as he explained:

Following the directive of Cardinal Cupich, we want to remind everyone that the prayer to Saint Michael is not to be said publicly following Mass. This devotional prayer may be recited privately while being respectful of others in the church. Okay?

Also, you realize that I like to say Hail Mary at the end of the Eucharist. . . . As a priest, I have to obey. . . . And my heart is at peace. Okay? . . . If Cardinal Cupich says this, I have to do it. Alright? But at peace. Okay? Thank you.

A step or two too far? He was supposed to do as he was told and keep his mouth shut about it. Without explaining to his people. And definitely not in a video.

The pastor probably got a call from “downtown” — as diocesan priests referred to the chancery in the ’70s when I covered religion for the Chicago Daily News — and hopped to it, going public:

The faithful are always welcome to gather in Church for personal prayer as individual or as a group. At the same time, in accord with sound liturgical practice and in keeping with archdiocesan norms, which I personally confirmed with the Cardinal, the recitation of prayers must never interfere with, interrupt or distract from the public liturgy of the Church.

Whoa there, it was after mass and a short prayer, if anything extending the prayerfulness of the mass itself. How interfering? How interrupting or distracting? You’d think he was raffling off a chalice.

The pastor confirmed with the cardinal about this crisis? Called him up and checked on the matter before issuing an apology for his feckless associate pastor?

He continues, expanding the caricature:

Nor can [such a recitation of a prayer] ever become an imposition on the rest of the faithful in the Church who have a right to remain at the end of Mass to pray privately as they wish.

Please. It’s not fireworks we’re talking about or playing the Star-spangled Banner.

More?

It is also important that such prayers must always foster the unity of the Church, which is guaranteed by the Successor of Peter, for whom we never fail to show our deepest respect and devoted support as our Holy Father.

Now if this isn’t bringing on the big guns to shoot down a row boat, Consider the language here, undermining the Holy Father!

The priest, he said,

wishes to state [sure he does] that he misspoke [lied, goofed, was confused?] at a recent Mass when he falsely [oh?] attributed statements to Cardinal Cupich. For this reason the video of that Mass has been removed to avoid any confusion.

Sorry, Father. It’s gone from the parish website, but was rescued for posterity by concerned citizens and can be viewed here.

In any event, God save us from confusion, whatever its source.

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