Feeling the heat ?

First and foremost I'd like to point out: If Bishop Brown had not taken away the Tridentine Mass, there'd never been a problem. Certainly one of the Norbertines would have gladly celebrated it, they come all the way down to San Diego to celebrate the Old Rite here.

The Diocese of Orange has posted the following in response to the LA Times article and many reports by blogs such as this one:

KNEELING OR STANDING ARE NOT ‘MORTAL SINS’
Father Martin Tran Clarifies LA TIMES article

The LA TIMES, Sunday, May 28, 2006, story about the liturgical practices at St. Mary’s by the Sea stated that the determination of some parishioners to kneel during the Agnus Dei at Mass was a ‘mortal sin’ because it violated the liturgical norm (to stand) of the province of the USCCB Region XI (CA, Hawaii and Nevada)
The LA TIMES article quoted from Fr. Martin Tran’s weekly bulletin column in which he addressed the issue of respect for the general liturgical norms and practices of the Roman Catholic Church approved by the Vatican, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and Bishop Tod Brown.
His article resulted from ongoing local differences and rejection of various liturgical practices by a small group of parishioners. Here is the quote in question from Fr. Tran’s column:

“As I said before, Liturgy is the ‘public worship of the Church whose authority belongs only to Rome, the national Conference of Catholic Bishops and the local bishop, and not a private worship or business which belongs to any person(s) or group that can take it into their own hands by intentionally setting their own norms, disregarding the permission from the local Bishop or despising the authority of the local Bishop, and the National Conference of one’s country. That is clearly rebellion, grave disobedience and mortal sin, separating oneself from the Church. The reason for this is that all the current liturgical norms of the Diocese and of the U.S. are officially recognized and allowed by Rome.

Fr. Tran regrets any concern or hurt caused by the misuse of the term “mortal sin” in this context. The Diocese concurs with Fr. Tran’s clarification.
The bulletin article by Fr. Tran was never about “kneeling” or “standing” during Mass, it was about respect for the liturgical practices of the Church as approved by the Pope.

I have three letters regarding this matter, one from an elderly couple from that parish to the Apostolic Nuncio (click the letter for bigger size)

and a second from Fr. Tran to a parishioner.



And a third one, to a 74year old lady, about whom Mary Tripoli wrote me

Father Tran telephoned Bette and asked her to stop kneeling. Bette started to cry and sob on the telephone. She said “Father I’m 74 years old and I have been kneeling my whole life. Isn’t that what we should be doing for our Creator? Bette has been the one who has purchased and decorated the church with flowers with her own money, for many years.

Here the letter:

And, lastly, these altar boys were dismissed from their positions, for they, too were kneeling. Now wouldn't a crackdown like that be a great thing on real issues, such as abortion ?