To be fair, Roman Rite traditionalists are understandably, even justifiably angry — they are vilified while the Eastern Rites, every bit as traditional, are treated relatively better (as in having many of their own officially recognized churches out in the open, not having Mass in rented halls and being called not Catholic anymore like a lot of the Latin Massers have). (Of course, those of us who follow these matters know the Eastern Rites get shoved around too, but note I said
relatively better.) Statues get made fun of, but icons are HIP. WTH?
Now, to take this thing apart:
This is a BIG revelation that explains a lot. According to a Zenit News Agency story, the pope in a speech on May 24 in Bulgaria praised "diversity" with respect to the Eastern Schismatics. The reason the pope resists the general use of the Traditional Latin Mass is that it obstructs "dialog" with the Eastern Schismatics.
I don't see how the writer draws this conclusion from this papal speech.
The post-Vatican II popes have particularly fixated on compromising with the Eastern Orthodox Schismatics. Those popes have been more than willing to sell out the Roman Catholic Faith; it is the Eastern Schismatics who have been dragging their feet on the pope's sweetheart deal.
If that were true, the Roman Rite wouldn't have all but dumped fasting and the
Novus Ordo never would have been invented.
Whereas the Vatican is willing to sell out the true Roman Catholic Faith, the Eastern Orthodox are virulently anti-Roman. The current persecution of Catholics in Russia is just one example of this hostility. I have seen anti-Catholic vitriol from the Eastern Schismatics that makes Fundamentalist Bob Jones look like a pussycat!
A quick read of the Internet will speak for itself.
This "unity in diversity" ploy was used by the Modernists of the 19th century to undercut the praestantia ritus Romani, the pre-eminence of the Roman Rite, the Rite of Sts. Peter & Paul, in the Roman Catholic Church. That ploy has lead to the terrible liturgical, doctrinal, and moral relativism that we have suffered in the post-Vatican II period.
Of course SS. Peter and Paul lived before any of our rites had evolved.
The writer is mixing apples and oranges. The Modernists couldn't have cared less about the Eastern Rites and the Orthodox, and people like Metropolitan Andrew (Sheptytsky) weren't Modernists.
That ploy has also led to the deconstructing notion of "inculturation," palmed off by Vatican II. "Inculturation" means that if you're an African Catholic, it makes sense for you to include the sacrificing of chickens at Mass. I kid you not. A "Catholic" archbishop of Africa seriously proposed this because certain African communities were used to animal sacrifice in religious worship. They wanted real blood, not wine transubstantiated into the Precious Blood. This, of course, is blasphemy and heresy of the worst kind.
It sure is. And the writer has a penumbra of a legitimate complaint. Those of us in the Eastern Churches should be aware that much of the solicitude to the Eastern Rites (again, relative to the embattled Tridentine Mass) is this brand of PC condescension to 'ethnics', also in the name of a trendy ecumenism. Pretending to care about the Orthodox looks charitable and looks good on a clerical resume.
To the Eastern Orthodox Schismatics, the Traditional Roman Rite is despicable. It stands for true Catholic and Apostolic orthodoxy and orthopraxis against the schism and heresy of Eastern Orthodoxy. Its nearly universal use in centuries past was a slap in the face to Eastern Schismastics, who are virulently anti-Roman. No wonder the pope is willing to sell the Traditional Roman Rite out in order to please his new friends, the Protestants and Eastern Orthodox Schismatics!
Seems this person won't let pesky things like facts get in the way of his fixation on the externals of the Roman Mass, as holy and admirable as those externals are.
I for one can't imagine this person's enemies in the Catholic Church (no matter how much they may dabble with using icons) using the unreformed, nothing-cut-out Russian Orthodox version of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom I am familiar with, or even the typical abbreviated version used at an Eastern Catholic church. Either way it is the same ethos as the Tridentine Mass, only perhaps a little better because it is all sung and often in the vernacular, with that mystical bent not quite like anything else.
No, the notion that these enemies are bent on reunion with the Orthodox at his expense is, in all charity, obviously mistaken.
