Given his over-the-top style, I wouldn't normally post something from the UK Telegraph correspondent Damian Thompson. But an official letter he obtained, written by a diocesan liturgical director in the UK's Diocese of Portsmouth was just too much.
Peter Inwood, best known as a liturgical musician but also the diocese's director of liturgy, is responding to a woman wanting to know why he's resisting the reform called for by Redemptionis Sacramentum shouldn't be applied. He replies:
“The problem with the language used in the document is precisely that, although it may appear clearly written and straightforward to lay people such as ourselves, in fact this kind of document is normally intended for bishops and their advisers, and not for lay people. The language does not necessarily mean what we think it means – some of the technical terms have specific and special meanings that need to be explained.”
That explains a lot: When the Church writes a document, she doesn't mean what she said. Something's not right here!
So when Redemptionis sacramentum called for an end to the use of glass or earthenware chalices, that really meant what? That they should continue to be used? I'm just trying to decode this. Can someone help me?
...Sorry for the negative tone. Really, I saw a lot of positive implementation of JPII's Redemptionis sacramentum. I hear it cited to correct countless abuses in the liturgy, and I think it is having a wonderful effect. Thank God for this, one of the last efforts of a great pope. And pray that the document's implementation will spread to places where it's still needed.
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"Some reporters cover city hall and politicians, others baseball games and sports stars, and still others movies and actors. My beat is bigger -- in fact, universal, ranging from the lowliest parishioner here in Wisconsin to the Holy Father in Rome. I am proud to say I cover the Catholic Church."
And you call me over-the-top?
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