It has been announced by the Vatican that Pope Benedict XVI has nominated Rt Rev Hugh Gilbert OSB, Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey in Moray, to succeed Rt Rev Peter Moran as Bishop of Aberdeen. Many Catholics are already familiar with Abbot Hugh and his writings on spirituality. He is known for his orthodoxy and for his abilities to successfully marry "old" and "new" within the Church's monastic traditions. Under his leadership Pluscarden Abbey, which celebrates the entire liturgy in Latin, has greatly flourished and has encouraged many vocations to the religious life. As Damian Thompson reported last May, Bishop Moran unwisely (some would say "infamously") blocked the celebration of Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite in his diocese last year. Like many other Scottish bishops, the former Bishop of Aberdeen seemed to have been too slow in coming to terms with the ending of the Church's "days of rupture." It is therefore wonderful to see that, at the recommendation of the new Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, Aberdeen will soon have a pastor known for his understanding of liturgy and the "reform of the reform" currently sweeping through the Universal Church. The Divine Office and the Mass are both sung in Latin (using Gregorian chant) at Pluscarden, and devotees of the Extraordinary Form and traditional Catholicism have always been made to feel welcome there.
According to the BBC, Hugh Gilbert entered the Benedictine monastery of Pluscarden Abbey [a daughter-house of Prinknash Abbey] in 1974, and was elected Abbot in 1992. He was born in Hampshire, and originally named Edward - receiving his present name upon entering the religious life. Abbot Hugh was baptised in the Church of England and converted to the Catholic Church as an 18 year-old. He was educated at St Paul's School and King's College, London, where he gained a 1st class degree in history.
Spero News reports that Bishop-elect Hugh Gilbert reacted to his appointment this morning by saying: “I have much to learn, and it will not be easy to leave my monastery after 37 years. But I do so knowing that I am not going among strangers. I commend myself to the kind hearts and prayers of all whom I am called to serve. Together in Christ may we shine with the light of his Resurrection!”
Peter Moran, who is now the Emeritus Bishop of Aberdeen, welcomed his successor with these words: “... I am happy that the Holy Father has named Abbot Hugh Gilbert to take over as my successor. He is, of course, well known in the diocese to clergy and laity alike. I welcome him most warmly. During his nineteen years as Abbot, Pluscarden Abbey has continued to be the serene spiritual heart of this diocese. I am confident that his spiritual leadership as bishop will bring many graces to the members of the diocese, and to the wider community, in the years to come.”
Both Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, and Mario Conti the Archbishop of Glasgow, also had gracious words of welcome to offer their new brother bishop. The latter made special reference to the important role played by Hugh Gilbert in creating the "thriving centre of spirituality" at Pluscarden, as well as its "success story" as an ever-growing monastic house.
Like many others, I have been really pleased to see how quickly things have recently been changing for the better within the Catholic Church in Britain. Last Sunday saw the reading of a prophetic Pastoral Letter in all the churches in England and Wales, which welcomed the new translation of the Mass (to be used from September). We've also been given back the Friday Penance and it seems more than likely that the Bishops of England and Wales will soon allow holy days of obligation to be celebrated on their proper days once more. It has also been noticed that Pope Benedict XVI has become a bit more "muscular" recently, especially in leading his reform of the Church in matters of clerical discipline and the liturgy.
Now that we seem to have a Papal Nuncio who is not afraid to recommend as bishop a man who stands firmly within the "hermeneutic of continuity" - as does the Rt Rev Hugh Gilbert - could it be that orthodox and faithful Catholics can, at last, sing along with D:Ream... Things can only get better?
[Image: Pluscarden Abbey, taken from Google Maps - Open Street Map; source and authorship / licence details: Wikimedia Commons]
12 comments:
The average men, women and children in the pews do NOT want the use of Latin.
Why on earth do you insist on thinking this?
What evidence do you have for this assumption?
Both should be available. One is not more "correct" than the other.
I am puzzled where you get your statistics.
@ David
I do not "insist on thinking" that the average men, women and children [sic] in the pews" want the use of Latin. In the UK and western nations I am sure that most people who attend Mass have never encountered the beauty of liturgy in Latin, or the unifying effects of having one Mass in one language throughout the Roman Rite.
I am also convinced that most men and women in the UK (church-goers, that is) have completely accepted the "hermeneutic of rupture" that happened after Vatican II. Most seem to think that a new Church was created after the 1960's and that all the morality, liturgy and doctrines of the Catholic Church prior to that time (for 2000 years) suddenly became defunct. They do this without realising that a) the Vatican Council had no intention of doing this and b) it had no power to do this even if it wanted to.
It should never, ever, be a matter of what "the average man in the pew" wants; but what God wants! Some recent figures point that most UK Catholics support abortion and homosexual unions! If that's what they think about morality, then please do not listen to them in matters of liturgy!
Your last two sentences don't make sense to me, so I'll stop there, suffice to say a) I didn't say that the EF Mass was more "correct" than the OF Mass - as I do not even believe that. As for "statistics", I didn't even quote any.
I hope you come to see the beauty and splendour of the truth and that those men in the Church who led poor souls to such confusion may be given time to repent and heal the damage done.
@David: "Both should be available."
HEAR HEAR!!! Let's make sure then that Latin (OF) and EF Masses are as widely and equally available as English (Improved Translation) OF Masses, and add Ordinariate Masses into the mix as well.
That's the problem with liberals. They're anything but. At present, apart from London, its nearly impossible to find a Sung Latin OF Mass but surely if these people were truly liberal and wanted to encourage diversity, they would welcome an increase in this, as opposed to trying to restrict it??
PS - I fail to see where what the average (wo)man in the pew wants comes into this. Mass is not Britains' Got Talent. Christ didn't leave us with 4 judges and install St Peter as Simon Cowell. Rather he left us with his Church who he commanded to speak in his name. And the Church has issued such documents as Liturgiam authenticam (authentic liturgical translations), Summorum Pontificum (the EF is a gift to be treasured), Sacrosanctum Concillum (Latin and Gregorian Chant in the liturgy)....It also left us with the Canon of Scripture and the Holy Gospels one of which reports Christ as saying..."He who listens to you, listens to me..."
Hmmm
@ Anonymous
Well said ;-)
Hello from the beautiful Diocese of Aberdeen,
The nomination of Abbot Hugh was an easily made decision by the Holy See because of the actions of the clergy and laity of the diocese. The majority wanted the Abbot whom we know well. We wrote in measured tones to the Nuncio and also give positive comments about alternatives.
Politics about liturgy "hermeneutic of continuity" actually played no role. We simply got the man we wanted and are grateful to Pope Benedict.
Damien got the wrong end of the stick in understanding Bishop Moran who ended up putting the phone down on him. Just click on this photo of Bishop Moran offering Mass in the extraordinary rite in Orkney.
http://www.summorum-pontificum.de/bilder/bishop_moran.jpg
@ Anonymous (above)
Thank you and congratulations on having Abbot Hugh as your new bishop.
It's always good when another side of the story is revealed. What a beautiful photo.
We are on cloud nine because of the grace which we have received but our joy is tempered by the knowledge of the pain which the choice has caused our friends in the Pluscarden Community. Join us in our prayers for the monks.
Yes, of course...
I will keep the community and Fr Abbot (now Bishop Hugh) in my prayers. It is a great sacrifice for him and them, but one that will benefit the Church immensely!
The monks' farewell to their beloved Father reminds us of the Ascension itself, and those words from Shakespeare: "Parting is such sweet sorrow."
I hope to show, said Eric Mascall once, introducing a course of lectures, that the Faith which the Church has proclaimed throughout the ages is fuller, more interesting, more comprehensive, more demanding, more liberating, more satisfying, that it synthesizes a wider range of human thought, embraces and coordinates a wider range of human experience, opens up more possibilities of human living and offers in the end a deeper and richer ecstasy of fulfilment than any alternative way of life and thought; that it is in every way grander, more inspiring and more fruitful (The Christian Universe, p. 11). May such a vision and such a life be ours!
From a sermon given at St Andrew's by the Bishop elect. May he bring that to Aberdeen and Scotland.
Another step backwards and another nail in the coffin of the "Universal" Catholic Church. (The days of African children saying the Our Father in Latin with an Irish accent are gone!!)
You all just heard this Sunday, Christ asking his apostles to make disciples of all nations. How are they supposed to do that in a language they dont understand?
One man has got his own way with some of the most obnoxious bullying over a period of over 30 years - yet you say that Vatican II Council didnt have a right to change things. Tripe.
Have a read at the Church in the Modern World. Burying our heads in Latin is a disaster for our Church.
I have watched over the last 25 years some of the most vicious attacks on Catholics who were inspired by Vatican II Council - which, incidentally, gave the Scriptures back to the people of God and helped us to immerse ourselves in Christ's teaching and not just a Sacramental/Dogmatic theology. It is shocking to watch this Latin crowd feign personal holiness and sanctity. We all experienced just how holy they are. Vicious hypocrites.
However, Vatican II hapeened folks, and it aint going away no matter who happens to be Pope at the moment.
As with all things, money talks, and as the pay, pray and obey brigade suddenly find they cant afford their palaces because they've chased everyone away, we will return to being a church for and of the poor. Enjoy your smells and bells, it wont last.
@ Anonymous (above)
a) Universal and Catholic are synonymous - so you didn't need to use both.
b) The deliberate misinterpretation of Vatican II by anti-Catholics living in the Church (wolves) has done more harm than any other event in the Church's 2000 year history. The rot started in after the Council - why do you think that even the liberal Pope Paul VI said that the "smoke of satan" entered the temple of God as a result of misguided readings of Council documents.
c) You said: "You all just heard this Sunday, Christ asking his apostles to make disciples of all nations. How are they supposed to do that in a language they dont understand?" Well, the preaching of the Gospel was always done in the vernacular, and the liturgy was always in a universal language (Latin in the West, and other common and liturgical languages in the East). I think you will find that the Catholic Church grew rather successfully under this system (a system employed during its entire history - for even when the liturgy was in Greek for a few decades during the early Church, it was still a type of Greek that was liturgical - employing words and expressions not in common use). The liturgy raises the mind and heart heavenwards - as Pope Benedict XVI said in Spirit of the Liturgy, there is plenty of time to use vulgar, common and worldly language whilst we're at work or school!
d) I have read Gaudium et Spes, thank you. I have also read all the other Council documents - most, if not all, of which have nothing to do with the post-Vatican II nonsense that occurred. According to Vatican II, Latin is still the proper language of the Roman Mass and Gregorian chant is still the music to which Masses should be set.
e) There have been by far more vicious and evil (demonic) attacks on those who sought to preserve the Church's continuity and guard against her destruction and protestantisation!
f) Good, now let the real Vatican II be implemented!
g) "Enjoy your smells and bells, it won't last." Only a protestant or a false Catholic could say that. I pray that you will soon realise that by calling others "Vicious hypocrites" whilst being both vicious and hypocritical is very, very dangerous to your soul. Check out your eyes: we've all got speck and planks - but the plakoids are so blinded they cannot see their own self-righteousness.
God grant you peace. May you soon come to know the splendour of the truth and the joy of being Catholic!
English is the best language for an English speaker. The nostalgics want to celebrate and relive the middle ages when the Church was at its most powerful. That power did not arise from use of Latin. It happened to be the lingua franca of educated people. A claim about the beauty of words is entirely subjective. Decoration is a matter of personal taste. Gregorian Chants in Mandarin would be beautiful to hear. The new rule for liturgy in Latin is creating a fresh barrier to religious activity. Like Sharia law it is a new invention to replace what is currently being used. It is revolutionary and not the continuation of something current. Revolutions can be reactionary as well as liberating. The Latin revolution is the former. I am someone who loves the Latin liturgy but who does not want this new rulign to make it obligatory or force it on people.
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