Saturday, June 18, 2011

The kind of Bishop we need? Concluding part of PL report on the Diocese of Angouleme

"III. The experience at Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente

Independently of the bishop a celebration of Mass, according to the spirit of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificuam, had a place in the Charente after 2007

From 2008 to 2010, Fr Texier, parish priest of the parish of St Yrieix on the outskirts of Angouleme, had in fact offered the EF liturgy each Sunday, a Mass which attracted 40 faithful.  Operating under several pressures amongst which were the particularly spiteful ones of  Fr Braud*, the former Vicar-General of the diocese,  Fr Jean-Baptiste Texier was eventully lent to the diocese of Bayonne in the summer of 2010. The only application of the SP in the diocese of Angouleme therefore ended with his departure and the group of faithful who had supported his Masses were unhappily disbanded, and since have supported the Masses celebrated by the Fraternity of the Transfiguration. (My not:e: The letter does not distinguish itself with this unsubstantiated remark about Fr Braud.  All one can think is that the source(s) of this claim have asked for anonymity.)

IV. And Now?
In a commentary on the Motu Proprio published in July 2007 Mgr Dagens affirmed belief  'in the importance of thorough dialogue on the essence of the Faith', and added that 'this essence is not only in the matter of the Faith but also in the matter of charity.'
How could one not subscribe to such a proposal?
And today when the instruction ' Universae Ecclesiae' has forcefully recalled that the traditional liturgy is 'a treasure' offered 'to all the faithful', we ask the bishop: With what charity, Monsegneur, do you intend to treat the faithful in your diocese who are desirous of living their faith according to the rhythm of the Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite?

There are at present two requests (for the EF) pending in the diocese, that of Angouleme which has survived the episodes at Genac and St Yrieix, and that of Cognac which had originally been submitted by the cathedral deanery, evaluated in the episcopal council, and which to this day remains a dead letter! If the situation at Angouleme is complicated by other matters* which have worried the Cathedral, it is more simple at Cognac. whose parish priest retires in August. At Angouleme the application of the Motu Proprio could be easily achieved by having recourse to the services of an Ecclesia Dei Institute (e.g.IBP or FSSP) but Mgr Dagens has always refused this assistance, even though it would represent a welcome injection of new blood into the deanery. At Cognac on the other hand, the 'stable group' awaits a new priest with determination and confidence that he will arrive with a copy of UE in his hands.
(* 'other matters' may be a politely veiled reference to the fact that Fr Braud was reported in Le Figaro (03.07.09) as being under investigation as the result of an accusation of improper behaviour, allegedly committed in the 1990s  when the three female accusers were minors. I have so far been unable to find out what happened as a result of that investigation.)

Apologies for any errors. Have to go out. Will do a check later.

The letter concludes with notification of PL's intention to conduct a poll in the Diocese of Angouleme
Angouleme Cathedral

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