Oldies turn golden

Father Norm Langenbrunner in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati posts on the recent inaugural assembly of the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests. If you wonder when they got to the pity party aspect of such a meeting,

"The convention began with a session in which priests were invited to verbalize their 'laments' about their ministry, their perception of the Church, their struggles with living the priestly vocation."

That's the spirit ... of Vatican II I've encountered in self-described Vatican II priests.

"The intent was to spell out what a priest can control, what he can influence, and what are the facts of life he cannot change."

Sounds like a Prayer of St. Francis plaque. In the "cannot change" category, Fr. Norm estimates "The median age of the priests in attendance was about 70" which is beyond the regular retirement age for priests in our Archdiocese.

"[Dr. Richard] Gaillardetz's key-note presentation described Vatican II as the construction of a new set of walls around the old Church."

Can't say I've seen anything suggesting that in the Council documents, and I wonder if the presenter meant that, but I could agree that Vatican II priests tend to have a new set of walls around themselves.

"He [Gaillardetz] urged the AUSCP to insist on the 'facticity' of the Council (Vatican II happened, and it was an ecumenical council)... ."

Perhaps our pastor, a AUSCP founder, will be discussing that facticity in a future bulletin column.

"In his key-note Ruff [Father Anthony Ruff, OSB] addressed the issue of the translation of the Roman Missal... ."

He has the usual objections. Fr. Norm, by the way, has parishioners who struggle with the word consubstantial. Before the Council, there was not more than insubstantial difficulty teaching Catholic grade school kids the meaning of a word like "consubstantiation".

"Retired Bishop Rembert Weakland, who led a workshop on liturgy, and retired Bishop Tom Gumbleton were present."

While AUSCP is rather like an AARP for Vatican II priests and bishops, there were a few attendees who were not born while a Pius was pope.

"Among the younger clergy was a priest who had been ordained for one year; he assessed the association as a threat to the Church."

Unlikely, given AUSCP's internal contradiction, e.g.:

"In a general assessment of the conference, a number of priests were vocal: ... we must go forward, not back to the 50s, not back to the 70s, but forward... ."

while,

"Also in attendance at the national gathering will be the St. Louis Jesuits (the Catholic composers well-known in the 1970s and 80s)..."

(via comment by Aquinas to this post)