Monday, December 15, 2008

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY

Life would be much easier if our bishops (or diocesan adminstrator) laid on courses for the clergy. Whatever may be said about bishop Arthur Roche, he is the only bishop in the country who has organised a programme of training for his priests in the Extraordinary Form. Maybe the others just hope it will go away.

For Immediate Release

15 December 2008

* LMS Training Conference at Merton College, Oxford for Priests Wishing to Learn the Extraordinary Form of Mass (Traditional Latin Rite), August 2009

The following is a statement from Mr Paul Beardsmore, Secretary of the Latin Mass Society:

1. The LMS Committee has not cancelled the Oxford Training Conference, and Merton College has not indicated to the Society that permission to hold the Conference has been withdrawn.

2. Mr David Lloyd’s views concerning the Oxford Conference held in July 2008 were considered by the LMS Committee three months ago and did not receive the support of the majority of its members.

3. The LMS Committee – including Mr Lloyd – is unanimous in its commitment to the implementation of the Motu Proprio, ‘Summorum Pontificum’, and consequently to the training of clergy to celebrate Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

4. The leaking to the press of Mr Lloyd’s confidential e mail, and the attempt to link this e mail with the LMS Committee’s recent decision concerning the administrative arrangements for the Conference are mischievous.

Statement ends.

. . . . ENDS . . . .

LMS: (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585;
(E mail) thelatinmasssociety@snmail.co.uk

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This LMS statement begs more questions than it answers. Holy Smoke asks some pretty pertinent ones to this debate:

1. How does the LMS intend to hold its training conference at Merton College when the Chaplain of Merton has withdrawn his permission for the LMS to use the chapel as a direct consequence of the Committee’s recent sackings?

2. Does Mr Lloyd hold his views now? If they are not supported by the Committee, why has he not resigned?

3. Is it not true that at least one LMS Committee member has proposed that the Society ask Pope Benedict to rescind Summorum Pontificum’s permission for vernacular readings? If so, how can the committee be “unanimous” in its committment to the implementation of the Motu Proprio?

4. Will the LMS publish – at least to their membership – the minutes of its meeting on December 6th so that the true positions of each of its committee members and the reasons for its decisions can be known?

5. Why not retain the “winning team” of Wadsworth, Reid and Hemming and avoid all this division and scandal and have another “gold standard” training conference in 2009 like those of 2007/8, if the Committee does not share Lloyd’s views?

Fr Michael Brown said...

I presume the LMS are aware of point 1 and have an answer. Why should Mr Lloyd resign over a disagreement? I didn`t like his email but I wouldn`t think it was a resigning matter. As for point 3, if a committee member has made a suggestion that does not make it official policy of the LMS.

I don`t think point 4 would be helpful. As for point 5 maybe we will hear more in time.

Anonymous said...

4. is of course the big one.

Rather than telling Thompson what really went on at the Committee meeting a member of the Committee preferred to leak a private e-mail in order to smear Mr Lloyd and create a global panic that the all important priests' training conference was going to be cancelled.

But that's how these people conduct themselves, I'm sorry to say.

Latin Mass contact said...

Please continue to push the Coference for clergy at Ushaw on your excellent blog.
The old devil is always at work but the work to educate as many priests as possible in the light of Summorum Pontificum simply must go on..and on.