Tuesday 31 March 2009

ICEL

Well, here is the news I didn't post the other day. Mgr Bruce Harbert, the Executive Director of ICEL is leaving his post, and his successor is to be another Englishman, my friend Fr Andrew Wadsworth, a priest of the Diocese of Westminster, and a noted enthusiast for the Extraordinary Form. I don't suppose Fr Wadsworth will have much to do with the Missal now, it being mostly complete, but there is still lots of other things to be done, notably the Breviary.

I shall be glad when the new Missal comes out. Today's Prayer over the Gifts went like this:
Merciful Lord, we offer this gift of reconciliation so that you will forgive our sins and guide our wayward hearts. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Ask what? The 'prayer' was a statement. It didn't ask anything, simply stated the reason for offering the gift.  Our prayers are with Fr Wadsworth in his new job.

My apologies for the picture; it's the only picture of Fr Andrew that I have. It shows him after an EF Mass in Guildford some ten years ago tucking into Bruno's (my chocolate labrador's) squeaky hamburger.

5 comments:

Ttony said...

Thanks for giving us this excellent news. Prayers for him as he takes up his responsibilities.

Jane said...

Dear Father,

What excellent news. Congratulations to Fr Wadsworth. Another 'brick by brick'; another Te Deum.

I couldn't agree with you more about these prayers that tell God what He's going to do! The intercessions in the modern Breviary are often execrable in this regard, to the extent that I skip them in favour of silent prayer.

My Latin is fair but not good enough for the pre-1962 Breviary in toto. I'm working on that but can't wait for Baronius to issue their parallel version. Is there any news on that do you know?

Assurance of prayers and sorry we didn't meet in February.
J

Ben Whitworth said...

This is a very good appointment.

Concerning the Breviary, Msgr Harbert has said that the translation of this is on hold, since Rome is considering throwing the Latin Liturgia Horarum back into the melting pot. Maybe the Rituale is next on the ICEL agenda?

Joe said...

Great news, Father.

gemoftheocean said...

Well, the newer guys just didn't know how to ask for stuff. They should have read the Catholic comics, obviously they'd let their subscriptions run out.