Bishop Connolly Explains Council Acts
t,
Changes in the Liturgy, the Mass, the Sacraments and the Divine Office which have been promulgated by the Second Vati
can Council will be put into effect slowly
and securely, beginning next Spring, in the :Diocese of Fall River, Most Rev. James L. Connolly, Bishop of Fall River announced today. . . The Most Reverend Bishop issued the following statement conc(!rning the Council and its effects upon the :religious and laity of this Diocese: 13eloved in Christ, Even though you ha.ve been kept "au courant" with the deliberations and de cisions of the Second Session of the Ecu menical Council by Fathers Mitchell and FoIster, I feel you migh1G welcome a word or two from your Bishop. . Two definite achievements: the Tract on the Christian's approach. to God, and the one on Communications Media have been voted on and promulgated by our Holy Father. Other general topics have been dis cussed, among them: The Church, the place of the Blessed Mother in the Church and in the life of Christians, Bi:~hops and the rule
A.
MOST REVEREND JAMES L. CONNOLLY, D.D.
The
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Se.cond Session Sets Pattern
For Council; Revises Litu'rgy
By Rev. John R. FoIster
St. Anthony of Padua - New Bedford
Our children and their children will have to memorize the date of Dec. 4,. 1963. On that memorable day, an eventful Council session ended and Christian worship was thoroughly revised. In theory, earth shaking ideas were taking form in the Council; in practice, the liturgical decree put into living print the mind and heart of the Church.
Vol. 7, No. 51
© 1963 The AnchOr
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Bishop Expresses Thanks For High. School Drive "My cordial thanks, to all," said the Most Reverend Bishop today as he expressed his gratitude to the contri butors and workers who joined to achieve the successful building campaign for the Greater Fall River boys' high school. "We will welcome further contributions from our own people, having sec ond thoughts, and from well disposed neighbors," B ish 0 p Connolly declared. The Diocesan Ordinary issued the following statement concern ing the drive for the fourth dioe_ esan regional high school which will be staffed by the Jesuit Fathers: Permit me a word of sincere, Turn to Page Fifteen
Midnight Mass On Television Very Rev. Arthur W. 'ran sey, Rector of St. Mary's Cathedral today announced that this year's Pontifical Midnight Christmas Mass cele brated by Most Rev. James L. Connolly will be televised live over WTEV-TV Channel 6. Televised Sunday Mass for shut-ins and those physically in_ capable of fulfilling their obli gation of attending Sunday Mass was inaugurated by Bilshop Connolly last September through Tum to Page Twelve
Success or Failure Of S'econd Session Is Being Debated By Rev. Edward J. Mitchell The second session of Vat ican Council II is over, and with it has ended the daily
run of episcopal buses, .the
morning's marathon speech
making, and the army of experts
tramping at the bishops' heels. St. Peter's has finally been given back to tourists, and Rome's hotels, restaurants and religious goods stores have set tled down to a Ion g Winter's rest. The Eter nal City is back to normal. In the quiet that now reigns here one is prompted to ask the question: what were the results Turn to Page Fourteen
Liturgy
Second Session WHY CHANGES?
SECRECY Greatly reduced during the Second Session that it covered only the actual texts of pro posed schemata and the work of individual com missions.
90
Fall River, Mass., Thursday, Dec. 12, 1963
of Dioceses, the role of the laity in the Church, and the responsibility of the laity for bringing the light of Christianity to the world. Each one of these topics stimulated a tide of discussion and even debate. And all were remanded to the Commissions for further and better elaboration. It might help the impatient priest or layman looking for immediate results from the Council to reflect that a body of 2200 Prelates, representing various national, ethnic and historical traditions, each one of them entitled to be heard, can make de mands not alone on the patience of the clergy and the laity who await, but even and especially on the temper of those that parti cipate in the Council. But remember please that there is freedom of speech, without filibuster. A glance at .the activities and results of deliberations in Congress where not many more than -five hundred legisla tors are in session might give us some sense of how far superior thus far is the record of the Ecumenical Council. Much, of course, remains to be done Turn to Page Seven
MODERATORS A new way of presiding over -the daily de bates was devised whereby four Cardinal,s would each preside over a subject until the debate on the subject was terminated.
OBSERVERS Sixty-three non-Catholic observers were 'pre sent for the Second Session, - an increase of eighteen over the First Session.
LAYMEN
That "both texts and rites should be drawa: 'up so that they express more clearly the holy
things which they signify; the Christian people • •• should be enabled to understand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively, and as benefits a community." Rites should be distinguished by "noble sim 'plicity •.• sho,rt, clear and unencumbered by useless repetitions, ... within the people's powers of comprehension and normally should not re quire much explanation .•• .' At present things are not such, 10 •••
MASS
An official role was extended to laymen. They were auditors (one actually spoke at the Council) and advisers to various commissions and epis copal meetings and press conferences.
It is the ''memorial of His (Christ's) Death' and Resurrection: a sacrament of love, .a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind filled with grace, and a pledge of future glol'1' is given to
WOMEN
us."
,
It was suggested that they too be accepted as
auditors and advisers. The measure was not acted on.
CURIA REFORM One week before the Council's Second Ses sion began, Pope Paul said that the Curia "grown ponderous with its own venerable age" would have to be simplified and decentralised. It was pointed out, however, that the re forms "would be formulated and promulgated by the Curia itself." Turn to Page Four
Christians attending are "not strangers' and spectators" but "through a good understanding of the rites and prayers, they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration." The rite of the Mass is to be revised to better show the nature and difference of its parts and participation more easily achieved. New rites will be simple, without duplications, some ad ditions will be disregarded and some meaningful parts dropped because of history will be restored. Turn to Page Five
Ninth' Annual Charity Ball January 8th The ninth annual Bishops' Charity Ball at Lincoln Park on Wednesday night, Jan. 8 next will be the best ever.' This assurance came today from the directors of the season's out standing social event. Ralph Stuart and his orchestra will play for dancing. "It may seem strange but al ready we are getting requests for tickets," said Albert Petit of the St. Vincent de Paul So ciety. "You would think people would be too encompassed in Christmas to be thinking about January, but they are making plans to attend the ball," ob served Mr. Petit who servea as
ball chairman of the Vincentian group.
Faithful May Select Day of Observance Of Christmas Vigil The Chancery Office has is sued the following notice: "The Sacred Congregation of the Council, bY' a decree of December 3rd, 1959, granted to each of the faithful the privilege of selecting either December 24th or December 23rd for the observance of the law of fast and complete absti. nence associated wiUl the Vi&i1 of Christmas."
"And, of course, this naturally delights us," averred Mrs. Aris tides Andrade of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, co sponsors of the social event which is conducted annually to aid the Most Reverend Bishop in the arduous task of operating and maintaining diverse dio cesan charitable institutions. "Right now it looks as if we are headed for the largest and the finest social in the nine-year history of the event," said Mrs. Noonan. Tickets may be procured at each rectory in the diocese as well as from representatives of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Diocesan Women.