After a vacancy lasting some six years the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is to have a new Secretary to the Department for Christian Life and Worship
Fr Paul Gunter OSB, ex Editorial board member of Usus Antiquior, will take up post shortly and, this will, effectively, make him the Director of the National Liturgy Office.
It is, perhaps, an unusual appointment as, he is described by The Tablet as a "conservative" and, of course, he has a track record of having an affinity and deep knowledge of Mass in the Extraordinary Form.
This is not a move designed to sweep away the Ordinary Form of Mass but it could be viewed as an appointment that will speed the reform of the new Mass to bring it back to a more reverent and solemn framework and, possibly, closer to the Extraordinary Form.
We can only hope that Fr Gunter will help establish the EF Mass as a proper and desirable form of the Mass that every priest should be able to celebrate.
Meanwhile, as Fr Z might say: "It's one for your 'brick by brick' file"
I didn't know that the position had been vacant for six years. I'm curious to know how the appointment was made: it seems so marvellously unlike what we have come to expect. There are good reasons for optimism. How refreshing it is to say that!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Dorothy B.
Dorothy B, yes, I am curious also, it must have been made outside of the magic circle.
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