Vice-Chairman of German Catholic Bishops' Conference fighting the will of the Pope

Can it be a surprise that the Bishop Mussinghof of Aachen who once declared "God is not Catholic", is a sworn enemy of the Latin Mass? When he declared that "God is not Catholic", the reporter from Radio Vatican who was present, said, if he said that in Rome, he would be finished. He is not the only Bishop with a split personality, one Roman, one Diocesan.



Cathcon translation of
Bistum Aachen im Aufwind?
Diocese of Aachen with a new impetus?

The Bishop of Aachen cannot decide to obey the desire of the Pope and to implement the Motu proprio 'Summorum Pontificum' in his Diocese into action.

Why are the bishops fighting against one Church once again full when the old Mass is celebrated?

There will be in Moenchengladbach, from 7 April 2008 on Monday at 18:00 pm in the Parish of Holy Cross, Luissenstrasse 127, a regular old Mass. Moenchengladbach is a city with about 265,000 inhabitants. It is located on the Lower Rhine between Roermond and Dusseldorf.

The Mass was announced on 12 February in a press release from the Diocese of Aachen. The release said that the Bishop sought to fulfil the wishes of the Initiative "Motu proprio in Moenchengladbach" .

That is not quite the truth.

Since the release of the Motu proprio, the Initiative - under fierce resistance from the Diocese and the local church representatives – sought a Sunday mass in the old Rite. But now the time for the Mass will be Monday evening at 18:00 pm. This is, for many workers, unfortunately, a very bad time. Due to the time, several believers will not be able to assist at the Mass.

Regarding the indult Mass in the City, one can still hear from the Aachen General Vicariate that this takes place "at the express wish of the parties concerned" in the chapel of a psychiatric institution on Thursday.

Different in Moenchengladbach. There, the thoughts of those affected have not been sought .

The old Mass fits badly into the planning of the Diocese of Aachen, although it does not lack Churches.

In Moenchengladbach, two churches have been empty long-term. Another was recently sold. The main parish "The Assumption of Mary" in the inner city has become the so-called "City Church" - that is, converted to an "event hall " -.

The old oak benches were auctioned as handicraft wood.

Now one hears of plans, even to turn the St.Vitus Cathedral Basilica into an "event-hall". In the City of Moenchengladbach, almost all the churches seem be closed. In May, another priest leaves the city of Moenchengladbach. Then - as was already announced - "unfortunately" four parishes will probably be run by volunteer parochial leadership.

The trend is to a church without priests. That is perhaps one reason why no one wants a Sunday Mass in the old Rite.

They fear that this would create competition for the priestless lay-led church services on Sunday.

Nevertheless, the Initiative "Motu proprio in Moenchengladbach" will continue to press for a Sunday Mass in the Old Rite.

Upon inquiry, the group confirmed that they were in a position for a priest from an "Ecclesia Dei," community to come each Sunday to Moenchengladbach providing he could obtain permission from the Diocese of Aachen.

But the Diocese blocked this with the flimsy grounds that the celebrant of the old Mass had to come from the Diocese - although for a Sunday Mass in old rite no priest can be made available.

This policy of prevention is contrary to the procedure, which is set out in 'Summorum Pontificum'.

Under Article 7 of the Motu proprio, the Bishop of Aachen, if there is a lack of a priest, should turn to Rome to the Commission "Ecclesia Dei-'. It seems to be the case in Aachen that they don't want to do this.

Rome could appoint the priest from an "Ecclesia Dei" community for the Sunday Mass in Moenchengladbach.

Pope Benedict XVI himself has the entrusted the Roman personal parish for the old Rite to "Ecclesia Dei" priests and indicated that the community is a model for the whole Church.

The problem is also apparent that the Diocese in Moenchengladbach wants no Sunday Mass in the old Rite will - despite the fact that the faithful make clear their wishes and have argued in accordance with the law.

The desire would be, according to the Initiative "Motu proprio in Moenchengladbach", easy to meet. One would have only to keep open on Sunday for two hours one of the nearly fifty churches in Moenchengladbach.

This is already the case for the Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Polish, Croatian and Aramaic languages.

But in Moenchengladbach, one feels catapulted back to the time of "Indult Masses" and episcopal arbitrariness, although 'Summorum Pontificum' gives back freedom to the old Mass. The Monday evening Mass in Moenchengladbach is limited by the Bishop to a year.

Will what has waxed in the Diocese of Aachen then wane again?