Author Topic: Fr. Lawrence Barrett says Mass in protestant church in Dublin (Read 19270 times)

Matthew · « **on:** December 30, 2015, 04:30:10 PM »

Quote from: E-mail from individual

Dear Matthew,

My name is ________. I am from Ireland.
We have never been in contact before, but I am
writing to you about something important that I would like you to
publish on CathInfo, as I don't have an account on your forum. On the
19th of December, here in Ireland, a visiting priest called Fr. Lawrence
Barrett (He is stationed in England) said Mass in the Protestant
Cathedral in Dublin. ( Called Christ Church) Now the church used to be
Catholic before the referendum. I understand from talking to people that
such a thing can be justified, but the context of the historical
situation here is that it is quite scandalous for the faithful here.
(with such intense persecutions). The Mass was kept quite secret with
only three faithful and one server present.

If you have any more questions let me know.

I can tell you for certain that many faithful have been scandalised by
this here already. It may serve to wake people up.

God bless,

Aleah · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2015, 05:04:32 PM »

I am confused as to why there is scandal.

A Catholic priest celebrates the true Mass in a once Catholic church.
He took back what has been stolen from Catholics... wouldn't this be deemed more heroic than scandalous?

JezusDeKoning · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2015, 05:20:54 PM »

And those Anglican cathedrals, to their credit, actually keep the high altars. So, there probably wasn't any other option.

JMacQ · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2015, 05:55:29 PM »

Nobody invited us, I would have attended. It is a victory of the true Holy Mass

Highly symbolic when you consider the persecution, the Mass rocks, the Penal Laws, Cromwell, the Irish Martyrs like Fr John Kearney whose "capital crime" was saying the Holy Mass.

And now the true Holy Mass has been said by a Fr Lawrence in our true Cathedral, the one St Lawrence O'Toole consecrated as such. The "acting cathedral" of Dublin is called pro-cathedral because we still consider Christchurch ours. Maybe that was the first Holy Mass in five centuries. I am not scandalised, I am very, very happy if this is true.

Traddy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2015, 06:17:59 PM »

Quote from: JMacQ

Nobody invited us, I would have attended. It is a victory of the true Holy Mass

Highly symbolic when you consider the persecution, the Mass rocks, the Penal Laws, Cromwell, the Irish Martyrs like Fr John Kearney whose "capital crime" was saying the Holy Mass.

And now the true Holy Mass has been said by a Fr Lawrence in our true Cathedral, the one St Lawrence O'Toole consecrated as such. The "acting cathedral" of Dublin is called pro-cathedral because we still consider Christchurch ours. Maybe that was the first Holy Mass in five centuries. I am not scandalised, I am very, very happy if this is true.

I'm afraid I have to disagree. True, it was once Catholic, it was taken from the Catholic Church and should be returned to the Catholic Church. The sad fact of the matter is that Christchurch is still OFFICIALLY protestant. It's unjust but that's the way it is. The only way to remedy that is for the Church of Ireland to officially and formally hand it back to the Catholics and have it made very clear to the public whether it is protestant or Catholic. One priest flying solo doesn't cut it. All you have is a Catholic priest who could possibly be seen to be condoning protestants in their actions by worshiping in their church. I'm not saying that was his intention, but the possibilities for giving scandal here are endless. It could easily be seen as an ecuмenical gesture. I don't think pre-Vatican II Irish bishops would have approved of a priest saying Mass in Christchurch. I think most of them would have had heart attacks at the mere thought. When Douglas Hyde passed away most of the other members of the Irish government didn't attend his funeral because they were Catholics and he was a protestant. I'm just giving this as an example because the Church, particularly in Ireland, was always very strict about these things. Catholics even had to get a dispensation to attend Trinity College at one point if I'm correctly informed.

Wessex · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2015, 07:55:27 PM »

Masses in old cathedrals is nothing new. I hesitate to call them Catholic or protestant these days because the distinction has become meaningless. I certainly view the organisations that own the property as bands of rogues and vagabonds. Cromwell had his good points!

Nadir · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2015, 08:30:04 PM »

Father Lawrence Barrett
Father Barrett was ordained at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary, Winona, USA on Friday June 21st 2013 and hails from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
http://www.sspx.co.uk/page_priests.htm

Wessex, can you expand this?

Quote

Cromwell had his good points!

I don't understand your post and what you are intending to say.

RomanCatholic1953 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2015, 09:52:48 PM »

19th Century color post card of the Canterbury Cathedral. Has a very
Catholic Look.

stgobnait · « **Reply #8 on:** December 31, 2015, 02:26:19 AM »

a question that could be posed, is who gave permission for this, and why?

ark of covenant · « **Reply #9 on:** December 31, 2015, 09:55:48 AM »

To whom it may concern.
Ye people don't get it. Whether the Church looks Catholic or was once a Catholic Church is besides the point. Under Canon law it is strictly forbidden to celebrate Mass in a desecrated Church, which this is. A non-Catholic Church. It was desecrated when a protestant service was celebrated there. The only way Mass could be said here is if Catholics regained the Church and reconsecrated the Church.
This is an absolute scandal, and Fr. Barrett should know better. In England the priests celebrate Mass on the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral never inside the Cathedral. Also once Fr. Burfitt had to celebrate Mass outside the Church because the Blessed Sacrament had been sacrilegiously scattered outside. He could not celebrate Mass because the Church had been defiled.
Yes I lament that it is not in the hands of Catholics, and that it is a magnificent Cathedral but nonetheless it is not permissible.

In Christo
Ark.

BJ5 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 31, 2015, 02:01:41 PM »

Quote from: ark of covenant

To whom it may concern.
Ye people don't get it. Whether the Church looks Catholic or was once a Catholic Church is besides the point. Under Canon law it is strictly forbidden to celebrate Mass in a desecrated Church, which this is. A non-Catholic Church. It was desecrated when a protestant service was celebrated there. The only way Mass could be said here is if Catholics regained the Church and reconsecrated the Church.
This is an absolute scandal, and Fr. Barrett should know better. In England the priests celebrate Mass on the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral never inside the Cathedral. Also once Fr. Burfitt had to celebrate Mass outside the Church because the Blessed Sacrament had been sacrilegiously scattered outside. He could not celebrate Mass because the Church had been defiled.
Yes I lament that it is not in the hands of Catholics, and that it is a magnificent Cathedral but nonetheless it is not permissible.

In Christo
Ark.

I wonder if that would apply to Assisi?

JMacQ · « **Reply #11 on:** December 31, 2015, 02:17:47 PM »

We have Holy Mass in Lutheran churches in Sweden and Norway, please don't find a problem where there's none. Father King, Fr Webbers, Fr Morgan, Fr Lindstrom, even His Excellency Bishop Williamson have done it.

Aleah · « **Reply #12 on:** December 31, 2015, 04:38:58 PM »

Quote from: ark of covenant

To whom it may concern.
Ye people don't get it. Whether the Church looks Catholic or was once a Catholic Church is besides the point. Under Canon law it is strictly forbidden to celebrate Mass in a desecrated Church, which this is. A non-Catholic Church. It was desecrated when a protestant service was celebrated there. The only way Mass could be said here is if Catholics regained the Church and reconsecrated the Church.
This is an absolute scandal, and Fr. Barrett should know better. In England the priests celebrate Mass on the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral never inside the Cathedral. Also once Fr. Burfitt had to celebrate Mass outside the Church because the Blessed Sacrament had been sacrilegiously scattered outside. He could not celebrate Mass because the Church had been defiled.
Yes I lament that it is not in the hands of Catholics, and that it is a magnificent Cathedral but nonetheless it is not permissible.

In Christo
Ark.

Do you know where in the Code of Canon Law I could find this?

Centroamerica · « **Reply #13 on:** December 31, 2015, 05:40:07 PM »

Quote from: JMacQ

We have Holy Mass in Lutheran churches in Sweden and Norway, please don't find a problem where there's none. Father King, Fr Webbers, Fr Morgan, Fr Lindstrom, even His Excellency Bishop Williamson have done it.

Looks like many posters haven't seen this...

Fr. Webber is an excellent priest. He has been in the U.S. district for a few years now. Last I heard, he was transferred from the Tennessee chapel last August.

ark of covenant · « **Reply #14 on:** December 31, 2015, 07:56:55 PM »

To all those.
I believe it is canon 1171 also look at canon 1008.