NOT a Catholic Ordinariate
What is that headline, I hear you say....Catholic priests requesting an Ordinariate? Yes indeed, dear readers: in conversation with some priests, the idea came up that priests who live in dioceses or metropolitan provinces where orthodoxy is thin on the ground may appeal to the Pope to be given parishes and churches in which they may establish Ordinariates for orthodox Catholicism. Humorous I hear you say, yes it is, but ironically, for many of our faithful in some dioceses in the world the idea might be very appealing indeed!
Half in jest it was suggested that the aims of these Ordinariates would include being able to celebrate the Mass according to the Roman Rite, minus middle-aged women dancing in curtains and congregational consecration of the bread and wine; to enable a restoration of Eucharistic adoration, Marian piety and reference to the Saints, and to allow priests the freedom to preach the Gospel and Church teaching rather than polticially correct public relations. Other practices which could be incorporated into the spiritual life of these Ordinariates would be "traditional devotions" like the sacrament of confession, Benediction and the reordering of churches to allow congregrations concentrate on the liturgy rather than themselves (so out goes the kitchen table in the middle of the "worship space").
As you can see, they are all getting jolly in anticipation of Christmas. I suggested, though, that these priests need not bother the Holy Father for an Ordinariate, the restoration is already happening - a few funerals have to take place first, but time is on the side of orthodoxy.
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