Three of your contributors to the autumn 2010 edition of The Swag, Fathers L Donnelly, M Ryan and G Hayes, in separate articles, referred to the the so-called Tridentine Rite of Mass and its liberalisation by the Holy See in recent times. May I make some comments in reply?

To begin, I should set forth my own credentials.

Last year one of the Anglican ministers said to me, in as many words, “I would become a Catholic and study for the Catholic priesthood immediately as I know our great weakness is that we have now so few unified beliefs in issues of faith and morals.

Most of you would be aware that something is happening in the Liturgy of the Mass and that a new translation is to be introduced next year. There has also been a restoration of the Mass in Latin. There is much more to it than that. The following is a small part of a lecture given by a leading linguist and liturgist.

Church leaders must do more to help 25 Catholic Tamil asylum seekers aboard a boat intercepted by Indonesian authorities at Australia’s request last October. It is important that Church and government bodies around the world closely monitor the actions of the Sri Lankan Government to see why Tamils are fleeing their home country.

We would like to thank the editors of The Swag for inviting Jeff Scully to write such a splendid article in the last edition of The Swag. Reflecting on the Apostolic Visitator’s appointment by the Congregation for Bishops to investigate the Bishop of Jeff’s diocese, Bill Morris, he asked the church of Australia some pertinent questions…

I enclose a copy of a letter I received a few weeks ago. I was greatly affirmed by it. I thought that you might be impressed enough to share it because it’s not just a Scottish thing but one that, I’m sure, represents Australian parish caring…

The easing of permission for the Tridentine Rite is surely a great leap backward. Mind you, this is not a matter for levity in the eyes of the Vatican. It is serious business as the unfortunate Cardinal Archbishop of Manila discovered when he announced that after consulting his clergy there was no need for a Latin Mass in the diocese. He was very smartly put in his place by those experts in pastoral practice in the Vatican.

Dear Swag team, a note to say thanks for a wonderful Spring 2009 issue

Many today seem very concerned about their own rights but tend to neglect or restrict the rights of others. Rights presuppose duties if they are not to become meter licence.

Thanks for the great work on The Swag. As a contribution to our thinking of what it means to translate, I offer the following from L. Alonso Schökel SJ in his introduction to his commentary on the Book of Job.