FR. GEORGES COTTIER PREDICTED
ON JANUARY 20, 2002*:

"Now they [Campos] have recognized the [Vatican II] Council. The next step will be the New Mass." "There is a natural, psychological dynamic."  …we must expect other steps: for example, that they also participate in concelebrations in the reformed rite [i.e., Novus Ordo]."

...TIME HAS PROVEN HIM RIGHT.

*This was the date of the signing of the "Campos Accordance", Fr. (now Cardinal) Georges Cottier, O.P., is the personal theologian to the pope.

It is beyond doubt, Bishop Rifan did take active part in the New Mass.

I watched the 3-hour video tape. This Mass was of the most modern and of an extreme liturgical poverty in spite of the presence of the cardinal [Brazilian Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri] representing the pope. This cardinal was also often hesitating, as he was unable to figure out what one or the other of the assistant priests or bishops or the acolytes would be doing next.

The miraculous statue was brought at the beginning of the ceremony in a spectacular procession recalling how 3 fishermen miraculously drew in this little 36 cm-high statue in 1717. A beautiful procession indeed, but not suited to a church. Imagine a boat with three fishermen coming up the aisle all the way to the sanctuary… One of the fishermen then placed the statue on its pedestal after having shown it to the different rows of the faithful, each time to the general clapping of hands.

When it was time for the Epistle, the politically progressive governor of Sao Paulo, came forward to read it.

For the crowning of the statue, a woman —seated next to the bishops in the sanctuary during the ceremony — fetched the statue and presented it to the cardinal to be crowned. Once the statue was crowned, she presented it several times to the clergy and the faithful who were warmly applauding, while confetti were raining down on the heads of the cardinal and the bishops in the sanctuary.

At the Offertory, 2 young acolytes came to pour the wine to be consecrated into the chalices as casually as if they were pouring themselves a glass of water.

Eucharistic Prayer II was chosen by Cardinal [Eugenio] de Araujo Sales, and of course the words of consecration said aloud by all of the clergy were: "…shed for you and for all".

Then one could see Bishop Rifan joining the line of bishops to communicate at the altar. As for the Communion of the faithful, no priest or bishop were seen distributing It.  However, at least 3 women were giving Communion… and we saw priests (maybe even bishops) receiving Communion from one of them [see the image below]!

Immediately after the Postcommunion, Petrus Ananias, the minister for social development (a member of the Marxist Workers’ Party), representing Mr. Luiz Inacio da Silva¹, president of the Republic [of Brazil], began some kind of sermon-discourse from the very sanctuary. All the bishops sat there without flinching! He praised the ecumenical trend of his party, made reference to Jacques Maritain and stated that democracy had evangelical roots, that Our Lady of Aparecida was in solidarity with the movement of liberation and emancipation, and that she was a figure even more human than the Virgin of the Gospels because she was black… and so on, and so forth!

Hoje, dia 8 de setembro, às 9h, no Santuàrio Nacional, solene concelebração eucarística presidida pelo enviado especial do Papa. Dom Eugênio de Araújo Sales, e concelebrad pelo Núncio Apostólico, Dom Lorenzo Baldisseri, pelo arcebispo de Aparecida, cardeais, arcebispos, bispos e presbíteros.

Today, 9/8/04, at 9:00 am, at the National Shrine, a Solemn Eucharistic concelebration presided by the special envoy of the pope, Cardinal E…, and concelebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio, Cardinal L. B…, by the Archbishop of Aparecida, the cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests.

FOOTNOTE

1. As one residing in Brazil, Fr. Danjou in his text actually referred to the president of Brazil by his common national nickname, Lula, and not his formal name which we have provided.