Matt C. Abbott
Nudist priest: Latin Mass 'useless'
By Matt C. Abbott
It can be difficult nowadays to ascertain whether certain individuals are joking or serious about certain matters.
Seriously.
Father Reginald Foster is one such individual. In Jan. 2007, Father Foster, the Papal Latinist for the last 38 years, told the London Telegraph that Pope Benedict XVI "is not going to [reintroduce the Tridentine Mass]."
Oops.
He also said the Tridentine Mass "is a useless [M]ass and the whole mentality is stupid. The idea of it is that things were better in the old days. It makes the Vatican look medieval."
But he does love teaching Latin, according to the story.
Oh, and Father Foster apparently has celebrated Mass in the nude. Or perhaps he's just "joking."
From the Sept. 1998 Adoremus Bulletin:
Father John Zuhlsdorf posted the following on his blog on Jan. 28, 2007:
© Matt C. Abbott
It can be difficult nowadays to ascertain whether certain individuals are joking or serious about certain matters.
Seriously.
Father Reginald Foster is one such individual. In Jan. 2007, Father Foster, the Papal Latinist for the last 38 years, told the London Telegraph that Pope Benedict XVI "is not going to [reintroduce the Tridentine Mass]."
Oops.
He also said the Tridentine Mass "is a useless [M]ass and the whole mentality is stupid. The idea of it is that things were better in the old days. It makes the Vatican look medieval."
But he does love teaching Latin, according to the story.Oh, and Father Foster apparently has celebrated Mass in the nude. Or perhaps he's just "joking."
From the Sept. 1998 Adoremus Bulletin:
-
'The interview with Carmelite Father Reginald Foster, 'Priest Preserves Latin Influence at Vatican,' appeared in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on June 6, 1998.
'According to the account, Father Foster, who teaches and promotes Latin, has taught at the Gregorian University in Rome and translates Pope John Paul II's apostolic letters and encyclicals into Latin....
'Father Foster confided that he often celebrates Mass in the nude. 'I'm a naturalist, I'm a nudist. I like to say Mass in the nude, too. If God doesn't like that sorry.'
Father John Zuhlsdorf posted the following on his blog on Jan. 28, 2007:
-
'I have great respect for Fr. Foster, whom I studied with for many years. My Latin experiences with him changed my life. I know him to be a very kind and generous soul. I consider him a friend.
'I also know that he rarely speaks in moderate terms. Hyperbole characterizes nearly everything about him. Fr. Foster often makes very strong statements to make sure he is understood and, perhaps above all, to provoke reactions. I have heard him say entirely crazy things and observe the looks of disbelief on faces around him. I do not think that he is insincere. I believe this is the way a man with 200ghz more brain speed than anyone else in the room copes with what he sees going on in the Church and the world....'
© Matt C. Abbott
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