 “It is through our union with the heart of Mary, that she brings us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” —Archbishop Raymond Burke |
In a latest Newsflash by Inside the Vatican Magazine an excellent interview titled “The Overseer of Justice” was featured by their correspondent Andrew Rabel of Archbishop Raymond Burke who heads the Apostolic Signatura in Rome. Not only were many interesting subjects covered, ranging from Pope Benedict, to the Obama-Notre Dame fiasco, to His Excellency’s role as head of the Church’s ‘Supreme Court’ – but also he mentioned many projects and events with which the FIs have had mutual involvement and in the process we were mentioned a few times. These include the recent Ordinations by Abp. Burke of six FI priests in Tarquinia, Italy according to the extraordinary form (old Rite), the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI and the fact that we help staff it, the promotion of Kolbian Marian Spirituality and the Marian Dogmas of Coredemptrix and Mediatrix, and the promotion of Our Lady of America. Here is an excerpt:
Recently you participated in an ordination to the priesthood of some Franciscans of the Immaculate at Tarquinia, north of Rome, according to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite (the old rite). It is not very often that one sees a senior Churchman celebrating so solemn a ceremony according to the extraordinary form. What was your reason for doing this?
Burke: First of all, I have celebrated a number of priesthood ordinations according to the extraordinary form. One very beautiful one took place in Saint Louis in June of 2007, on the feast of the Sacred Heart. When the Friars of the Immaculate requested that I celebrate the ordinations according to the extraordinary form, I was happy to accept because I have known them for a long time, and they staff the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at La Crosse.
To put it another way, I have never tried to downplay or hide in any way my strong support of what Pope Benedict XVI has asked the Church to do in Summorum Pontificum, and what his predecessor, the servant of God John Paul II asked us to do in Ecclesia Dei adflicta, but rather to accept their liturgical direction fully and wholeheartedly.In responding to a request like this from the Franciscans of the Immaculate, do you have any sympathy with the Kolbean Marian theology which is their charism, and its current manifestation, in pushing for a final Marian dogma of Our Lady as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix?
Burke: I certainly am very sympathetic to the Kolbean theology by which I have been enriched for many years. The first papal ceremony that I ever attended, as a first-year seminarian at the Pontifical North American College, was the beatification of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and I have had the blessing over the years to get to know his writings and to visit the sacred places of his heroic life and death in Poland. I am certainly very steeped in the whole spirituality of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as the way to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is through our union of heart with Mary, and our striving to imitate her, that is, our making our hearts like hers, that she brings us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
With regard to the fifth Marian dogma as it is often called, for my part, I believe it to be part of the ordinary teaching of the Church. Although I have no special competence in the area, I certainly am supportive of such a declaration. The teaching is part of my faith. (… read more here)
Ave Maria!
