“Bishop” of Fort Worth, TX, Forbids Traditional Latin Mass at Fisher-More College

Novus Ordo traditionalists in shock…

“Bishop” of Ft. Worth, Texas, Forbids Traditional Latin Mass at Fisher-More College

UPDATE 3/7/14 13:37 GMT

• The Reason Why “Bishop” Olson punished Fisher-More College: The Dudley Lecture

UPDATES 3/6/14 23:20 GMT

• Fisher-More Official Statement on Financial Management of College & Recent Transactions
• Fisher-More Official Statement of the Board of Visitors
• Fisher-More Official Statement of President Michael King

UPDATES 3/5/14 00:24 GMT

• Official Fisher-More Post: “The Traditional Mass is Essential to Our College”
• Dr. Taylor Marshall (former professor at Fisher-More) and Louie Verrecchio Weigh In
• Steve Skojec on the “Fort Worth Affair”
• The “Catholic World Report” on the Fisher-More/TLM Controversy
• “It’s about the Precedent, not People” – Rorate Caeli Responds to Recent Objections

UPDATE 3/4/14 02:25 GMT

• Fisher-More College Begins Issuing Official Responses (click)

UPDATES 3/4/14 01:09 GMT

Since Rorate Caeli first broke the story, a number of other bloggers have chimed in, and some of them have contributed substantial background information to the case at hand:

• Fisher-More’s Internal Problems, Theological Position To Blame? (Make sure you also read the comments)
• Appealing to Summorum Pontificum may not help here (Mr. Zuhlsdorf’s take)

ORIGINAL STORY:

The oils barely dry from his invalid “episcopal consecration” in the Novus Ordo rite of Paul VI (see video of the event here), the new “bishop” of Fort Worth, Texas, Michael F. Olson, has shocked traditionalists in the Vatican II Sect: He has officially and expressly forbidden the Traditional Latin Mass to be offered at Fisher-More College, an educational beacon for conservative Novus Ordos and Indult/Resistance Traditionalists, located in his diocese.

In an internet exclusive, the Rorate Caeli blog has reproduced a scan of the letter from “Bp.” Olson forbidding the use of the “Extaordinary Form” of the Holy Mass at Fisher-More. Click here to access it.

It is to be noted that the Ft. Worth Modernist-In-Chief, Mr. Olson, gives no reason for his refusal to allow what we are loosely referring to here as the “Traditional Latin Mass” (even though, to be technically correct, it is merely the 2007 version of the 1962 Roncalli Missal and typically celebrated only by invalid Novus Ordo “priests”). Even so, the college web site has announced that the daily Mass schedule is suspended “effective immediately and until further notice.”

Not surprisingly, Olson was appointed to his position by “Pope” Francis, a mere few weeks ago. Francis himself has sneered at the Traditional Mass as merely a “fad” for the young and “nostalgia” for the elderly, is known to have suppressed it in his former archdiocese of Buenos Aires, and is a long-time purveyor of Novus Ordo liturgical chaos (see links at end of this post for examples). Furthermore, Francis has been tyrannizing the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate via his henchman “Fr.” Fidenzio Volpi, harshly punishing them for even just slightly leaning in a traditional direction.

It will be very interesting to see what happens now. According to Benedict XVI’s 2007 Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, the local bishop does not have the right to forbid the 1962 Mass in his diocese because blanket permission for its use has been given by the “Pope” himself. There is no doubt that the students, faculty, and supporters of Fisher-More College will take this case straight to the Vatican to be ultimately decided there. All eyes, therefore, will be on Francis. What will this Modernist hater of true Catholicism and the Traditional Mass do? It will be a defining moment in the chaotic “pontificate” of Jorge Bergoglio.

“Bishop” Olson’s move against the “Extraordinary Form” of Mass, as it is called in the Novus Ordo Church, is completely unexpected and comes on the heels of a successful and heroic fundraising campaign undertaken by students and staff of Fisher-More to save their college from bankruptcy. In just one single week, they raised over $295,000 (see details here). This is what allowed them to keep their college open; else is would have closed down.

One may be permitted to speculate if this move by Mr. Olson is perhaps the fruit of calculated sabotage behind the scenes by more people than merely the local ordinary. Fisher-More College is about the most “traditional” and anti-Modernist you can get within the confines of the Vatican II Sect and clearly a thorn in the side of many. Since the college beat the odds and survived financially, is this now simply the next attempt to essentially shut it down or at least make it a lot less desirable to traditionalists who recognize the false Modernist hierarchy?

Fisher-More College is almost unique in the Vatican II Church. The faculty take the Oath Against Modernism as prescribed by Pope St. Pius X in 1910 (and invalidly rescinded by “Pope” Paul VI in 1967). Exactly how they square this oath with their simultaneous adherence to the Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar magisterium is anyone’s guess, but it is clear that they intend to be anti-Modernist, and this ought not to be glossed over.

So, let us be clear: Novus Ordo Watch does not in any way “endorse” Fisher-More College, as, regardless of good intentions, it is firmly tied to the false Novus Ordo Church, operates under its auspices, and uses invalidly-ordained “clergy”, thus offering bogus “sacraments.” At the same time, we acknowledge that it takes time, study, and lots of prayer for people to sort through all these things and figure them out, and the Modernists opposing what Fisher-More is trying to do are as much our enemies as they are the enemies of Fisher-More.

What we see here is but the latest episode in the impossible struggle of good-willed traditionalists who are stuck in the confines of the Vatican II Sect to be Catholic in an anti-Catholic church. Based, as it is, on the false premise that a Modernist can hold authority in the Catholic Church, any attempts in this regard are ultimately doomed to failure.

The only solution is to finally recognize that Mr. Olson and any other “authority” in the Novus Ordo religion holds no authority over Catholics whatsoever, is not a bishop, and is not a member of the Catholic Church established by our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

Image sources: fwdioc.org / fishermore.edu (modified)
Licenses: fair use / fair use