If you have been reading GetReligion for a decade or so, you have probably seen references to the “tmatt trio,” a set of short questions I have long used to probe the doctrinal fault lines inside Christian hierarchies, institutions and flocks.
A dozen years ago or so, a website called “Religious Left Online” — it appears that site is now dead — even offered up a fun GetReligion drinking game that suggested that these topics, and others, could win readers a shot class of adult substances:
• Terry Mattingly mentioning his TMatt trio
• Someone taking a shot at contemporary Christian music, while also trying to defend it.
• Criticizing the evil, liberal agenda of the NYT and WP, while promoting the LAT.
Isn’t that wild? That was so long ago that The Los Angeles Times was an elite source for religion-beat news.
Why bring up the “trio” right now? Well, for starters because it was discussed during this week’s Crossroads podcast (click here to tune that in). But here’s the news: Our discussion of the recent Amazonian Synod in Rome worked through the “trio” and then added a fourth doctrinal issue.
First things first: What are the “trio” questions? Let me stress that these are doctrinal, not political, questions that I have discussed over the years with many researchers, including the late George Gallup, Jr. The goal is not to hear sources provide specific answers, but to pay close attention to the content of their answers or non-answers. Here are the three questions, once again:
(1) Are biblical accounts of the resurrection of Jesus accurate? Was this a real – even if mysterious – event in real time? Did it really happen?
(2) Is salvation found through Jesus Christ, alone? Is Jesus the Way or a way?
(3) Is sex outside of the Sacrament of Marriage a sin? The key word is sin.
Now, there came a time — in the age of Gaia environmental theology — that I needed to turn the “trio” into a “quadrilateral.” This happened several times while covering Anglican issues, leading to this question:
(4) Should Anglican leaders ban the worship, by name, of other gods at their altars?
This brings us back to the Pachamama debates that loomed over the recent Amazon synod, along with the theological streams — many with headwaters in Germany — that influenced many Vatican discussions of environment and spiritual traditions linked to Mother Earth.
We could talk about those carved statues, identified as images of Pachamama by Pope Francis (although he didn’t use the term goddess), that ended up being thrown in the Tiber by a Catholic traditionalist. The pope stressed that these images were not being used in an “idolatrous” way, even when placed inside sacred Catholic sanctuaries in Rome and used as objects of veneration and meditation.
There were rumors that the statues would appear, somehow, in the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica that would close the synod. That turned out not to be the case.
But the Pachamama issue surfaced again, drawing attention from independent Catholic media — but not from the mainstream press. Hold that thought, because we will return to it.
So what DID happen during that very symbolic Mass?
Let’s look at some material from a clearly conservative, traditional Catholic source, the Inside The Vatican online newsletter written by Robert Moynihan. This passage contains information about timing points in the official video of the rite, as seen above. The key moment comes as the elements — wine and hosts — are brought to the altar for use in the Holy Eucharist.
The offertory comes 56 minutes into the video.
At 56:30 the young woman brings the plant as an offering to the Pope.
At 56:40, the Pope turns to [Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini] and speaks to him as he hands the plant to him.
At 56:45, Marini immediately turns and sets the plant on the corner of the altar. It is never moved.
At the very end of the video, at 1:32:38, the camera focuses on the plant and zooms in on it for about 12 seconds, then cuts to the cross above the baldacchino and the program ends.
What was going on here, liturgically speaking?
Moynihan did some online research and found this information about a rite honoring Pachamama:
“If it is difficult for you to move to a natural space to offer to Mother Earth, do not worry, you can perform your own ritual at home:
— Use a bottle or flower pot full of dirt, there you proceed to make a hole, it is recommended to do it with your hands to connect with the energy of the ritual.
— A kind of well is made, and food and drinks are poured for the enjoyment of the Pachamama.
— The food option is extensive, one can place anything from fruits to Creole foods and seeds. In the case of drinks, chicha, natural juices, honey, wine, even coca leaves are suggested. Then we proceed to cover it with dirt and flowers. …
“You should never miss something red, it is the favorite color of the Pacha!
So here is the question: Was an offering to Pachamama placed on the altar in St. Peter in order to be blessed — along with bread and wine — as part of the Mass? And here is a logical follow-up of a strictly factual nature: Are there any canon laws that describe what can and what cannot be blessed on a Catholic altar during the most sacred part of the Mass?
Moynihan send these kinds of questions to Vatican authorities and received this response:
Dear Sir,
In reference to your e-mail, we wish to inform you that there is no particular information about the plant; we only know that it was planted at the beginning of the Synod and delivered to the offertory to adorn the altar.
Wishing you every good in the Lord, we send cordial greetings.
The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff
Moynihan’s post concludes by saying: “To be continued.”
What’s the point? I will state again what I wrote earlier here at GetReligion: At this point Catholic progressives and conservatives are literally asking if Pope Francis and liturgists linked to him have violated the first item in the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me.”
That’s a pretty hostile question and, of course, Moynihan is a Catholic conservative — who works in alternative Catholic media, the kind of media being blasted by supporters of Pope Francis.
At the same time, this is certainly a newsworthy question. It would be interesting to know how Vatican officials would respond if asked that question by reporters from, oh, the BBC, The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, etc.
Why ask? Well, the pot of earth and flowers is right there in the video. There isn’t any question that this happened. The question is this: In terms of Catholic law and theology, what did this liturgical action mean?
If mainstream reporters asked that question, would that mean that they have joined in a great conservative Catholic conspiracy to attack this pope?
Just asking. Enjoy the podcast.
ybvdadminuser
