Summorum Pontificum
Here it is, babe. Someone emailed me an English translation, but I'm sure it will be available online soon.
Oh, here it is on the USCCB site.
The Big Z has the big scoop, so check it out here. Here are my favorite parts:
As a result, it is unacceptable to suggest that these provisions were made merely to accommodate a bunch of nostalgic old fogies who can’t get with the program. The provisions were made with anyone in mind who wants older forms, for any decent reason. People who want to avail of this extraordinary use are not second rate citizens.
They may not be treated any longer like the nutty aunt in the attic.
This is only bad news for all those people who want to be treated like nutty aunts. (ACLU lawyers, call your offices.)
The issue the Triduum and this reasonable restriction has nothing to do with the prayer about the Jews on Good Friday. This is simply a matter of what the Church’s logical practice is based on the sacred nature of those Triduum liturgies. The Jews were not part of the equation. Remember also that the 1962 Missale Romanum is used for the Triduum in those places where it will be permitted to use the older form at that time. The 1962 edition and not some earlier edition before the changes to those Good Friday petitions.
Uh, yeah. I've been subscribing to a Google news alert for keywords "pope, latin, mass" for about a year now. There are not just a few that warn about how upset the Jews may be about this. But I already blogged about that canard.
Everything goes into effect on September 14. This seems like it will be a big development. I'm guardedly optimistic; I have a Priest friend who celebrates the Latin Mass who has told me that he doesn't believe it will change anything. The only reason he gave was the Pope isn't strong enough to battle the bishops, so we'll have to wait and see.
i've been to one tridentine mass in my life. it was actually startling how foreign it was. also, i felt self-conscious b/c i didn't have a mantilla and 8 kids with me. pat buchanan was there, he's very tall.
ReplyDeleteI've never been, but I am excited. I am going to wear a mantilla too. It will go with my filthy rags. I think I could scrounge up 8 kids if I hit enough neighbors. No one will know that they are not mine.
ReplyDeleteMy pastor has been getting us ready. Our Mass is about 1/4 in Latin. He knew all the time. Pauli, do I need a sword or some kind of weapon to wear to Mass? Where can I get Latin lessons? Can we drive the musicians out? Can we get medieval on the heretics again? I got some old blacksmith tools that can pull double duty! I don't know what to do first. Oh, I have a bunch of CAT-5 that will make excellent scourges!
It will be nice to have a more widespread use of the mass in Latin. One of the main reasons being it serves as a way of enforcing the Universality of our church.
ReplyDeleteI'm guardedly optimistic; I have a Priest friend who celebrates the Latin Mass who has told me that he doesn't believe it will change anything. The only reason he gave was the Pope isn't strong enough to battle the bishops, so we'll have to wait and see.
ReplyDeleteIt appears the Pope has accounted for the possibility of uncooperative bishops:
Art. 7. Where some group of lay faithful, mentioned in art.5 §1 does not obtain what it requests from the pastor, it should inform the diocesan Bishop of the fact. The Bishop is earnestly requested to grant their desire. If he cannot provide for this kind of celebration, let the matter be referred to the Pontifical
Commission Ecclesia Dei.
Then again, and assuming the USCCB's translation is accurate (har har), this provision says "If he cannot provide...", not "If he will not provide..."
Eight kids are weapon enough. But you can maybe slip a dagger into your enormous missal.
ReplyDeleteGo around spitting a lot, too. That will keep the devil away, of course, but also will chase away the novus ordo people and won't phase the other trads. (Better mention I'm kidding here... I might have some new readers....)
This seems like it will be a big development.
ReplyDeleteNot in my parish. Announcements were made at today's Masses that we'll wait and see what the Archbishop has to say about it, but that the long pole seems to be the priest's knowing how to offer Mass according to the 1962 Missal, and we don't have a priest like that here.
Of course, there's a weekly indult Tridentine Mass -- which I guess will become something like an extraordinary use personal parish on or about the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross -- four miles down the road, so ours may be an unusual situation looked at from any direction.
If it does turn out to be a big development, I'd guess it will be principally in terms of "the Missal of Paul VI [demonstrating], more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the former usage," with the regularization of SSPX being a secondary development and the regular attendance of a significant portion of the faithful at 1962 Missal Masses a distant and improbable third. But that may just be my own bias talking.
Tom, please feel free to continue commenting on this, bias or no. My belief is that everybody is biased -- at least we talkative blogosphere denizens are biased -- about the liturgy in one way or fifty others.
ReplyDeleteI think there will be plenty of places where the new rules don't make a big splash. My parish priest mentioned to me personally how those who can say the Latin Mass are few and far between nowadays.
But the more you know about the "underground Latin community", the more you appreciate the clarity the Pope has brought here. Rumor was several years back that priests from the FSSP were going to be "forced" by ordinaries to celebrate the Novus Ordo mass by bishops hungry to have the new guys in their parish due to the priest shortage. Now it seems to me the case for this will be weaker. For example, lay people request a extraordinary Latin rite mass at 5 different parishes. The pastors shoot back "Whoops, no qualified priests." Along shows up a young priest who is qualified. All of a sudden, he has plenty of "work", so to speak, and there isn't even a need to keep him busy with the Novus Ordo Mass.
But this is all coming from a guy immersed in the world of business and markets. The Church has rules and dynamics of its own. I do think this will help curb the "crazy aunt in the attic" dynamic, at least I hope it does. We'll have to wait and see, and in the meantime jump around a lot and wave our arms and argue.
Oh, yeah, and pray of course.