What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

With an irritated flick of my biretta at Gerald over at the Cafeteria, which is not only closed, but nearing demolition (14 Sept) ) I present the following.  o{]>:¬(    I am not irritated at Gerald, of course. 

Let’s see what the fired editor of America has to say.  Emphases and comments mine.

Thomas Reese weighs in on the Latin Mass

Thomas J. Reese, S.J. has an interesting spin on the Latin Mass. Here it is:

"Much fuss is being made over the rumor that the Tridentine Mass is allegedly going to be “restored.” If anything happens, and it probably will, the decision will have more to do with power and politics than Latin and liturgy. [For all feminists it’s always about power.]

"The issue is not Latin in the liturgy. Any priest can say the current Catholic liturgy in Latin. Nor is the issue the Tridentine or pre-Vatican II mass. Any priest, with the permission of his bishop, can say the Tridentine Latin mass.

"The real issue is the power of local bishop to decide [As I said.  Most of concern was about the power of the bishops, not whether this was the right thing to do or not.] whether the Tridentine mass will be said in his diocese. Right now, a local bishop has the power to approve or not approve the use of the Tridentine mass in his diocese. [That they were not so generous brought this present situation on.] Under current practice, a priest or a group of people petition the bishop to allow them to use the Tridentine mass. [Or… the bishop could do it on his own without a petition.] He then investigates the situation and decides on pastoral grounds whether it is a good idea or not. Often he will require that the petitioners state that they accept the new liturgy and Vatican II as legitimate.

"Some bishops, especially in France, have said no because they judge that the petitioners reject the reforms of Vatican II and are divisive in their dioceses. If the pope issues a Motu proprio allowing the use of the Tridentine mass without the local bishop’s permission, he is basically saying that he does not trust the pastoral judgment of the bishops. Those who have been fighting the bishops over the Tridentine mass will celebrate this as a victory over the bishops. [Not if the bishop takes charge of the situation from the very beginning.]

"Some in the Vatican, including Benedict, hope that allowing free use of the Tridentine mass will make possible reunion with Society of St. Pius X, the schismatic group started by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. The leaders of the group, however, have indicated that their rejection of Vatican II goes way beyond the vernacular liturgy.

"Some in the Vatican hope that greater use of the Tridentine mass will undermine support for the Lefebvrite leaders and bring some of the society’s members back into union with the Catholic Church.  [That is what happens where bishops have been generous with the older form of Mass.]

"Rumors that the Tridentine Mass was giong to be made more easily available date back to the papacy of John Paul II. So far the bishops have been able to fight it off, but the record shows that when it is an issue of papal power versus episcopal power, the Vatican usually wins. [Right, because for men like Reese, this is seen through the lens of power and conflict.] Other than embarrassing the bishops and pastors who have opposed wider use of the Tridentine mass, the Motu proprio will probably have little effect since public opinion polls show overwhelming support for the new liturgy among Catholics." 

 

 

 Let’s go back to His Excellency Reverendissmo Mons. Luca Brandolini, Bishop of Sora-Aquino-Pontecorvo.   I tip my biretta to Diogenes for the additional article.  o{]:¬

My emphases and comments.

The Italian daily Il Giornale scored an interview with the President of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei".  This Commission will figure big in the implementation of Summorum Pontificum.

There is nothing terribly interesting or new in most of the interview.  The questions run along the predictable, as do the responses, though they are worded more strongly some we have seen.

This is a good reminder, however.  After the Cardinal is asked, probably for the zillionth time, about the prayer about the conversion of the Jews on Good Friday, we get:

Still, there are groups that are now reprinting old missals having precisely that text…

It would be better if there weren’t confusion about this point.  The only authorized Missal, also the the celebration of the Easter Triduum, which will be able to be one in parishes, is that of 1962.

Two things about that. 

First, as the Cardinal says, only the 1962 Missal is to be used.  That means following the 1962 rubrics.  That means no Second Confiteor and various other points.  However, there are those who say the old Mass but are doing things from before the 1962 Missal.

Second, the Cardinal states that the Triduum can be done in parishes.  There are reports going around that the older use of Mass won’t be possible at all during the Triduum.  That is not accurate.  When it is a case of the older and new uses being celebrated in the same place, during the Triduum the older extraordinary use will have to give way to the newer ordinary use.  Otherwise, in places where the older use is exclusive, as in a parish or oratory set up by a bishop soley for the extraordinary use of the Roman Rite, there will be no problem to use the 1962 Missale for the Triduum.  But it has to be the 1962 Missale: it is illicit even now to use the Triduum ceremonies from before Pius XII’s reform in 1955.

n. 160 del 2007-07-08 pagina 15

«Decisione che spalanca le porte al ritorno dei fedeli lefebvriani»
di Redazione

da Roma

È il cardinale che ha tessuto pazientemente le trattative con i lefebvriani e ha seguito i gruppi tradizionalisti. Darío Castrillón Hoyos, presidente della commissione «Ecclesia Dei» è il più stretto collaboratore di Benedetto XVI su questi temi.

Che significato ha la decisione del Papa?

«La lettera del Pontefice è chiara. È una decisione che scaturisce dal cuore e dall’intelligenza di un Papa che ama e conosce bene la liturgia. Vuole che si conservi il patrimonio rappresentato dalla liturgia antica, senza che questo significhi alcuna contrapposizione con la nuova Messa. A Roma sono arrivate migliaia di lettere da parte di chi chiedeva la libertà di poter partecipare al vecchio rito».

C’è chi ha detto che così Ratzinger «sbeffeggia» il Concilio…

«In nessun modo e con nessuna espressione Benedetto XVI è andato o va in una direzione diversa da quella indicata dal Concilio. La nuova Messa continua ad essere il rito romano ordinario. Nel Motu proprio e nella lettera papale non c’è nulla che segni un seppur minimo distacco dal Concilio. Forse vale la pena ricordare che il Vaticano II non ha proibito l’antica Messa, che è stata celebrata dai padri conciliari durante le assise. Nessuno sbeffeggio, nessuno schiaffo. È un venire incontro alle esigenze di gruppi di fedeli, un atto di liberalità».

È un atto di continuità o di rottura rispetto ai pontificati di Montini e Wojtyla?

«Non c’è contrapposizione. Paolo VI concesse subito dopo l’entrata in vigore del nuovo messale la possibilità di celebrare col vecchio rito e Papa Wojtyla intendeva preparare un Motu proprio simile a quello ora promulgato».

L’autorità del vescovo viene minata?

«Chi l’ha sostenuto, l’ha fatto sulla base di un preconcetto perché il ruolo del vescovo è assicurato, il diritto canonico non cambia. Spetta al pastore della diocesi coordinare la liturgia, in armonia con l’ordinatore supremo del culto divino, che è il Papa. In caso di problemi, il vescovo interverrà, sempre in consonanza con le disposizioni stabilite dal Motu proprio. Sono certo che la sensibilità pastorale dei vescovi troverà la strada per favorire l’unità della Chiesa, aiutando ad evitare uno scisma».

Come la mettiamo con la preghiera del Venerdì Santo dedicata agli ebrei?

«Il messale autorizzato è quello del 1962, promulgato da Giovanni XXIII, nel quale le espressioni “perfidis judaeis” e “judaica perfidia” erano già state cancellate».

Eppure ci sono gruppi che ora ripubblicano vecchi messali contenenti proprio quei testi…

«Sarebbe bene che non ci fosse confusione in merito. L’unico messale autorizzato, anche per la celebrazione del Triduo pasquale, che potrà essere fatta nelle parrocchie, è quello del 1962».

Prevede difficoltà?

«Non conosco, nella storia della Chiesa, alcun momento in cui si sono prese decisioni importanti senza difficoltà. Ma auspico vivamente che possano essere affrontate e superate, con l’approccio suggerito dal Papa nella sua lettera».

Dopo questa decisione la fine della rottura con i lefebvriani è più vicina?

«Con questo Motu proprio si spalanca la porta per un ritorno alla piena comunione della Fraternità San Pio X. Se dopo questo atto non avviene questo ritorno, davvero non lo saprei capire. Vorrei però precisare che il documento papale non è stato fatto per i lefebvriani, ma perché il Papa è convinto della necessità di sottolineare che c’è una continuità nella tradizione e che nella Chiesa non si procede per fratture. L’antica Messa non è stata mai abolita né proibita».

 

Over at Amy’s I was clued into the reaction if His Excellency Most Reverend Salvatore R. Matano, Bishop of Burlington.

His Excellency’s response has some interesting points.

Before anything else, take careful notice of this:

Desirous of fulfilling the pastoral needs of those who seek the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy according to the rite of the 1962 Roman Missal, I will celebrate Holy Mass in this extraordinary form on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2007, at Saint Joseph’s Co-Cathedral at 7:00pm.

This is exactly what needs to be done.  If any bishop would ever worry about authority and possible problems, then lead by example.  When a bishop gets involved in the older form of Mass, what Fr. X is doing suddenly pales. The moon isn’t so bright when the sun is shining, after all.

Let’s get into this Letter from His Excellency.  I can’t say it is all bad, but not everything in it is good.  There are problems.

My emphases and comments.

Letter to the Faithful on Summorum Pontificum (The care of the Supreme Pontiffs for Divine Worship): On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970. The Most Reverend Salvatore R. Matano 9th Bishop of Burlington July 6th, 2007

My Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on July 7, 2007, promulgated his Apostolic Letter, in the form of “Motu Proprio”, Summorum Pontificum (The care of the Supreme Pontiffs for Divine Worship): On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970. In this Apostolic Letter, the Holy Father explains two forms for celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the Holy Mass: an ordinary form, as contained in the Missale Romanum (Roman Missal) of Paul VI, which is the liturgy now commonly celebrated in our churches, and an extraordinary form, which is the rite contained in the Missale Romanum promulgated by Pope Saint Pius V and published again by Blessed John XXIII, and which is the Latin Mass celebrated prior to the reform of 1970.  Pope Benedict XVI points out that these two forms make up the Liturgy of the one Roman Rite.

            Noting the above, the Holy Father has asked the Diocesan Bishops throughout the world, since each is the moderator of the liturgy in his own Diocese (cf. Sacrosanctium Concilium, 22; Letter of Pope Benedict XVI Accompanying the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum, p.3), to make the extraordinary form available to the faithful where there is “a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language.” (Ibid., p.2).  [Respectfully, the degree of liturgical formation and knowledge of the Latin language are not specified by the Holy Father, in the letter or the Motu Proprio. Would the faithful have to demonstrate knowledge of Latin and liturgical formation before they could have the older Mass?   Is there going to be a test?  Would the same be applied to Latin celebrations of the Novus Ordo?  If people would have to show their knowledge and formation, would that not make any Mass in Latin a desirable goal, a sign of successful implementation of Sacrosanctum Concilium?  Sacrosanctum Concilium 54 requires that pastors of souls teach their flocks to sing and respond in Latin and their mother tongue.  Is setting the bar high for Masses in Latin an admission that Mass in the vernacular is okay for those who aren’t educated and aren’t well formed in matters liturgical?  But that can’t be the case.] Our Holy Father notes that the present vernacular celebration of the Sacred Liturgy “continues to be the normal form—the Forma ordinaria – of the Eucharistic Liturgy.” (Ibid. p.1).

            In making the extraordinary form available (1962 Roman Missal), Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged that: “Many people who clearly accepted the binding character of the Second Vatican Council, and were faithful to the Pope and the Bishops, nonetheless also desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them.  This occurred above all because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently lead to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear.” (Ibid p. 2).  [If there were no abuses in the Novus Ordo, if from the beginning the books had been followed in a spirit of continuity rather than of rupture, we wouldn’t be talking about Summorum Pontificum today!]

            In essence, with this Apostolic Letter our Holy Father is calling for a renewed solemn and reverential celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  Whether celebrated in the ordinary formextraordinary form, or the the Eucharist is for us the real presence of Jesus Christ in our midst, His very body, blood, soul and divinity.  As one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, Supreme Pastor and Vicar of Christ, is asking “that the Church of Christ offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty ‘for the praise and glory or his name’ and ‘for the good of all his Holy Church.’” (Summorum Pontificum, p. 1).

            With filial devotion and obedience to our Holy Father, I will consult with our Council of Priests and the Deans to determine the most suitable manner for making the extraordinary form of the Sacred Liturgy available to those who request it in accordance with paragraph two above, namely that there is “a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language.”  [Again, is there going to be a test?    Shall we begin with a test in Latin for the Council of Priests and Deans?   Frankly, I don’t think this is in the spirit or letter of Summorum Pontificum.  Art. 2 says any priest of the Latin rite can use the older Missale without any permission from the Ordinary.  Art. 4 says people may attend it, with due observance of law – which probably means the parish and people aren’t under interdict or excommunicated or the liturgical calendar permits celebrations, etc.  Art. 5.1 states that the PASTOR of the parish makes the determinations about public celebrations and he is to be willing so long as everything is working harmoniously for the good of the parish and avoid discord.  Art. 5.3 says the PASTOR permits public celebrations.  Art. 5.5 says that rectors make these determinations where there is a rector instead of a pastor.  There is no indication in Summorum Pontificum the bishop makes these determinations in the parishes.  I want to read His Excellency’s statement that he will consult the Council of Priests to mean that he is looking for ways to be supportive of the pastors who will make determinations.  The fact that the bishop will celebrate the older form in the cathedral must be taken as a good sign.]

            To effectively implement this Apostolic Letter, I ask for patience on the part of all.  To celebrate the extraordinary form of the Sacred Liturgy with the proper reverence and honor it merits, careful preparation is needed.  It is now over thirty years since this venerable rite has been celebrated in our Diocese.  Thus, pastors able to celebrate the extraordinary form must reacquaint themselves with its rubrics.  Also, servers must be properly trained, as well as choirs and cantors.  [Fair enough.  We don’t want slop.  We want things to go well.  Perhaps what are needed are diocesan sponsored workshops, perhaps at the Cathedral, where the bishop can teach priests how to do it properly.  No, really.  Bishops should take charge of this and lead by example.   Control the situation.  Don’t be forced to react to what comes about in parishes as a result of poor preparation.]  At the same time, due to a severe shortage of priests, the first duty of the Bishop and the pastors is to make the Eucharistic Sacrifice available to as many people as possible, using the rite that is understood by the majority of the faithful in attendance. [This begs the question of how well people understand what is going on at Mass with the Novus Ordo.  Vernacular is not enough to assume people are getting it.  We need a deep deep liturgical catechesis across the board.  The older form will be of great help in this.] In this regard, Pope Benedict XVI notes: “It is clearly seen that the new Missal will certainly remain the ordinary form of the Roman Rite, not only on account of the juridical norms, but also because of the actual situation of the communities of the faithful.” (Accompanying Letter, op. cit., p.2).  When this fundamental need is met, attention can be given to significant numbers of the faithful who seek the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Eucharistic Liturgy.  [Is a numbers driven thing?  Summorum Pontificum talks about "groups" of the faithful: coetus fidelium.  No certain size is required.]

            However, at this very moment it is possible for parts of the Mass to be sung in Latin, [It is possible for ALL OF THE MASS to be in Latin, even the readings.  Every single word, spoken or sung, in the Novus Ordo can be in Latin.] such as the Gloria, Creed, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, as well as appropriate Latin hymns from the Church’s vast treasury of liturgical music and Gregorian Chant.  This use of the Latin language in the Sacred Liturgy can provide an appropriate bridge [Fair enough.  Let’s get Novus Ordo Masses going in Latin too, right away.] between the ordinary and extraordinary forms of celebrating the Divine Mysteries of our Redemption in Christ until the implementation of the extraordinary form.  [The provisions of Summorum Pontificum go into effect at midnight the morning of 14 September.  If at midnight, Father the Pastor of St. Ipsidipsy happens to be strolling outside the church and a group of faithful of any size happens to be coming back after a parish curling tournament, and they happen to ask the pastor for the "Tridentine" Mass, Father the Pastor could say, "Yes, my dear little sheep.  Come into the church for an extraordinary experience."  Father the Pastor can do this on his own initiative.  THAT is what Summorum Pontificum says.]

            Desirous of fulfilling the pastoral needs of those who seek the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy according to the rite of the 1962 Roman Missal, I will celebrate Holy Mass in this extraordinary form on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2007, at Saint Joseph’s Co-Cathedral at 7:00pm.  [Excellent!  And this a full month BEFORE the MP goes into force.  This is what we need.  I remind everyone that any bishop RIGHT NOW can implement in his diocese everything in Summorum Pontificum with the flick of a pen.  Since 1988 he can give every priest faculties for the old Mass and sacraments.  Since 1988, he can set up parishes or oratories or religious institutes.   The bishop has held all the cards, all this time, and still does until 14 September.  Then some, not all, the cards will change.] This celebration will invoke our Mother Mary’s intercession, asking that all we do to celebrate Her Son’s presence among us will bring glory to His name and harmony and peace among His people.

            In closing, let us remind ourselves that the Eucharist is the August Sacrament of Unity, intended to unite us in faith and in love for one another.  Let us approach our Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter in this spirit.

            Asking the Lord’s blessing upon us as we seek to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries of our salvation with devotion and hearts filled with praise and thanksgiving, I remain,                            

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

The Most Reverend Salvatore R. Matano
Bishop of Burlington

This is from the blog of South Ashford Priest:

Kindly take note of the bottle, no doubt chilled, of Veuve Clicquot!

And from The Hermeneutic of Continuity we see the great Fr. Finigan with folks of the parish and… again… The Widow ... in two uses ... of the Champagne Rite.  Or is another bottle tucked behind?

 

 

Do you remember my discussion about “reading” Mass, as an old way of describing a priest “celebrating” Mass?


Try this… the article is shallow, but there is a gem in it.

Pope ends Latin Mass restriction

Pope Benedict has lifted restrictions on celebrating the Latin Tridentine Mass, pleasing some traditionalists.

The Latin Mass was largely abandoned in the 1960s, as part of reforms to make Catholicism more relevant to its worldwide congregation.

Traditionalists wanted to bring the Mass back, though some Jewish groups opposed it because of a prayer calling for their conversion.

The Pope denied claims the reversal could cause a schism in the Church.

Rift-healing

The late Pope John Paul II partially relaxed the prohibition in the 1980s, allowing bishops discretionary powers to let priests celebrate Mass in Latin if members of the congregation asked for it.

The Pope wanted to heal a rift with ultra-traditionalists who rebelled against Second Vatican Council changes.

The Church believes the majority of its congregation will continue to hear Mass in their local languages.

Catholic commentator John L Allen told the BBC in April he did not believe there would be much call for the Mass – and 40 years after the Second Vatican Council, there would be few priests able to read it.

Do you remember when guys like me were being called "ultraconservative Tridentine Rite spin doctors"? (Brush up on that here.)
Well the disk can spin the other direction too.
As a good example of the sort of dopey stuff we will read I offer this for your consideration (my emphases and comments):

What’s Latin for ‘No one is happy?’ [I guess he’s really qualified to write about this…  One way to say it is Nemo quisquam contentus.]

Pope Benedict XVI’s revival of the old Latin Mass on Saturday doesn’t seem to make anyone happy. [I’m happy…. but in their eyes, I am no one.]

The pontiff is not trying to replace the New Mass (which is over 40 years old, but "new" in Roman Catholic Church years), [got that right] but is making the Latin Mass available to priests who have a "stable group of faithful" who wish to go old school.  [Lot’s of us consider it new school.]

Italian bishop Luca Brandolini [Bishop of Sora-Aquino-Pontecorvo ] was quite unhappy about the Pope’s announcement.

    "It’s a day of mourning, not just for me but for the many people who worked for the Second Vatican Council.  [Like, for example… Joseph Ratzinger, who probably was weeping on 7-7-07] A reform for which many people worked, [Hmmm… so how’s Mass attendance these days?  Lot’s of confessions?  How ‘bout those seminarians… numerous?] with great sacrifice and only inspired by the desire to renew the Church, has now been cancelled."  [Always with the drama…]

It’s not just members of the Roman Catholic community who are criticizing the move. The Anti-Defamation League called the move a "body blow to Catholic-Jewish relations." The League is concerned about a prayer from the Good Friday Tridentine (Latin) Mass for the conversion of Jews.  [Well!  That’s settles it!]

The old prayer goes like this:

    For the conversion of Jews. Let us pray also for the Jews that the Lord our God may take the veil from their hearts and that they also may acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, you do not refuse your mercy even to the Jews; hear the prayers which we offer for the blindness of that people so that they may acknowledge the light of your truth, which is Christ, and be delivered from their darkness.

The New Mass for Good Friday has the following prayer:

    Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God, that they may continue to grow in the love of his name and in faithfulness to his covenant. Almighty and eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen to your church as we pray that the people you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption.

The move to make the Latin Mass available is aimed at appeasing [Yep….just a bunch of recalictrant brats who want to derail the wondrous renewal we have experienced over the last 40 years.] more conservative members of the Catholic Church, such as the one-million-member strong Society of Saint Pius X. But the group still needs to work out some doctrinal differences with the Vatican before everyone in the flock is satisfied.
What a dopey article.
So, no one is happy, huh?

Remarkably, I have not needed to bestow the Sour Grapes Award for a few days. Thanks!

Then I get this, via e-mail:

The Motu Mass Trap

Rev Anthony Cekada

Benedict XVI “liberates” the ‘62 Missal. Welcome to his rainbow!

Positive aspects:
Admission of failure.
Removing the stigma.
Cause of division.
Warning flares for trads.
Rubbing priests’ noses in the New Mass.
Intro to the real issues.

Negative aspects:
Co-opted by modernist subjectivism.
Side chapel in an ecumenical church.
Catholic rituals, modernist doctrines.
Non-priests offering invalid Masses.

Conclusions:
Invalid.
Part of a false religion.
Pure poison.

Okaaaaayyyy…. I think that qualifies!

Official Statement from the Diocese of Camden, NJ (USA).

STATEMENT OF THE DIOCESE OF CAMDEN

on Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Letter, Summorum Pontificum,

permitting the wider use of the 1962 Missal

The Holy Father in his Apostolic Letter recognizes the richness of the Church’s liturgical traditions and is sensitive to the pastoral needs of persons who are attached to the older form of the Mass.  He also affirms the normative place of the new Mass and, in his accompanying letter to the world’s bishops, the importance of the reforms called for by the Second Vatican Council.

While in strictly practical terms the Motu Proprio will not result in a change in the way most Catholics experience the Mass, the grant of a wider permission by the Holy Father for the celebration of the Mass published by Blessed John XXIII should be a source of healing for the Church, as it will promote respect, reconciliation and unity among those who are drawn to the two liturgical forms.     

It also is hoped that the Holy Father’s emphasis on the importance of reverent, well-celebrated liturgies will inspire everywhere liturgies of beauty and integrity, will promote the active participation of the faithful in the celebration of the Mass, and will enkindle a lively faith in the People of God.

It is almost as if they have been reading What Does The Prayer Really Say?

A little while ago I posted a link to the horrible Minneapolis Star-Tribune which ran a poll about whether or not the older form of Mass should be made more widely available. Remember the poll results?



Now there is a poll on AOL about the MP, but also one on the Church!!

The AOL poll is attached to a story written by the same Nicole Windfield of AP who wrote about the MP yesterday, quoting yours truly.  I was on the phone with her for a while pre-Motu Morning. In today’s AP piece on AOL, "Melissa Eddy in Berlin and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report."

Here are some of the memorable bits of this AP article.   Right off the bat, enjoy the title!  (My emphases and comments).  

Pope Angers Jews, Liberals With Rite

Conservatives Rejoice as Pontiff Revives Old Latin Mass

By NICOLE WINFIELD,

AP

Posted: 2007-07-07 23:16:06

VATICAN CITY (July 7) – Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday removed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass, reviving a rite that was all but swept away by the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council.  [Sounds about right.]

The decision, a victory for traditional, conservative Roman Catholics, came over the objections of liberal-minded Catholics and angered Jews [Hmmm… the enemy of my enemy is my friend?] because the Tridentine Mass contains a prayer for their conversion. [Dear EVERYONE: When hs the Church not prayed for coversion…. everyone’s conversion, even ongoing conversion of the converted?  The Church knews herself to be always reformanda… needing reform.  Why should Christians, who believe Jesus is God, and who find joy in believing that Jesus is God, and wanting all people everywhere to be joyful, not also want all people to be joyful in believing that Jesus is God?  And when we pray, do we not pray most intently for those closest to us?  Is it so unreasonable to pray that Jews be converted when we pray for our own ongoing conversion to a deeper faith in Christ?  I see that prayer as a sign of the Church’s love, an opening of a door more.]

...

The document upset Jews, since the Tridentine rite contains a prayer on Good Friday of Easter Week calling for their conversion. The Anti-Defamation League called the move a "body blow to Catholic-Jewish relations," the Jewish news agency JTA reported. [Sounds like All-Star Wrestling.]

The Simon Wiesenthal Center urged Benedict to publicly point out that such phrases "are now entirely contrary to the teaching of the church."  [But are they?  I don’t think so.  Also, I wonder if these statements are coming from devout, practicing Jews.  I don’t know and won’t speculate.  We know there are lots of "cultural Catholics" who make absurd calls upon the Church to do absurd and impossible things.  It is not a great leap to imagine that less than observant Jews might do what less than observant Catholics do: make impossible claims from the mistaken view that Catholics don’t have fixed beliefs or the right to express them in their integrity.]

...

The old rite differs significantly from the New Mass. In addition to the Latin, the prayers [not all] and readings are different, and the priest faces the altar, to be seen as leading the faithful in prayer.  [YES! YES! YES!  WAY TO GO NICOLE!   KUDOS FOR THE WRITER!  SHE GOT IT RIGHT!  high five the writer]

...

The document "doesn’t impose any return to the past, it doesn’t mean any weakening of the authority of the council nor the authority and responsibility of bishops," Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said.

However, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, the head of the French bishops’ conference, warned that the move will create divisions. "There will be resistance from both sides," he told Le Monde.

The liberal lay church group We Are Church [Remember what I said about about less than observant Catholics who make absurd and impossible demands?] said that the move represented a step back from Vatican II and could set an even more conservative direction for the church. It warned of a "new split within many parishes, diocese and finally the entire Roman Catholic Church."

"It is to be feared that while it appears to only be about the old Mass, in reality it is an attempt to set the Catholic Church on a new old course," the group said. [These angry folks are so clueless as to defy further comments.  They need to read this blog.]

Ricard, speaking on France-Info radio Saturday, said the move does not mean the entire church is becoming more fundamentalist. "Just because you have in a family a cousin who is a bit different, whom you tolerate and accept, doesn’t mean that the whole family adopts his positions or his way of life," he said.  [ROFL!!  This is GREAT!   Remember my "nutty aunt in the attic" description?  I almost… almost chose "idiot cousin" instead!   GMTA, n’est-ce pas?]

The document was welcomed by traditional Catholics who remained in good standing with Rome but simply preferred the Tridentine liturgy and have long complained that bishops had been stingy [yep] in allowing it, said Michael Dunnigan, chairman of Una Voce America, the largest lay organization in the United States dedicated to promoting wider access to the traditional Mass.

"The traditional Mass is a true a gem of the church’s heritage, and the Holy Father has taken the most important step toward making it available to many more of the faithful," he said.  [GOOD WORK!   Ends on a high note.]

Associated Press writers Melissa Eddy in Berlin and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.

Reuters has a piece about the Motu Proprio.  Yours truly is cited as one of a string of quips from various perspectives.  CNN.com picked up the Reuters article where you can read it in its entirety.

"The traditional Mass is a true a gem of the church’s heritage, and the Holy Father has taken the most important step toward making it available to many more of the faithful," said Michael Dunnigan, chairman of Una Voce America.

The Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, columnist for The Wanderer, a U.S. Catholic weekly, said: "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."

The schismatic Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), based in Switzerland, stressed it had to iron out doctrinal differences with the Vatican before a reconciliation could take place.

The decree made no change in the 1962 missal—the main prayer book for the old rite—which includes prayers on Good Friday for the conversion of the Jews.

"The language is insensitive. The language is insulting," said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, a U.S.-based Jewish civil rights group.

The Second Vatican Council repudiated the idea of collective Jewish guilt for Christ’s death. Relations improved markedly under Benedict’s predecessor, the late Pope John Paul II.

French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard said the Good Friday prayer could be changed if it caused difficulties with Jews. Church sources said it would rarely be prayed because the old rite was an exception and the new rite—which drops this text—would be used in most churches around the world on that day.

What I do appreciate is that the writer didn’t label The Wanderer with "conservative" or some other label.