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

Under the entry Summorum Pontificum: my intro comments and the text one Paul Dion, who inter alia is the theology editor for Parish World, takes Pope Benedict to task for the Motu Proprio. 

His comments exemplify some of the thought and attitudes of people who are opposed to Pope Benedict’s decsion.  He merits special focus:

I am an unabashed admirer of BXVI.  I have admired him since the late 50’s.  My admiration has never waned.  I admire him still, but I wholeheartedly disagree with him about his latest Motu Proprio.  I do not have a "mandatum", but I do have an STL, and I earned it by knowing Latin fluently. 

I have many reasons (about 4) that I can bring to the fore about why I am against this opinion of BXVI. 

You seem to be very sure of yourself in this matter. Since you have offered that you have an STL, could you kindly let us know in what field and from which institution?  I think it is germane to the discussion and you, after all, brought it up.  It will help me understand what your approach is.  A person steeped in liturgy will see this topic through a different lens than someone who studied pastoral theology.  Getting to the point, I am surprised that someone with an STL calls the teachings offered by the Pope and provisions he decreed in Summorum Pontificum an "opinion".  In a document like this, they are not opinions. 

The main [reason] is this:I think that it is diametrically opposed to the Mission of Jesus Christ to "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (Mk 10; 17 – 30) True Catholics are disciples of Jesus.

This strikes me as rather a good example of proof texting.  I will wager our readers could find all sorts of Scripture passages that could take this in a different direction. 

Disciples are not only about taking care of themselves, they are about reaching out to those who are sick and weak and need the grace of God in them.  We are not true Catholics if we are not missionaries.  Latin does not feed missionaries.  It feeds those who are in love with what they feel when they hear a language that they do not even understand. 

How does frequenting Holy Mass in Latin prevent anyone from performing spiritual or corporal works of mercy?  Did it prevent St. Camillus of Lellis, or Bl. Theresa of Calcutta?  Mass in Latin was the Mass that formed them when they began their work.  Have we seen great figures like them raised up in the Church after the introduction of the vernacular?  There has been time, after all.

And from the point of view of the poor, no one will be constrained to hear Mass in Latin.  Mass in the older form will not be obligatory to anyone anywhere.  And even if this were the case, just because a person is poor, that does not mean either that he is so stupid as to not understand what is going on or that he cannot be taught. 

How does Latin prevent anyone from being ministered to? 

What is needed more than the vernacular is sound liturgical catechesis.  Once that is in place, Latin could enrich them, rather than limit them. 

Somehow when the Church’s liturgical language was only Latin the missionary work of the Church thrived in a way it does not today.  And while it is true that Catholics must be at the same time missionaries, one cannot at the same time a true Catholic and insist that people are ignorant.

Jesus never caved in to those who opposed him, even if they represented the majority.  He was carrying the message of God the Father, not the wishes of the discontent. This in and of itself, to me, is a terrible about face on the part of Josef Ratzinger.  Isn’t this the same guy who once said publicly, "if you don’t agree with the doctrine of the Catholic Church, you are free to go somewhere else?"

Worse and worse.  Jesus, being God, had different lights than anyone ever in the goverance of His Church.  Jesus’s reasons for what He did by far transcend our own.  We can strive to emulate Him, but we must do so in our own vocations and according to our own lights and the proper use of authority which instructs us.  Joseph Ratzinger has a vocation in the Church: he is Peter.  He exercises the Petrine Ministy.  These provisions in Summorum Pontificum are an act of Peter.  I think it very slippery to oppose Peter to the will of Christ in the governance of His Church. 

Furthermore, you seem not to have taken account of one the main purposes of Summorum Pontificum: it is intended to unite.  It is intended to gather into unity also those whose unity with the Church is in question along with foster the unity of all others.  It does so warmly and without recrimination.  In just such a way Christ invited many to come to Him.  Many whom He called found His teaching too hard and they did not following Him more closely. 

But was it Christ’s intention to drive them away by His invitation? 

Similarly, this invitation of Pope Benedict may not meet with perfect success in every case, but he cannot be faulted for not opening the door. 

It is Peter’s role to be the reference point of unity, not of division, though sometimes division must be sadly foreseen for the sake of integrity.  Of course people are free to leave the Church, but no one wants that people actually leave, though their departure might be foreseen. 

Finally, this "leaving the Church" because of Latin rhetoric just smacks of, well, hysteria.  It is a dramatic red herring.

I am not going anywhere, but I am not going to the Tridentine Mass either, even though I understand Latin and even though I can live the "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi" to the letter.  I can also live the axiom of Paul, "Faith comes through hearing" (Romans 10;17).  That means that if your have to be reading the translation, you are not living the basic tenets of how to acquire nor how to grow your faith. 

You are very very sure of yourself, I think.   I am not so presumptuous as to consider these things easy to fulfill "to the letter".  If they are for you, God has given you special graces.

That said, today is the feast of the Chinese martyrs.  I recall reading the story of a little girl murdered by the enemies of Christ.  They did terrible things to her.  The only Mass this poor little Chinese girl had ever heard was in Latin.  In rural China they had no resources as we have today in wealthy Western countries.  She won an unfading crown of glory.  We could say the same for St. Maria Goretti or any of a number of saints whose names will pop into the minds of the readers here.

Say what you want, Latin is a dead language, there is no away that it can help to revivify the faith of the world. 

A moment ago you said you were fluent.  Or is that not, in fact, the case?  

Latin lives whenever it is spoken and received. 

Mr. Dion, I submit that even though you have an STL, you might not be qualified to make determinations about what can "help revivify the faith of the world".  Perhaps you might not be qualified to say that Mass celebrated also in Latin cannot help.

Do you think that this could be the reason why BXVI did not have the theological part of his Motu Propio translated?  How many bishops and priests do you think are going to be able to appreciate the finer points of the official language of the letter?  This is the 21st century, wake uop and make it God’s.

Latin, being the official language of the Church (therefore living) is the reference point.  No matter whether there are official translation or not, we have to consult the Latin.  I suspect the official translations are not ready yet, because they are taking care to do them properly.  I doubt there is anything nefarious involved. 

Since you are so fluent in Latin, perhaps you can use your knowledge to help people understand and love the document.  That is what a Catholic would do.  That would be missionary work, a true work of spiritual mercy: instruct the ignorant… correct those who err.

In the final analysis, I believe I may have more confidence in the intelligence of bishops and priests than you do.  The people most affected juridically by this document, bishops and priests, will understand the finer points. 

Benedict XVI, being a fine teacher and a master of his material, has always been able to make difficult things understandable.  This document is both teaching document and a juridical document.  Before the MP goes into force, there is time to discuss it.  Afterward, there is a Pontifical Commission which can clarify it.  

Many people think everything, including what happens at Mass, must be instantly comprehensible by everyone everywhere all the time.  That expectation merely calls for everything to be continually reduced to the lowest common denominator which, while not as low as you seem to think it is, is not a good expression of confidence in people who love Christ and will, from that love, desire to know more once they discover that the Faith is a deep ocean full of possibilities. 

I think the primary readership of this document, namely, bishops and priests, fit this description.  In their love for Jesus, the Church, and the flock, they will strive to understand and seek clarifications in the proper way and pass along what they understand.
 

My friend the esteemed Fr. Robert Pasley of Mater Ecclesiae in the Diocese of Camden shared photos of their traditional use parish’s MP celebrations:



And with some of the fellows with celebratory cigars in hand:



Fr. gave a splendid sermon at the High Mass for the occasion:

“Factum est ergo magnum gaudium in illa civitate.” (Acts 8:8)

By Father Robert C. Pasley, KHS
Rector
Mater Ecclesiae, Berlin, NJ

www.materecclesiae.org.

      These words from the Acts of the Apostles came to my mind as I awoke this morning. “There was great joy in that city.” As a matter of fact, I really recalled the now defunct 1970’s NAB translation of this phrase, which albeit more dramatic, is a typical mistranslation, “The rejoicing in that city rose to fever pitch.”  What is most important in this one case, however, is not the translation, but that at Mater Ecclesiae, in Berlin, NJ , which is, I’m sure, reflective of all such places that celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the One Roman Rite, the rejoicing and joy was so great that fever pitch doesn’t even begin to describe it.

     The Church was packed; visiting priests, members, visitors from all over (as far away as Rome and Ithaca, NY), reporters and photographers. As the organ swelled and the trumpet began to sound, we processed down the aisle. I could not hold back the tears. All around me I saw smiles and tears and swollen eyes.

     The Mass began and the words of the Mass for the 6^th Sunday after Pentecost seemed to be personally selected by heaven to celebrate the events of 07/07/07, the 7^th year of Mater Ecclesiae’s existence, on the 7^th day of the week, the Sabbath, on first Saturday dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The prayers of the Mass are as follows;

 
The Introit – “The Lord is the strength of His people, and the protector of the salvation of His anointed,”
The Collect – O God… giver of all good things… increase in us true religion and by Thy mercy keep us in the same.”
The Gradual – “Lord, Thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation.”
The Alleluia  – “In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in Thy justice.”
The Gospel – “ Jesus said, I have compassion on the multitude.”
The Communio –  “I will go round, and offer up in His tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation; I will sing and recite a psalm to the Lord.”

     As the incense rose to heaven, and I ‘went round His Tabernacle to begin the sacrifice of jubilation,’ the choir and the people sang the Kyrie and Gloria with such gusto that I thought the walls would explode – “The Lord is the Strength of His people.” During the sermon I have never felt such rapt attention. At the offertory, the five men in the Schola sang the Ave Maria by Arcedelt, a reminder of all the Rosaries worn out in prayer over these last 40 years. The consecration came in the hushed silence of the Ancient Rite, and Our Lord, “the giver of good things had compassion on the multitude.” At communion, wave after wave knelt at the altar rail; doctors, lawyers, engineers, tradesmen, mothers, fathers, teenagers and so many little ones. Finally, after the Last Gospel, the Te Deum was intoned, the bells began to ring and the chills ran down my spine. It truly was extraordinary or should I say it is Extraordinary, the Form that is.

     Off we went to Bishop DiMarzio Hall, a toast to Pope Benedict, the champagne cork popped in perfect rhythm, and the people clapped and cheered. On the cake, in beautiful Roman Script were the words, TE DEUM LAUDAMUS !! and the party began. Ubi Missa, Ibi Mensa. Finally, at 4:00PM, having extinguished the last Ashton on the porch, the Reverend Fathers having departed, the people having bid adieu, and about to close the door and collapse into the recliner exhausted form joy, a young father with his family returned. “Father, the boys want to say goodbye.” And I asked the oldest boy, why were we so happy today? And with a big smile he said, “Because Pope Benedict did a good thing.” Need more be said?

Kudos, reverend and dear Father.  I look forward to a return trip.

Meanwhile, in back in Michigan, fellow blogger Fr. Robert Johansen joins in the cigar and potable festivities:

Fr. J opted not for The Widow, but rather for 16 year Lagavulin and 1989 Barros Colheita Port. 

He gave some very good words to his flock on the occasion.  Here is an excerpt:

It’s clear to me that the holy father is offering us an opportunity to enrich and deepen how we live our faith in the the liturgy. This is a great gift to the Church, and I think we’ll have a great deal to be thankful for.

That hits the right note, for sure.

Meanwhile, in yet another place, we find that celebrations are not confined to the flute or the curls of heavy smoke.  Argent writes that

After the dizzying spinning that my parish priest did at Saturday’s Vigil Mass, we decided to attend the indult Mass two hours away yesterday afternoon. 

It certainly helped me live into the joy.  The priest let us know that our Bishop means to implement the letter and is in consultation on how to go about it.  Bp. was thankful for the clear and unambiguous way that the letter was written.  I’m sure that this will help him with the liturgical changes that we’ve been expecting for a year now.

The pastor wanted to let you know that he was wearing buckle shoes in honor of the motu. (He actually whispered it to us, and stuck out one foot to show us).  He said that he spent a whole afternoon searching for these shoes on line after you posted that article. 

Then my work here is done…. I think.  I should have bought stock in Veuve Clicquot and buckles.

Heading away from clergy for a moment, I got a great note from frequent participant Henry about a friend who also reads and posts here at WDTPRS about her going to participate for the first time at holy Mass celebrated with the older, extraordinary Rite.  Here is some of the letter passed along to me (my emphases):

My impressions of the Traditional Latin Mass
(____, Monday, July 9th, 2007)

First sight, many young families with small children.  Children were well-behaved and were quiet during Mass.  Big improvement over the typical parish when children are present!

Chapel veils!  Even the little girls wore them.  My first experience of wearing one, and I loved it!  It felt  so natural and correct.  It’s a custom I will adopt gladly, at least when I attend Mass at EWTN’s chapel or at the retreat house for Sister Servants of the Eternal Word  (Casa Maria).  My own parish has so few women wearing the veil that I would stand out, which I don’t feel is the correct thing to do.

Choir in an alcove in back of church, unobtrusive, out of sight.  Adding to the liturgy without being “on stage”.   Very well done!

The altar:  it was so beautiful!  No minimalist modern nonsense here!  And in the context of such a reverent display surrounding the Tabernacle, how could a priest even consider turning his back on that to face the people?   Facing the altar is just the only thing that makes sense when you have a REAL altar like that.  It makes my home parish’s modern altar look so bare and anemic by comparison!

Another good effect of the priest facing the altar:  it lets our worship and his look toward God, instead of our being distracted by the personality or theatrics of the priest himself.  We aim our worship at God better, when not distracted by having the priest facing us and drawing our attention more onto him than onto Christ on the altar.

Liturgy of the word:  I had no problem reading the English text of scriptures in my missal while the Latin version was being read aloud.  And then the priest re-read them anyway in English, so I got to absorb the content twice.

Liturgy of the Eucharist:  here I had to put the missal down because I couldn’t tell what stage of it we were into.  For a few moments I felt the priest had left us all behind, was doing his own thing, and we were doing our own thing.  But I think that initial impression is mistaken and based on lack of familiarity with the ritual.

Consecration:  beautiful even without hearing the words.  But I’m still trying to come to a better understanding of why it is “better” to have the priest not be heard by us at those moments.  That will take some thought, prayer, and more experience before I understand this mystery.

Communion:  so beautiful, so right!  To kneel, to receive from a priest, not a lay person, and to receive on the tongue.  Humble, child-like, reverent, perfect!

Silence:  again, so right and so perfect!  Time to hear one’s own thoughts and prayers at so many places in the Mass, especially following communion.  And even after Mass there was silence.  Nobody jumped up to rush out the door!   We all remained kneeling after the priest recessed out of the church.  Gradually, over a period of about 5 minutes, people began leaving (again quietly).  In contrast, the get-together in the parish hall following mass was happy and noisy and again very appropriate.

Overall impression:  Reverent, contemplative, God-oriented rather than oriented toward either the priest or toward the people.  Again, in a word, Glorious!

Notice the stress on reverence, keeping your own personality out of the way, silence and joy.  

Time Magazine has an article on Summorum Pontificum.  My emphases and comments.  I edit out stuff we know already and chew instead on the meat and bone of it.

Why the Pope is Boosting Latin Mass
Saturday, Jul. 07, 2007
By JEFF ISRAELY/VATICAN CITY

After months of intense speculation, Pope Benedict XVI has eased restrictions on the Catholic Church’s traditional Latin Mass — a move that could raise controversy both within the Church, and in its interfaith relations, given the fact that the old rites include a Good Friday prayer for the conversion of Jews.  [Again, the tired chestnut.  The author might have done better gumshoe work on this.]

The decree, called a motu proprio, or personal initiative of the Pontiff, was made public Saturday along with an explanatory letter to the world’s bishops acknowledging the recent "news reports" and "confusion" about the lifting of restrictions for access to the old rite. Known as the Tridentine rite — delivered in Latin with the priest usually facing the altar, his back to the congregation ["O chestnut-tree, great-rooted blossomer…"] ... Some Vatican insiders caution that Benedict’s new ruling will simply ease restrictions on access to the old liturgy, which has continued to be followed by a small minority of traditionalists. But others predict that the decree could turn into the most explosive internal Church policy of Benedict’s papacy, bound to undercut decades of reform and sharpen divisions among the faithful.  [Always with the drama.] Here’s why both may be true.

...

For more than a year, Vatican insiders knew Benedict was keen to ease restrictions on the Tridentine mass. Indeed, in the first months of his papacy, he’d met with leaders of the "schismatic" followers of the late ultratraditionalist [If he thinks the SSPX is "ultraconservative", I could introduce him to some really interesting people.] Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who’d split with the Vatican over the introduction of the vernacular and other Vatican II reforms. In his explanatory letter, Benedict says this decree alone will not heal the rift, which is on "a deeper level." So the Pope seems to be showing the ultratraditionalists — who want to undo all the Vatican II reforms — that he will move, but only so far, to accommodate their concerns. Benedict also acknowledged the document required many months of "reflection, numerous consultations and prayer."

Bishops in the West, particularly in France, had shared their concerns that widening access to the old Mass would deepen the rifts and create splinter movements among their followers. The Pope also listened to concern about how this document could affect inter-faith affairs, given the inclusion of the Good Friday prayer calling for the conversion of Jews. Though much less offensive than a reference to "perfidious Jews" that Pope John XXIII eliminated in 1962, some Jewish leaders are bound to ask why, after years of growing mutual respect, the Pope would not simply excise the conversion prayer.  [Will someone consider the possibility that the problem does not in fact lie in the Good Friday prayer?]

The Pope says he knows some wonder if the document calls into question the very heart of the Second Vatican Council. "This fear," Benedict declares, "is unfounded." As for the precise timing of the release of the document, one can wonder (with a wink) if it’s more than coincidence that it came out just before Benedict zips out of Rome for a three-week mountain retreat.  [This is where the author, I think, picks up on a good point.  This was already raised eloquently by Luigi Accattoli of Corriere and written about here as well.]

Why it may not be as big a deal as it seems

In practical terms, the vast majority of Catholics — even among the most traditionalist — are unlikely to relinquish the vernacular Mass. The number of priests who have the language skills or liturgical training for the old Latin Mass is small, and likely to get smaller. [I bet not.  I suspect numbers will turn upward again.]  Undoubtedly reflecting his own personal experience, the 80-year-old Pope cites Catholics for whom the Tridentine rite "had been familiar to them from childhood." As those generations pass there may be ever fewer faithful who are attached to the old Mass, and Benedict is simply providing a sort of bridge for the current over-50 crowd.  [This ignores what the document Summorum Pontificum actually says.  The provisions of Pope Benedict aim at more than "nostalgia".  Far more.  They are not only for people of questionable unity with the Church, not only for older Catholics, but also for all those who have come to know of the older forms of liturgy and desire them.]

Why it may be an even bigger deal than it seems

The symbolic weight of this decision may actually be heavier than the practical effect. Church progressives, and indeed some conservatives, are asking why Benedict went out of his way to reopen a hot-button issue that, for the vast majority of Catholics, has long been settled. With traditionalists emboldened and progressives feeling under siege, the Church hierarchy and local bishops may wind up caught in the crossfire. [There has never been a time, since Peter faced the angry crowd while Christ was being grilled by the Sanhedrin, when bishops were NOT caught in the crossfire.  That is why we have bishops.] Still, on a more substantive level, Benedict’s real long-term objective may be a sort of "counter-reform" of the alternative practices of the new Mass rather than a widespread return to the old one. He says the Vatican II reform "was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear." This document is certainly a clear warning to those progressives who have their own ideas about reforming the Mass.  [The author almost got it.  First, he chose a negative view of "counter-reform" which I do not think does justice to Pope Benedict’s long-articulated views.  Pope Benedict’s approach is to seek continuity rather than rupture.  "Counter-reform"does not characterize that accurately, IMO.]

What it says about Pope Benedict

The Pope, in any case, does seem to have an affinity for the old Latin Mass, as he does generally for the Church’s ancient traditions. His explanatory letter states: "What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful." Still, even as he continues to show his traditionalist stripes, [Frankly, I think this move shows His Holiness’ liberal stripes.  Liberal not in the sense of iconoclastic or progressivist.  Not liberal in the sense of the "hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture".  But rather liberal in the sense of liberality.  There is a generosity and freeing quality to his actions.  There need be no conflict between "traditional" and "liberal", properly understood.  However, "traditionalist" paints Benedict into a cornerunfairly .]  Benedict wants all corners of the Church to know that he is open to at least listen to their input. [Sounds liberal to me.] What remains to be seen is whether this latest decree is ultimately more about the future, or simply the past.

ASIANews has a good story on the reception of the Motu Proprio in India.  My emphases and comments.

Indian Church welcomes return to Tridentine Mass
Nirmala Carvalho

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – The Indian Church has expressed its satisfaction and hope that it “can take care of the pastoral needs of the community” following Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum released last Saturday. ...

According to Mgr Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, the Motu Proprio will “have two important purposes.”  [Qui distinguit, bene docet. ... He teaches well, who makes distinctions.]

“One very important purpose will be to renew and enrich the liturgy, reclaiming the liturgical form that existed before the Council, which is a great heritage in the history of the church,” said the prelate who is also an expert in Canon Law.

“The Motu Proprio is a sign that the Holy Father wants to make available to the Church all the treasures of the Latin liturgy that have for centuries nourished the spiritual life of so many generations of Catholic faithful.”

“Secondly,” he explained, “it is a response to the pastoral needs of the faithful. In Mumbai, Cardinal Ivan Dias (Gracias’ predecessor) had shown much pastoral sensitivity in allowing the Tridentine Mass. However, there may be practical challenges since there are not that many priests who know Latin.”

On the long run, such an obstacle should be overcome. “In the Archdiocesan Seminary, Latin had already been reintroduced and is being taught; not because of the Motu Proprio, but because knowledge of Latin is essential and important for Ecclesiastical Studies,” Archbishop Gracias said.  [Mirabile dictu!  Yes, without Latin we can’t get past the bare surface of theology, history, law, etc.  Without Latin, we are slaves to what other people tell us texts mean.  Without Latin we miss significant dimensions of the original content.  Latin provides not just information, but a forma mentis.]

Finally, he announced that he would “inform the priests and faithful of this Motu Proprio” and “would exercise pastoral sensitivity in explaining and implementing it in the appropriate way.”

Behold the good shepherds.

They acknowledge the problems, and they see beyond the usual chestnuts of "turning back the clock" and "causing division".

Note the enlighten recognition of the importance of Latin in SEMINARIES.

Long before the Second Vatican Council the ideal of "full, conscious and active" participation at holy Mass had been developed during the Liturgical Movement and taught by Sovereign Pontiffs. 

In his autobiography, Papa Ratzinger described how one of the very earliest Latin-German hand missals was complied by Anselm Schott, the Benedictine abbot of that pulsing center of liturgical renewal the Monastery of Beuron.  A priest had given a "Schott" to Joseph Ratzinger’s parents for their wedding and it became a point of reference for the whole Ratzinger family.  The children also had prayer books for Mass, inspired by the "Schott" for big people.  There were graduated volumes for different ages and purposes.  His Holiness describes how passing from stage to stage with these books, which explained the parts of Mass and gave special prayers to aid comprehension and participation, allowed him to enter more fully into Mass.  He describes his participation at Mass with these books as an "adventure".  It was an adventure into mystery that has stayed with him all his life.

Now that Papa Ratzinger has released Summorum Pontificum, many people who are puzzled over why anyone would want the older form of Mass, will suggest that use of the older forms is against the tenets of the Second Vatican Council.  They do not understand that proper "full, conscious and active" developed with and through the older form of Mass long before the Council. 

Some may, perhaps, seek to limit the use of the older Mass – despite the regulations of Summorum Pontificum – with the claim that people today don’t have adequate comprehension of or formation in what is going on at the older extraordinary use of the Roman Rite.

For this reason I urge people to support good efforts at liturgical catechesis.  Very helpful will be the use of a good hand missal.  There are many editions available from years gone past.  There is also a new reprint by Baronius Press in the UK.  I received a press release from them today describing their hand Missale, which looks to be very nice.

Hand missals are treasure chests.  They were gifts to young people that enriched them all their lives.  I have often seen people come to even the Novus Ordo carrying their old prayer books, worn from decades of use, so thick with memorial and ordination cards that they must be held together with rubber bands. 

It is very important that people who frequent the older form of Mass know their Mass very well.  In the spirit of 1 Peter 3:15, always be prepared to give reasons for the hope that is in you with gentleness and reverence.  Many people will be curious about the older form.  They will come looking for answers.  You must be ready to receive them with warmth and welcome, well prepared to explain and point out where they are in the booklets or missals, giving a good example to them of both joy and of devotion. 

Using and studying a good hand missal can be of enormous help for you and others.

Some people are saying that His Excellency the present Master of Ceremonies Piero Marini has been appointed as Secretary of the Pontifical Commission "Eccelsia Dei".  

That is not true.   Msgr. MARIO Marini, former undersecretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship is the new Secretary.

On Saturday, July 7, it was made public that:

 

  By order of the Holy Father, Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," has appointed Msgr. Mario Marini as adjunct secretary of the same pontifical commission.

 I know Msgr. Mario Marini.  He is a fine gentleman. 

It seems from the annoucement that the Holy Father is giving Card. Castrillon the chance to assemble his own team.