Yes… apparently.
A kind reader sent me a copy on an e-mail received from EWTN’s Gordon Siobley responsding to a question about future broadcasts of the older form of Mass.
EWTN plans to occasionally air the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, while continuing to regularly air the Ordinary Form, in order “to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place” (Pope Benedict XVI, “Letter to Bishops presenting the Motu Proprio”).
In the Joy of Christ,
Gordon
This would be a wonderful service in aid of Pope Benedict’s "Marshall Plan" for the Church.
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Wow!!!
Thank you, EWTN.
I believe that the FSSP — which through its workshops is preparing a good many U.S. diocesan priests to celebrate the TLM — is also providing such preparation to some of the resident EWTN priests. I assume (and hope) that we’ll be seeing them celebrating the older form of Mass occasionally on TV, in addition to the big special TLM’s like the solemn high Mass on September 14.
Why only “occasionally”.
If they broadcast the Novus Ordo at least twice a day,every day, why not broadcast the far superior Tridentine mass at least once a day.
As soon as the resident priests learn it, it can be done.
Then millions of people will be exposed to this awesome Mass on a regular basis.
Just think of the immense good this will do for the Church and therefore the world.
dan: Why only “occasionally”.
I suggest being happy about this is the best approach.
So if they’re going to broadcast the TLM, will they also be selling the
missalettes in their religious catalouge? Or perhaps they already do,
they didn’t the last time I checked….
Where can one find a smaller pocket sized version?
I think this was a form letter, because I got the exact same response from the exact same guy. The NLM asked people to send in emails thanking EWTN for broadcasting the Mass, and I think this must be the email that all those people received. But I’m with you, Father, I think we should all be really happy about this development with EWTN. Furthermore, the more we watch and encourage EWTN in regards to the Old Mass, the more they’ll be interested in broadcasting it daily. I think we all just need to continue letting EWTN know how much we love the Old Mass.
Why only “occasionallyâ€.
I suspect most of us will be happy with what EWTN does in due course to further that “interior reconciliation within the Church which the Holy Father has both called for and made possible with his motu proprio which restores the traditional liturgical rites to a central place at the heart of the Church’s life” (as Fr. Calvin Goodwin, FSSP put it in his extraordinary sermon on Sept. 14).
In that initial solemn high Mass broadcast the FSSP set a virtually “picture perfect” standard for the celebration of the TLM, one which it will be difficult for any newly prepared TLM celebrant to come even reasonably close to. So, even if one or more EWTN priests have already completed their initial preparation, a period of continued further practice may well be necessary before they are ready for global Catholic television “prime time”. And surely we would not want to see the more ancient form telecast with any less attention to proper detail than their broadcasts of the newer form of Mass.
So it seems to me we ought not too impatient, having waited so long for the restoration that’s just now beginning, and which may supported decisively by even the occasional appearance of the extraordinary form on EWTN.
I suggest being happy about this is the best approach.
Yes! I am so tired of people seeing the glass as half empty. Let us not look the gift horse in the mouth.
I would hope that EWTN will occasionally broadcast the Extraordinary Use “Low Mass.”
We will be inundated with Pontifical and Solemn High Masses. But in the average parish, that will not be the case.
People need to see the Low Mass because that is what most of them will be attending. It will be much more quiet and your missal will become much more important.
By “inundated”, I intended to say “indundated with broadcasts of Pontifical and Solemn High Masses.”
I would suggest keep sending EWTN letters of thanks and also asking for more traditional programs. EWTN is an extremly powerful tool and has the ability to change many peoples outlook on the TLM.
Last time I checked they can reach 130,000,000 homes worlwide not including the internet which broadcasts EWTN for free.
Thanks to Ray for forwarding the info (if that was you)
I hope by this time next year the TLM will be celebrated at the high altar at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul MN. Pray so that it may come true.
I think I agree with Dan. If there is anything that we ought to be demanding more of then it is prayer and the Holy Sacrifice of the mass. The bishops have been told that the people are clamoring for the old mass – so let’s clamor away.
Are we not restless until we rest in Him?
m
I would guess that televising the usus antiquior will present somewhat more of a challenge than the usus recentior. I doubt they could muster the resources for a daily solemn Mass even if they wanted to. I’m not a fan of Archbishop Marini’s spectacles designed for televised papal Masses, but a low Mass is a lot of silence for TV or radio. It will probably take some time to settle into a manner of celebration and televising that works for them and their viewers. I suppose they could also choose to broadcast a daily Mass already being celebrated elsewhere. But I think they got off to a great start with the solemn Mass for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
I just received the following e-mail message from EWTN in response to my congratulatory note (emphasis added):
Greg Smisek,
The number one consideration with EWTN televised Tridentine Mass’s is the fact that it is the best act of worship that we can give to God Almighty in the best manner possible that the Latin Rite Church has.
That should be considered far over and above the percieved sensitivity’s of the viewers who have to deal with as you say long periods of silence. Since when has silence been wrong?
If it works for Christ than it does not matter if,”it works for its viewers”.
The Holy Sacrifice is primarily for God and it should be broadcast often to give glory to Him amongst the nations.
God bless you.
EWTN has also posted some beautiful still photos of the September 14 Mass:
http://www.ewtn.com/art/latin_mass/photo.htm
Hmm … does this URL constitute an endorsement of the simple name “Latin Mass” for the extraordinary form? Let me also mention the URL
http://download.rbn.com/ewtn/download/latin830.mp3
for the audio of the historic sermon that Fr. Calvin Goodwin, FSSP preached on that historic occasion about (as he put it) the “interior reconciliation within the Church which the Holy Father has both called for and made possible with his motu proprio which restores the traditional liturgical rites to a central place at the heart of the Church’s lifeâ€. My wife and I have listened to this sermon at least a half dozen times, and continue to be be stunned by Fr. Goodwin’s vision of the liturgy in the life and history of the Church.
It seemed to me that EWTN’s televising of the extraordinary form was pretty camera-intensive —
they had all sorts of angles going so that people
would understand the process. If I’m not mistaken,
they even had one actual cameraman in the sanctuary. (He stood very still and was in a far corner, so was hard to notice.)
So it may be that, at this point in the educational process, they’ve decided that this sort of big Mass is a good thing to put lots of network effort into. Later on, it won’t require quite so much camera-power. (And of course a more normal Mass wouldn’t have a zillion priests there, either!)
The next Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite/Traditional Latin Mass from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville, Alabama will be aired on Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time.
December 15 is just a 3rd class “Feria of Advent” on the traditional calendar, so this would not seem to be some sort of special occasion. Dare we hope that this announcement signals that, starting then, the regular Saturday Mass on EWTN will be in the Extraordinary Form?
> (danphunter1)
Because EWTN serves the entire Catholic Church, and I have no doubt
that more than 95% of the Church’s members don’t WANT to see the
Extraordinary Form more often than “occasionally.”
Contrary to what some people mistakenly believe,
the pope did not name it the “Extraordinary Form” because it IS
“extraordinary” (i.e., superior), but because it is expected to
be used only in “extraordinary” circumstances.
Similarly, the pope did not name the 1962 Missal’s form the
“Ordinary Form” because he considered it “merely ordinary” (i.e.,
ho-hum), but rather because he expects it to be used under
“ordinary” circumstances. The folks at EWTN understand
this fact and are acting accordingly. Everyone here at this blog
needs to understand it too.
The previous message was supposed to start with the following quotation,
which somehow was deleted by the blog’s software:
“Why only ‘occasionally?'” (danphunter1)
Here’s another good question. When are the priests on EWTN going to face the right dierction when offering the Novus Ordo Mass/ ‘Ordinary Form’?
Francis,
Two things.
Firstly, What those “95%” of people who do not want to see the Tridentine Mass feel is not as important as what is most pleasing to God Almighty. Between the two forms that have aired on the network, the Tridentine Mass is more pleasing to Him.I would also wager that the 95% figure you give of those people would not mind having a Tridentine mass aired once a day. The majority of people who watch EWTN are good God fearing men who realize the importance of t
the Sacred.
Secondly I am sure His Holiness did not refer to the Tridentine Mass as “Extraordinary ” because he expects it to be offered only in extraordinary circumstances{occasionally}.
He has made it clear that it can and should be offered with the same regularity as the Novus ordo mass. This is why it should be given equal air time with the Novus Ordo, on EWTN.
God bless you.
Francis A. writes
I have no doubt that more than 95% of the Church’s members don’t WANT to see the Extraordinary Form more often than “occasionally.â€
If one takes statistics on Mass attendance as a guide, some 75% of the Church’s members don’t want to see any form of the Mass more than occasionally. And I’m sure that a goodly percentage of those who do don’t want to see Mass in the manner that it is offered at EWTN.
Contrary to what some people mistakenly believe, the pope did not name it the “Extraordinary Form†because it IS “extraordinary†(i.e., superior), but because it is expected to be used only in “extraordinary†circumstances.
I think you are mistaken. If the Pope foresaw that the extraordinary form would be used only in extraordinary circumstances, it’s hard to see why he would have bothered to state that every priest has the right to celebrate it, and that any pastor has the right to arrange for its daily celebration in his parish. Rather, His Holiness could simply have issued yet another restrictive Indult.
Michael asks:
When are the priests on EWTN going to face the right dierction when offering the Novus Ordo Mass/ ‘Ordinary Form’?
My guess is soon after Bp. Baker is installed in the diocese.
Michael asks:
When are the priests on EWTN going to face the right dierction when offering the Novus Ordo Mass/ ‘Ordinary Form’?
DCS: My guess is soon after Bp. Baker is installed in the diocese.
I would not be surprised if it takes a little longer. Bishops don’t just show up and start pronouncing decisions. There is a transition period… This is not as simple as you think…
I believe that the bishop there actually forbid them from facing “east”. I thought I read that in Mother Angelica’s biography…It would be nice to see them face east during the celebration of the ordinary right. Pray for them down south!!
Marc
Eagan, MN
Marc: I believe that the bishop there actually forbid them from facing “eastâ€.
He first ordered that no Masses in his diocese be celebrated ad orientem. But then was advised by Rome that he did not have that power. So then the USCCB adopted a rule giving a bishop additional authority over masses televised in or from his diocese. Under this rule the local bishop was pressured (I believe) to prohibit the telecasting of ad orientem Masses by EWTN.
Now Mother Angelica’s Shrine was built for the ad orientem celebration of Mass. This is why we have not — previous to the Sept. 14 TLM — seen the EWTN daily Mass televised from the Shrine. Because Mother A. refused to compromise and allow versus populum celebration in the Shrine’s main chapel. And so far as I know, the Shrine’s daily Mass never has been anything but ad orientem. And thus unfit for public TV viewing, because as the bishop had ruled, this shocking sight might unduly “confuse” the faithful.
It would be nice to see them face east during the celebration of the ordinary right.
The Shrine was really built essentially as a showcase studio for televising the Mass. Now that a new age is dawning, I would be not surprised to see a gradual transition in the EWTN daily Mass — from being as now telecast from the small Birmingham chapel (versus populum) to being telecast regularly (or at least frequently) from the Shrine, ad orientem whether in ordinary or extraordinary form.
danphunter1 said: The Holy Sacrifice is primarily for God and it should be broadcast often to give glory to Him amongst the nations.
The Holy Sacrifice is primarily for God and it should be celebrated and assisted at often to give glory to Him.
Somehow the Church managed for over nineteen hundred years without the novelty of televised Mass. Of course, televising Holy Mass can give glory to God, and it can be of spiritual benefit to the faithful who cannot attend Mass and can be a powerful witness to the nations. To this end, EWTN broadcasts the Holy Sacrifice at least twice daily.
Of course, daily televised Mass is an even more recent innovation. Did anyone broadcast daily Mass before EWTN? Does anyone now broadcast a daily Mass of the older form anywhere?
EWTN has certainly been a pioneer in this apostolate.
My point is that just as EWTN had to grow into its current daily Mass broadcasts, they will need to do likewise for the older form.
Sorry about the unintended bolding above. (I was having trouble posting and did it without preview.)
To Michael & others,
The small chapel at EWTN’s Irondale studio isn’t really designed well for Ad Orientum Mass. I wouldn’t expect to see them try to change in any very radical way there. Besides, there is a nice, largish crucifix placed prominently on the altar, which in essence makes any Mass they celebrate “Ad Orientum” by default. I’d put my bets on the Shrine at Hanceville for any Traditional Latin Masses that are televised.
And as a secondary topic, I have begun questioning the wisdom of so much Latin used in the televised Sunday Mass on EWTN. Say some Protestants decide to watch on TV and they can’t hear our Creed or the Gloria in english: how will they know what we believe when they can’t even understand the language? Perhaps there is some wisdom in providing enough english in the Mass to help draw the Protestants in and get them more interested. Just a thought…
Actually, Janet, my recollection — from irregular viewing when EWTN was not regularly accessible where I was then — is that in the early years, until some time in the 1990’s, the televised Mass in EWTN’s Irondale chapel was ad orientem.
At least for the people. Before moving to the Shrine and monastery in Hanceville, the Sisters were at Mass in Irondale located where the choir is now, so for them the Mass was versus populum. But as I recall, it was shown ad orientem on TV. Does anyone have a more precise memory of this?
In any event, if and when the Pope calls (as many expect) for more ad orientem celebrations of the ordinary form, I’d think EWTN would be able to accommodate his desire. But my own guess is that we’ll be seeing more of their Mass telecasts, both ordinary and extraordinary, from the Shrine which Mother Angelica originally intended to be the site for them all.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the ordinary form is telecast from the Shrine as it is now celebrated there, both ad orientem and somewhat more Latinate than the current daily TV Mass.
Janet,
I have to disagree with your second point. The Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word are altogether correct in celebrating the Mass with as much Latin as they use. Latin is the official language of the Western Church. True, some Protestants who watch – few in number I would guess they are – may not understand it, but the Mass is not celebrated to convert them. The Church must not water down Catholic teaching or worship simply to attract our “separated brethren”. The Church has done this in the Western world and the results have been a disaster.
This is my own point of view – I don’t care what Protestants think of the Catholic Church. If they don’t like the Church, then fine, they can go about their own way. We in the Church need to be Catholic and learning prayers and hymns in Latin that have been composed over the centuries opens a treasure trove of grace for us all.
Henry,
That’s interesting that they used to have Ad Orientum Masses at EWTN. I wonder if they had the altar pushed back a couple feet then. Speaking from a communicant’s perspective, I can attest that there isn’t alot of room between the altar and the path we must take following communion. But if they could move the altar back and install communion rails, that would be great!
And to Joe,
I agree that our faith must not be watered down, but I also am a convert, and the first Mass I attended was in English. If it had been all in Latin, I might have felt overwhelmed and unable to adapt. Also, EWTN’s mission is evangelization. You’d be amazed at how many non-Catholics and even non-Christians stop on EWTN while channel-surfing. I’m not settling into an opinion either direction about the Latin used in their televised Mass, though. Just wondering…