I have long maintained that one of the most important achievements, indeed, gifts from the pontificate of Benedict XVI was the implementation of Summorum Pontificum, which I like to call the “Emancipation Proclamation”. It certainly freed the priest and the People of God to engage in an authentic revitalization of the Church’s all-important sacred liturgical worship.
We are our rites.
When are rites were brutally changed in the 60’s and an artificially created form was imposed with little explanation … or, in retrospect… demand… a great wound was inflicted on our collective Catholic identity.
Benedict, understood this wound. He understood the dangers of an encroaching Dictatorship of Relativism within the Church and without. Summorum Pontificum serves much like the Marshall Plan served Europe after the devastation of the war: it provided a bulwark against atheistic, materialistic Communism and it rebuilt economies and structures to provide for trade and stability etc.
I saw at the blog of the Benedictine dom Mark Kirkby, of Silverstream Priory, his points about the benefits of Summorum Pontificum over the last ten years. HERE The Priory, by the way, has produced beautiful altar cards for Holy Mass, which I am using on my own altar. HERE They also produced a wonderful Way of the Cross especially for priests. I have used that myself HERE In short, dom Kirby and the guys have got game. They also have needs… HERE.
Back to the ten points positive fruits of Summorum Pontificum identified by dom Mark a while back. Here they are in bullet points. Peter Kwasnieski recently posted about them at NLM. Go read the whole thing HERE.
1. A clearer manifestation of the sacred liturgy as the work of Christ the Eternal High Priest and Mediator.
2. The opening, for many souls, of a secure bridge between celebration and contemplation.
3. A serene and lucid transmission of the doctrine of the faith.
4. A renewed appreciation for the link between worship and culture.
5. The affirmation of the primacy of latria in the life of the Church, following the principle of Saint Benedict that “nothing is to be preferred to the work of God” (Rule, Ch. XLIII).
6. Encouragement given to the recovery and renewal of Benedictine monastic life in the heart of the Church.
7. Joy and beauty brought to Catholic family life.
8. A renewal of true priestly piety.
9. The birth of new expressions of consecrated life that find their source and summit in the traditional liturgy, Holy Mass and Divine Office.
10. An infusion of hope and, for young people, an experience of a beauty that renders holiness of life enchanting and attractive.
Great stuff! I had run across this over the weekend and noted – as Dom Mark did himself – that his perspective was indeed from within a “hortus conclusus” (loved the evocative nature of that term). As someone who has been active in promoting the TLM for nearly 20y I am always looking for pithy “talking points”, especially items which will catch the attention of someone who picks-up a brochure or flyer, or views a presentation about the EF (and SP). I am thinking that perhaps some of these can be tweaked or fleshed-out further so as to better resonate with “Pat Pew-sitter” “Lucy Lukewarm” or “Freddy Fallen-away” in a provocative (and positive) manner… anyone else have any thoughts on this?
May I be so bold as to add to the list?
The return of silence.
This is so important. Just yesterday a visiting priest to my Novus Ordo parish insinuated that “lace/beautiful vestments/garments” were just another way of Priests displaying their power. Everyone in the congregation laughed as he mocked what priests wore during the mass. I talked to him afterward saying it was unfair to say that. He said, “Well, we do dress funny.” But this is the same priest who a few weeks ago told us Jesus’s human nature was prejudice when the woman asked for healing. I find I’m driving the 45 minutes more and more to get to St. John Cantius these days. Thank you for all you do Father.
Summorum Pontificum, in my view, has made available a kind of Catholic worship which instantly/directly resonates with and speaks to the male psyche. So I submit that one still-maturing fruit is the return of men to the worship of God.
I saw this first-hand, and in an unmistakeable way, recently at the 8am Sunday Mass at St. Catherine of Siena in Phoenix, Arizona. Traditional Roman Mass; apparently over 700 congregants; Spanish homily; men, women and children, young and old; a true cross-section of the Mexican/Hispanic nation. Just a beautiful sight to behold.
I’ve found the Contemplatives of Saint Joseph, and have been attending their TLM on Sunday’s at 5PM. Revent and Outstanding Mass and homlies. Beautiful Choir singing Georgian Chant and Polyphony. Such a blessing! Located in So. San Francisco, CA
Thank you Dom Kirby and Fr. Z for posting this. All ten points are outstanding, at least one or two should strike a chord with inquiring minds.