Just to review…

Just to review…

Benedict XVI’s 2007 Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum says:

Art. 5, § 1. In paroeciis, ubi coetus fidelium traditioni liturgicae antecedenti adhaerentium stabiliter [previously continenter] exsistit, parochus eorum petitiones ad celebrandam sanctam Missam iuxta ritum Missalis Romani anno 1962 editi, libenter suscipiat. Ipse videat ut harmonice concordetur bonum horum fidelium cum ordinaria paroeciae pastorali cura, sub Episcopi regimine ad normam canonis 392, discordiam vitando et totius Ecclesiae unitatem fovendo.

Art. 5, § 1. In parishes, where there is stably present a group of the faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition, let the pastor willingly receive their petitions that Mass be celebrated according to the Rite of the Missale Romanum issued in 1962. Let him see to it that the good of these faithful be brought harmoniously into accord with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the Bishop according to canon 392, by avoiding discord and by fostering the unity of the whole Church.

Pastors of parishes can implement the Traditional Latin Mass without the permission of the local bishop.

The canon mentioned says:

Can. 392 §1 Since the Bishop must defend the unity of the universal Church, he is bound to foster the discipline which is common to the whole Church, and so press for the observance of all ecclesiastical laws.

§2 He is to ensure that abuses do not creep into ecclesiastical discipline, especially concerning the ministry of the word, the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals, the worship of God and the cult of the saints, and the administration of goods.

That “all ecclesiastical laws” §1 includes respecting Art. 5, § 1. of Summorum Pontificum.  That  “He is to ensure that abuses do not creep into ecclesiastical discipline” in §2 includes includes respecting Art. 5, § 1. of Summorum Pontificum.  Prohibiting pastors from implementing Summorum would be a abuse of ecclesiastical discipline.

In Universae Ecclesiae the 2011 Instruction about the application of Summorum Pontificum

14. It is the task of the Diocesan Bishop to undertake all necessary measures to ensure respect for the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite, according to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

That “insure respect” sounds like what Pope St. John Paul II wrote in 1988 in Ecclesia Dei adflicta.  After talking about the “rightful aspirations” of the faithful the saint wrote:

6. Taking account of the importance and complexity of the problems referred to in this document, by virtue of my Apostolic Authority I decree the following:

c) … respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition, by a wide and generous application of the directives already issued some time ago by the Apostolic See for the use of the Roman Missal according to the typical edition of 1962.

That “respect” and that “wide and generous application” were required by the Pope in the name of his “Apostolic Authority”.  That’s not a phrase that pops up all the time.

That said, we might be hard pressed to find something laid down in law that has been so violated as 6 c) of Ecclesia Dei adflicta.  Perhaps, Veterum sapientia.  Perhaps,  Ex corde Ecclesiae.

Perhaps it is time to implement Summorum Pontificum and its attendant foundational and explicative documents and then see what happens.

Fathers.  Get to work.  Start working on that Latin.  Start working on those prayers.   One technique to help learning and memorizing is to recite them aloud 5 times, 5 times a day.  Repetita iuvant.

Lay people.  Get organized.  Start building a stable group.  Start thinking about learning the prayers for Mass as well and training servers in view of future need.  Start learning to sing Gregorian chant: there are online resources such as HERE.  Get yourselves up to speed.

We are our rites.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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