You'll have English in your Mass, AND YOU'LL LIKE IT!!!

I was afraid this would happen. The creative Conciliar interpretations of the Motu Proprio continue. These people just can't leave it alone. Check this out.

IT SHOULD BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY ALL THAT THE EDITION OF THE 1962 MISSAL PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1964 IS IDENTICAL TO THE EDITIO TYPICA OF THE MISSAL PUBLISHED IN 1962 IN EVERY RESPECT EXCEPT THAT THE PARTS OF THE MASS ENUMERATED ABOVE a) THROUGH g) ARE IN ENGLISH INSTEAD OF LATIN. ALL RUBRICS, ALL PRAYERS, ALL OTHER TEXTS ARE IDENTICAL IN BOTH THE 1962 AND THE 1964 EDITIONS OF THE MISSAL OF BLESSED POPE JOHN XXIII.

The use of the vernacular (English) in the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass is therefore legitimate and is clearly in keeping with the mind of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Benedict XVI.

Nice try. But, Summorum Pontificum clearly states in Article 1:

It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church.

Doesn't say anything about the Missal published in 1964. But we shouldn't be surprised that certain folks are so intent on ruining this great gift of our Holy Father to the Church. Just wait until the reports start filtering in of girl altar boys, lay Eucharistic ministers, lay people reading the Epistle from the ambo and people receiving Communion in the hand at the Extraordinary Form of Holy Mass. It's coming. They can't resist sticking their finger in the eye of traddies.

We couldn't be content with our limited, but reverent, celebrations of the traditional Mass, could we? Nope, we just had to have the Motu Proprio. And now our Mass is going to be corrupted by post-Conciliar B.S. Lovely.

Be careful what you pray for. Sometimes God says yes.......

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing

Is bestowing the laity who distribute Communion at Catholic Masses with the title of "Eucharistic Minister" a (subconscious) attempt to clericalize the laity? How many parishes use the proper terminology of Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion for lay people who distribute Holy Communion?

After all, a Eucharistic Minister is a priest, and the laity who distribute communion are supposed to be helping out in extraordinary circumstances, as spelled out in these Church documents: the original 1973 document IMMENSAE CARITATIS, the follow up 1980 document Inaestimabile Donum, and again in 1997 when Pope John Paul II promulgated "The collaboration of the non-ordained faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priest."

10. The faithful, whether religious or lay, who are authorized as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist can distribute Communion only when there is no priest, deacon or acolyte, when the priest is impeded by illness or advanced age, or when the number of the faithful going to Communion is so large as to make the celebration of Mass excessively long.[20] Accordingly, a reprehensible attitude is shown by those priests who, though present at the celebration, refrain from distributing Communion and leave this task to the laity.

If you ever try to have a conversation with a lay person who doesn't understand this, it will probably go something like one of mine did:

PG: Good morning, Mrs. X

Mrs. X: Morning. I'm trying to find Eucharistic Ministers to serve at Mass.

PG: Oh, I just saw Father. He's in the sacristy.

Mrs. X: Yeah, good. I'm looking for Eucharistic Ministers. Where are they all?

PG: You're looking for a priest, then. Father is in the sacristy, I'm sure.

Mrs X: (rolls eyes) Never mind.

PG: Maybe I can help. You must be looking for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to serve at Mass. Is that right?

Mrs X: What?

PG: Well, a Eucharistic Minister is a priest, and the laity who are commissioned to help distribute Communion are actually referred to as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

Mrs X: (rolls eyes) There's nothing extraordinary about us!

PG: Oh, but indeed there is. You are authorized to help the priest distribute Communion in extraordinary circumstances when the priest is unable to do so by himself; these extraordinary circumstances have been defined by the Church.

Mrs X: We don't have any extraordinary circumstances here, as you well know.
(Calls to another woman entering the church). Mrs S, have you seen any Eucharistic Ministers?

A little more education could go a very long way here...

Index of Forbidden Hymns

The Catholic Church has a rich heritage of beautiful, sacred music that praises God, songs like "Holy God We Praise Thy Name" and all of St Thomas Aquinas' hymns, which are rarely heard in our modern churches today. Gregorian Chant, which the Second Vatican Council gave "pride of place" in the liturgy, has been totally replaced with David Haas and Marty Haugen drivel that attempts to pass for sacred music. So it's no surprise that most of our children will grow up thinking that Marty Haugen is the traditional music of the Catholic church, having only been exposed to this type of liturgical music all their lives.

What's wrong with these hymns? Well, some of them, like Gather Us In, have the people praising each other, rather than worshiping God. Others, like Come to the Feast downplay the sacrifice of Calvary and make the Mass a mere meal. We Are One in the Spirit could be the theme song for ecumenism, and certainly focuses on human pride. Here I am Lord also makes my list, because God sent Jesus to redeem us, and this song neglects that fact while making us our own redeemers. Lord of the Dance can't go unmentioned, though. It is the most ridiculous song I have ever heard played in a Church, and I have heard it plenty, always accompanied by hand clapping and swaying bodies. That's reason enough for it to be banned from the liturgy.

Therefore, I propose an index of forbidden hymns, starting with these songs: (Feel free to add your own to the list)

Gather us In
We are One in the Spirit
Come to the Feast
Here I am Lord
Lord of the Dance

I know there are many more, so let's hear your input! If you're not sure how the lyrics of these songs affect our worship, read this about the "cult of conceit" from Adoremus Bulletin.

A Dominican Bluegrass Mass?

Hey Anita and Mark, what's with this Dominican Bluegrass Mass next door to you in Seattle, Washington? Do Dominicans do that sort of thing?

Liturgical Dance

There's nothing so ridiculous as liturgical dance, is there? Here's a little story I just came across that speaks to its serious nature of abuse in the liturgy.

A bishop was visiting a church in his diocese, and during the Mass, as the priest and bishop were sitting in the sanctuary at the altar, the door opened and in came a liturgical dancer. She pirouetted down the aisle, twisting and turning with veils flying, toes pointing this way and that. Finally when she reached the end of the aisle, she collapsed in a heap at the foot of the altar. The bishop reportedly leaned over to the priest and whispered in his ear, "If she asks for your head on a platter, she's getting it."

Mass Appeal

The Traditional Mass is growing, for sure, but it has a long way to go to find the same kind of numbers the Novus Ordo enjoys. But just ask any traditionalist, and they will tell you it's not about mass appeal. Rather, it's about Mass appeal. The sacredness, the moments of silence, the holy reverence and the beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass are what draws people to the ancient sacred rite of the Church.

The calm, the stillness, the dignity and beauty, are what separates the Latin Mass from its newer replacement. I seldom feel as though I have participated in an act of worship at a Novus Ordo Mass, but when I attend a TLM, the feeling of peace stays with me for a long while. There's something about the trappings and the symbolism of the Latin Mass that help to draw people in to the spiritual realm of worship where they can really focus on the supernatural and feel closer to God.

I live almost 300 kilometers from the nearest traditional Mass, so I don't get to go very often, and every time I go to a Sunday Novus Ordo, I feel as though I have come away empty. Daily Masses are much better, though, with fewer distractions, but I still feel as though my soul is missing out on the richness of grace that I notice when attending a TLM.

Of course, I am thankful that we are not a mission parish, and have a priest in our community to administer the sacraments, but I feel drawn to the Traditional rite. I have decided to make the long trip, once a month, to Calgary to attend the FSSP Mass at St Anthony's Church, starting this Sunday, April 15.

A Tradition Worth Preserving

I finally had time to read this article, from Homiletic & Pastoral Review; A New Look at the Old Mass, which was sent to me last week by a friend. It's several pages long, but is an excellent representation of the Traditional Latin Mass and the merit of preserving this ancient tradition of the Church.

There's much value in reading the entire article for yourself, and here are a few of the reasons why. The author, Reverend Kenneth Myers, a Latin Mass priest, explains the importance to the Mass of retaining both silence and Latin. He also explains how "actual" participation as called for by Vatican II was confused for active participation and how the resulting chaos has undermined the people's understanding of the Mass as a sacrifice.

Not surprisingly, he testifies to the number of vocations that are springing up from the Traditional communities, as compared to the Novus Ordo parishes. This, I believe, is how God will renew His Church.

It's no wonder that people are flocking to the Traditional Masses wherever they are offered. There, they can witness the sacredness and beauty of the Catholic faith as it was meant to be. It's like stepping into another world, one where you are surrounded by reverence and holiness, where the secret to piety is held in the sacred traditions of the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Arinze on Liturgical Dance

In response to my post Liturgical Dancing at its Worst, Marilena left the following comment, which is taken from an interview with Cardinal Arinze and published in Adoremus Bulletin. Since not everyone reads the comments, I want to publish this here as well.

Here is what Cardinal Arinze says about liturgical dance:

Has liturgical dance been approved for Masses by your office?

There has never been a document from our Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments saying that dance is approved in the Mass.

The question of dance is difficult and delicate. However, it is good to know that the tradition of the Latin Church has not known the dance. It is something that people are introducing in the last ten years -- or twenty years. It was not always so. Now it is spreading like wildfire, one can say, in all the continents -- some more than others. In my own continent, Africa, it is spreading. In Asia, it is spreading.

Now, some priests and lay people think that Mass is never complete without dance. The difficulty is this: we come to Mass primarily to adore God -- what we call the vertical dimension. We do not come to Mass to entertain one another. That's not the purpose of Mass. The parish hall is for that.

So all those that want to entertain us -- after Mass, let us go to the parish hall and then you can dance. And then we clap. But when we come to Mass we don't come to clap. We don't come to watch people, to admire people. We want to adore God, to thank Him, to ask Him pardon for our sins, and to ask Him for what we need.

Don't misunderstand me, because when I said this at one place somebody said to me: "you are an African bishop. You Africans are always dancing. Why do you say we don't dance?"

A moment -- we Africans are not always dancing! [laughter]

Moreover, there is a difference between those who come in procession at Offertory; they bring their gifts, with joy. There is a movement of the body right and left. They bring their gifts to God. That is good, really. And some of the choir, they sing. They have a little bit of movement. Nobody is going to condemn that. And when you are going out again, a little movement, it's all right.

But when you introduce wholesale, say, a ballerina, then I want to ask you what is it all about. What exactly are you arranging? When the people finish dancing in the Mass and then when the dance group finishes and people clap -- don't you see what it means? It means we have enjoyed it. We come for enjoyment. Repeat. So, there is something wrong. Whenever the people clap -- there is something wrong -- immediately. When they clap -- a dance is done and they clap.

It is possible that there could be a dance that is so exquisite that it raises people's minds to God, and they are praying and adoring God and when the dance is finished they are still wrapped up in prayer. But is that the type of dance you have seen? You see. It is not easy.

Most dances that are staged during Mass should have been done in the parish hall. And some of them are not even suitable for the parish hall.

I saw in one place -- I will not tell you where -- where they staged a dance during Mass, and that dance was offensive. It broke the rules of moral theology and modesty. Those who arranged it -- they should have had their heads washed with a bucket of holy water! [laughter]

Why make the people of God suffer so much? Haven't we enough problems already? Only Sunday, one hour, they come to adore God. And you bring a dance! Are you so poor you have nothing else to bring us? Shame on you! That's how I feel about it.

Somebody can say, "but the pope visited this county and the people danced". A moment: Did the pope arrange it? Poor Holy Father -- he comes, the people arranged. He does not know what they arranged. And somebody introduces something funny -- is the pope responsible for that? Does that mean it is now approved? Did they put in on the table of the Congregation for Divine Worship? We would throw it out! If people want to dance, they know where to go.

Amazing How These Hymns Are So Uninspiring

Amazing, the grace it takes to sit through protestant songs at a Catholic Church every Sunday...

Here I go again, writing about the protestant hymns our choir sings on Sundays. Well, there is one protestant hymn I actually like, and they sang it today. Amazing Grace. It's a beautiful song, inspiring and uplifting. It's usually only sung once a year, though.

If I have to sit through protestant songs of praise, like Marty Haugen's horrible repertoire of lyrical silliness, and other songs that don't really qualify as hymns, like "Lord of the Dance", and "Morning Has Broken", then I would much rather listen to Amazing Grace.

I remember the first time I ever heard it sung in a church was at my NO parish here, several years ago. I asked the then choir director why they don't sing it more often, and he said it was because it wasn't an (ahem) Catholic hymn that they only sang it once, maybe twice a year at the most.

Yup. That really leaves me wondering. Are all those other songs they sing supposed to be Catholic?

Will It Happen This Time?

Rome, Italy – Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro, Rome-based consultant to Una Voce America, confirmed that his Vatican sources have said the long awaited and much-rumored motu proprio easing restrictions on the Traditional Roman rite of Mass should be issued by Easter.

“I have information from a serious high level source that it is likely the motu proprio will be published before Easter,” Msgr. Barreiro said.

“The fact that the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis, will be published on March 13, 2007, may pave the way for promulgation of the motu proprio,” he added.

Read the rest of the article here:

There's Still Hope

Cartoon by Paul Nichols

Back to the Tridentine? It's Up to the Pope

ROME, FEB. 26, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Speculation continues as to whether Benedict XVI will issue a document on a possible reform of the liturgy.

The secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, spoke with Inside the Vatican magazine about rumors of a papal document that would loosen restrictions on the Tridentine Mass.

If he were to issue a document "motu proprio" (on his own initiative), Archbishop Ranjith said that the Holy Father will "decide what is best for the Church."

"The Tridentine Mass is not something that belongs to the followers of Archbishop Lefebvre only," he said. "It is part of our own heritage as members of the Catholic Church."

The Sri Lanka-born prelate added: "It is not so much a matter of the Tridentine Mass or of the Novus Ordo. It is just a question of pastoral responsibility and sensitivity. …

"The Church should always seek to help our faithful to come closer to the Lord, to feel challenged by his message and to respond to his call generously.

"And if that can be achieved through the celebration of the Novus Ordo Mass or the Pius V Mass, well, then space should be provided for whatever is best instead of getting down to unnecessary and divisive theological hair-splitting."

Current failure

Though noting positive results too, Archbishop Ranjith said that "the post-conciliar reform of the liturgy has not been able to achieve the expected goals of spiritual and missionary renewal in the Church."

"The churches have become empty," the 59-year-old said. "Liturgical freewheeling has become the order of the day, and the true meaning and significance of that which is celebrated has been obscured.

"One has to, then, begin wondering if the reform process had in fact been handled correctly."

Archbishop Ranjith recalled that the Second Vatican Council's constitution on the liturgy does not allow individual priests to modify the Mass.

"In the celebration of the Novus Ordo we have to be very serious about what we do on the altar," the Vatican official explained. "I cannot be a priest who dreams in his sleep about what I will do at the Mass the following day, walk up to the altar and start celebrating with all kinds of novel self-created rubrics and actions.

"The holy Eucharist belongs to the Church. Hence, it has a meaning of its own which cannot be left to the idiosyncrasies of the single celebrant."

Asked about a return to the Tridentine Mass or just a reform of the Novus Ordo, Archbishop Ranjith said: "An 'either-or' attitude would unnecessarily polarize the Church, whereas charity and pastoral concern should be the motivating factors. If the Holy Father so desires, both could coexist."

As to when or if a document "motu proprio" will be issued, "nothing yet is known," but, Archbishop Ranjith said, "it is the Holy Father who will decide. And when he does, we should in all obedience accept what he indicates to us and with a genuine love for the Church strive to help him.

"Any counter attitude would only harm the spiritual mission of the Church and thwart the Lord's own will."

Back to Tradition in Conneticut: Boys Only to Serve at the Altar

A parish in Connecticut is on the right track with its example of allowing only boys to serve at the altar. A program for girls called Handmaids of the Altar was implemented, which trains them to help with the sacristy, create baptism robes and sew altar linens. Not surprisingly, some parents have complained, calling the program "sexist."

Christine Schenk, director of FutureChurch, a national coalition of parish-based Catholics that advocates opening ordination to women and married people, called the move misguided and the program sexist.

"I think to deny a young woman the opportunity, the privilege of serving at the altar is basically to send a message that you're not as good as the boy," she said, adding that the change "damages little girls."

Schenk agrees with Markey that boys and girls should be able to join separate clubs. "But why does it have to be altar servers?" she asked. "There are a number of ways that need could be met. I don't know why we have to build up boys at the expense of girls."

Many others, though give their support to the priest, with both parents and girls welcoming the change. Maybe, just maybe, this will be the beginning of a trend.

(Don't) Come as You Are

Is there a relationship between the lyrics of the songs we sing at Mass and the way people act and dress for Mass? When I go to the Traditional Mass, people are dressed respectfully and conservatively. The hymns are all traditional, sacred songs. There is much reverence displayed, both by the people and by the priests.

The Novus Ordo I attend has a different atmosphere. People are much more casual, both in their dress and their actions. There is lots of talking before and during Mass, and the prayerful atmosphere of the traditional Mass is lacking. The choir is the centre of attention, and they are positioned right up front, as close as they can get to the sanctuary, without actually being in it.

So how does this connect with the lyrics of songs? Take the chorus for "Come as You Are." Doesn't it just encourage you to take a lax attitude to salvation? Songs like this totally ignore Christ's clear instruction that repentance for one's sins is necessary for salvation.

Chorus:
Come as you are
Don't change a thing
Open your heart
He'll walk right in
Come as you are
No alibis
His love for you
Will never die

This song, like many others that are in wide use in our Churches today, do nothing to inspire one to reverence and holiness. We need humility, reverence and repentance. Piety is reflected both in the way we behave at Mass, and in the way we dress. We need sacred surroundings to inspire us to holiness. A prayerful attitude and appropriate dress are both indications that we are aware of the full meaning of the Mass, and that we are less likely to be a cause of distraction to those around us. It's no coincidence that more and more people are being drawn to the Mass of the Ages. It fills the spiritual void that the modern Mass has left in our souls.

GIRM - What GIRM?

Canada doesn't follow the GIRM. How is it that we have been allowed to skate along all these years with no official document to guide us in matters pertaining to the liturgy?

Today, I asked my priest that very question. He said the cultural differences between the French and English speaking bishops, as well as the differences of opinions between the liberal and traditional bishops have been a stumbling block to the acceptance of the GIRM.

Apparently, rather than just obeying Rome and abiding by the GIRM, the CCCB submitted a list of requested indults for liturgical approval. Some of the requests were for inclusive language (no surprise there), and others were for additional Eucharistic prayers. The list is long, and I will have a complete copy of it next week.

We all know the Vatican doesn't move at lightening speed. The US is already on their second revision to the GIRM. Canada is still waiting for the Vatican to approve or reject the indults. In the meantime, says my priest, we are to follow what each Diocesan bishop lays down in matters of the Liturgy. Right or wrong, we are to follow his lead.

It gives an awful lot of leeway to the liberals, don't you think?

Fabrication of the Liturgy

In 1993, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger recognized the degeneration of the liturgy, and spoke about the Mass being reduced to a show. He talks about the devastation of the liturgy, with liturgical directors caving to frivolities of fashion and seductive moral maxims.

By the Cardinal's own acknowledgment, he states "a new spiritual impulse is necessary so that the liturgy becomes a community activity of the Church for us once again and to remove it from the will of parish priests and their liturgical teams".

That was fourteen years ago. Now that Ratzinger is Pope, I can't help but wonder when he is going to act on these words:

A Young priest recently told me: "Today we need a new liturgical movement". He was expressing a desire, these days, only deliberately superficial souls would ignore.

What matters to that priest is not the conquest of new, bolder liberties. For, where is the liberty that we have yet to arrogate ourselves? That priest understood that we need a new beginning born from deep within the liturgy, as liturgical movement intended . . .

In its practical materialization, liturgical reform has moved further away from this origin. The result was not re-animation but devastation.

On the one hand, we have a liturgy which has degenerated so that it has become a show which, with momentary success for the group of liturgical fabricators, strives to render religion interesting in the wake of the frivolities of fashion and seductive moral maxims.

Consequently, the trend is the increasingly marked retreat of those who do not look to the liturgy for a spiritual show-master but for the encounter with the living God in whose presence all the "doing" becomes insignificant since only this encounter is able to guarantee us access to the true richness of being.

On the other hand, there is the conservation of ritual forms whose greatness is always moving but which, when pushed to extremes, manifests an obstinate isolationism and leaves, ultimately, a mark of sadness.

There is no doubt that between these two poles there are priests and parishioners who celebrate the new liturgy with respect and solemnity. But they, too, are made to feel doubtful by the contradiction of the two extremes and, in the final analysis, the lack of unity within the Church makes their faith seem - and wrongly so in most cases - just their own personal version of neo-conservatism.

Therefore, a new spiritual impulse is necessary so that the liturgy becomes a community activity of the Church for us once again and to remove it from the will of parish priests and their liturgical teams.

There can be no "fabricating" a liturgical movement of this kind, just as there can be no "fabricating" something which is alive. But a contribution can be made to its development by seeking to re- assimilate the sprit of the liturgy and by defending publicity that which was received.

The new beginning needs "fathers" who would serve as models, who would not content themselves with just showing the way . . . It is difficult to express in just a few words what is important in this diatribe of liturgists and what is not. But perhaps what I have to say will be of use. J.A. Jungman, one of the truly great liturgists of our century, offered his definition of the liturgy of his time, as it was intended in the West, and he represented it in terms of historical research. He described it as "liturgy which is the fruit of development".

This is probably in contrast with the Eastern notion which does not see liturgy as developing or growing in history but as the reflection of eternal liturgy whose light, through the sacred celebration, illumines our changing times with its unchanging beauty and greatness. Both conceptions are legitimate and by definition they are not irreconcilable.

What happened after the Council was totally different: in the place of liturgy as the fruit of development came fabricated liturgy.

We left the living process of growth and development to enter the realm of fabrication. There was no longer a desire to continue developing and maturing, as the centuries passed and so this was replaced - as if it were a technical production - with a construction, a banal on-the-spot product.

I'm Still Smiling

We have a retired Redemptorist priest saying Mass for us for three weeks, while our other priest is in Arizona. He took us all by surprise today when he totally skipped the sign of peace, and went straight to the Agnus Dei. That really got me smiling!

Then he requested a Thomas Aquinas hymn to open the adoration, and he even stayed to make a holy hour. And I bet he knows his Latin. I wonder if we can keep him?

A Comment That Rings True

I received a comment today from an anonymous source, on a post I did last week: What We Have Lost & the Road to Restoration. The experience expressed here is typical of many Catholics who were catechized post Vatican II. The Baltimore Catechism is gone as a teaching tool, and many Catholics no longer believe (or know about) the Real Pesence. But, I'll just have anonymous speak about this sad state of affairs:

Anonymous said...

At my Sunday Novus Ordo Mass there was a lady reading a newspaper, I kid you not, reading a newspaper after the Gospel and during the consecration. Our Parish is so spiritually dead it's almost painful attending...

Please Please... Where is the TLM already? I'm 29 and have known nothing but Vatican II, but I honestly believe our Parish needs more orthodoxy. We have a beautiful nearly 80 year old parish that had the altar rails ripped out, side altars removed, instead of a prominent crucifix there is a risen Christ with no cross. My Pastor is a great guy, but I've heard him tell in a homily that divorce is bad, but God doesn't expect perfection that's why the Church has a means to be divorced and reconcile yourself with the church, essentially teaching divorce and remarriage is O.K.

As a product of Vatican II, I can say that I attended CCD, received my First Holy Communion, was confirmed etc... And I was NEVER taught once about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Out of all my friends and family that are Vatican II children I am the only one to turn back to my Catholic faith passionately, the rest more than 30 Catholics are all Palm's and ashes Catholics or atheists, with a smattering of nerborns in the mix. I can only thank God for never leaving me and leading me back to truth in spite of the poor examples of Catholic faith I received growing up.

There are more and more younger people desiring a return to the Tridentine Latin Mass. Is it any wonder, when they have been starved for the truth for so long? Reading this comment makes me know why I have been called to teach catechism. As St. John Vianney once said, "If you want to do something for the Church, teach the catechism". And teach it well, I might add.

Pope Paul VI - Changes In Mass For Greater Apostolate

Have you ever read the words of Pope Paul VI in his "Address to a General Audience, November 26, 1969" where he was introducing the Novus Ordo Mass to the people? These are the words that strike me the most. Reading them makes me mourn for all we have lost, and grieve for the Mass of the Ages that has been replaced by the often less than reverent Novus Ordo.

2. A new rite of the Mass: a change in a venerable tradition that has gone on for centuries. This is something that affects our hereditary religious patrimony, which seemed to enjoy the privilege of being untouchable and settled. It seemed to bring the prayer of our forefathers and our saints to our lips and to give us the comfort of feeling faithful to our spiritual past, which we kept alive to pass it on to the generations ahead.

3. It is at such a moment as this that we get a better understanding of the value of historical tradition and the communion of the saints. This change will affect the ceremonies of the Mass. We shall become aware, perhaps with some feeling of annoyance, that the ceremonies at the altar are no longer being carried out with the same words and gestures to which we were accustomed—perhaps so much accustomed that we no longer took any notice of them. This change also touches the faithful. It is intended to interest each one of those present, to draw them out of their customary personal devotions or their usual torpor.

4. We must prepare for this many-sided inconvenience. It is the kind of upset caused by every novelty that breaks in on our habits. We shall notice that pious persons are disturbed most, because they have their own respectable way of hearing Mass, and they will feel shaken out of their usual thoughts and obliged to follow those of others. Even priests may feel some annoyance in this respect.

Mass Confusion

Some people sure get riled over the possibility of the Tridentine Latin Mass coming to their Novus Ordo community. They feel threatened, and say it has to do with division. Yesterday, at Catholic Answers forums we had a heated debate over this very topic. Today, the thread has disappeared, removed by the moderators.

It seems the Novus Ordo champions want all the people of the parish at their Mass, so as not to create camps within the parish. They say the TLM promotes elitism and snobbery, with a holier than thou attitude. The traditional Catholics just want to be able to worship God in a more reverent, holy and sacred manner. Who's right? Well, the Novus Ordo is here to stay, so just like the poor, we will always have it among us.

The Latin Mass, by its very nature, is a drawing card of sacred treasure that attracts people by its reverence, beauty and tradition. Once the Motu Proprio is released, the parishes that offer both Masses will undoubtedly see increased attendance at the TLM. This worries those who attend the NO, and I believe they feel threatened by it. They don't want what they call a return to the dark ages, and feel the Church is moving backwards by allowing priests to offer the TLM again.

Most, (but not all) Novus Ordo Masses feature women in the sanctuary, and permit laymen to distribute Holy Communion in the hand, while allowing and even encouraging altar girls, polka and rock music, clowns, and kissing and hugging. The sense of sacredness is gone. Our beautiful Roman liturgy has been Protestantized beyond recognition. So what is there to separate us from our Protestant brethren?

If it weren't for the Consecration, our Mass would be identical to any given protestant service. That's why we hold the Latin Mass so close to our hearts. It distinguishes us as Catholics, and keeps our sacred traditions alive. It inspires one to holiness and reverence. If only the champions of the Novus Ordo could understand this without feeling threatened.