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Posted on 07/06/2007 4:29:38 AM PDT by 26lemoncharlie
The text of a "Motu Proprio" (papal decision) regarding the revival of a controversial Latin mass will be made public this week, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Vatican officials stressed that the current text, which formerly called Jews "perfidious," contains no derogatory reference to Jews.
The text is based on the Tridentine Mass promulgated by the Council of Trent in the 16th century. Originally this mass contained a Good Friday prayer for the conversion of "the perfidious Jews."
But in the 1960s, after his historic meeting with the historian and Holocaust survivor Jules Isaac, Pope John XXIII ordered this terminology removed, and the version that will be used dates back to 1962, when this phrase had already been eliminated.
Yet controversy continues over Benedict XVIth's decision to "facilitate and clarify" the possibility of performing mass in this Latin version. After the Second Vatican Council, the Latin mass was abolished in favor of using local languages, for the sake of improved communication. Only 2,000 to 3,000 people, following Cardinal Lefebvre in France and in Italy's Piedmont region continued using the Latin version. They ordained their own bishops, who were subsequently excommunicated by John Paul II. Benedict is apparently attempting to reintegrate this group into the church.
Now, any parish with at least 30 members will be able to request permission from their bishop to perform the Latin mass.
Some Catholic circles, particularly those most open to interfaith dialogue, are concerned this change will divide Catholics and undo some of the good work of the Second Vatican Council.
Jewish groups are upset that the mass contain a prayer for the conversion of the Jews.
While the Tridentine Mass contained a Good Friday prayer asking that God "lift the veil covering the hearts of Jews so that they may recognize Jesus Christ our Lord," the 1965 version states: "Let us pray for the Jews, that the face of the Lord our God may shine on them so that they too recognize the redeemer of all, Jesus Christ, our Lord."
The prayer continues: "Listen to your church so that those who were once your chosen people may reach the fulfillment of redemption."
Contemporary Good Friday prayers no longer ask for the conversion of Jews, and in contrast to the old version, the Jewish covenant with God is presented as eternally valid.
During Easter celebrations one can hear these words in the modern version: "Lord our God, who chose the Jews before all other men, to receive his word, help them to continue progressing in the love of your name and faithfulness to your covenant." The prayer continues with wishes that Jews may reach "the fulfillment of redemption."
Why would it be divisive if the Latin mass is optional?
Main Entry: per·fi·dy
Pronunciation: 'p&r-f&-dE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -dies
Etymology: Latin perfidia, from perfidus faithless, from per- detrimental to + fides faith -- more at PER-, FAITH
1 : the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal : TREACHERY 2 : an act or an instance of disloyalty
Palmieri-Billig thinks that she's in the Catskills watching summer stock.
It will be a very long time before we understand the true magnitude of the damage done by Vatican II. God bless Benedict VI for his courage in restoring the Latin Mass, but it may be too late to reverse the trend.
“Why would it be divisive if the Latin mass is optional?”
That is what I would like to know.
Correction: Benedict XVI
Sorry, this article has it wrong. Under the new directive, no one has to ask permission of the bishop, and the Latin Mass was not abolished. (those are the two biggies I’ve spotted, haven’t read the whole article yet.)
Can't help thinking: what ELSE did the writer get wrong? Two major factual errors in a story tells me the reporter is lazy and doesn't think.
Or,the author is Jewish and doesn’t know our Mass very well, and is looking for a centuries-old bone to pick! Sorry, no bones here, move along please!
Nearly every point the author makes in this article is wrong, wrong, wrong! Why would someone so ignorant of the subject matter offer an article for publication? Why shine a light on your ignorance?
If you REALLY believe in your religion, you want everybody to attain its benefits and be happy and blessed. (On the other hand, if you don't really believe in your religion, and all religions are equivalent, then I suppose you might be in a state of logical disconnect and overly sensitive about such things.)
Particularly if your religion is related to another religion (as Christianity is derived from Judaism) you feel that members of that religion are your kin, so you ESPECIALLY want them to be happy and blessed.
So you pray for them!
Was en tsimmes vor nit vil!
Oh, for cryin' out loud.
Bump!
Actually they do. The irony of all of this is that, if Christianity is indeed a false religion, why are people so afraid of the power of Christian prayer?
Yeah, this is a poorly-researched article. The whole point of the motu proprio is to remove the requirement of priests to first get the permission of his bishop to celebrate in Latin. And apparently these journalists were in a cave when JP II's funeral Mass was celebrated in Latin - pretty strange for a rite that's been "abolished".
I would like to know where in the Latin mass I attended frequently in the 40s and50s the ‘perfidious jews’ are mentioned.It is not in my daily missal.
When I went back on one occasion and introduced myself to the pastor after leaving Mass, he gave me a box of little envelopes. I left and never went back again.
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