Posted on 07/08/2007 4:56:55 PM PDT by narses
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday removed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass, reviving a rite that was all but swept away by the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The decision, a victory for traditional, conservative Roman Catholics, came over the objections of liberal-minded Catholics and angered Jews because the Tridentine Mass contains a prayer for their conversion. ... In addition to Jewish concerns, bishops in France, and liberal-minded clergy and faithful elsewhere expressed concerns that allowing freer use of the Tridentine liturgy would imply a negation of Vatican II and create divisions in parishes since two different liturgies would be celebrated.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
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Are these same liberals concerned about the “division” in parishes which celebrate seperate masses in Spanish, Korean, etc?! Didn’t think so. LOL!
Not to mention the teen/youth Masses (especially the LifeTeen program). Yikes!
After all, God forbid that a 17 yo boy might have to share a pew with an 80 yo woman using a walker. He might actually be expected to give up his seat for her. *roll eyes*
The Latin Mass should never have been restricted/banned in the first place.
Letter on 1962 Missal Not Anti-Semitic
Document to Be Released Saturday
VATICAN CITY, JULY 6, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's apostolic letter concerning the Roman Missal promulgated by John XXIII in 1962, will not reinstate a prayer for the conversion of "perfidious Jews."
The Vatican press office announced today the Pope's letter issued "motu proprio," on his own initiative, is titled "Summorum Pontificum," and will be released Saturday at noon, accompanied by an explanatory letter.
Several media reports erroneously contend that the letter could in effect reinstate a prayer offensive to Jews from the Good Friday liturgy of the Tridentine Mass, which dates back to 1570. The prayer stated: "Oremus et pro perfidies Judaeis" (Let us pray for the perfidious Jews).
On the first Good Friday after his election to the papacy in 1959, Pope John XXIII eliminated the adjective "perfidious" from the prayer. Since then the expression "Let us pray for the Jews" has been used.
That same year, he also eliminated from the rite of baptism the phrase used for Jewish catechumens: "Horresce Jusaicam perfidiam, respue Hebraicam superstitionem" (Disavow Jewish unbelieving, deny Hebrew superstition).
Also eliminated were similar formulas for those converting from idolatry, Islam or a heretical sect.
The 1962 missal was promulgated with an apostolic letter issued "motu proprio" by John XXIII "Rubricarum Instructum." The missal does not make reference to "perfidious Jews."
On Good Friday in 1963, John XXIII underlined the importance of this decision when the old formulation of the prayer for the Jews was read. The Pope interrupted the liturgy and asked that that the liturgical invocations begin again from the beginning, following the new text.
The Roman Missal adopted by Pope Paul VI in 1969, and put into effect in 1970, reformulated the prayer. It reads: "Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God, that they may continue to grow in the love of his name and in faithfulness to his covenant.
"Almighty and eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption."
A Mass in a common language is the only place where all members of a parish can meet together. For more than a hundred years, a Church ruled by Irish bishops sought to make English and Latin the languages heard at Mass. Then the Latin went away and now the English.
I usually attend Mass on Saturday evening. That Mass is so sparsely attended that there almost isn't anyone available to divide. If I were a puppeteer I might want to try a latin Mass for a bit just to guage the reaction. I can't see how it can do any harm.
I went to catholic school and back then the Mass was in Latin, virtually the whole thing and it was beautiful. Since then all of the prayers have been changed around, reworded, and most of the Mass is in English, it kinda takes away from the Mass imo. Not sure if my parish will revert back to Latin, I live in MA which is virtually all libs and the town I live in is ALL libs......
My opinion is that liberal Catholics feed tripe to their Jewish friends, who then report false information to the Press. They used this same trick to discredit “The Passion of the Christ.”
I agree. Finally Rome does as well.
We still pray for the conversion of the Jews. That seems to be offensive.
Yep, them liberals.
I am a Jew, and I am not offended. I am, however, offended by liberal “Temples” where leftist “Rabbis” preach Secular Humanism and Socialism instead of the Torah.
Interesting bull promulgated by the pope, but I don’t see how he will actually be able to implement it.
Its been 40 years since the Catholic Church used Latin, I suspect the vast majority don’t know enough of the language to read the slogan on a pack of cigarettes.
One cannot just order this kind of change, teaching Latin to legions of priests and altar servers is a huge task.
I wonder if the Vatican will put out some sort of clarification wherein the Tridentine is used but with a Latin translation of John XXIII’s version of his appropriate changes in the Novus Ordo.
I miss the Latin Mass also. I just think it’s more reverent and it brings back good memories of my childhood. Several parishes in Chicago have been saying limited amount of Latin Masses for the past few years. My understanding they have been well attended.
I became an altar boy in the 5th grade...two years later they changed the Mass to english...I fell away from the church shortly after although I can still recite “The Sucipiot” lo these many decades later.(sp).
The sentence about some Jews being upset because of a prayer for their conversion caught my eye. As a (non-observant) Jew I find the controversy to be totally ridiculous. What possible difference does it make if Catholics want to pray for Jews to convert? Nobody's being forced to convert, so nobody's rights are being violated. If that's what floats your boat, pray away all you want.
Of all the things for Jews to worry about in today's world, I can't think of anything less important.
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