Pope set to bring back Latin Mass that divided the Church

The Times Online ^ | October 11, 2006 | Ruth Gledhill

[Petrosius]

THE Pope is taking steps to revive the ancient tradition of the Latin Tridentine Mass in Catholic churches worldwide, according to sources in Rome.

Pope Benedict XVI is understood to have signed a universal indult — or permission — for priests to celebrate again the Mass used throughout the Church for nearly 1,500 years. The indult could be published in the next few weeks, sources told The Times.

Use of the Tridentine Mass, parts of which date from the time of St Gregory in the 6th century and which takes its name from the 16th-century Council of Trent, was restricted by most bishops after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

This led to the introduction of the new Mass in the vernacular to make it more accessible to contemporary audiences. By bringing back Mass in Latin, Pope Benedict is signalling that his sympathies lie with conservatives in the Catholic Church.

One of the most celebrated rebels against its suppression was Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who broke with Rome in 1988 over this and other reforms. He was excommunicated after he consecrated four bishops, one of them British, without permission from the Pope.

Some Lefebvrists, including those in Brazil, have already been readmitted. An indult permitting the celebration of the Tridentine Mass could help to bring remaining Lefebvrists and many other traditional Catholics back to the fold.

The priests of England and Wales are among those sometimes given permission to celebrate the Old Mass according to the 1962 Missal. Tridentine Masses are said regularly at the Oratory and St James’s Spanish Place in London, but are harder to find outside the capital.

The new indult would permit any priest to introduce the Tridentine Mass to his church, anywhere in the world, unless his bishop has explicitly forbidden it in writing.

Catholic bloggers have been anticipating the indult for months. The Cornell Society blog says that Father Martin Edwards, a London priest, was told by Cardinal Joseph Zen, of Hong Kong, that the indult had been signed. Cardinal Zen is alleged to have had this information from the Pope himself in a private meeting.

“There have been false alarms before, not least because within the Curia there are those genuinely well-disposed to the Latin Mass, those who are against and those who like to move groups within the Church like pieces on a chessboard,” a source told The Times. “But hopes have been raised with the new pope. It would fit with what he has said and done on the subject. He celebrated in the old rite, when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.”

The 1962 Missal issued by Pope John XXIII was the last of several revisions of the 1570 Missal of Pius V. In a lecture in 2001, Cardinal Ratzinger said that it would be “fatal” for the Missal to be “placed in a deep-freeze, left like a national park, a park protected for the sake of a certain kind of people, for whom one leaves available these relics of the past”.

Daphne McLeod, chairman of Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, a UK umbrella group that campaigns for the restoration of traditional orthodoxy, said: “A lot of young priests are teaching themselves the Tridentine Mass because it is so beautiful and has prayers that go back to the Early Church.”

TRADITIONAL SERVICE

• The Tridentine Mass is celebrated entirely in Latin, except for a few words and phrases in Greek and Hebrew. There are long periods of silence and the priest has his back to the congregation

• In 1570, Pope St Pius V said that priests could use the Tridentine rite forever, “without scruple of conscience or fear of penalty”

• Since the Second Vatican Council, the Tridentine Mass has been almost entirely superseded by the Mass of Pope Paul VI

• Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who took the lead in opposing the reforms, continued to celebrate the old Mass at his seminary in Ecône, Switzerland, and formed a dissident group. He was excommunicated in 1988

• The advantages of the Mass, according to the faithful, are in its uniformity and the fact that movements and gestures are prescribed, so that there is no room for “personalisation”

[Dajjal]

The new indult would permit any priest to introduce the Tridentine Mass to his church, anywhere in the world, unless his bishop has explicitly forbidden it in writing.

Well, if bishops can forbid the Traditional Mass, then this alleged document shouldn't be dubbed a "Universal" Indult, should it?

Also, "permitting" priests to say an "Indult" Mass is not the same as affirming that the Traditional Mass was never abrogated.

The advantages of the Mass, according to the faithful, are in its uniformity and the fact that movements and gestures are prescribed, so that there is no room for “personalisation”

No, the "advantage" to the Traditional Mass is that it is traditional -- its roots reach back to Apostolic times. It was not concocted out of whole cloth by a handful of "experts" in the 1960s.

[mockingbyrd]

If the Church was that united, it wouldn't have fallen apart so quickly.

The Church has always had divisions, although we tended to refer to them as heretics, apostates and schismatic. Just look at all the Protestant denominations, those are all separations from the Church.

There will always be struggles for the faithful, no matter when.

[Talking_Mouse]

My only concern is that if a universal indult is granted, that many priests who do not know Latin very well, or the Tridentine rite, will try to celebrate it, with bad results (perhaps even on purpose to sabotage the entire enterprise). So, if this comes to pass, let us pray that the law of unintended results does not "mess things up". Hopefully, the indult will also specify standards which must be followed.

If lots of priests who do not know either Latin or the Tridentine Mass well celebrate it there will be bad results. I go to enough Masses where Anglo priests celebrate Mass in Spanish and see well intentioned priests messing up a Mass, this is just a different language not different rubrics. It takes about 2 years to get the language right and another 2 -3 to be comfortable in the celebration.

Please do no ascribe to malice most of the bad results that will come when priests who have not used Latin for a full Mass or have not celebrated the Tridentine Mass celerate one. Many people who are in love with the Tridentine Mass are used to priests who are exacting in their celebration of the Mass. They do not remember all of the sloppily celebrated Tridentine Mass, pre VII.

I too hope that there will be a universal indult, because I know that many of my sisters and brothers yearn for this celebration. However, if there is an universal indult said brothers and sisters are going to have to accept about a 5 year shake down period while many priest learn for the first time or relearn this Mass.

Mary, queen of the clergy, obtain for us a number of holy priests. Who can celebrate both the Tridentine and the NO Mass well. Thank you.

[Pyro7480]

I see your point. But as someone on another forum where orthodox/traditionalist Catholics gather said, "This puts the progressivist bishop in a tight spot. If he refuses the TLM to his priests then does he create the pretext for the Pope to impose a group of Pontifical Right (such as the new Good Shepherd Institute) upon his diocese? I have a feeling Pope Benedict has done some homework."

[vox_freedom]

Thanks for the article, but I'll await Pope Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio before celebrating. It can't come soon enough.

[franky]

Just remember that the Gospel is on the left side of the altar. Altar boys will need training. Unfortunately they are poor at what they do now.

Info on Latin Mass

http://lphrc.org/trid.html

[Pyro7480]

Also, the rubrics call for altar boys only. That's going to be problematic for many of your typical Catholics these days.

[franky]

##"Just look at all the Protestant denominations, those are all separations from the Church."##

I look at the fallout as a type of pyramid. The Catholic Church at the point on top and the Protestant denominations splitting among themselves over several centuries to the point of the broad base.

Even the Lutheran Church has split into several denominations from Luther's original denomination.

[FJ290]

I'm a Vatican II baby and don't know a word of Latin

Latin Grammar

Latin Made Simple

University of Notre Dame Latin Dictionary and Grammar Aid

Start learning some online with the last link from Notre Dame. Good luck!

[franky]

Yes. My cousin and his wife died two months apart (they were in their mid 80s) and they each had a Requiem Mass in Latin with Gregorian Chanting.

There were 6 altar boys ages 5 to the oldest of 17. The 17 year old guided each boy with a nod of his head and assisted the priest as a Deacon would. They all wore hassocks of white over black. The priest wore the traditional black and silver.

The boys were well trained. The 5 year old looked like an angel especially when he and the others sat around the altar on the steps. I imagined they were the Angels sitting at the feet of our Lord.

They were very holy occasions.

[Petrosius]

Ego renuntio, decernis tu.

[onedoug]

Beautiful thought.

Though some post-Benedict imam will likely have other thougts...in Arabic.

[samiam1972]

This would be wonderful!

My kids just started in the children's choir at Latin Mass parish. We don't know any Latin yet, however, I came across this site that pronounces the prayers in Latin for you. It has really helped my kids (8 and 6) with the Salve Regina they are singing(chant).

http://lphrc.org/rmk/Rosary/index.html

[Talking_Mouse]

Also, the rubrics call for altar boys only. That's going to be problematic for many of your typical Catholics these days.

Then it probably won't be celebrated in those parishes. The wonderful thing about a universal indult is that is will allow the celebration of the Tridentine Mass for those who wish it, not require it for those who prefer the NO Mass.

[dsc]

I suspect the priests here would rather nail their tongues to the altar than celebrate the Tridentine.

[Robert Drobot]

But great for grooming young Catholic men for the priesthood.

[Jeff Chandler]

Where does she explain how the Latin mass divided the Church!?

Exactly! It united the Church.

[Wonder Warthog]

"No, the "advantage" to the Traditional Mass is that it is traditional -- its roots reach back to Apostolic times. It was not concocted out of whole cloth by a handful of "experts" in the 1960s."

No, actually it doesn't. The original languages of the Mass was Aramaiac, and then Greek. There is nothing whatsoever "traditional" about the Mass in Latin. It's just another language.

Sorry, but I prefer the Mass to be in the vernacular. It is very distracting to try to follow the English "notes" in the Missal as the mass is said in Latin.

For you purists, if a parish wants to have a "Latin mass" as ONE service along with the vernacular, then fine. But I won't attend the Latin one.

[Diva]

My pastor and my parish are ready.

[Diva]

My only concern is that if a universal indult is granted, that many priests who do not know Latin very well, or the Tridentine rite, will try to celebrate it, with bad results (perhaps even on purpose to sabotage the entire enterprise).

Could be but I would think those who are inclind to dislike the Tridentine are just too lazy. I doubt most Catholics will even notice, those who do are already eagerly await the opportunity. What will be interesting is to see if any bishops begin to Celebrate the Tridentine and whether seminaries encourage the learning of the Tridentine Mass.