Thank God for the Latin Mass indult!
I think it's fantastic that the Holy Father Benedict XVI has proposed this indult to allow the Latin Mass to be celebrated everywhere.
I can't wait to attend a Tridentine Mass. I am praying that the Latin Mass will be reinstated throughout the whole world so that the liturgical abuses which plague many parishes will be brought to an end.
I am not a Traditionalist, I believe the Novus Ordo is valid and I will still attend. However I believe the Trindentine Mass is more holy and reverant. I think that this is a great thing and I have waited for this for years!
Does anyone agree? Will you be attending a Trindentine Mass if it becomes an option for you?
Though the recent indult has
Though the recent indult has caused Latin Mass mania, those who cheer its arrival shouldn't be too excited. The realization that the Mass of All Time has been "reinstated" or "freed" - since when was it prohibited? Paul VI had no authority to do so, as the Tridentine Mass had already been codified - should cause those Catholics who are able to think logically and prefer the Latin Mass to the Novus Ordo (New Mass) that something is in fact amiss. Clown masses alongside Latin Masses under the same happy "Catholic Church" banner? The Novus Ordo, with its emphasis on me me me me more me and my community, and less on Christ, has caused such a destruction in the Church. A look at simple statistics shows Church attendance DOWN by 60% since the installment of the Novus Ordo. Ordinations, sacraments, seminaries, Catholic school attendance, etc. numbers have all plummetted. The New Mass does not appeal to the younger ranks of Catholics; what appeals to them is the "be a good person, that's your ticket to heaven" attitude that the New Mass and the changes of Vatican II emulates. Those who prefer the Latin Mass don't just prefer the smells and bells--they prefer the Catholic Faith.
a Thomist, please go read
a Thomist, please go read what was released, it was never abrogated. (which makes for some opportunities before the legal portion of the document kicks in on the feast of the Triumph on the Cross (pun intended?))
The NO can be reformed, much of that can be started with no permissions (turning back to God, Latin, good homilies, even the altar rail). Unfortunately the missal of John XXIII will never again be the ordinary form, but the Missal of Paul VI will eventually be replaced (except where permitted by an indult) with a reform that meets the demands of SC without losing the sense of the sacred that JXIII Missal preserves
We may have to travel a
We may have to travel a distance, or attend Mass at an inconvenient time, but indult Latin Masses are available in most dioceses - and they are definitely worth the extra effort.
I would caution Catholic believers from disparaging either the Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo, as both are valid in the Church, and therefore, both are sacred. Please don't show your ignorance by attacking the Mass!
That said, I have been to more than a few Novus Ordo Masses where creative innovations and whims were conducted, which - as Pope John Paul II warned in Inaestimabile Donum in 1980 - "bewilder the faithful" and "offend the ecclesial senses." Clown Masses, liturgical dancing, black candles and helium-filled balloons during the offertory procession, joke-telling, applauding...just to name a few. Yes, such celebrations may be a fair more lively, but they are also a fair more irreverent and disgraceful - not to mention disobedient to Rome. (And yes, I have seen these abominations at Novus Ordo Masses.)
Attending the same Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that the great saints and martyrs attended - praying silently the same prayers in the same angelic tongue - gives the soul the deepest thrill and lifts us to heights unimaginable.
Truly, after attending the Latin Mass, we can "feel" the communion with the saints, as well as with each other. While I've never studied the language of the Church, a little bit Spanish taken in high school has been sufficient for me to recognize the roots of many words and follow along in the Missal with relative ease.
Attending the Latin Mass causes your heart to be fixed on Christ! Even the priest faces east with the people - facing the direction of the sun - symbolizing our anticipation of the Second Coming of the Son of God.
Every precise movement and gesture is enthralling - like watching a ballet, listening to an opera or symphony - yet on a spiritual level. The experience is completely "other-worldly."
I still often attend the Novus Ordo, mostly for convenience sake, but after just a few times attending the Tridentine Mass, I am totally in love with It.
And yes, I must agree - Thank God for the much-anticipated indult. I do hope and pray that the Latin Mass will be offered "widely and generously," as Pope John Paul II requested our bishops in Ecclesia Dei.
As a 54 year old 'cradle'
As a 54 year old 'cradle' Catholic, I can tell you that the Tridentine Mass in which the priest does the Latin Shuffle from one side of the altar to the other while showing only his back during the bulk of the ceremony, was a total snooze fest. The post Vatican II style Mass is a fair more lively and inclusive affair, where you do not have to be a privileged member of the choir in order to accompany the priest in signing the Glory To God or various other parts of the Mass. In the Tridentine Mass, the priest quite literally does not need the participation of the congregation; in fact, the people in the pews might as well be plastic filled mannequins for all the participation that is demanded of them. If you actually want the old way, fine.....Christ had to deal with His era's version of 'whited sepulchers'; you will be simply be my generation's version of 'whitewashed coffins'.
If it was a "snooze fest"
If it was a "snooze fest" for you, you were either too young to appreciate it, or weren't paying attention. I go to both the Novus Ordo and a Tridentine Mass, and I love them both for different reasons, and neither one is a snooze fest. In both one can choose to just sit there like a lump on a log or participate in the Mass, it's your choice.
Hermeneutic of Continuity
In response to Sylvester: It
In response to Sylvester:
It is "trivial" on the sense that it is relatively easy to fix. It's not so trivial in the sense that it deals with matters of faith and correct understanding of the Mass.
Hermeneutic of Continuity
The ancient Roman Liturgy
The ancient Roman Liturgy that so many refer to as "Tridentine" actually comes to us from St. Peter. St. Peter is credited with providing the Canon of the Mass - Pope St. Pius V and the council of Trent merely codified that liturgy for all time - Quo Primum gives every Catholic the right to assist at this liturgy and every priest the right to say it, in perpetuity.
I mention this because no indult or permission is ever needed. The indult only serves to make traditional minded Catholics feel as if they aren't breaking any rules by attending - and they will thus continue to put money into the collection basket that will more than likely go to help pay for some sort of scandal.
The language of the Mass (Latin - Traditional Rite) is important because it never changes. The Mass is the re-enactment of Christ's life, passion, and ultimate sacrifice; not only is it the most sublime of offerings, it is a catechism that contains all the basics of the Faith. Since the vernacular has been employed Catholics around the world believe things differently, and in many cases in opposition to defined articles of the Faith. For example, studies show that only 15% of "Catholics" around the world actually believe in the Real Presence. The old addage "Lex Orandi Lex Credendi" (The law of prayer is the law of belief) has proven itself to be true time and again.
Once, the most sacred thing on earth (The Mass) was offered to God every hour on countless altars throughout the world. Now that Mass has been replaced; the friuts of which are evident to anyone with eyes: apostasy, denial of de fide teachings, sexual scandal, theft and embezzlement, and a focus on social welfare instead of conversion to God's one and only religion. Is there any wonder why the world is plagued by war, famine, poverty and sin? We stopped offering to God what is His due and are only reaping what we have sown. For me, I'll forego the guitar masses, clown masses, biker masses and the like, and I will also forego the supposed indult.
Scorpio, I find your post
Scorpio,
I find your post most interesting. While it may well have been Peter who provided us with the Canon of the Mass, it was Christ who gave the Mass to us. He did not celebrate it in Latin. When Latin became the official language of the Chruch, it was both the universal language of the time and also the vernacular and it was for that reason it was chosen, not because it had some spiritual superiority over other tongues. The whole idea of language is to enable communication and, if a language is not understood, it cannot fulfull that function.
Unless I am mistaken, the Mass, unless you consider only Masses celebrated in Latin as valid, is still offered to God every hour on countless altars arount the world. If you do not believe Masses in other languages are valid, I would propose you are very much out of step with "God's one and only religion."
I would further note that, in the time between Pose St. Pius V's codification of that liturgy and Vatican II, when the Mass was celebrated in Latin, two world wars were fought. Are you suggesting apostacy, denial of de fide teachings, sexual scandal, theft, embezzlement,famine, poverty an sin were not present until the vernacular was introduced into the celebration of our liturgies?
"I mention this because no
"I mention this because no indult or permission is ever needed."
I'm not sure that is true. A lot of Catholics seem to think that "the Latin Mass" means Mass as we know it, spoken in Latin, with the priest facing "the other way." Technically (as it was explained to me), Latin is just another language and the Vatican II-sanctioned liturgy can be said in Latin anytime the priest feels like it - just like he can say it in Spanish, French, Japanese, Turkish, Gaelic...
The Tridentine Mass is not just a matter of language. Someone else described it as being choreographed like a ballet, which I've been told by my spiritual director, is true. The choreography for the Tridentine Mass is different, the "script," if you will, is different from the contemporary liturgy, and Vatican II consciously, intentionally, moved away from it. I believe an indult is required if one wants to use the old choreography/script. Furthermore, I thought that each diocese was allowed to have one church (usually the cathedral?) where it was permissible to have the Tridentine held once a month. I've never been, but I am curious about it.
pomsmom
Unfortunately, many think
Unfortunately, many think that an indult is required for an ad-orientem, Latin Novus Ordo, including many bishops. As a result few priests will offer Mass this way without explicit permission, which is not sought or granted. It does remain however, that the language of the Mass is still officially Latin.
While the differences are there, Vatican II did NOT establish the new Mass. All the reforms in Sacrosanctum Conciliarum could have been met through (limited) revisions to Tridentine Missal (which will not be done until it is freed from its current status). In practice, the Novus Ordo itself is in dramatic need of reform to conform to Vatican II. In other words Sacrosanctum Coniciliarum has never been implemented.
The dipute over whether an indult is required is based on whether or not the Pope has the authority to suspend a valid Rite of the Church. Many traditionalists feel that he does not, (and they have more of an argument, that I don't know off the top of my head) but even a great number of these submit themselves to obedience an attended Masses granted by the local bishop, per the Ecclesia Dei commission. The Pope and his predecesor both have called for a broad application of this indult (or permission), but it has largely fallen on deaf ears. While many dioceses have an indult Mass, it is often in an unaccessible place and/or at an unconvient hour (7am in the boonies does not qualify as a broad and generous application). Dioceses are free to allow the Traditional Mass broadly, even establishing non-territorial parishes that offer all the sacraments according to the Tridentine Missal.
I already attend one nearby
I already attend one nearby when I can and prefer it. Especially with my former priest recently coming out at a Catholic school graduation seeming to hope for female priests (and we thought he was one of the orthodox ones!).
A lot of funny business happens at novus ordo masses, and it seems to be this is long overdue.
The idea that something that was just fine for 1600 years for western Catholics should in any way be invalid or hindered in any way is a disgrace. Taking a poll of the clergy who seem to hate the Tridentine Mass and Latin as a liturgical language shows they are usually in the same pool of "catholics" who want the Pope to "reconsider" the Church's stand on fornication, abortion and every other dogma of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church.
"Without them [Rome], no dogma discussed in the Church, even sanctioned by the canons & ecclesiastical usages, can be considered to be approved or abrogated" – Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople
LUMEN GENTIUM In principio
LUMEN GENTIUM
In principio erat Verbum
Et Verbum erat cum Deo
Et Verbum erat in Eo
Et Verbum Deus est.
Et Verbum caro factum est
Et habitat nobiscum
Sit Verbum Lumen nobis
Sit Verbum Amor nobis
Sit Verbum Veritas nobis
Sit Verbum Pax nobis
! ! ! Pacem in Terram ! ! !
! ! ! Pax cum TUO ! ! !
Dies Christi Natalis 2006
In the context of global
In the context of global crises that profundly impact everyone of us and the future of humankind and life on Earth, Latin language at Mass is quite a trivial matter.
Sylvester, I would agree
Sylvester,
I would agree with you if the only thing we were talking about were a choice of language. My feat is that the real reason for the promotion of Latin is an attempt to return to another time and another vision of Chruch.
I believe one of the major
I believe one of the major problems after Vatican II was a lack of education to the general pew Catholic about WHY the council moved away from the Tridentine mass. Even today the church does a very poor job of educating Catholics about the history of their faith and the history of the development of dogma and/or traditions of the church. Anyone who thinks the apostles, early Christians and martyrs celebrated the Tridentine mass is unaware of the development of liturgy during the first several hundred years of the church. Also, we need to better educate our children in church history, the proper way to read scripture and the development of the structure of the church. Sadly, many parishes still follow the old "CCD" mentality of educating children in which the focus of 8 years of classes is to 'get confirmed.' How about a model that has formation as a primary goal with education as the second primary goal?Our children's formation should begin with the mass and the Sunday scriptures (lectionary based catechesis). Following the three year cycle of the lectionary will touch upon virutally every tradition and doctrine of the church. It also will lead to people who read scripture using current biblical methods that rely upon the latest knowledge we have acquired in regards to the history and early development of christianity. We should be preparing our children to live a Christian life and that doesn't end when they are confirmed.