In a confidential letter, the Cardinal, the head of the Church in England and Wales, has argued that the provision of the Old Rite was already adequate in this country.Adequate for whom? one might ask. In many places, restrictive permission for the Classical Rite means that people have to go to Sunday Mass at 4pm, or travel to different Churches each Sunday, or have to find priests from the FSSP, the ICKSP or the Archdiocese of Southwark who are willing to travel. Many simply have no provision at all. Several blogs have already pointed out the inconsistency between this letter and the active negotiations which secured approved status for the Gay Mass at Warwick Street, Soho.
Despite the unfairness of this, I support Fr Zuhlsdorf's "rules of engagement" for the Motu Proprio. When he wrote it, the title was "when and if it comes" - recent official confirmations make it clear that we can now drop the "and if" clause. His first rule is perhaps the most important:
Rejoice because our liturgical life has been enriched, not because "we win". Everyone wins when the Church’s life is enriched. This is not a "zero sum game".
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I wholeheartedly agree with you – but I would like to add some thoughts. Since coming to live in America, I’ve regularly attended the Tridentine Mass, as an ordinary Catholic who’s fed up with priests who constantly “ad lib” through Mass – or worse - and who just finds the Tridentine Mass much more beautiful. Its near-loss has been akin to the world of music banning all classic opera. How much poorer would it be! Everyone should get the chance to experience it. But they emphatically won’t, unless the Pope issues the MP and hands the initiative over to the parish priests. Let me explain. I’m not against lay people playing a strong role in the Church and indeed, here in America, the impetus for the Latin Mass has come chiefly from lay people. But these lay people have had to be extraordinarily committed – have literally had to fight for the Latin Mass with reluctant Bishops and timid priests. And, inevitably – and I don’t want to disparage them in any way – some of these “Latin Mass communities” can be rather daunting for ordinary mainstream Catholics. In fact a lot of ordinary Catholics don’t come into contact with them. And while this certainly isn’t the case for the majority – there are some fantastic families who go to our Latin Mass - I have a feeling that a small number of these self-styled “Traditional Catholics” don’t really want them either. Rightly or wrongly they like to live in their own little world where women wear mantillas and don’t wear trousers and children are home-schooled to prevent their “pollution” by friends who don’t go to the Tridentine Mass. In some countries, like France, they tend to be unfortunately associated with right-wing politics.They hate the expression but they are, in effect, a “parallel Church”. Not so good, I think. I can understand why ordinary Catholics might look on the Latin Mass with suspicion, as a sort of club full of ultra-pious “holier-than-thous”, which they don’t want to join. Many still think the Latin Mass is banned or only said by the SSPX. Issuing the MP would not only raise the profile of the Latin Mass but also make it more of a priest-led thing. Parish priests who are interested could introduce it gradually – giving their parishioners confidence that it’s all “kosher” and explaining its significance and importance to the Church and their heritage. And in time it will become part of the mainstream. Many more people will grow to benefit from it and see it as a natural part of Catholic life. And inevitably it must have a good effect on liturgy and Catholic practice throughout the Church. Now, I wonder, is that what the English Bishops are afraid of?
There is also the not insignificant matter that the LMS are not allowed to have their masses advertised, other than in their own publications, meaning that most Catholics are unaware when there is a classical rite mass in their church - I hope that this disgraceful restriction will also be lifted.
You're right; it is inadequate, even north of the Border.
There is only one Church where the Tridentine Mass is celebrated in our Archdiocese, which stretches from St Andrews in Fife, to the north, to Stirling to the West, and the English Border to the South.
Coincidentally, I went to Holy Name in Manchester for confession and Benediction on Saturday evening. It's Catholicism for grown-ups I always "feel" (if I could be permitted to use a post-Vatican II liturgical verb?).
Of course Benediction is one of the few acts of worship which was traditionally performed ( to a degree) in the vernacular and we sang the Divine Praises (not very well) in English.
Not many were in the Church but ethnic groups were well represented. It's a myth that Africans for example, don't like beauty.
I can imagine that the Bishops of E&W are hostile to the prospect of the mp as it might harm their own ecumenical projects. The delays are surely being caused by pressure on the Pope to "water down" any declaration.
It makes you wonder....What is it about the form of Mass, which nourished so many saints and for which so many martyrs died, that frightens these bishops?
Yes - the same platitudes that Cardinal Hume said to John Paul II, when he wanted to liberalise the use of the old rite. Only this time, Cardinal Cormac does not use the same threats that Hume and the other European conferences of bishops used to JP II in 1989.
Fr. Tim,
A lot of episcopal opposition to the long-awaited Motu Proprio is rooted in rubbish - fears that we are moving away from the wonderful world of talk-show Masses, folk hymns and an endless diet of "justice and peace." Or that we might engage in fewer ecumenical services with our Protestant "sisters and brothers" who might take offence. If we move away from all that, then good riddance in my opinion.
However, if I was an English bishop, I would have one concern if my priests were given carte blanche to celebrate the Tridentine Mass - namely, that some priests might drop the vernacular Mass completely, paving the way for a kind of "high church/ low church" divide within Catholicism.
Is this not a genuine concern, amidst a myriad of specious objections?
It is not just a question of liturgy and we have to understand this. The English Bishops believe in a `community centred` Mass. Many Bishops and priests will not accept that a Mass can be celebrated without the community present. The idea of `in persona Christe` is rejected in favour of the whole community changing the bread and wine into the body of Christ. Many of us have been told that approaching the altar to receive is not `communion` we are only communion as a community. Hence the attack on Adoration which disturbs this theory. They do not want a Mass where the community are not jumping up and down and doing their fair share. In the Tridentin Mass the people do, it is alleged, nothing. A Christ centred Mass the Bishops feel will have no appeal. So it is not just a question of whether or not they like Latin, there is a whole political dimension.
The only response I can muster at this moment is this
'AARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh'
.... fades into distance as George runs off gibbering into the hills.
The E&W bishops are control-freaks to a man; they don't trust their priests and they certainly don't trust the laity. The 'Big Project' -reunion with the Church of England- has gone sour on them, but they don't see that the Catholic Faith never got strong by sucking up to the liberal establishment.
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