From Msgr. Charles Pope, on Pope Benedict's approach to the liturgical reform of the reform within continuity, "to re-propose rather than impose." I like what Msgr. Pope suggests and his pastoral sensibilities which the pope also has!You can click on this sentence for the entire blog that also has thoughts on the EF form of the Mass.
To Re-propose tradition rather than to impose – Several of the questions surrounded the issue of how far to go with diversity in the liturgy and what can be done to root the Church more deeply in traditional forms of the liturgy. In this matter I have found that Pope Benedict has taken an approach wherein he has chosen to re-propose traditional elements, and the extraordinary form of the Mass rather than to impose them.
There are some in more traditional circles that would like him to use a heavier hand and simply abolish what they consider less desirable things such as modern instruments, Mass facing the people, communion in the hand, and so forth. There are others who fear that some of the freedoms they now enjoy in the ordinary form of the Mass will be simply taken away by the Pope.
But in all this Pope Benedict has a pastor’s heart. He has written clearly of his concerns over certain trends in modern liturgical practice. However, it would seem that his approach has been to re-propose more traditional practices and allow them greater room in the Church. In so doing he signals bishops and priests that they should be freer make use of such options. With the faithful more widely exposed to traditional elements, their beauty and value can be appreciated anew by the wider Church, and they will also excerpt increasing influence. But this will be done in an organic way that does not shock some of the faithful or provoke hostile reaction.
I must say that I have come to appreciate the value of this approach. As a diocesan priest I minister to a wide variety of the faithful, many of whom would not easily understand or accept a sudden imposition of the things preferred by Catholics of a more traditional bent. Mass said, ad orientem is appealing to me for a wide variety of reasons. But many are not ready for a shift back. The Pope has modeled the option in the Sistine Chapel for the new Mass. I have made occasional use of this option at my own parish by using side altars for smaller Masses. The wider use of the extraordinary form in my own parish and throughout the world will also reacquaint the faithful with this posture. Little by little (“brick by brick,” shall we say) there will be a greater comfort with this eastward orientation. The same can be said for the use of Latin, Gregorian Chant having pride of place, communion on the tongue, kneeling for communion and the like. If the Pope were merely to impose such things we might find that pastoral harm was caused and open dissent might also be a problem.
19 comments:
http://www2.wjbf.com/news/2011/feb/09/confessions-cell-phone-ar-1444078/
how about this for a 'non-traditional' approach...
-pgal
The Barque of Peter is really a Super-Tanker, best turned 1 degree at a time lest it capsize. I get that, and accept that, but it doesn't lessen my frustration.
Lord but I would be thrilled if the Diocese wold bring in the FSSP to run a Parish in this Diocese.
Msgr. Pope would certainly be a wonderful rector for the National Shrine, but I believe he is still "just" the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian parish in Washington, and a monthly celebrant of the TLM at Old St. Mary's in DC. A couple of pertinent previous posts on his blog
http://blog.adw.org/2010/04/why-pray-in-latin/
http://blog.adw.org/2010/09/a-lover-of-the-traditonal-latin-mass-reflects-on-the-virtues-of-the-newer-vernacular-mass/
Well, it won't mean much, then. Unfortunately, the post Vat II crowd of Priests and laity will simply ignore it. They'll bide their time, continue to innovate and and advocate for radical social reform, defying challenge until, ultimately, good hearted souls like the Pope are trampled upon by the passion and vigor of angry, defiant dissent. Proposing anything to today's angry rabble is like politely asking the lion not to eat you.
I think this man, our Pope, is a strategic genius. He is also using time well.
rcg
By the way, I am not certain the use of 'modern' instruments is a problem. It is all in how the ensemble is composed and played. Paying attention to the voice of the celebrant would naturally recruit supporting instruments that are pleasing and beautiful, such as the cor anglais from the 18th century and certainly modern and unfortunately never give the call to others, e.g. the drum set, which date to prehistoric times.
rcg
Please, let's leave rock n roll out of the Mass. I go in these Protestant churches and see electric guitars, drums, keyboards...it is crap and nonsense. Anything at all to try and appeal to the popular mindset...I think some of these churhes would open a whore house and an opium den if they thought it might bring in another buck or another news story. Sheesh!
Maybe the liturgy will be restored by emphasizing it as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass rather than a Protestant "meal."
The time is going to come when, if the Catholic Church and her worship and dogma are to be preserved, things are going to have to be imposed with an iron hand. Maybe Julius II will return in another manifestation.
This is also true of the preservation of our nation and Constitution. Liberalism and permissiveness lead to violence and conflict because they allow things to go so far that extreme measures are required to correct them. Presently, there is no one on the horizon with the political courage to confront this issue.
Pin, I wonder how this will affect my parish: We sing the Gloria to a swing beat accompanied by foot taps and snapping fingers. It gets the blood flowing.
rcg
RCG, I will speak to you in email, where my venality of language will not be witnessed by Fr. and others in a State of Grace. LOL!
Maybe the liturgy will be restored by emphasizing it as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass rather than a Protestant "meal."
It's not so much the new liturgy that needs to be restored, as its celebration.
I just returned from an OF Mass---as every weekday in recent weeks---that no one could doubt is the Holy Sacrifice of the Cross perpetuated, and not merely a reenactment of the Last Supper.
Ordinary in Greek and Latin, very quiet Roman canon, no hand-holding, many receiving on the tongue, some at kneelers, crucifix on the altar.
Same priest celebrates each morning first an EF Mass, then and OF Mass. Though an inveterate Latin Mass advocate, the OF Mass fits my schedule better, and with similar ars celebranda is no less adequate spiritually.
Henry, I often wonder how more traditional Catholics would respond to the OF Mass celebrated the way an EF Mass would be celebrated, changing only two things: The greetings immediately prior to the orations and celebrating ad orientem and by way of extension kneeling for Holy Communion:
So with the new order of the Mass:
At the Foot of the Altar: Introit, Sign of the Cross, introduction to confiteor, silence, confiteor, and "absolution."
Priest ascends to the altar, kisses it and then the Kyrie and Gloria. Priests turns to people, greets them, goes to the Epistle side and prays the opening Prayer.
Liturgy of the Word (at the Gospel, the Missal is transferred to the Gospel side, although all readings are at the ambo as in the OF Mass currently).
After gospel/homily, priest goes to altar, greets people, says the offertory antiphon with them and begins the offertory prayers, washes his hands and then has the Orate Fratres as he turns to the people making a complete circle.
The Eucharistic prayer prayed, He only turns toward the congregation to offer the Pax Domini and the Behold the Lamb of God.
During Holy Communion, the Communion antiphon is recited by all, the missal is transferred back to the Epistle side, the priest purifies the chalice, greets the people, prays the prayer after Holy Communion, goes to the center of the altar, kisses it, turns to the people, greets them, blesses them and dismisses them and then departs.
It's the new Mass, but celebrated as the EF would be, using rubrics for kissing the altar when turning away from it, rubrics for the pall, etc.
Now without changing anything else, that would be the OF Mass in continuity with the EF Mass, even if in the vernacular.
Fr. McDonald, my sense is that a majority of serious Catholics---whether overtly "traditional" or not---are sick of the silly season in the liturgy, and would welcome the OF reconnected with tradition as you describe. My own opinion is that the liturgical implementation of Vatican II will only be complete when the unity of the Roman rite in different forms is an observed reality rather than a legal stratagem.
Fr, I very much like your post on the OF Mass done as the EF, so to speak. Can this be implemented?
Pastorally, I would say no and certainly no priest has a right to change the rubrics or the order of where the greeting will be. But it could be implemented, but priests are not in "private practice" thus doing as they see fit even if allowed by liturgical law, hence the reason for this post on the Holy Father's pastoral sensibilities in not imposing things on the Church.
As we worship, so we believe. There has been a tragic loss of Catholic belief and identity. Our divorce rates, abortion rates and contraception rates differ little from the Protestants. Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, at best, got the silent treatment from clergy and at worst garnered open dissent. Planned Parenthood loves contraception because it increases sexual activity and thus increases abortions.
What happened to the confession lines? To sin? Has our just and merciful God been replaced by a more modern, one-dimensional God of mercy?
Catholic faith and identity were assaulted by the “Spirit of Vatican II.” Latin was mostly discarded, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass became a Meal overemphasizing the horizontal. Jesus is the star, not the priest-celebrant, no matter how well he sings, speaks or gestures.
Disobedience orchestrated by liturgical activists pressured our Bishops into obtaining an indult for Communion in the hand – putting Jesus up for grabs, so to speak. Why? - So we could be more like Protestants who celebrate a Christ-less meal, or what? Did we de-emphasize Marian devotions to curry Protestant favor?
Catechetical misfeasance, nonfeasance and malfeasance robbed our children of the faith. Replacing instructional sermons with homilies “breaking open the word,” “unpacking the word” (regurgitating the Word?) has dumbed down the adults. Most of the readings are self-explanatory. Has replacing sermons with homilies sacrificed Catholic doctrine, Holy Tradition and respect for the Magisterium, thus making our liturgy more Protestant? Catholic identity requires continuity, reverence, constant instruction, understanding and respect for all three of its “pillars,” - Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition and the Magisterium.
Why has weekly Mass attendance fallen to around 30%? For Catholics who don’t believe in the real physical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, are too many of our liturgies looking like those in the Protestant denominations? Whatever the cause(s), will the remnant of faithful orthodox Catholics, with the help of courageous orthodox bishops and priests, cooperate with and bring to fruition to Pope Benedict’s much needed reform of the reform?
Too many cradle Catholics leave for Evangelical denominations and mega-churches because they simply don’t know what they have. One cannot love and treasure what one doesn’t know. Lex orandi, lex credendi - cause and effect.
And if the next Pontificate is not so traditionally inclined? Or if there is no great interest in liturgical matters due to some global crisis? Do the few things that have been recovered fo on the backburner or simply evaporate? Proposition is fine for some things but things such as Ad Orientem, Latin, And Chant should be enforced and people re-educated. The GIRM assume this, and also the Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy also demands certain things. They should be dealt with immediately as 40 years of doing things the wrong way or against the norm winds up in danger of becoming custom and then sanctioned.
Our Holy Father is cultivating the soil so that it will be ready for the next Pope to plant in (impose).
If forcing the issue happens too soon or on umprepared soil, the whole affair will be a mess.
But I gotta say, it can be very hard to be patient.
Henry, where is YOUR parish?
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