I HAVE TO SCRATCH MY HEAD ON THIS ONE, EVEN THOUGH I LOVE THAT FONTGOMBAULT USES THE 1965 MISSAL, KIND OF…

Below, Abbot Jean Pateau states that his monastery uses the 1965 revised Roman Missal, not the 1962 Missal.

My recollection might be wrong, but I seem to remember that either Pope Benedict or maybe Ecclesia Dei clarified that the Extraordinary Form that Pope Benedict desired to be used was the 1962 Roman Missal not the 1965. It may not have been a formal decree but a point of view put forward by word of mouth or by answering a question.

Somehow, though, I recall that Ecclesia Dei allowed for the 1955 Roman Missal for Holy Week. That’s only a vague memory though. We know, too, that Pope Benedict personally updated one of the 10 Intercessions for Good Friday in the 1962 Roman Missal to purify it of any anti-Semitic overtones. 

But what is more striking in what Abbot Pateau says in an interview is that his community, on its own initiative I would think, decided to use the Latest Modern Version of the Roman Missal for the Sanctorial, meaning the celebration of the saints and on the dates in the modern Roman Calendar along with the vernacular prayers for those saints, some of which revised from the older missal. However, they kept the old Temporal for Sundays, which keeps Septuagesima, the octave of Pentecost and Ember Days, but they have chosen to celebrate Christ the King on the last Sunday of the Year prior to First Advent. (That was an excellent reform, by the way!) But how can they do that? Did they seek approval from the correct ecclesiastical authorities in Rome????? I like what they did, but how could they change it on their own?

Why couldn’t a parish or monastery decide, on their own, to incorporate into the 2011 Roman Missal, the Order of the 1965 Roman Missal, with its rubrics for the Roman Canon? Why can’t they add to the modern Temporal, Septuagesima, the Octave of Pentecost and Ember Days? 

What the Abbot of Fontgombault did not mention is the lectionary for the Mass. Which one does he use, the 1965 lectionary which is in realty the 1962’s or the Modern Lectionary for the Sanctoral????

Abbot of Fontgombault on the Liturgy:

Dom Jean Pateau - The conventual mass at the abbey is not celebrated according to the 1962 missal, known as the Vetus Ordo or ancient rite, but according to the 1965 missal. While the latter missal is the fruit of the reform called for by the Council on December 4, 1963, it is still close to the 1962 missal, retaining the offertory and most of the gestures. We have also opted to use the current calendar for the sanctoral. We have kept the old temporal, which contains the Septuagesima, the octave of Pentecost and the Ember Days, but we celebrate Christ the King on the last Sunday of the year, along with the universal Church. All this contributes to a rapprochement with the current 1969 missal.

For those who do not know what the revisions are of the 1965 Roman Missal, here is an AI  Summary AI Overview

The 1965 Roman Missal, also known as the transitional missal,introduced several significant revisions to the Mass following the Second Vatican Council. These changes focused on increasing vernacular language, simplifying certain prayers, and altering the order of some elements. 

Here's a breakdown of the key revisions:

Vernacular Language:

• The 1965 Missal permitted the use of the vernacular language (local languages) in most parts of the Mass, including the readings and the Prayers of the Faithful. 
• While the Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer) remained in Latin, it was later permitted in the vernacular in 1967. 
• The 1965 Missal also included the option for congregational singing in the vernacular, such as processional, offertory, communion, and recessional hymns. 

Changes to the Order of Mass:

• The prayers at the foot of the altar were shortened and made optional. 
• The Last Gospel (John 1:1-14) was omitted at the end of Mass. 
• The traditional formula for distributing communion was simplified. 
• The option to celebrate Mass facing the people (versus populum) was introduced, in addition to the traditional orientation (ad orientem). 
• The Asperges (rite of aspersion at High Mass) was modified, with the cope suppressed and the chasuble worn in its stead. 
• An option for concelebration was introduced. 
• The option to have the Prayer of the Faithful after the Creed was added. 
• The Prayers of the Faithful were reintroduced. 

Other Notable Changes:

• The 1965 Missal also included provisions for the use of the vernacular in the dialogues between the priest and the laity.
• It allowed for the recitation of the Our Father by the entire congregation with the priest. 

In essence, the 1965 Missal represented a transitional phase in the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, allowing for a greater degree of vernacular usage and simplifying certain aspects of the Mass while still retaining much of the traditional structure and Latin elements.