HOW CAN POPE LEO XIV “UNATTENTUATE” THE MASS OF BUGNINI/PAUL VI, MEANING, RESTORE FULL FORCE, EFFECT AND VALUE TO IT IN TERMS OF MYSTERY, REVERENCE, AWE AND WONDER

Just as Pope Leo has recovered so much that Pope Francis discarded, one hopes, too, that His Holiness will recover Summorum Pontificum.

A grand reversal of Pope Francis’ puritanical look in papal and liturgical garb is the return of the Papal Coat of Arms to the Papal Cassock’s sash!

But apart from that, how can His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, recover what was lost in the Bugnini reform of the Tridentine Mass that led to a loss of full force, effect and meaning, without repudiating the Mass of Bugnini/Paul VI altogether as that would create more division and ill-feeling in the Church and put the liturgy wars on steroids? 

I know I sound like a broken record, but give to the Bugnini/Paul VI Mass what Pope Francis approved for the Ordinariate Missal: Divine Worship! It’s that simple!

Apart from adding another option to the Bugnini/Paul VI Mass, what also needs to be done first is to “fix” the Introductory Rite of the Mass and this can be done very simply:

1. Only have two “Penitential Acts” options, A and B. These two choices both place the Kyrie in the proper place and independent of the Penitential Act. The Kyrie is always chanted or spoken after the “absolution”.

2. Revise slightly the Order of the Introductory Rites:

    A. The Official Biblical Entrance Chant (Introit) is never to be omitted or completely substituted with another kind of hymn.

    B. After the priest reverences the altar (and incenses it) he goes to his chair and without any other words but the ones prescribed makes the “Sign of the Cross” and immediately says (without the liturgical greeting) “My brothers and sisters, “let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries by acknowledging our sins” followed by a bit of silence and then the choice of A or B for the Penitential Act.

    C. If the Penitential Act is omitted in favor of the Blessing and Sprinkling of Holy Water, after the Sign of the Cross, the priest immediately uses the introduction for the Blessing of Holy Water and then prays the prayer of blessing followed by the blessing of the congregation with the Holy Water. Upon returning to his chair, he prays the proper absolution associated with the Blessing of the Congregation with the Holy Water. This is followed by the Kyrie (thus the Kyrie is never omitted in any Mass).

    D. If prescribed, the Gloria is sung or said.

    E. Then the priest says “The Lord be with you” (no other option) and then prays the Collect of the Day.

After this revision, then the privilege that the Ordinarite’s Missal has to use Tridentine elements as another option is clearly allowed for the Bugnini/Paul VI Mass. This will be an “appendix” for the Bugnini/Paul VI Mass:

    A. In a sung Mass, as the Introit is chanted, the priest and ministers recite the PATFOTA, ad orientem, then the priest ascends the altar with the appropriate silent prayers, reverences the altar (and incenses it) and then the Kyrie is chanted and the Gloria chanted, if prescribed, followed by the Collect.

    B. The Tridentine Offertory Prayers, etc are used

    C. The added genuflections at the consecrations and at the end of the Great Amen.

    D. The Tripple Dominum non sum dignus.

    E. The Last Gospel

Any Mass may be celebrated ad orientem or facing the nave

The reception of Holy Communion at any Mass may  be standing or kneeling at an altar railing or kneeler and receiving on the tongue or hand and if by hand strictly following the rubrics for such!

My recommendations would unattenuate the Bugnini/Paul VI Mass!