Pope Benedict XVI has Restored the Traditional Latin Mass to Catholics

[DemBones DemBones]

Thanks be to God!


Summary of the Twelve Articles of Summorum Pontificum

The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI (Novus Ordo) is the ordinary form to be used for the liturgy while the Missal promulgated by Pius XII and then by Bl. John XXIII (Missal of 1962) is the extraordinary form. The 1962 Missal was never outlawed. (Few people know this, that's why I put it in bold.)

In Masses without the people, priests can use the 1962 Missal except during the Triduum.

Communities or Institutes of Consecrated Life or Societies of Apostolic Life can use the 1962 Missal.
The faithful who wish to attend the Masses mentioned in Art. 2 can do so with permission.

Where a group desiring the celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Missal stably exists in a parish, let the pastor accede to their requests willingly. There may only be one such celebration on Sundays and feast days.

In Masses according to the Missal of Bl. John XXIII the readings can be proclaimed in the vernacular.
If the faithful cannot obtain the celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Missal from their pastor, let them go to their Bishop, if he cannot accommodate them, let them go to the Ecclesia Dei Commission.
If a Bishop wishes to grant a request for the use of the old Missal and is somehow prohibited, let him go to the Ecclesia Dei Commission for advice and help.

Pastors are allowed to celebrate the sacraments of Baptism, Matrimony, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and Confirmation according to the 1962 Missal as the good of souls may suggest. Priests can also pray using the Roman Breviary of Bl. John XXIII.

Bishops can erect a personal parish for the celebration of the Roman rite according to the older forms.
The Ecclesia Dei Commission is to have the form, duties and norm for action that the Roman Pontiff may wish to assign to it.

The Ecclesia Dei Commission will exercise the authority of the Holy See by maintaining vigilance over the observance and application of these dispositions.



Whatever is decreed by Us by means of this Motu Proprio, we order to be firm and ratified and to be observed as of 14 September this year, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, all things to the contrary notwithstanding.


Lots more articles pertaining to the motu proprio here:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com

[LibDemAlways]

1. As I posted on another thread in LBN, I'm

fine with this. My husband and I are old enough to remember when mass was solemn and dignified. Not the case today in our parish where we watch "liturgical dancers" boogie down the aisle wafting incense around, people generally dressing and behaving as though they are at a beach picnic, music that wouldn't be out of place at a rock concert, and priests whose sermons are a series of one-liners.

I live in Los Angeles. There's no shortage of entertainment. That's not why I attend mass. I would welcome a return to the Latin if for no other reason than it would restore some of the decorum, which has unfortunately been lost.

[napi21]

3. I understand what youp're saying. I too grew up attending the Latin Mass.

I too thought I missed it, and when I moved to San Antonio in 1992, I found ONE congregation there that still celebrated the Mass in Latin, so I decided to attend one Sunday. I'm not sure what disappointed me the most! First, let me tell you I was wearing a business suit and skirt, but I was looked at and steered away from by the congregation like I was a leper or something! It took me a while to figure out why! I wasn't wearing a head cover!!!! After looking around for a while, I finally noticed all those little round lacy things that were like a doily on your head. I thought about it, and decided that since I was already there, the best thing was to just stay for the whole mass. THEN came the sermon. The resident priest was screaming from the pulpit that all those sinners who adopted the "New Mass" were going to HELL! BTW, the sermon went down hill from there. I went to that Latin Mass to return to a bit of my childhood, but I lived in San Antonio for 6 years after that and NEVER went back to that church! All it does is bring back sad feelings for me now.

[DemBones DemBones]

12. That's very sad. How uncharitable they were to you!

They should have either offered you a chapel veil to wear, or just offered up their discomfort.

I've been reading Traditional Catholic sites for a long time and although Traditionalist Catholics believe the Novus Ordo Mass is inferior to the Traditional Latin Mass, they all seem to agree that it is a valid Mass, having been established by Pope Paul VI. With so few Latin Masses available now, many Traditionalist Catholics attend Novus Ordo Masses, because there is no Latin Mass available to them. That's what Benedict is trying to correct.

It sounds as if you went to a sedevacantist parish. Sedevacantists today usually believe that there has been no valid pope since Pius XII. Others think John XXIII was validly elected and never intended Vatican II to make the radical changes it did, wouldn't have approved them if he'd lived. In any case, the priest you heard certainly sounds like he was a sedevacantist. I think I might have left at that point!

There's no excuse for rudeness and it's always very strange when people are rude at church. I saw a good bit of it in Protestant churches growing up and have seen some in Catholic ones, too. There's a Novus Ordo parish in a town near me that I've been told is like the one you describe; the people stare at newcomers and don't speak to them. People can be very strange.

I hope you can attend a good Latin Mass sometime, one like you remember from childhood.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. Fortunately, my priest is a traditional liturgist so we don't

have "liturgical dancers" but I've seen photos of various performances at other parishes in the archdiocesan newspaper and the costumes made me wonder when they're going to start wearing ostrich-feather headdresses and sequins. OK, I exaggerate, but why are girls wearing what look like white silk slips to dance during Mass? Or leotards and filmy veils? I'm sure that's a major distraction/ occasion of sin for most males past puberty!

And the only time people are quiet in the sanctuary is during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Father has reminded us about this a number of times but it does no good. It doesn't bother me when babies and little ones make some noise, it's the adults talking that's most annoying.

I read about someone who attended a Mass with the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's order.) A woman was there with a baby and the baby fussed some during Mass so afterwards the mother apologized to the sisters. They told her not to apologize, that Jesus said to bring the little children to Him, which is how I feel, too. I like seeing babies and children at Mass and hearing them is also fine.

[shrike]

2. There seems to be a big stink about restoring the mass

I don't understand why.

My bishop has said there has been very little interest in the mass locally, and that it has been offered by the Carmelites for years. If requests come in, he will grant them, but if not, he will let it alone.

[DemBones DemBones]

9. See my post #7, about bishops

saying "There's no demand here."

[pinto]

4. I welcome a return of the Latin Mass. Partly because I grew up with it,

and partly because it maintains a link to Catholic tradition.

Am I a big fan of Pope Benedict? Nah. But it's good to see pax vobiscum return to the formula.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. Me, too. I've missed it. We were supposed to have both Masses after

Vatican II but the bishops suppressed the Latin Mass. I'm glad Benedict is standing up for traditional Catholic beliefs. He's being criticized in the media for saying things John Paul II and every other pope has said. John Paul II tried to get the Latin Mass said more widely but the bishops didn't do much. I hope Benedict will follow through on this, not let the bishops get away with saying "There's no demand in my diocese."

[Beer Snob-50]

5. i also remember the latin mass

however, i really don't miss it. i feel that i am more a part of the service when it is in my native language (which i think is english).

[rug]

6. It will be a fiasco.

The Catholic boards are having flame wars over mantillas and communion rails.

[DemBones DemBones]

7. There's no need for it to be a fiasco. Quite a few bishops are

saying "There's no demand for it here" when they don't know that at all. People learned long ago that if they asked the bishop for an "Indult" Latin Mass which John Paul II told the bishops to grant, and it was actually granted, the bishop would typically try to undermine it. He'd often locate it in an out-of-the-way parish, perhaps move it to another parish every year or two, and if that still didn't stop people from attending, just cancel it all together. So most people who wanted a Latin Mass gave up on their bishops granting them one.

Some bishops think they outrank the pope these days. Initially, the Traditional Latin Mass was supposed to continue being offered, with the Novus Ordo or New Order being offered along with it. In practice, the bishops prohibited the Latin Mass up until John Paul II issued the letter regarding the "Indult," and they didn't change much after that, as I've already said.

What Pope Benedict has done is say that any priest can say the Traditional Latin Mass using the 1962 Missal, which is what he uses for private Masses himself. It's not up to the bishops to decide but perhaps they are trying to let their priests know none too subtly that they don't want the Latin Mass being said more than it already is. I wonder if priests who dare to say the Latin Mass will be reassigned to the chancery, despite the priest shortage?

These bishops who are saying "There's no demand" haven't given the people in their dioceses time to request Latin Masses. They may be mistaken or they may be lying, just as some of them lied about the sex scandals. The pope said a stable group of people need to want the Mass so people are trying to link up with others to request it. Being summer, many people are on vacation, so it will take longer for groups to form.

If you read the document in the OP again, Benedict said requests were to be made to the priest. If the priest denies the request, take it up with the bishop, if no satisfaction there. take it higher.


If altar rails were restored, people would more easily be able to kneel for Communion at the Latin Mass but would not be prohibited from standing to receive at the NO Mass. At NO Masses, the priest could also stand in front of the altar rail.

Canon law has never changed; women are supposed to cover their heads in church. It was incorrectly reported during the Vatican II council that this would no longer be required and the Vatican never tried to correct that false report. Ever since I learned that, I've been wearing hats to Mass. Some women in my NO parish are wearing mantillas, so I'd guess they know it, too.

I doubt that women will be required to cover their heads for the NO Mass, but it will be the norm for the Latin Mass as it always was.

[rug]

10. It will be a fiasco because there will be interminable arguments about nonessentials.

Female head covering is not a matter of canon law. (And that sentence alone is an example of the trivial overwhelming the core of the Mass.)

Arguments are already brewing over the use of altar girls, which was prohibited under the 1962 missal.

Overall, I do not think this is a good thing.

[DemBones DemBones]

11. I don't think that need be the case.

Canon law does say women are to cover their heads, and men not to cover theirs, in church. It's an old Canon law that was never changed. At Latin Masses, women will need to cover their heads and altar girls won't be allowed. Neither will there be lay ministers, either lectors or Eucharistic ministers. Communion will be received on the tongue, not in the hand, and kneeling, not standing. People will receive only the Body of Christ, not the Precious Blood. It will be the 1962 Latin Mass.

There are some major differences between the two forms of the Mass, differences that affect the core of the Mass and belief itself, and I will post about that.

At the Novus Ordo Masses, things will go on as they have been, altar girls, lay ministers, and all.

People will choose which Mass to attend. Some may choose to attend both of them. There is no reason to argue about
anything.

[Matilda]

14. Our parish is currently considering which Mass to say in Latin.

They've ruled out the weekday masses, and the 9.0 a.m. Sunday (the Family Mass for families with
young children). The most likely will be the evening mass on Saturday or Sunday, or the 10.30 a.m.
Sunday. I don't think it will be Sunday evening, because that's geared mainly to teens, and young
people from the local schools take it in turns to present the liturgy - I don't think they'd take
kindly to the Latin.

If it's the 10.30 Sunday, which I go to, I'll have to change my time to one that is less convenient.
I'm one of the rostered readers for 10.30, and also a Eucharistic Minister, and I enjoy being a
participant. I don't want to go back to being a spectator. I'd go occasionally just for something
different, but I don't want the Latin Mass as a regular thing now that I'm faced with it.