His new apostolic letter, Traditionis Custodes, in which Francis communicates "the firm decision to abrogate all the norms, instructions, permissions and customs that precede the present [document] and declare that the liturgical books promulgated by the saintly Pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul II … constitute the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite" is the ecclesial equivalent of ripping off the Band-aid in one pull.

It was also the only real option.

Four years ago, on the 10th anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic letter granting greater access to the Tridentine rite, I noted that it was clear the pope's hopes had not been realized. I wrote:

There are those who have made the extraordinary form the symbol of an ecclesial agenda that certainly runs counter to much of what Vatican II achieved. If you spot a bishop who likes to don the cappa magna, or a seminarian with a biretta, you can bet that they likely are inclined toward a triumphalist view of the church and a more rigid theological stance than the council required.

I also noted that Benedict:

totally failed to perceive the potential for the development of websites with a kind of cult following, sites that are ostensibly devoted to the extraordinary form of the Mass but that also serve as a conduit for a crimped, theologically unsophisticated form of Catholicism, combined with right-wing political agitprop. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf and Church Militant and Rorate Caeli all traffic in this nasty brew.

It turns out that I was not the only one who perceived that the situation had miscarried.

A priest who was close to Benedict told me that when the pope issued Summorum Pontificum, "he never intended to start a movement, still less an ideology!"

But that is what happened.

Francis, in his letter accompanying the new document, issued motu proprio (on his own initiative) on July 16, notes that at the time of the 10th anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, he asked the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to send out a questionnaire to the world's bishops about the implementation of the document.

Having gotten the replies, the pope felt moved to make the decisive step to greatly restrict the celebration of the old rite and to again leave it to the local bishop to decide when and where it may be celebrated.

If you doubt that the pope really understands the nature of the problem, look to Article 4 of the new letter. It states:

"Priests ordained after the publication of the present Motu Proprio, who wish to celebrate using the Missale Romanum of 1962, should submit a formal request to the diocesan Bishop who shall consult the Apostolic See before granting this authorization." Seminarians who are asking older priests to teach them how to say the old rite need to be more focused on improving their bedside manner for hospital visits.

Two passages in Francis' letter to the bishops accompanying the new motu proprio stand forth. The first points to the way some exploited the pastoral solicitude of Benedict and St. Pope John Paul II:

Regrettably, the pastoral objective of my Predecessors, who had intended "to do everything possible to ensure that all those who truly possessed the desire for unity would find it possible to remain in this unity or to rediscover it anew," has often been seriously disregarded. An opportunity offered by St. John Paul II and, with even greater magnanimity, by Benedict XVI, intended to recover the unity of an ecclesial body with diverse liturgical sensibilities, was exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church, block her path, and expose her to the peril of division.

It is not given to any of us, including popes, to look into the future. Benedict was not wrong to hope that people would accept his gracious indult and not abuse it, but the hope proved wrong. They did abuse it.

The second passage from Francis' letter that stands out for its doctrinal clarity is this

In defense of the unity of the Body of Christ, I am constrained to revoke the faculty granted by my Predecessors. The distorted use that has been made of this faculty is contrary to the intentions that led to granting the freedom to celebrate the Mass with the Missale Romanum of 1962. Because "liturgical celebrations are not private actions, but celebrations of the Church, which is the sacrament of unity," they must be carried out in communion with the Church. Vatican Council II, while it reaffirmed the external bonds of incorporation in the Church — the profession of faith, the sacraments, of communion — affirmed with St. Augustine that to remain in the Church not only "with the body" but also "with the heart" is a condition for salvation.

These words, it seems to me, put the pope's theological finger on the problem exactly: Aficionados of the old rite like to talk about how that rite uniquely conveys the sense that each Mass is a part of the one eternal sacrifice of Christ, and the thanksgiving to which the Eucharist is our response, but then they insist on their right to have a private Mass. Continue reading

• Sean Michael Winters writes for NCRonline

Traditionalist Catholics reacted strongly to the promulgation of Traditionis custodes, a motu proprio signed by Pope Francis on July 16.

They decried it as an attack on them and the ancient liturgy.

The crackdown, which comes into effect immediately, reversed one of Pope Benedict XVI's signature decisions. It is seen as a major challenge to those Catholics who long to return to pre-Vatican II days.

The pontiff issued a new law requiring individual bishops to approve celebrations of the old Mass, also known as the Tridentine Mass. In addition, newly ordained priests will be required to receive permission from bishops in consultation with the Vatican.

Francis said he was taking action because Benedict's reform had become a source of division in the church. He suggested it had been exploited by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the church and its liturgy.

Under the new law, bishops must also determine if the current groups of faithful attached to the old Mass accept Vatican II. This allowed for Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin.

These groups cannot use regular churches; instead, bishops must find alternate locations without creating new parishes.

Francis also said bishops are no longer allowed to authorize the formation of any new pro-Latin Mass groups in their dioceses.

The pope's rollback immediately created an uproar among traditionalists. They are already opposed to Francis' more progressive bent and nostalgic for Benedict's doctrinaire papacy.

"This is an extremely disappointing document which entirely undoes the legal provisions of Benedict's 2007 document," said Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales.

While Latin celebrations can continue, "the presumption is consistently against them: bishops are being invited to close them down," Shaw said. He added that the requirement for Latin Masses to be held outside a parish was "unworkable."

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco told CNA that "The Mass is a miracle in any form. Christ comes to us in the flesh under the appearance of Bread and Wine. Unity under Christ is what matters."

"Therefore the Traditional Latin Mass will continue to be available here in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. It will be provided in response to the legitimate needs and desires of the faithful."

However, Christopher Bellitto, professor of church history at Kean University, said Francis was right to intervene.

Bellitto noted that Benedict's original decision had had a slew of unintended consequences that not only created internal divisions but temporarily roiled relations with Jews.

"Francis hits it right on the head with his observation that Benedict's 2007 loosening of regulations against the Latin rite allowed others to use it for division," he said. "The blowback on Latin Mass restrictions proves his point."

Sources

Daily Mail

National Catholic Register

Catholic News Agency

Fr Jeremy Palman was ordained by Bishop Patrick Dunn at St Patricks' Cathedral on August 9, and the new priest offered a thanksgiving Mass in the ordinary form at Te Atatu the next day.

On August 12, two days later, Fr Palman celebrated his "first traditional Latin Mass" at Holy Family Parish, Te Atatu.

This is believed to have been a "High Mass" of the extraordinary form (EF).

Some 500 people were present, said Fr Peter Janssen, SM, who was a "priest in choir" at the liturgy.

"It was beautifully sung. The music was just right, the music serving the liturgy," he said.

Young New Zealand priests had significant parts, with Fr Gerard Boyce of Hamilton being sub-deacon and Fr Nicholas Dillon (on loan from Dunedin diocese and ministering in Melbourne) being the deacon and homilist.

Some New Zealand seminarians were acolyte, torchbearer and thurifer at the liturgy.

Fr Janssen, who lectures seminarians and others at Good Shepherd College in Auckland, said there is interest among his students in the extraordinary form liturgy.

Fr Janssen celebrated an EF Mass at Good Shepherd, as part of a liturgy class, a couple of years ago.

This followed an EF Mass celebrated at the theologate by Fr John Rizzo, FSSP, in 2009.

Under Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, priests can celebrate extraordinary form Masses without a congregation, according to the 1962 Missal, without permission from their bishop or Rome, except during the Easter Triduum.

Such Masses may "be attended also by members of the lay faithful who spontaneously request to do so, with respect for the requirements of law".

Fr Janssen said the community of people in Auckland with devotion to the extraordinary form Mass is not large in percentage terms.

"But in terms of the intensity with which it is experienced and felt, it is significant," he said.

These people wish to be in "unambiguous communion" with the Church, he said.

Fr Janssen celebrates EF Masses at Mt St Mary's in Titirangi on Saturday nights, Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Some other priests help him when he can't be there.

Fr Palman will be assistant priest at Papakura in south Auckland.

According to the seminary website, he is an Aucklander who was born in Twizel and spent some time in religious life in the 1990s.

Auckland diocese did not want to comment for this article.

Sources

• Summorum Pontificum
• Fr Peter Janssen, SM
• Fr Palman's First Traditional Latin Mass booklet
• Holy Family Parish Te Atatu
• Holy Cross Seminary
• Papakura Catholic
• St Patrick's Cathedral Facebook
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Supplied