Scores of protesters joined the 11-kilometre "National Summorum Pontificum" march - so dubbed in honour of Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 apostolic letter about celebrating the Latin Mass.

Young Catholics

According to Newmax, most marchers were young. Young enough, that is, to have been born after the Second Vatican Council's reforms of the 1960s, which was when the 500-year Latin Mass tradition was phased out.

With these reforms, the priest no longer faced the altar (ad orientum) but faced the congregation. Rather than say Mass in Latin, he used the country's everyday language.

Young Catholics who spoke to Newsmax said they loved the Latin Mass and were prepared to actively work against threats to its continuance.

"It is folly to try to restrict a particular Mass to which people are so devoted," one marcher said.

"It's a defining part of my life," another said.

"I first went to a Latin Mass when I was 13 ... Now I'm 35 and the Latin Mass has been a defining part of my life — it's incredibly beautiful."

"Some Catholics feel uncomfortable with the vernacular Mass and the priest facing the worshipers."

What prompted the march?

In July 2021, Pope Francis issued his apostolic letter "Traditionis custodes" to curtail traditional worship. Priests wanting to celebrate the Latin Mass had to get permission from their bishop.

Celebrating the Latin rite was banned from funerals, weddings and baptisms.

These instructions are startlingly different from those prescribed by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict.

St John Paul II's 1988 document "Ecclesia Dei" calls for "wide and generous application" of previous orders permitting celebration of the Latin Mass.

"Respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition" he cautioned.

Benedict's "Summorum Pontificum" went further, saying priests could freely celebrate the Latin Mass privately.

They could also celebrate it "in parishes where a group of the faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition stably exists...".

Summorum Pontificum says that in these cases the "parish priest should willingly accede to their requests to celebrate Holy Mass according to the rite of the 1962 Roman Missal" [the last Catholic prayer book containing the words and choreography of the Latin Mass].

Rules vs devotion

While Francis is clear that he wants the Latin Mass completely sidelined, adherents to the traditional form of worship are digging their heels in.

Newsmax says in July 2021 nine churches in the Washington DC area offered at least one Latin Mass on Sundays. Today there are just three.

Source

• Newsmax

The letter, written by poet Dana Gioia, emphasised the aesthetic value and cultural significance of the liturgy according to the 1962 rite: "It would be short-sighted to deprive the next generation of artists of this source of mystery, beauty, and devotion," the letter stated.

The signatories write: ‘We all, whether believers or not, agree that this ancient liturgy, which inspired the works of Palestrina, Bach, and Beethoven, as well as generations of great artists, is a great achievement of civilisation and part of humanity's shared cultural heritage.

"It is medicine for the soul, an antidote to the crass materialism of postmodernity."

The Catholic signatories explicitly emphasised their loyalty to the Pope and the validity of the current Novus Ordo: "We hope that you do not lump us together with some of the angry and disrespectful voices amplified by social media."

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco praised the letter as an ‘extraordinary statement by some great artists and cultural figures on the value and inspiration they have drawn from the traditional Latin Mass.'

A group of British celebrities published an open letter in the London Times:

"We implore the Holy See to reconsider any further restrictions on access to this great spiritual and cultural heritage."

This letter referred back to a similar one from a group of British writers and artists sent to Pope Paul in 1971.

That letter resulted in the "Agatha Christie Indult," which allowed the bishops of England and Wales to celebrate the pre-conciliar liturgy on special occasions.

Both letters react to speculation of further restrictions on using the pre-conciliar rites, to which recent Vatican decisions have contributed.

The Vatican's refusal to permit the recitation of the 1962 Mass in Australia's Melbourne Cathedral, based on the cathedral's role as a "parish church," is an example of the implementation of Traditionis custodes (2021).

Another example is its refusal to allow the ordination of members of the traditionalist Society of Missionaries of Divine Mercy in the scandal-plagued French Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon.

While some media, including the French daily "La Croix," cite curial officials denying that further restrictions are immanent, speculation continues.

Speculation intensified after Pope Francis received Gilles Wach, Prior of the "Institute of Christ the King," in an audience.

The institute celebrates the liturgy in the pre-conciliar form.

Initially, nothing was known about the content of the conversation until the institute announced that the pope had encouraged them to adhere to their charism.

The most recent example of the problem of "Latin-Mass" groups comes from Christchurch, New Zealand, where Bishop Michael Gielen has expelled a fringe group who lead illicit and abusive exorcisms without training and episcopal permission.

Traditionis Custodes

Traditionis custodes (Guardian of Tradition, 2021) restricted the celebration of the 1962 Missal and other pre-conciliar rites.

It rejected Benedict XVI's distinction of "ordinary" and "extraordinary" forms of the Mass in his motu proprio Summorum pontificium (2007).

It returned permission for the limited use of the pre-conciliar rites from the individual priest to the diocesan bishop.

Theoretically, this might have worked if it hadn't been for the divergent way bishops applied this permission.

In February 2023, Francis removed the diocesan bishops' authority to grant dispensations for the 1962 Missal by transferring this to his liturgical office.

He stipulated that bishops may not dispense from the prohibition of celebrating the pre-conciliar liturgy in parish churches and must seek the explicit permission of the Holy See.

Based on the cathedral's role as the "parish church of the diocese," Melbourne Archbishop Comemsoli's request to use the cathedral was denied.

The refusal to ordain the seminarians of the Society of Missionaries of Divine Mercy in Fréjus-Toulon is based on specific requirements.

All seminarians who wish to use the 1962 Missal after their ordination must show obedience to the Church's magisterium and seek the permission of their diocesan bishop, who must, in turn, obtain consent from the Vatican.

Part of the problem is the papacy's indecision on the matter since the 1970's.

While traditionalist groups such as the Institute of Christ the King continue to celebrate the pre-conciliar Mass based on their statutes, seminarians of the traditionalist Missionaries of Divine Mercy are refused permission for ordination due to their adherence to pre-conciliar liturgy, and exceptions seem random.

The confusion will continue, and the true nature of liturgical prayer will remain prey to secondary influences.

Liturgy is based on baptismal fidelity

Pope Benedict XVI wrote that the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963), came first because the liturgy is the heart and center of the Church's life.

We are not a social club but a community of baptised people who worship God and seek to live the Gospel of Christ daily.

Baptism brings responsibilities and an acceptance of what constitutes the Church's teaching authority.

We accept that the teaching authority of the Pope and bishops in council, to which the Second Vatican Council belongs, is a category of magisterium.

As baptised members of the ecclesial community, we listen to the Spirit guide the Church through the Church's magisterium.

To deny this is to turn one's back on the Catholic Church and to call into question the reality of one's baptism.

It becomes inauthentic to say that the teaching authority is wrong simply because it does not suit a personal point of view.

Baptism is the basis of how we pray, and how we pray shows what we believe.

Together, these create the "law of prayer" and "law of belief."

These are not cultural or aesthetic categories but theological ones. Liturgical prayer expresses an ecclesiology.

The breakdown in baptismal authenticity that unites magisterium and liturgical prayer as the basis of faithfulness to the Church has created a situation where ecclesiology becomes a matter of personal choice, and liturgical rites become the battleground of these choices.

One of the main reasons for the liturgical changes during and following the Second Vatican Council has been how the Church understands salvation (who can be saved, the Church's mission, and the sacramental role in the mysterion of salvation history).

Simply put, the pre-conciliar rites do not reflect this change and are at odds with the church's self-understanding.

When, in the 1950s rite of Good Friday, the Church prayed for the "perfidious Jews," and no one blinked an eye at the deep antisemitism, now we pray for the "Jewish People, the first to hear the word of God."

We pray differently now because the Church's self-understanding, expressed in the constitutions and documents of the Second Vatican Council, is different from those that went before.

Liturgical rites have meaning, and liturgical rituals express the inner meaning of belief, which is why the liturgy is called a "lex orandi," a law of prayer.

This "law of prayer" cannot be separated from the "law of belief," nor can they be played off against each other.

Since the Council, most so-called "Latin Mass" groups have become deniers of the magisterium of the bishops and Pope in council.

A recent example of this is the ordinations of priests in the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in the Bavarian diocese of Regensburg.

The diocesan Bishop, Rudolf Voderholze, emphasised that the SSPX's ordinations were unauthorised and violated ecclesiastical norms. He also expressed hope for the SSPX's genuine efforts to return to full communion with the Catholic Church, respecting canonical regulations.

The prominent British and United States figures from politics, business, art, and media display an essential misunderstanding of liturgy as aesthetic.

They make a fundamental mistake: they do not understand the initiative sacramental function of the liturgical rites that underpin what the Church believes about itself and how it expresses this belief in a particular place and culture.

As a result, they do not express the deeper meaning of ecclesiology of the rites beyond the aesthetic of specific rituals.

Ultimately, it is nice that the liturgy inspires artists and musicians, but this is not the point or even essential; it is tangential.

Liturgical prayer is not primarily defined by its aesthetic but by its participation in the mysterion of salvation.

The rites use ritual gestures, postures, etc., to express the mysterion.

The problem with an aesthetic approach is that either the ritual expressions become overdone (rituals for the effete, or available to the "gnostic" few) or underdone (becoming too anthropocentric and robbed of mysterion).

The danger in both is either an appeal to a "universal" or idealised culture with its call to uniformity or an appeal to a "particular" or anthropocentric culture and its appeal to local culture.

In both instances, the unity of the Church is not considered because the ecclesiological basis of liturgy is lacking.

The struggle behind the liturgical fights

Liturgical divisions weaken the unity of the Church and are not to be ignored. However, the more fundamental issues are not essentially liturgical but soteriological.

With the introduction of culture as a category of theology throughout the 20th century (and since Vatican II), our understanding of redemption, humanness, salvation, gender, sexuality, and procreation has radically changed.

The liturgy is not at war with itself because it articulates our theology of redemption, which reflects the deeper changed experience since the mid-eighteenth century.

The crux of the liturgical debates is the viability of the Latin Rite Catholic Church to maintain a single liturgical expression when it cannot retain a single pre-modern understanding of salvation because culture has been given a place within the Church in the salvific dialogue between God and humankind.

As the forces of globalisation and inculturation make deeper inroads into the magisterial system's presumptions, we struggle to maintain a unified view of what it means to be Christian and Catholic in the modern world.

Therefore, it is no surprise that we have a disunified episcopacy, the rejection of papal authority, and liturgical divisions.

The divisions concerning the use of the 1962 Missal are significant theological ones.

That is because within this conflict lie our theological understandings of the Church, laity, ordination, ministry, salvation, women's rights, participation in worship, and the discipline of believing in the teaching authority of the Church.

Those who choose one over the other should be respected for their choice.

Those who try to celebrate in both rites create a schizophrenic relationship with the Church.

• First published in La Croix
• J. P. Grayland is a visiting professor at the University of Tübingen (Germany). A priest of the Catholic Diocese of Palmerston North (New Zealand) for nearly 30 years, his latest book is titled: Catholics. Prayer, Belief and Diversity in a Secular Context (Te Hepara Pai, 2020).

Holy Rosary, walking distance from Lucas Oil Stadium, the hub for the US bishops' evangelization mega-event that continues through Sunday, is one of only two parishes in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis where the Mass is offered according to the 1962 Missal, often colloquially known as the traditional Latin Mass.

In his 2021 directive "Traditionis Custodes" ("Guardians of Tradition"), Pope Francis limited the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass to designated parishes.

Read More

The scandal-plagued group came to prominence through their illicit use of the rites of exorcism and have been investigated by both the local media and by the Church.

One must hope that the other New Zealand bishops will support Bishop Gielen by not undercutting his decision by offering this fringe group a home in their dioceses.

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer are an excellent example of the reasons why Pope Francis wrote his letter (motu proprio) Traditionis custodes (Guardian of Tradition) in 2021 to the bishops.

In it, he restricted the use of the 1962 Missal and removed the incorrect distinction of "ordinary" and "extraordinary" forms of the Mass that Pope Benedict XIV in his letter (motu proprio) Summorum pontificium (2007) had introduced.

The bishops are the protectors of the authentic tradition of the Church and are not there to further a fringe group.

They must be concerned for the unity of the Church and for the liturgical unity of their dioceses, in this they have been given a clear direction by Pope Francis.

Traditionis custodes

In Traditionis custodes, Pope Francis affirmed that the Latin Church has one Lex Orandi or one law of prayer.

The exceptions to this are ancient rites such as in Milan or in Spain.

Further exceptions are where a group of the baptised leave the communion of the Church to establish their own ecclesial communion and worship using their own rites, as happened following the early schisms of the Church and the European Reformation.

At the end of the First Vatican Council the Old Catholic Church was set up by those who disagreed with the theology of papal infallibility.

Traditionis custodes forbids the use of the 1962 in parish churches without Roman permission.

It requires every priest wanting to celebrate this form to seek the explicit permission of his bishop. It also requires any seminarian, ordained after 2021, who wishes to use these rites, to have the Vatican's permission.

In February 2023, Francis tightened the rules again when he removed the diocesan bishops' authority to grant dispensations for the 1962 Missal by transferring this to his liturgical office.

It was stipulated that bishops may not dispense from the prohibition of the celebration of the pre-conciliar liturgy in parish churches and must seek the explicit permission of the Holy See.

This has led to the refusal of Archbishop Comemsoli's request to use the Melbourne Cathedral, because of the role a cathedral plays as the "parish church of the diocese".

How we pray shows what we believe

One of the main reasons for the restrictions on use of the 1962 missal and associated rites used before the Second Vatican Council is what these rites mean theologically.

Liturgical rites have meaning and liturgical rituals express an inner meaning of belief, which is why the liturgy is called a lex orandi, or a law of prayer.

While many people might have a transactional understanding of the Mass and not care about what is said or done—as long as its quick—how we pray matters.

The way we pray identifies for oneself and to others what we believe. So in the 1950 rite of Good Friday where the Church prayed for the "perfidious Jews", no one blinked an eye at the deep antisemitism.

When now we pray for the "Jewish People, the first to hear the word of God" we pray differently. In the 1962 rite, only the priest prayed the Mass and everyone else attended, now we all the pray the Mass.

These differences are key to understanding the ecclesiological difference between these rites.

For those who choose one over the other there should be respect for their choice. Those to try to celebrate in both rites create a schizophrenic relationship to the Church.

Magisterium and Liturgy

Pope Benedict XVI wrote that the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963) came first because the liturgy is the heart and centre of the Church's life.

We are not a social club, but a community of the baptised who worship God and seek to live the Gospel of Christ in our daily living.

The Second Vatican Council is the highest teaching authority of the Church of the pope and bishops, in Council.

The baptised listen to the Spirit guiding the Church through the Church's magisterium. To deny this is to turn ones back on the Church and to call into question the reality of one's baptism.

Since the Council, most so-called "Latin Mass" groups have become deniers of the magisterium of the bishops and pope in Council.

A recent example of this is the ordinations of priests in the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in the Bavarian diocese of Regensburg.

The diocesan Bishop, Rudolf Voderholze, emphasized that the SSPX's ordinations were unauthorized and violated ecclesiastical norms. He also expressed hope for the SSPX's genuine efforts to return to full communion with the Catholic Church, respecting canonical regulations.

The current situation is not helped by the sending of mixed messages.

While traditionalist groups like the Institute of Christ the King continue to celebrate the pre-conciliar Mass based on their statutes, but the seminarians of the traditionalist Missionaries of Divine Mercy in France are refused permission for ordination based on their adherence to pre-conciliar liturgy, nothing is clear.

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer have received this judgment and expulsion because they crossed a very important line and used liturgical rituals in an abusive way.

They are not to be trusted as representative of the Church. Those who would support them need to examine their own consciences as to reasons they are doing so.

• Dr Joe Grayland is New Zealand's only liturgically trained theologian. He is teaching at the University of Tubingen, Germany.

Originating on June 17 from the well-informed traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli, this rumour has since spread rapidly. Some are even suggesting the date of July 16, the anniversary of Traditionis Custodes, published in 2021 by the pope, to restrict the use of the rite significantly.

However, according to several Vatican sources interviewed by La Croix, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, responsible for the liturgy, is not preparing such a document.

"These are just idle chatter," complained a senior Vatican official. The same person denounced these as "fantasies." Another source explained that these rumours are entirely "unfounded."

Read More

Five seminarians from the Missionaries of Divine Charity have been awaiting ordination as deacons for over a year. One seminarian is reported to have been waiting for more than two years.

The Missionaries of Divine Charity, based in the French diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, have faced a temporary suspension of all ordinations.

Superior General Jean-Raphaël Dubrule clarified that the delay is not linked to the overall situation in the diocese but to the seminarians' adherence to the 1962 liturgical books.

The issue emerged after discussions with Vatican authorities revealed concerns about the ability of these seminarians to celebrate the liturgy as it was prior to the Second Vatican Council.

"The Roman authorities have no certainty about this possibility, and so it could be that candidates are ordained without subsequently being allowed to celebrate according to the old rite.

"They would then no longer be able to exercise their ministry within the framework of the congregation and in accordance with the statutes" Dubrules' statement reads.

Founded in 2005, the "Société des missionnaires de la miséricorde divine" have 22 members of whom twelve are seminarians.

Their charism focuses on mercy, celebrating the pre-conciliar Mass, and missionary work, especially among Muslims.

The community operates under diocesan law and is overseen by the diocesan bishop.

Further restrictions rumoured

The motu proprio Traditionis custodes (2021) requires newly ordained priests wishing to celebrate the 1962 Missale Romanum to seek formal permission from their diocesan bishop, who must consult the Vatican.

This regulation has heightened concerns among traditionalist circles about further restrictions from Rome.

The rumours were fuelled after the Pope received Gilles Wach, the prior of the "Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest", in an audience on Monday.

The international institute celebrates the liturgy in its pre-conciliar form.

While the Vatican hasn't commented on the meeting, the Institute stated on its website that "the Pope insisted that we continue to serve the Church according to our own proper charism, in the spirit of unity and communion which the harmony and balance of the Salesian spirituality allow".

While some communities, such as the Fraternity of St Peter, have received papal decrees allowing the use of the pre-conciliar liturgy for all sacraments, similar permissions have not been extended to other groups.

Sources

Katholisch

Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

CathNews New Zealand

In an interview with the traditionalist blog "Messa in Latino" the professor of sacramental theology at the Benedictine University of Sant'Anselmo in Rome emphasised the importance of the liturgy for the unity of the Church.

When traditionalists describe themselves as "faithful to Rome" but cling to the pre-conciliar liturgy, they are in fact at odds with Rome: "In order to be faithful to Rome, one must adopt a 'ritual language' that corresponds to what Rome has communally established."

Grillo is regarded as the mastermind of the motu proprio "Traditionis custodes"with which Pope Francis significantly restricted the celebration of Mass according to the missals of 1962.

In 2020, he was one of the signatories of an open letter with demands on how to deal with the Traditional Latin Mass which were partially taken up in the motu proprio.

Crisis of the Church cannot be overcome with a backward-looking approach

He rejected the argument that what was sacred to previous generations must also be kept sacred today.

This is a principle that does not come from theology, but is fuelled by nostalgic feelings:

"Such a principle tends to fixate the church on its past. Not on the 'depositum fidei', but on the colour it took on at a certain time, as if it were definitive.

" The liturgical diversity that exists today, for example with regard to the liturgies of the Eastern Catholic churches or the variants of the Roman rite in Milan or Spain, is due to the specific tradition there.

"Nobody would ever come up with the idea that, on a universal level, someone is free to remain in one version of the Roman rite or in the version replaced by a general reform."

According to Grillo, the Church is indeed in a crisis, but this cannot be restored by restoring a "society of honour". Read more

• Andrea Grillo is a liturgical scholar. He is considered one of Pope Francis' masterminds in his approach to the pre-conciliar liturgy.

In an interview with the traditionalist blog "Messa in Latino", Andrea Grillo, a professor of sacramental theology at the Benedictine University of Sant'Anselmo in Rome, highlighted the importance of unity of faith through the liturgy.

Grillo asserts that while traditionalists claim to be "faithful to Rome" by adhering to the pre-conciliar liturgy, they actually conflict with Rome's communal liturgical standards.

He stressed "In order to be faithful to Rome, one must adopt a 'ritual language' that corresponds to what Rome has communally established".

Grillo is recognised for his influence on the motu proprio "Traditionis Custodes" issued by Pope Francis.

Traditionis Custodes restricts the use of the 1962 missal addressing the division caused by the pre-conciliar liturgy, re-authorised under certain conditions by Benedict XVI in 2007.

Grillo's 2020 open letter advocating stricter regulations on the Traditional Latin Mass partially informed this motu proprio.

Rejecting nostalgia in liturgy

Grillo refutes the notion that what was sacred to previous generations should remain sacred today, labelling it as nostalgia.

He argues that this perspective traps the Church in a specific historical period rather than focusing on the essence of faith. He cites the diverse liturgical practices within the Eastern Catholic Churches and regional variants of the Roman rite in Milan and Spain as examples of true tradition that adapts and evolves.

"Nobody would ever come up with the idea that, on a universal level, someone is free to remain in one version of the Roman rite or in the version replaced by a general reform" Grillo states.

Grillo believes that the Church's crisis cannot be solved by reverting to a "society of honour" - a concept described by Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor as characterised by social hierarchies.

Grillo emphasises that faith is not strengthened by adhering to old customs or languages but by looking towards the future.

"Following Christ does not mean joining a high-society club or association in order to speak a foreign language or to identify with the past and cultivate reactionary ideals" he said.

Sources

English Katholisch

"We shall return", a buoyant Fr Glen Tattersall said at the final Traditional Latin Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne on Wednesday evening.

The Australian reports the Cathedral was packed for the Mass - it estimated there was a congregation of around 850 people.

"They came in business suits, in strollers, on trams and in fluoro tradie gear. Most were rugged up in heavy coats against the Melbourne winter which did not dim the spirit of the cathedral lit with candlelight and optimism" reports Tess Livingston in The Australian.

Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli sat in the Sanctuary, but did not address the crowd.

On Monday Comensoli received the news that the Vatican had denied his request to hold the Traditional Latin Mass at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral.

The decision from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments was published on Monday on the news portal "Zenit".

"While we recognise that Mass according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 has been celebrated in the Cathedral Church for some time, we are nonetheless constrained to deny this request" the response stated.

The Vatican stated that liturgies in a bishop's church should serve as a model for the entire diocese.

"It does not seem appropriate for the antecedent liturgy to be celebrated in the place that should serve as an example for the liturgical life of the entire diocese" said the statement.

The Dicastery's Secretary, Bishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, signed the response.

Viola emphasised that "The Cathedral is the first place where the celebration of the liturgy must use the current liturgical books, which form the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite".

Lex orandi refers to what is prayed.

It is often used in conjunction with lex credendi which together translated from the Latin means: "the law of what is prayed [is] the law of what is believed".

It is also sometimes expanded as lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi, which again translated from the Latin means "the law of what is prayed [is] what is believed [is] the law of what is lived".

Congregation at St Patrick's Melbourne final old rite Latin Mass

Latin Mass restrictions

While the cathedral request was denied, the Vatican allowed the Traditional Latin Mass to be celebrated at Saint Michael and Saint Philip parishes in Melbourne for two years.

After this period, Comensoli must seek renewed permission from the Vatican to continue these services.

The Vatican suggested that a contemporary form of the Mass could be celebrated in Latin at the cathedral for the group favouring the Traditional Latin Mass, potentially using the same altar as the pre-conciliar form.

Archbishop Comensoli's request, made in June 2023, came in the wake of Pope Francis's 2021 Motu Proprio "Traditionis custodes" ("Guardians of the Tradition"). This publication restricted the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.

The rules were further tightened in February 2023, mandating that bishops need the Holy See's permission to authorise such Masses in parish churches.

Sources

Katholisch

Zenit

The Australian

CathNews New Zealand

This is the first time since the 1990s that the Easter Triduum won't be celebrated in the Westminster Diocese.

The traditional Triduum rite follows the liturgical books in use before the 1970 liturgy reform.

In February Nichols (pictured) declined the request "for the sake of the wider provision".

The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales says it is "grieved" by the news.

It noted the faithful who attend the traditional liturgy in several other locations in the archdiocese "will now be denied the chance to attend the most important liturgical days of the year according to this liturgy within the Archdiocese of Westminster".

Traditional Triduum services will still be celebrated in London but outside the archdiocese.

Nichols says he made the decision in accordance with "the parameters laid down by the Holy See".

He was referring to Pope Francis's 2021 apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of the Tradition).

There have since been clarifications from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, which impose restrictions on the traditional Latin liturgy.

Nichols says he is "waiting for the judgment of the Holy See on which parish church, if any, may be used for the celebration of Mass according to the Missal antecedent to the reform of 1970″.

"I realise that this will disappoint some people, but I have to keep the wider picture in view."

Change of heart

It is not clear what prompted Cardinal Nichols to prohibit the traditional Triduum this year.

He has allowed it in previous years. Last year, after he had threatened not to allow it, he reversed course following a petition.

The Latin Mass Society says when Traditionis Custodes was published, Nichols distanced himself from the apostolic letter.

At that time he said he thought the Pope's concerns "do not reflect the overall liturgical life of this diocese".

Since then, Nichols has made two other similar decisions.

In January 2022, he canceled a 20-year-old practice of the archdiocese providing the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the traditional liturgy (Vetus Ordo).

In November 2023, he ended the Latin Mass Society's annual requiem Mass in Westminster Cathedral, which had been celebrated for more than 50 years.

"It seems that Catholics attached to the older liturgy are being punished for misdemeanors that Cardinal Nichols believes they have not committed" the Latin Mass Society commented.

Latin Masses elsewhere in the world are also being discontinued.

Source

• National Catholic Register

The Archbishop of São Paulo, Cardinal Odilo Scherer, issued a decree on November 23 stripping Fr Fábio Fernandes of his public ministry and removing him as pastor from Our Lady of Sorrows Church in São Paulo.

The archdiocese alleges the pastor is guilty of "persistent disobedience" and that he shows "clear disregard" for the instructions of Traditionis Custodes.

This decision followed a warning issued on November 1, urging Fernandes to reaffirm his commitment to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Francis.

The accusations against Fernandes stem from his advocacy for the Latin Mass and the alleged labelling of Pope Francis and Archbishop Scherer as "heretics".

Fernandes, an advocate for the Tridentine Mass, defended its theological significance asserting its unaltered nature as prescribed by St Pius V.

His journey towards embracing the Traditional Latin Mass was outlined in a statement emphasising its doctrinal importance, especially in contrast to the post-Vatican II reforms.

Fernandes refuted claims of directly labelling the Pope and the Cardinal as heretics.

He argued that those adhering strictly to the Second Vatican Council were in a state of heresy, emphasising the unaltered nature of the Tridentine Mass as mandated by St Pius V.

Serious statements with schismatic content

The archdiocese said that Cardinal Scherer had appealed to Fernandes on October 28, asking him not to celebrate the feast of Christ the King the following day. The priest had ignored the request and celebrated the feast on a day "contrary to the liturgical calendar in force".

The feast fell on October 29 in the Extraordinary Form calendar but on November 26 in the Ordinary Form calendar used by Brazilian dioceses.

Fernandes proclaimed the Catholic faith during this celebration, defending the 'Mass of ages' and challenging perceived errors of the 'Conciliar Church' in favour of the true faith and the Holy Sacrifice.

The archdiocese said the priest had also failed to retract the errors highlighted in the November 1 letter. Instead he reaffirmed them, posting "serious statements with schismatic content" on social media on the 6th of that month..

Sources

The Pillar

CathNews New Zealand

This group's actions have them being accused of

• operating as a law unto themselves,
• disrespecting Church authority, and
• flouting diocesan oversight.

Their actions underscore the concerns that led Pope Francis to issue his Apostolic Letter Traditionis custodes and its accompanying letter to bishops on 16 July 2021.

After extensive consultation with bishops, Pope Francis discerned a troubling pattern among many adherents of the pre-conciliar rites: a rejection of the Church and its institutions.

The rejection was in favour of a so-called "true Church."

This notion, rooted in a mythical ideal, fosters division and undermines ecclesial communion.

The crux of the issue can be traced back to Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Letter, Summorum Pontificum,

Benedict introduced the concept of "extraordinary" and "ordinary" expressions coexisting within the Roman Rite with this letter.

Benedict XVI intended to harmonise these expressions without undermining the liturgical reforms.

However, his actions led to unintended consequences, deepening divisions under the guise of a "reform of the reform."

Regrettably, Benedict's initiative inadvertently nurtured a sector within the Church.

Allowing both rites often lacks a comprehensive grasp of their respective understanding of Church.

In many cases, the assumption that these groups adhered to the binding character of Vatican Council II and remained faithful to the Pope and Bishops was misplaced.

In response, Pope Francis, informed by the bishops' experiences, issued Traditiones Custodes.

This document and his explanatory letter emphasised the need to continuously pursue church communion, a cornerstone of his papal duty to preserve unity.

Consequently, Francis revoked Summorum pontificum, nullifying the concept of ordinary and extraordinary forms and affirming the liturgical books promulgated by Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II as the sole expression of the Roman Rite's lex orandi.

Diocesan bishop's role modified

The restrictions on the pre-conciliar rites, now subject to the local bishop's authorisation, were further clarified in a Rescript to Traditiones custodes (20 February 2023).

This document reserved certain dispensations to the Apostolic See, including using parish churches for the 1962 Missal and permissions for priests ordained post-Traditionis custodes to celebrate using this Missal.

The Apostolic Visitation by Bishop Emeritus Robert McGuckin to the Diocese of Christchurch is a testament to the pervasive issues in this diocese and potentially in others.

This situation highlights the necessity of Pope Francis's decision to address a liturgically divided Church where fringe groups, unchecked, pose a risk of scandal.

The Pope's directive underscores the diocesan bishop's role as moderator, promoter, and guardian of the liturgical life of their Church.

It is imperative that bishops actively oversee priests who contravene the Rescript of Traditiones custodes and that Metropolitan Archbishops monitor the conduct of their suffragan bishops.

This ensures adherence to the call for unity within Traditiones custodes.

Christchurch - key questions

The Christchurch case presents two critical questions.

• Firstly, who are the bishops and priests with written permission from the Holy See to celebrate the pre-conciliar rites?

Their identities should be transparently communicated to all the baptised in a synodal manner.

• Secondly, who moderates groups not conforming to Traditiones custodes, ensuring compliance with its liturgical theology and principles?

As "Guardians of the tradition," bishops are responsible for preventing liturgical abuses, including unauthorised celebrations of the abrogated rites.

The Church's unity and integrity depend on their vigilant stewardship and adherence to the directives set forth in Traditiones custodes.

• Dr Joe Grayland is currently a visiting professor at the University of Tübingen (Germany). He has been a priest of the Diocese of Palmerston North for nearly thirty years.
• His latest book is: Catholics. Prayer, Belief and Diversity in a Secular Context (Te Hepara Pai, 2021).https://www.amazon.com.au/Catholics-Prayer-Diversity-Secular-Context/dp/0473513382

"They do not belong to the mainstream of the Church and do not follow the ordinary form of the Mass promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 (Novus Ordo).

Last week, NewsHub alleged the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer were knowingly involved in performing exorcisms even after Bishop Michael Gielen placed a ban on all exorcisms in the Christchurch diocese.

Respecting the office of the Pope

Grayland expressed support for the decision Gielen (pictured) made to seek help from the Vatican.

He told CathNews he is perplexed as to why these groups who do not follow the pope's instructions in Traditionis Custodes are allowed to perform any sacraments, especially something as significant as a 'major' exorcism.

"Why, in light of Pope Francis' recent tight restrictions on the old Latin Rite, has the permission to perform the old Latin Rite not been withdrawn from this group?" asked Grayland.

"The actions of this group, accused of operating as a law unto themselves, disrespecting ecclesiastical authority and flouting diocesan oversight, underscore the concerns that led Pope Francis to issue his Apostolic Letter Traditionis Custodes and its accompanying letter to bishops on 16 July 2021" says Grayland.

Traditionis custodes is an apostolic letter issued by Pope Francis, regarding the continued use of pre-Vatican II rites.

It restricts the celebration of the Tridentine Latin Rite Mass.

The apostolic letter was accompanied by an ecclesiastical letter to the Catholic bishops of the world.

Grayland says discipline in these matters is important, not just for the sake of discipline but out of respect for the Pope's teaching office.

Grayland notes the irony of the ‘Holy Sons', the so-called traditionalist movement, contravening a traditional Church principle - lex orandi, lex credendi - how the Church prays is a reflection of what it believes.

Lex orandi, lex credendi is the work of Prosper Aquitanus (c. 390 - 455 AD), a Christian writer and a disciple of Augustine of Hippo.

In February 2023, Pope Francis accused some bishops of having a ‘closed eye' about the need to ask permission for priests to say the Latin Mass.

Further tightening the screws on the availability of the Latin Mass, Francis told bishops that priests who acted without Vatican dispensation to the Latin Mass must seek one retroactively.

"The relevant permissions fall under the authority of the local Bishop who must seek authorisation from the Dicastery for Divine Worship before issuing a decision.

"According to the motu proprio, this step exercises the authority of the Holy See in the matter", writes Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

A global issue

The lack of discipline and respect for the papal office is not limited to the "Holy Sons".

Recently, Pope Francis removed Joseph Strickland from his position as Bishop of Tyler, Texas, citing his non-compliance with the Apostolic Letter Traditionis Custodes among the issues.

Speaking on "The World Over" with ETWN's Raymond Arroyo, Strickland told Arroyo that he didn't respond to the Pope's decree Traditionis Custodes because he didn't feel that he could deprive that portion of the flock the nourishment they were receiving.

Commenting on Strickland's removal, papal biographer Austen Ivereigh said on X - "The schism is well advanced.

"It began with rejecting Rome in the name of Tradition, looking to a counter-magisterium, seeking an alliance with secular princes (Orban, Trump) and taking refuge in pre-reform liturgy.

"Now it is developing its own martyrology."

Global is local

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer arrived in Christchurch in 2009.

In 2012, Pope Benedict approved them, and they continue to be responsible for the Latin Mass chaplaincy in the Christchurch diocese.

Ecclesia Dei lists the traditional Latin Mass as offered in all dioceses except Wellington and Palmerston North.

The New Zealand Latin Mass directory also adds that the Latin Rite Mass is offered on the first and third Sundays at St Mary and St Francis De Sales Church, Rangiora.

Sources

• Vatican News
• Supplied
• CathNews
• Vatican
• X - Austen Ivereigh

For more than 50 years, the Latin Mass Society has hosted this annual sung Mass, dedicated to the repose of the souls of its deceased members and benefactors.

However, plans for the celebration on 4 November were abruptly cancelled after the Diocese of Westminster informed the Latin Mass Society of the restrictions imposed by Pope Francis' 2021 motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes.

In his motu proprio, Pope Francis directed bishops to designate specific locations for the Latin Mass, excluding parish churches. Any exceptions to this rule require a dispensation from the Holy See and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, presiding over the Diocese of Westminster, clarified that the annual Mass "is not part of the cathedral's pastoral provision for the Traditional Mass."

Nichols did not request a dispensation to continue the tradition at Westminster Cathedral.

Consequently, the Latin Mass Society relocated the Requiem Mass to Corpus Christi Catholic Church on Maiden Lane, designated as a diocesan shrine.

Despite the move, Nichols did request a dispensation for the cathedral to continue its low Mass on the first Saturday of each month.

Traditionis Custodes frustration

The Latin Mass Society spokesperson emphasised that "each Mass at the cathedral needs explicit permission under the terms of Traditionis Custodes." These monthly Masses continue pending consideration.

Traditionis Custodes however has caused frustration among faithful attendees of the Traditional Latin Mass. Roger Wemyss Brooks, a long-time Catholic who regularly attended the Traditional Latin Mass, expressed his distress stating, "Elderly Catholics like me depend upon the comfort of this annual Mass."

Edward Windsor, who had served at the annual Requiem Mass for the past five years, questioned the cardinal's decision noting that it seemed to prioritise modernism over the significance of the Mass.

Since the issuance of Traditionis Custodes, the Traditional Latin Mass has faced restrictions worldwide. Some dioceses secured temporary dispensations for certain Masses in parish churches, while others have moved Masses outside of parish churches, further highlighting the impact of the Vatican restrictions.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

"God is out of the picture in this damned synodal process," he says.

Mutsaerts is the auxiliary bishop of Den Bosch in the Netherlands.

Critical of the working document for the Continental Phase of the Synod process, Mutsaerts, writing in Rorate Caeli, says the Synod "process provides a megaphone for non-Catholic views" and is "a path of recognition for those who do not feel adequately recognised in the Church.

"Among those who call for a more meaningful dialogue and a more welcoming space, we also find those who, for various reasons, feel a tension between belonging to the Church and their own loving relationships, such as: remarried divorced people, single parents, people living in polygamous marriages, LGBTQ people, etc."

Mutsaerts says it is those who agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church are the ones who are excluded!

Concerned that the teaching office of a bishop is being reduced to simply implementing what is ultimately the greatest common denominator as the outcome of a raffle of opinions, Mutsaerts dismisses the listening sessions as "evaporated faith," the process as "blasphemous" and the Working Document as a "sociological experiment".

"What is becoming increasingly clear is that the synodal process is going to be used to change a number of church positions, with the Holy Spirit then also being thrown into the fray as an advocate," he says.

"How unpastoral, how unloving.

"People want sincere answers. They don't want to go home with more questions."

Taking his lead from Jesus walking with the apostles on the way to Emmaus, Mutsaerts says Jesus took a different approach to that proffered by Pope Francis's Synod.

"He listened to the two disappointed disciples who were on their way to Emmaus. But at one point He took the floor and made it clear to them that they were going astray. That led them to turn around and return to Jerusalem.

"If we don't turn around, we end up in Emmaus and are even further from home than we already are."

Mutsaerts accuses the Synodal process of being without empathy for traditionalists and has ‘dropped out' of the Synodal process labelling it as a "process that prevents people from Salvation."

Mutsaerts is an opponent of Pope Francis' apostolic letter, Traditionis custodes, that restricts use of the Latin Mass.

In July 2021, he described Traditionis custodes as a "declaration of war".

Source

• Rorate Caeli

Liturgical misunderstandings and superficiality develops Part I: Like charity, Christian unity begins at home.

Wasn't the Traditional Latin Mass the "Mass of the ages"?

Yes, which is why it adapts to different ages. We have only to read St Justin's beautiful description of the Mass dating from c. 155 AD to realise that the form of the Mass does change. The Mass St Justin knew would eventually live on in the revised Missal Pope Pius V promulgated after the Council of Trent; (the "Traditional Latin Mass"). And that Mass now lives on in the revised Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI after the Second Vatican Council. Both Missals have resulted from revisions of previous texts. That is the sense in which we can speak of "the Mass of the ages". And that is the sense in which Tradition lives on even as small traditions come and go.

Was the 1962 Missal "abrogated"?

No, but that only means it was not annulled, and so it can still be validly used when the Pope authorises it to meet special needs. It was withdrawn from normal use. Pope Paul VI made it clear that the revised form of the Missal replaced the unrevised form.

Why did the Second Vatican Council require the Missal to be revised?

Historical research contributed to the reform which gave us the "Traditional Latin Mass". Likewise, the Second Vatican Council's reform had at its disposal up-dated scholarship based on ancient Christian sources even more recently discovered.

According to Pope Paul VI, the Council intended

1. to make it easier for people to see the meaning of the various parts of the Mass and the connection between them, and easier for people to participate;
2. open up the scriptures more abundantly; and
3. restore elements of the Mass which, through the accidents of history, had become obscured. (For example: reflecting the influence of Jansenism, the unrevised Missal still instructs the priest what to do if anyone wants to receive Holy Communion; whereas reflecting the later influence of Pope St Pius X, the revised Missal expects that most of the congregation will be receiving Holy Communion.)

The Council taught that "full, conscious and active participation in the liturgical celebrations is required by the very nature of the liturgy" (Liturgy 14)

Who celebrates the Mass?

Our previous formation left many of us with the impression that the priest celebrated the Mass and the rest of us "attended" Mass. People adjusted to this understanding, so that while the priest prayed the prayers of the Mass, they often filled in the time with their own prayers. The reality, however, is that Mass is celebrated by the whole congregation (cf Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1140). That is why it requires their "full, conscious and active participation", whether by word, song, gesture, or stillness and deep silence - but acting as "one body, one spirit in Christ". The way we participate is not determined by "personal preference," (which is what contempo0rary secular culture emphasises.)

The priest's role is still special: he does not act on Christ's behalf because it is Christ himself who acts - through the priest who has been ordained to act in his Person. But this does not make him the only "celebrant". According to the prayers of the Mass itself, "offerimus" i.e. "we offer".

Reverence

Reverence is body-language par excellence. It is the demeanour that comes naturally when we are aware of being in God's presence. But there are different ways of being in God's presence, and different expressions of reverence. For example, the reverence proper at a grave-side; the reverence proper to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, etc. Each is important in its own circumstances.

The kind of reverence proper to liturgy corresponds to the ways Christ is really present. According to the Council (Liturgy, 7), Christ is present

• in the congregation ("where two or three are gathered…");
• in the word (where "Christ is speaking to his people" - present tense);
• in the ministry of those ordained to act in the name of Christ;
• and especially in the Sacrament.

These four different manifestations of Christ's real presence invite different ways of responding. The appropriate way of responding to each is the appropriate way of being reverent.

And so, for example: how we respond to Christ present in his word is different from how we respond to his presence in the Sacrament, and how we acknowledge His presence in the gathering. Greeting one another before Mass begins, followed by a period of silence, helps to form the community that is about to worship as one body. The way we relate to people who have "gathered in his name" is different from the ways we relate to people who have gathered for social occasions.

To require only one way of being reverent (e.g. the reverence due to the Blessed Sacrament), excluding the others, is against the nature of the liturgy.

Posture

In the liturgy, postures and gestures are statements of faith. They are ways of saying - with our whole self - what we believe and what we are doing. They em-body and en-act our inner dispositions, and deepen them. That is why we don't just ‘do' them; we need to really mean them - make them mean what our minds and hearts want to say. They also enable the congregation to act as one body.

For example: the presence of Christ is beautifully acknowledged when the book of the Gospels, symbolising Christ, is brought into the assembly, accompanied by song (and in some cultures, dance), and the congregation rises to its feet.

The custom of kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer is regarded as "laudable". But it is important to understand the early Christians' practice of standing. Eucharistic Prayer I, originating around the year 375, refers to the congregation "standing around" ("circum-stantes" - currently translated as "gathered here"). The even older Eucharistic Prayer II, originating around the year 215, refers to our being counted "worthy to stand in Your presence" (currently mistranslated as "being in Your presence").

At Benediction, we are adoring Christ, for which the appropriate body-language is "down in adoration falling…" That is not mainly what we are doing during the Eucharistic Prayer. The Eucharistic Prayer is addressed almost entirely to the Father. The appropriate body-language is that which best corresponds with what the Eucharistic Prayer is saying. For those early Christians, standing was body-language for acknowledging that in Christ we have been raised up.

That is why St John Chrysostom forbade his people to kneel during the Easter season; so did St Augustine. The Council of Nicea forbade kneeling for prayer on Sundays; and when in the 9th century kneeling became more common, it was only on non-festive days, never on days that commemorate the resurrection of Jesus, i.e. Sundays and feast-days. Standing is still the posture in the Eastern Churches.

Mission

In the celebration of Eucharist, the Holy Spirit makes present to us what God is doing for our salvation (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1091 ff). We allow ourselves to be taken up into it, with wonder and thanksgiving.

We are being sanctified and sent - two sides of the same coin. Our participation in the Mass is incomplete if it does not flow out into every aspect of life, making it more authentically human - through social and economic justice, and responsibility for the planet. "The split between the faith which many profess and their daily lives deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age" (2nd Vat. Council Church in Modern World, 43.)

The connection between our sanctification and our mission is illustrated in our reception of Holy Communion. "We become what we receive" (St Augustine). What we receive is ‘the body broken and given up for others' and the ‘blood (life) poured out for others'. Being "for others" is what we commit ourselves to when we respond "Amen".

‘Meal' and ‘sacrifice' are not conflicting concepts: "… every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death" (1 Cor. 11:26). Nor are ‘altar' and ‘table' conflicting concepts, as the table shape of the altar in meant to remind us.

Hand or tongue?

During times of infection, hygiene aimed at preventing the spread of potentially fatal infections is a matter of moral duty towards ourselves and others. In normal times, our practice should be based on Jesus' own words at the Last Supper: "take, eat… take, drink". It is based on the normal ways that adults take food and drink. But we receive it with deep awareness of who it is we are receiving. (Placing food on another's tongue is more normally what we do for infants and disabled people.)

Homily or sermon?

The scriptures give us a backdrop against which to notice how God has been involved in other people's lives. The homily is intended to help us recognise how God is still involved - now in our lives. It is specifically about what God is doing. A sermon is more about what we should be doing. Of course, we also need to know that, but not all our learning can be loaded on to the homily. Catholics are supposed to participate in other forms of on-going formation.

Constant moralising can lead to over-anxiety for people already harassed by the struggles of living, and can weigh them down. In contrast to this, noticing what God is doing in the midst of our struggles lifts us up. Contemplating God's love for us evokes our love for God.

Adaptations

There is a difference between aberrations and adaptations. Changes that deflect from the meaning of a given part of the Mass are aberrations and not acceptable. However, adaptations that better bring out its meaning actually help to fulfil the purpose intended by the rubrics. We fulfil the whole law by fulfilling its purpose; (Mark 2:23-27)

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal requires that "accommodations and adaptations" should "correspond to the meaning and character of each part of the celebration". Some adaptations require decision by the bishop, or Bishops' Conference. Smaller ones are made by the priest so that the prayer of the Church can become the prayer of the people who are present. In this way he is being faithful to his duty:

"…the age and condition of the people, their way of life, and degree of religious culture (i..e. religious formation, faith-practice etc) should be taken into account. By doing so, pastors will be fulfilling one of the chief duties of a faithful dispenser of the mysteries of God…" (Constitution on the Liturgy, 19)

‘…always to be kept in mind is the preservation of that freedom, envisaged by the new rubrics, to adapt the celebration in an intelligent manner to the church building, or to the group of faithful who are present, or to particular pastoral circumstances in such a way that the universal rite is truly accommodated to human understanding. (Consilium for Promoting the Constitution on the Liturgy, Notitiae, 1965, p 254).

Making these kinds of adaptations should be as natural as the way we adapt our vocabulary when speaking now to adults, now to children. Changing non-inclusive to inclusive language is a case in point.

Church architecture & furnishings

These are meant to help us be aware of Christ's presence in the four ways he is present: in the sacrament - altar; in the word - table of the word; in the ministry of the priest - presider's chair; and in the congregation - seating arrangements.

Other furnishings and statues help to create an atmosphere, but must not distract us from the liturgy itself. The tabernacle and reserved Sacrament are not part of the Mass. This is why the Church's preference is for the tabernacle to be located in a separate space within the church, suitable for the devotion due to the Blessed Sacrament, and apart from spaces that are used for other activities, such as marriages; (Instruction on the Eucharistic Mystery, 1967, n 53).

• Peter Cullinane was the first bishop of the Diocese of Palmerston North. Now he is "finding retirement more like being re-cycled."
• This is Part II of a two-part piece. Part I was published previously in CathNews.

If this same Jesus is now "Christ among you, …" (Col.1:27), then people's experience of Christian lives, Christian community and Christian worship should have the same effect. And it does, as many have testified. But it doesn't when we obscure his presence, even just by carelessness.

In fact, whether people would even recognise him as the one sent by the Father depends on us: "Father… may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me" (Jn 17:21).

Unity matters that much. And that is what we put in jeopardy by disunity. That is also why Pope Francis' Decree Traditionis Custodes matters so much.

I can understand why some would ask: why would Pope Francis withdraw permission to use the 1962 Missal which means so much to a small community of devout people who are not seeking disunity…? And, why can't the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) and the revised Missal (Novus Ordo) simply co-exist in the same way that the Church allows various rites to co-exist…?

I am sure there some adherents of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) who think of the TLM as a kind of harmless pluralism. Perhaps this even accounts for a go-slow response by some bishops, hoping it might not be necessary to upset people who are finding comfort in this expression of their faith. But there is an element of wishing thinking here. The situation is more serious than that, both overseas and in Aotearoa NZ.

Papal Intervention

Pope Francis' Decree Traditionis Custodes called for an end to division within the Catholic community's worship.

When Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI allowed, under certain conditions, Mass to be celebrated according to the 1962 Missal, it was - in both cases - regarded as a concession to special needs, not a turning back from the liturgy reform. To emphasise the point, Pope Benedict even called it an extra-ordinary way of celebrating the Roman rite - not on a par with the ordinary form. The Council had serious reasons for renewing the liturgy. It would have contradicted its own intentions if it had intended the existence of a revised Missal and an unrevised Missal "in parallel," as if the renewal were merely optional.

Contrary to the explicit intentions of both these Popes, some have not wanted to accept that these provisions were special "concessions". They have treated the extraordinary form as another ordinary form of the Roman rite. Some even claim that Mass according to the 1962 Missal is the only truly Catholic form of the Mass.

Further, the 1962 Missal has become a flagship for wider dissent, including an un-Catholic disregard for the Council itself, even claiming it betrayed Tradition and the "true Church" - a Council that has been explicitly endorsed by every Pope since. Those of us who have tried to explain the reasons for Pope Francis' Decree have been met by hard-line opposition and very dismissive attitudes, not to mention derogatory attitudes towards Pope Francis himself, and disregard for his role. In many cases, the protagonists (both lay and ordained) are taking their cue from websites emanating from the USA. Division and confusion are the hall-marks of a different spirit, not the Holy Spirit.

What eventually confronted Pope Francis was serious and increasing division. As the one whose core ministry is to preside over the unity of the Church, he could not ignore this. Nor can the college of bishops that shares responsibility with him for the universal Church. In implementing his Decree, bishops are asked "to proceed in such a way as to return to a unitary form of celebration…" A ‘hands-off' attitude is not consistent with what he expects of bishops. Delay in carrying out Pope Francis' decree is not obviating division; it is entrenching it.

A Bigger Challenge

A "bigger challenge" is the need for the wider Catholic community always to celebrate the revised liturgy in a way that allows its true merit and beauty to become evident, and to not scandalise by carelessness. This need is at the heart of Pope Francis' follow-up letter On the Liturgical Formation of the People of God."

It is fair to ask what is it that TLM adherents feel is missing in the revised liturgy. In his Apostolic Constitution promulgating the revised liturgy, Pope Paul VI explained how the revised Missal is the former Missal, in an enriched form.

Similarly, Pope Francis: "whoever wishes to celebrate with devotion according to earlier forms of the liturgy can find in the reformed Roman Missal … all the elements of the Roman rite…". So, is it something else that is missing?

I have listened to the concerns of TLM Catholics, and recognised their love for the Mass and deep need for reverence; their strong attachment to family values; commitment to community, and experience of belonging, and care for one another. They rightly expect reliable leadership, though perhaps are too accepting of clericalism. And they want continuity with tradition, even if not always respecting Pope John Paul II's explanation of the difference between Tradition and mere traditions.

I have also noted the aspirations of the wider Catholic community, much of it recently expressed in the synodal process. In common with TLM Catholics they want an experience of community that is real and caring. They, too, want good leadership, but of a kind that respects Pope Benedict's teaching that lay and ordained are "co-responsible for what the Church is like and what it does." They rightly want closer collaboration, and they understand the need for on-going formation. I see in the aspirations of TLM Catholics and the wider Catholic community underlying common ground, and potential for moving further towards the unity that any Pope is entitled to expect of all of us.

On-going Formation

This brings us to the need for on-going formation. Quite apart from liturgy, there is an obligation on all Catholics to continue their formation in the faith. The General Catechetical Directory promulgated by Pope St John Paul II, points out that on-going catechesis is for adults even more than it is for children. Acceptance of the need for on-going formation should be common ground for all of us. It is a duty for all of us; and it is sign of good faith.

Unfortunately, many Catholics became stuck in a childhood understanding of the faith. Their strong attachment to it echoes deep appreciation of those who handed the faith down to them, and a sense of responsibility for passing it on. For this we must respect them. Anyway, opportunities for adult learning about the faith were not usually available. Nevertheless, a childhood understanding of the faith is incomplete, and insufficient for adult Christian life.

Lack of continued learning results in falling behind. Geographical isolation over time can affect whole societies in this way. Something similar happens to religious movements that keep mainly to themselves. Examples are not hard to find. The reason why monastic communities have not been affected like this is precisely because they do not starve themselves of intellectual formation. They have often been at the forefront of the scholarship that has led to the Church's renewal.

An unintended side-effect of Pope Benedict's more extensive concessions was that TLM adherents felt no need to pursue a deeper understanding of the Council; it seemed that for them nothing had changed. Having put so much work into the Council as a theologian, and having endorsed it as Pope, it is not surprising that Pope Benedict insisted on the need for all Catholics to further their understanding of the Council.

• Peter Cullinane was the first bishop of the Diocese of Palmerston North. Now he is "finding retirement more like being re-cycled."
• This is the first of a two-part piece. Part II, will be published on Monday. It clarifies some of the areas where there is potential for misunderstandings and superficiality.

In an interview with a television channel serving Italian-speaking Switzerland, aired Nov 14, Archbishop Arthur Roche said that "the normal form of the celebration of the Roman Rite is found in those documents that have been published since the Second Vatican Council."

Pope John Paul II's Ecclesia Dei and Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum "were established in order to encourage the Lefebvrists, above all, to return to unity with the Church," Roche continued.

Read More

In a letter dated Oct 7, but made public on several blogs Nov 9, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis said that Mass could continue to be celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal at five churches in Rome on all days except from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday, the period known as the Triduum.

De Donatis also stated that no other sacraments or sacramentals may be celebrated according to the pre-Vatican II missal except the Mass.

Read More

When a priest asked Francis how he was feeling, the pontiff showed his dark sense of humour, replying, "Still alive."

"Even though some wanted me dead. I know there were even meetings among priests who thought the pope was in worse shape than what was being said. They were preparing the conclave," he continued.

"Patience! Thank God I'm well," he added.

The comment was a sign of the acute interest in the pope's health.

It also reflected on speculation about what would happen if he succumbed to severe illness.

After his 10-day hospital stay, Italian media speculated that Francis might resign and noted the need for norms to regulate a second retired pope.

Francis has previously said resigning "didn't even cross my mind."

Conservative criticism of Francis turned to outrage after Francis in July cracked down on the celebration of the old Latin Mass.

Francis noted that there was a "big Catholic television station that continually speaks poorly about the pope."

He didn't name it but it could have been a reference to the EWTN media conglomerate, which has been critical of the papacy.

"I personally might merit attacks and insults because I'm a sinner, but the church doesn't deserve this; it's the work of the devil," he said.

Making a second, but related point, Francis told Slovakian Jesuits that the Catholic Church suffers from a temptation to return to attitudes and practices of the past. An attitude that blocks pastoral outreach to many who are marginalized.

"We are suffering this today in the church: the ideology of going backwards.

"It is an ideology that colonizes minds. It is a form of ideological colonization.

"Today, he said, many in the church are afraid of accompanying people "with sexual diversity.

"That is why today we look back to the past: to seek security.

"It frightens us to celebrate before the people of God who look us in the face and tell the truth. It frightens us to go forward in pastoral experiences," the pope said.

"This is the evil of this moment. Namely, to seek the path in rigidity and clericalism, which are two perversions," he said.

Francis made the comments during a private meeting with the Slovakian Jesuits. The comments were made public by the Jesuit journal La Civilita Cattolica.

Sources

• AP News
• Catholic News