By
THE MOST REVEREND WILLIAM E. LORI, S.T.D., BISHOP OF BRIDGEPORT
Fairfield
County Catholic, July 14, 2007
Somewhere,
buried amid my elementary school report cards, essays, and other childhood
memorabilia is the Mass card that was given me when I became an altar
server. Its specific purpose was to help train servers on how to respond
to the Mass prayers in Latin. Since we were unschooled in Latin, the
card offered phonetic pronunciations of the Latin responses. Included
on the card were prayers at the foot of the altar as well as responses
for the Gospel, the Preface, the blessing, dismissal, and the Last Gospel.
My
classmates and I took pride in learning these replies by heart and in
achieving clear pronunciation of the Latin words. We were also fascinated
by the intricacy of the Mass; under the tutelage of our assistant pastor,
we learned to serve the High Mass and the Low Mass with effortless precision.
Forty Hours, Confirmations, funerals, and weddings, as well as Holy
Week (the rites for Holy Week had already undergone an initial revision)
were special challenges which we relished.
Those
memories came back to me this past week when I read Pope Benedict's
new documents permitting a more frequent use of the Mass and Sacraments
as they were celebrated prior to 1970 - using both the ceremonial forms
and the Latin language as found in the Roman Missal issued by
Blessed Pope John XXIII in 1962. The first of Pope Benedict's documents
on this subject is an Apostolic Letter entitled Summorum Pontificum
and given Motu Proprio, which means it sets down provisions or
norms by the Holy Father's own proper authority. That said, the Holy
Father spent a good deal of time in prayer, reflection, and consultation
with bishops and experts before he issued these new norms.
The
second document is a pastoral letter addressed to bishops wherein the
Holy Father treats pastoral concerns that his new directives might be
expected to raise; this is coupled with words of encouragement to us
members of the college of bishops who are his co-workers in proclaiming
the truth and love of Christ.
These
new norms will go into effect on September 14, 2007, the Feast of the
Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the coming weeks, I will seek the advice
of both clergy and laity as we study the norms found in the Holy Father's
Apostolic Letter and how they will apply to our diocese. In the meantime,
however, since these directives of the Holy Father are, to some degree,
"in the news," I thought it best to offer you a few pastoral reflections
and perspectives, based on what the Holy Father has said and written.
First,
I want to speak about the enduring value of the extraordinary form of
the Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962. This Missal,
though issued relatively recently, recapitulates centuries of liturgical
development. In thinking back to my own youthful experience of the liturgy,
I am reminded not only of its antiquity but also of the formative role
it played in the lives of almost everyone I knew, including my parents.
The Mass and the Sacraments in this form nurtured the faith of great
saints, Catholic intellectuals, and untold millions of ordinary Catholics.
One
of my prized possessions as a youth was the Saint Andrew Daily Missal
which contained Mass prayers in Latin and English, together with
explanations of the rite. Following along with this Missal, my classmates
and I had a clear understanding of the parts of the Mass together with
their significance.
In
making this form of the Mass and Sacraments more readily available today,
Pope Benedict is not suggesting that the liturgical renewal following
the Second Vatican Council was mistaken, nor is he attempting to "roll
the clock back," as some may fear. The Mass according to the Missal
of Pope Paul VI (the Third Edition of which was issued by Pope John
Paul II) will continue to be the ordinary form of the liturgy, whereas
the previous form will remain extraordinary.
Far
from rejecting the renewed liturgy, the Holy Father is making an important
point: the ordinary form of the liturgy (that of Pope Paul VI) is in
continuity with the older usage; thus there are two forms (ordinary
and extraordinary) in the one Roman Rite. This is not just a technical
point. It means that you and I stand in communion, in a continuity of
faith and prayer, with those who have gone before us. We are one with
those who for centuries worshipped in liturgical forms which in the
West gradually took shape until they were more or less standardized
by Pope Pius V following the conclusion of the Council of Trent in 1563.
Perhaps,
in the strenuous efforts to reform the liturgy following the Second
Vatican Council, there was insufficient appreciation of the important
role which these venerable liturgical forms continued to play in the
spiritual lives of many, not only those in advancing years but also
a surprising number of young people. Perhaps it took a few decades of
experience for this to be clearly seen; this has been observed in the
two parishes in the diocese were the older usage is celebrated. So with
a mix of gentleness and firmness, the Holy Father is encouraging us
to embrace all things Catholic in a spirit that seeks the unity and
common of the Church.
Various
other pastoral concerns have been voiced. Some
have wondered aloud whether this undercuts the authority of the local
bishop to regulate the liturgy. I truly do not believe that it does.
The role of the local bishop is not to "invent" the liturgy but rather
to ensure that it be faithfully and prayerfully celebrated in accord
with the teaching and discipline of the Church. Echoing the thought
of Saint Paul, we bishops, together with our priests, are "stewards"
of the liturgy, not its owners.
An
ancient adage tells us that "the law of praying is the law of believing."
This means, among other things, that the liturgy is to reflect in beauty
and simplicity the faith of the Church. The first job of a bishop is
to teach the faith - primarily through the preaching and instruction
which he delivers or that which is delivered on his behalf by pastors
and parish priests. For the vast majority of Catholics, however, this
occurs within the liturgy. The Holy Father has provided the bishops
of the world with an opportunity to teach about the nature and role
of the liturgy in the lives of all the faithful.
Some
have also wondered if these new directives will bring about unity with
those who have effectively left the Church following the Second Vatican
Council, not only over liturgical reforms but also over aspects of conciliar
teaching. They worry that efforts to re-unite these dissident groups
might produce a greater disunity among the vast majority of Catholics
who seem relatively satisfied with the liturgy as it was restored and
renewed following the Council.
In
weighing such concerns, we should recognize the pope's global perspective
on this question; it is estimated that, worldwide, some 400,000 individuals,
including nearly 500 priests, are involved in such groups, the largest
being the Society of Saint Pius X founded by the late Archbishop Marcel
Lefebvre.
No
one imagines that the Motu Proprio will bring about automatic
reunification with such groups, for the issues go beyond the liturgy.
However, it may help many to find their way back to full communion with
the Church. This is a worthy pastoral goal which all of us should reflect
on with serenity and open-heartedness. We should also be attentive to
the wise provisions that the Holy Father has put in place so as not
disrupt the ordinary flow of parish life.
Concerns
were also voiced in the media about the effect the Motu Proprio
might have on Roman Catholic-Jewish relations. Prior to the Missal
of 1962, the Good Friday Liturgy contained prayers which, lamentably,
were indeed anti-Semitic. "Are we returning to such forms?" it was asked.
As
just indicated, such references were already removed in the Missal
of 1962; furthermore the older usage cannot be used at all during the
Triduum, that is, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Thus
the Motu Proprio should have no effect, one way or the other,
on Roman Catholic-Jewish relationships. Rather, the Church's commitment
to dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish community will continue
unabated.
To
read the text of the Apostolic Letter, the Pope's letter to bishops,
and a useful Q&A on the subject, click
here. I urge you to read these documents for yourself. Again, after
appropriate consultation, I will offer guidance on the implementation
of the Motu Proprio that will be faithful to its spirit and its
letter.
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