ROME — Shortly after imposing significant restrictions on the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass, Pope Francis denounced “discussing” the details of the liturgy as contrary to the Christian faith.
“To demonstrate a serious lack of respect for the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacrament of Charity and Unity, by discussing the details of how to celebrate the Eucharist, the culmination of the Eucharistic Presence among us, “It is incompatible with our faith,” the pope said. Said A member of the Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic church based in Kerala, India.
In his speech, the Pope emphasized the importance of holding fast to liturgical traditions in the face of a rapidly changing world, an irony and perhaps a little cruel to those who love the traditional Latin Mass. This is advice that may seem strange.
“Your history is unique and precious, a special heritage for all of God’s holy people,” he told the audience. “And I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that the Eastern tradition is an essential treasure for the life of the Church.”
“This is especially important to remember in times like ours when we have severed the roots that connect us to the past and evaluate everything based on what is useful and immediate,” he added. .
The Pope’s love for diversity and inclusivity in all things seemed to come to an abrupt halt in the face of traditional liturgy, and in 2021 he published the Apostolic Papal Declaration. letter, ironic title traditional custodes (“Guardian of Tradition”) In it, he banned the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass in Catholic parishes and abolished existing accommodations for priests who wanted to take advantage of the special form of the Catholic liturgy.
The letter reverses measures taken by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 to ease restrictions on the use of traditional forms. I got it. Many believers “remained attached to the earlier liturgical forms that deeply shaped their culture and spirit.”
A celebrant priest leads a traditional Latin Vespers service at Rome’s ancient Pantheon Basilica on October 29, 2021 in Rome, Italy. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
Pope Francis, on the other hand, appears to have a particularly vehement dislike of the traditional Mass, several times calling those who prefer traditional liturgical forms “retrograde.”
Pope Benedict noted that Pope John Paul II was seeking to increase the inclusiveness of the liturgy by granting the ability to use older forms, adding: “I urge bishops to do this on behalf of all the faithful who seek it. He encouraged them to make wide and generous use of their abilities.
Benedict said that the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI is Rex Orandi “The Latin Liturgy (Rules of Prayer) of the Catholic Church,” while the old Roman Missal, promulgated by Holy Pope Pius V, “is nevertheless considered an extraordinary expression of the same thing.” Rex Orandi It is an ecclesiastical monument, and is justly celebrated for its venerable and ancient use. ”
Pope Benedict XVI (SVEN HOPPE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
On the other hand, Francis said that the 1970 Roman Missal was not a “normal expression” but rather a ” Individual expression of Rex Orandi of the Roman Rite” (emphasis added). The new exclusive ruling appears to exclude the old form of the Mass as a legitimate expression of the Mass. Rex Orandi Despite the time-honored tradition of the Church.
However, on the Vatican’s own website, state “Despite the Church’s recognition of the usefulness of Latin to the faithful, Latin remains the predominant language of the Church’s preference on principle.”
The Vatican goes on to state that “Latin should be protected as a precious inheritance of the Western liturgical tradition.”
Similarly, the Code of Canon Law, which governs church activities and liturgy, stipulate: “The celebration of the Eucharist may be celebrated in Latin or in other languages, as long as the liturgical texts are legally approved.”
St. John Paul II encouraged the continued use of Latin within the Church in order to maintain a connection with the Church’s own history and tradition.
“The Church of Rome has a special obligation to Latin, the great language of ancient Rome,” he said. I have written”, adding, “She has to make that clear whenever she gets the chance.”
Pope Francis is justified Reversing the more inclusive approach of their predecessors, they argue that their pastoral gentleness “widens the divide, fosters dissent, harms the Church, closes the Church’s path, and risks schism. “It was misused to promote differences.”
In lifting restrictions on the use of old rites in 2007, Pope Benedict “There was a concern that it might damage it,” he said. One of the important decisions of the Council, liturgical reform, is being questioned. ”
“This fear is unfounded,” Benedict replied.
A second concern, he wrote, is that “the potential for wider use of the 1962 Missal could cause confusion and division within the parish community.”
“It also seems to me that this fear is completely unfounded,” he said, adding that “the two forms of use of the Roman Rite can potentially enrich each other.”
At that point, Pope Benedict went on to sternly declare:
What previous generations considered sacred remains sacred and great for us, and it is not something that can suddenly be completely forbidden or even considered harmful. It is the duty of all of us to protect the riches cultivated in the faith and prayers of the Church and give them their proper place.
“To eliminate the new ritual completely would not actually be consistent with the recognition of its value and sacredness,” he said.
