Eventually, I think, Catholics will realise that saying Mass in Latin is not brain surgery. It’s not even as difficult as learning the role of Macbeth. As a language, Latin is simple. And you have cue cards, if you get lost! So the
“We don’t have the resources” argument won’t wash, after a while.
I would say it’s a gift to a priest who just wants to get on with the job. It’s much less personalised. And you might find it interesting to see who strenuously objects to it being said in your parish
Courage, mes braves!
I agree that it’s not brain surgery. But I also feel that we on the Traditionalist side of the aisle have to accept the fact that many people don’t want to use Latin and they have a right not to use it. We can’t to them what was done with the Tridentine form, suddenly deny the right to use the local language.
I’m remembering St. Maximilian Kolbe. When he was sent to Japan as the national superior of the Franciscans, he ordered the friars to celebrate the mass in Japanese. When questioned by the bishop, his answer was very simple. “The Friars are here to raise up Japanese Catholics, not to transplant European Catholicism to Japan. In time, we can introduce the the European customs.” He was right. It was much more difficult for the friars to use Japanese than to use Latin. He never learned Japanese, only enough to say mass. But with the passage of time, the friars very gently and slowly tauth the Japanese their Franciscan traditions, which are very European. Today, the Franciscans are the largest religious community in Japan and even the diocesan priests use the Franciscan missal, which is in both Latin and Japanese. The people don’t mind the Latin, because it was not shoved down their throats. St. Max stopped that practice. St. Francis Xavier had tried to do the same in China centuries before, but died before he succeeded.
Ha. But, jokes aside, I hope Bishops don’t use the letter of the law (whatever possible legit reasons for not having the EF) to stifle the spirit of the law (to offer it generously to all those who ask for it).
But Bishops are human, too…
I would like to see the bishops give it a shot. I know that in my diocese the bishop himself celebrated the EF not too long ago. He wanted to show the clergy what it looked like and that it could be done without splitting the parish. But he is also very gentle. He does not demand that his priests do this. If they want to do it, he helps them find a way and if there is no way, he simply says, “Let’s wait.” It’s never a flat “No.”
The only time that they ever get a flat “No” has been when they have asked the religious. None of the religious superiors in our diocese allow their priests to celebrate the EF for the laity. That also has a sad history. The laity in some places has been very hostile toward religious and very dismissive of them. To the point that many religious prefer to work in soup kitchesnk hospice, hospitals, colleges, missions and anything that is not a parish.
When the religious tried to get back to their roots, the laity in those parishes was not supportive at all. They complained and even asked to have them removed, just like that group in Madison, WI that wants the Society of Christ the Priest removed. There is no respect for the charism of a community.
I recall that when the friars said that they would have to change the parish schedule to allow for friars to attend community prayers, community recreation, community retreat, chapters, periods of study and silence, and that the friars would not longer be available to people outside of office hours, because the rest of the day was for community life and chores, people were angry.
When they said that the friars had to go back to equality between ordained and on ordained, which meant that some parishes has non ordained brothers calling the shots, some people had the nerve to ask if these brothers were competent in theology and ministry.
These and other little things that have happened between the laity and religious have made religious superiors hesitant to give in, if a group is too loud. It reminds them of those days during the 1980s to 90s when they had people in their faces. No one wants to have someone in your face.
Then there was the liberal faction with their screaming and hollering, because the religious men were “going backward instead of forward.” That was another headache. Those people could get very ugly too.
Sometimes, these superiors feel that it’s better to keep some sense of control in order to function. You always end up caught between factions, even when you’re just trying to walk the middle of the road. People put up their arms and say, "I don’t want to deal with that unless I absolutely have to do so.
Fraternally,
Br.JR, FFV
