Cardinal Sarah's Address on 10th Anniversary of "Summorum Pontificum"

[johnnyc176]

catholicworldreport.com/I…ontificum.aspx

But most of the time, this “reform” that replaced the genuine “restoration” intended by the Second Vatican Council was carried out in a superficial spirit and on the basis of only one criterion: to suppress at all costs a heritage that must be perceived as totally negative and outmoded so as to excavate a gulf between the time before and the time after the Council.

Hence it is necessary to recognize that the serious, profound crisis that has affected the liturgy and the Church itself since the Council is due to the fact that its CENTER is no longer God and the adoration of Him, but rather men and their alleged ability to “do” something to keep themselves busy during the Eucharistic celebrations. Even today, a significant number of Church leaders underestimate the serious crisis that the Church is going through: relativism in doctrinal, moral and disciplinary teaching, grave abuses, the desacralization and trivialization of the Sacred Liturgy, a merely social and horizontal view of the Church’s mission.

This is an unavoidable reality, a true sign of our times. When young people are absent from the holy Liturgy, we must ask ourselves: Why? We must make sure that the celebrations according to the usus recentior (the newer form of the Mass) facilitate this encounter too, that they lead people on the path of the via pulchritudinis (the way of beauty) that leads through her sacred rites to the living Christ and to the work within His Church today. Indeed, the Eucharist is not a sort of “dinner among friends”, a convivial meal of the community, but rather a sacred Mystery, the great Mystery of our faith, the celebration of the Redemption accomplished by Our Lord Jesus Christ, the commemoration of the death of Jesus on the cross to free us from our sins.

 

[otjm]

The Cardinal sees it one way.

Belonging to a parish which has the OF, and perpetual Adoration, and has provided 3 priests, two deacons, two women religious, and one current seminarian in the 25 years we have had Perpetual Adoration, I see it a bit differently.

I think the Cardinal simplifies to an extreme why we have lost so many Catholics from regular church attendance; but that started in the 1950’s and has been a gradual erosion ever since; the massive drop off post-Vatican 2 is simply an urban myth.

And his take on liturgical renewal, which started several Popes before John 23rd, is simply mythological. The implementation of the changes had some truly ugly spots, but that, too, was several decades ago. Significant changes in attitudes and praxis started well over three decades ago.

 

[drforjc]

I loved the article and completely agree with Cdnl Sarah.