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superamazingman
Guest
Hmm… If latin doesn’t matter, why would Vatican II mandate that it be the primary language of worship? Somehow, I think you’re looking at this wrong, because it does matter. Same with gregorian chant, sacred polyphony, and the organ: They are the primary music of the Mass. That’s what vatican II says. And other documents clearly state that the closer a piece of music is in sound and style to chant and polyphony, the more suitable it is for the Mass. The further it is, the less suitable.I told myself I wan’t going to get involved in another one of these but here goes:
In thread after thread, this idea and a related one are the stepping off point for arguments. Here we have the implication that the liturgical practices of the Catholic Church are responsible for apostasy, disbelief, and falling away to other religions. And the related absurdity that if the Church would just go back to the 1950’s style of Mass, we wouldn’t have all the breadth of evils that present themselves “in the modern age” As if these evils have not existed in the human heart since the beginning of time!
This idea completely misrepresents the nature of the Church as guided by the Holy Spirit, and reduces it to a free-for-all debating society that is somehow beiing swayed by the whims of evil liberals, or evil conservatives. Have some Hope and Trust for God’s sake!
This idea also detracts from the responsibility that every human of every age bears to worship God -as that worship is practiced in the Church- and integrate that Mass into their daily lives, guided by the Church. This responsibility is not simply or solely founded on liturgical languages and practices and musical style, but on a living faith in Jesus Christ.
In a sense, the well intended desire for traditional things can actually become a denial of the real power at work, Jesus Christ through the Mass. Christ saves souls, not latin, not the organ. Drum kits at Mass do not change the reality of Mass.
I have an older sibling that grew up in our very Catholic family, with a very Catholic Latin Mass with cott and all the trimmings. Today she not only has fallen away, she cannot stand the Catholic Church. She hates it. by the logic above, we could blame traditional practice for all of that, as well as the world wars and all the rest. But that would be absurd. The reality is she was ring-slapped once too many times by angry nuns. She was never able to integrate the faith into her life.
In the end, this is all her choice, let’s not put the blame for her “exodus” on the Latin Mass or the pipe organ, that would be absurd.
The eucharist is still present, it’s still a valid Mass. But that doesn’t mean we can do whatever else we want as long as it’s valid. A priest could walk into a bread factory, scream “this is my body”, eat a little, and walk out, and it would be a valid Mass. But somehow I don’t think that would be good. Doing so would not “change the reality of the Mass” (to use your words), but would still be gravely wrong.