Holy Father, Mass, Vatican II

[catharina]

Pope faced away from worshippers, but will stick to Vatican II

January 25, 2008

VATICAN CITY – A Vatican official says Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t want to roll back the modernizing liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The pope last year removed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass, a rite that was all but swept away by the Second Vatican Council. But Monsignor Guido Marini told Vatican radio that Benedict only wants to maintain continuity with Roman Catholic tradition.

‘‘This may also require, in some cases, the recovery of precious and important elements that along the way have been lost or forgotten,’’ Marini said in a Jan. 19 interview.

On Jan. 13, the pontiff celebrated mass in the Sistine Chapel using the original main altar, facing away from worshippers during parts of the prayer. Under the modernizing reforms, clergy generally celebrate mass facing the congregation.

Marini said special conditions of the church allowed the stance, which he said was in line with Vatican II, according to Catholic News Service.

‘‘There may be particular circumstances under which, because of the artistic conditions of the holy place or its singular beauty and harmony, it becomes desirable to celebrate at the ancient altar, where among other things the exact orientation of the liturgical celebration is preserved,’’ he said.

(Above copied from Chicago Sun Times, this morning)

 

[stmaria]

Who knows what Pope Benedict is really planning? There is no way, because of politics, that he would say that he wants the OF to be more like the TLM.
I find it interesting that he said the Mass in this manner in the Sistine Chapel. It was there, the Sistine Chapel, in 1967 that Father Annibale Bugnini celebrated the New Mass for the first time.

It is also interesting that last October he removed Archbishop Piero Marini from his position as Masters of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations. Marini was Father Annibale Bugnini’s secretary.
Archsbishop Marini has stated that he is not in favor of the Traditional Mass and recently release a book on the Reform of the Mass. There is no way the Pope could have celebrated the Mass with his back to the people if Marini were still in charge.

Pope Benedict replaced Piero Marini with Msgr. Guido Marini
no relation] who is a young man, born in 1965, and more traditional.

 

[JMMK]

Consider the source, most newspapers don’t know the first thing about Catholicism.

 

[havemercy]

The Holy Father treads these tides with trepidation. There is dissidence in the Church, and one only has to appreciate the Holy Father’s first words as Pope from the balcony at St. Peter’s to understand what kind of situation he’s in.

He needs our prayers.