Latin Mass comeback

[Irishmom2]

. If the Baby Boomer population were to pass suddenly,

Wow. That’s not going to happen, thank God.

 

[CathoRick]

Something tells me that the training in the EF will be brief. Very brief.

Yes, but it’s better to prepare than to send all these untrained priests scrambling for training in the EF, as if the unpopularity of the OF among new generations was “unforeseen” by Church leadership.

Wow. That’s not going to happen, thank God.

No, but that generation is getting awfully old at this point, sorry to say. We can’t expect that large chunk of the Catholic population to be replaced in 30 years from now, given the lack of converts and growing number of lapsed Catholics…

 

[Irishmom2]

Really? People that are at the young end of that are in their early 60s. Hardly “awfully old,” unless you are in your 20s.

 

[commenter]

The future growth of the TLM depends on other things besides liturgy.

We have a Diocesan Latin Mass community which functions to some extent like a parish. I have visited there in occasion. I appreciate it. But I hesitate to become more involved because some people appear attached to the OnePeterFive, Church Militant, Distrust the bishops wavelength. There’s some criticizing of the OF, which I also like to worship at.

I have noticed other orthodox Catholics move away from the Latin Mass Community, wonder if that’s the reason. Then again I still like to visit and attend their retreats.

 

[Emeraldlady]

Could the church ever bring back full Latin mass, I think it was something amazing about it, how if I was to go to mass in America, Italy or Japan I’d be able to understand it. It was universal.

Latin Mass was never introduced into Asia by the missionaries. When they arrived in China in the early 17th century, it was adapted to the vernacular.

 

[stpurl]

Don’t sell the Boomers short. Many of them—I’m one—have always remained attached to the EF, while perfectly accepting the validity of the OF. And while I’m pleased to see a number of millennials exploring the EF, there is a sizable number of them who are absolutely adamant in their preference of the OF. In fact, you will probably hear more from the 40 something crowd —NOT Boomers—of how they grew up with the OF, they don’t know the EF, don’t want the EF, “I want to be able to understand the Mass” (like we who attended the EF never did), etc. etc.

Furthermore, sad as I am to say it, there are a lot of people in the 55 and over (Boomer) crowd who stopped going to Mass long ago, and so there are plenty of parishes where that group isn’t even near a majority demographic and would NOT be noticed if they disappeared—and again, as I said, there are plenty of us who would happily support the EF so please don’t wish us away.

 

[hanspi02]

Latin mass can be practiced. Mass can be practiced in your native language and Latin language.
We even have few churches that have masses only in Latin. They have booklets that tell you when to sit, stand up, kneel down and stuff like that but after a while a person gets used to it and starts to understand it.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

Comments like this (and threads like this) are very saddening to me. I’m not a boomer - not even close - but to propose they’re the only ones who prefer the OF and in a few years that form will be a thing of the past leaves people like me with no spiritual home in the future. The two forms should coexist; it’s no more right to supplant the OF with the EF than the reverse ever was.

 

[Irishmom2]

@Cor_ad_Cor, thank you.

 

[Emeraldlady]

Comments like this (and threads like this) are very saddening to me. I’m not a boomer - not even close - but to propose they’re the only ones who prefer the OF and in a few years that form will be a thing of the past leaves people like me with no spiritual home in the future. The two forms should coexist; it’s no more right to supplant the OF with the EF than the reverse ever was.

I wouldn’t worry too much though. I don’t believe there’ll ever be a mass desire for the medieval form of the Mass. There are even very prominent traditionalist Priests noticing worrying trends coming from the culture around it. Perhaps when the extremists quiet down a genuine reform of the reform could happen in a spirit of genuine holy communion.

 

[stpurl]

Absolutely not —anymore than one would think that a preference of either one - EF or OF—implies a disparagement of the other rite.

Suppose I am offered chocolate or vanilla cake; if I choose chocolate does that mean I think vanilla is an ‘inferior’ flavor or is it that of two delicious flavors I personally prefer chocolate while also loving vanilla? Or vice versa?

Unfortunately too many people seem to think that those who prefer the EF are, simply by their preference only, disparaging the OF or calling it inferior in and of itself.

And that isn’t true.

 

[stpurl]

The extremists on BOTH sides, both of whom are equally at fault.

 

[Emeraldlady]

The extremists on BOTH sides, both of whom are equally at fault.

Yes I’ve always included the extremists on both ends in that. In fact I’ve noticed a unique phenomenon that extremists who are supposedly polar opposites, have more in common with each other than they do with their moderate fellows.

 

[otjm]

Or how about a resumption of Vatican I?

Vatican 1 had two main objectives; the first being the authority of the Pope; the second being, in light of the authority of the Pope, waht was (is) the au;thority and role of the bishops.

The second issue was essentially resolved in Vatican 2, so Vatican 1 has no need of being “reopened” or “resolved”.

 

[stpurl]

I think you’re quite right there. The whole “my way or the highway’ attitude is extreme.

 

[TK421]

stpurl:

The extremists on BOTH sides, both of whom are equally at fault.

Yes I’ve always included the extremists on both ends in that. In fact I’ve noticed a unique phenomenon that extremists who are supposedly polar opposites, have more in common with each other than they do with their moderate fellows.

It’s known as a horseshoe. At the far ends, extreme people at opposite ends come back together.

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[Tis_Bearself]

The Church already has “full Latin Mass” in many places in the United States and elsewhere.

 

[catholic03]

I think they want the Ordinary Form to be entirely replaced with the Extraordinary Form.

 

[Emeraldlady]

Emeraldlady:

stpurl:

The extremists on BOTH sides, both of whom are equally at fault.

Yes I’ve always included the extremists on both ends in that. In fact I’ve noticed a unique phenomenon that extremists who are supposedly polar opposites, have more in common with each other than they do with their moderate fellows.

It’s known as a horseshoe. At the far ends, extreme people at opposite ends come together to some extent.

How about that! I looked up horseshoe theory and I never knew it already existed!

I came to realise it in the way my catechises (my children) evolved from teaching them the nature of Church teaching and the authority of the Pope as the foundation of obedience. That had been addressing things rejected by liberal extremists ie chastity, contraception etc. Now they are young adults and I’m impressing the same foundation but to guard against the extremism of traditionalists.

Both have the very same chant to justify disobedience. ‘Popes aren’t “infallible”!’

 

[Tis_Bearself]

If the Baby Boomer population were to pass suddenly, the number of parishioners attending weekly Sunday Mass at my OF parish would drop by 70%, whereas with the EF Parish not too far from where I live, it would drop by maybe 15% - young, traditional Catholics dominate that parish.

That isn’t a very charitable remark. Also, you grossly overestimate the number of people well under boomer age who prefer Mass in the vernacular and intend to continue going to Mass. I attend several big parishes where there are a huge number of Mass attendees younger than boomer, and they clearly like the OF and are not showing signs of dropping out of Mass-going any time soon.

I myself like to attend the TLM from time to time, I have nothing against it, but it’s naive to think that just because I like it - being that I’m a bit of a Catholic geek and I studied Latin for several years - everyone else, especially all young people, are going to like it. I have seen several dozen 20-somethings in the last few years at the local Newman Center who are not rushing to attend a Latin Mass. They might go once in a while but they’re also fine with the OF Mass at the Newman Center - which is generally a guitar Mass with zero boomers involved, even the priest who is only there part time is an 80s kid based on his homilies - or to the OF Mass at the parishes a short distance away.

When I do go to the local TLM there are just as many Boomer-age and older people there as at any other Mass, and there isn’t a huge proportion of younger people at those Masses. Most of the attendees are over 30 and anybody younger than that tends to be their kids.