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‘Old Mass’ parishes are wave of future
A recent Enquirer story (“Old-style Mass revives Ind. Catholic church,” Aug. 20) on the re-opening of Indiana’s St. Cecilia’s Church, a parish devoted to preserving the Tridentine Rite of the “Old Mass,” suggests it’s only a matter of time before a similar community begins in Cincinnati.
Under the leadership of the Fraternity of St. Peter, the fastest-growing priestly order in the church, and one devoted to propagating the old rite, new parishes celebrating Mass in the ancient Latin language are spreading rapidly across the country.
Unfortunately, every time words like “Tridentine,” “Old Mass” and, especially, “Latin” are thrown around, the Catholic equivalent of an intramural dodge ball tournament ensues. One side defends its version of Vatican II, usually by invoking the council’s ephemeral “spirit,” while the other blames that spirit for creating all-too-frequent abuses of the Catholic liturgy.
So before red rubber balls go hurtling through the air, let’s heed the facts. First, while the so-called “New Mass” of Pope Paul VI introduced after Vatican II is the universal norm, the late Pope John Paul II issued a generous indult, or exception, in 1988 that encouraged the widespread celebration of the Tridentine Rite.
That rite, though codified in the 16th century, developed organically from the earliest days of the church. Gregorian Chant, for instance, a mainstay of the Tridentine Rite, was already well-established by the sixth century when Pope Gregory lent it his name.
Contrary to popular belief, Vatican II did not abolish Latin. Not only is it still the universal language of the church, but one of the key documents of Vatican II decreed that Gregorian Chant, sung in Latin, was to be given “pride of place” in the Mass. What’s more, Pope Paul VI, the drafter of the “New Mass,” stated that the faithful “should be able to sing together, in Latin, at least the parts of the Ordinary of the Mass, especially the Creed and the Our Father.”
more…
A recent Enquirer story (“Old-style Mass revives Ind. Catholic church,” Aug. 20) on the re-opening of Indiana’s St. Cecilia’s Church, a parish devoted to preserving the Tridentine Rite of the “Old Mass,” suggests it’s only a matter of time before a similar community begins in Cincinnati.
Under the leadership of the Fraternity of St. Peter, the fastest-growing priestly order in the church, and one devoted to propagating the old rite, new parishes celebrating Mass in the ancient Latin language are spreading rapidly across the country.
Unfortunately, every time words like “Tridentine,” “Old Mass” and, especially, “Latin” are thrown around, the Catholic equivalent of an intramural dodge ball tournament ensues. One side defends its version of Vatican II, usually by invoking the council’s ephemeral “spirit,” while the other blames that spirit for creating all-too-frequent abuses of the Catholic liturgy.
So before red rubber balls go hurtling through the air, let’s heed the facts. First, while the so-called “New Mass” of Pope Paul VI introduced after Vatican II is the universal norm, the late Pope John Paul II issued a generous indult, or exception, in 1988 that encouraged the widespread celebration of the Tridentine Rite.
That rite, though codified in the 16th century, developed organically from the earliest days of the church. Gregorian Chant, for instance, a mainstay of the Tridentine Rite, was already well-established by the sixth century when Pope Gregory lent it his name.
Contrary to popular belief, Vatican II did not abolish Latin. Not only is it still the universal language of the church, but one of the key documents of Vatican II decreed that Gregorian Chant, sung in Latin, was to be given “pride of place” in the Mass. What’s more, Pope Paul VI, the drafter of the “New Mass,” stated that the faithful “should be able to sing together, in Latin, at least the parts of the Ordinary of the Mass, especially the Creed and the Our Father.”
more…
