Will there be any changes in the foreseeable future?

[mcliffor]

When I was in highschool, eventhough I tried to go to Mass every Sunday, I had many doubts as to the nature of the Catholic Church. I was hardly convinced that it was the True Church, because I was surrounded by priests and liturgists who believed the post-conciliar Church was like a pheonix rising out of the ashes, and that we had finally been liberated from the crippling past. I didn’t understand how it was that a Church could one day decide that what it had, up until that point, considered most sacred (ie. the traditional liturgy, relics, purgatory) was now a stumbling block.
Eventhough I now know that the “official” situation is quite different from what the Catholics in my youth would have me believe, I can’t help but think that so many beautiful things have been lost forever. This is a personal problem for me, because eventhough I’ve read many books on liturgy and the Holy Mass, I still feel as if the vigor of my faith is dependant on the traditional Rite, and many other external signs in traditionaI Catholic culture which are often totally unavailable.
Frankly, I’m tired of having to drive two hours every Holy Day to hear a Latin Mass, but when I attend regular Novus Ordo Masses, even in Latin, I’m struck by the spirit of irreverence in the congregation and even the priest, which I feel may in some way be related to the Rite itself, and I actually feel like my faith is being drained of its vigor for the same reasons I mentioned above. I’m only posting my personal experience because I think it might be part of a larger problem and some of you might have reassuring words!Is there any chance that there will be a movement in response to the problem of irreverence? Will the Roman Rite ever be re-established in it’s organically developed form?

 

[Kielbasi]

Will the traditional Latin mass make a comeback, in the foreseeable future?

In a word,** NO.**

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It might at some point, of course. But the lack of Latin knowledge, the lack of priests who know all of the rules and rubrics to actually say the Latin mass, the lack of servers, and the few number of seminarians that are being taught make it impossible for a quick comeback.

Even if Pope Benedict XVI were to decide to make it a priority, it would take 20 years to get everyone back up to 1964 as far as Latin and traditional mass competency.

And he isn’t making the effort, so it will be a lot longer down the pike, if it happens at all.

 

[mcliffor]

That’s a shame, because I feel like the longer the Church waits, the more people will forget, and the less desire they will have to return to traditions.

 

[Kielbasi]

Most of the people have already forgotten, most of the folks that remember it have already passed into death.

Its been over 40 years since February 1965 when the Latin mass passed from the scene in most places.

 

[Dr.Bombay]

It’s impossible to predict what disciplinary changes the Church will make in regards to the Mass.

50 years ago, if you had told the average Catholic that within another few decades Latin would entirely disappear from the Catholic Mass, you probably would’ve been laughed at.

I’ll trust our brilliant Holy Father to do what’s best for the Church, whether I agree with it or not.

 

[Kielbasi]

Switching from Latin to the vernacular could be done a lot quicker than the return trip.

40 years ago, every priest who knew Latin already knew the new language of the mass.

I don’t know what the future will bring, but the practical problems of a return to Latin are very formidable.

 

[Dr.Bombay]

Kielbasi:

Switching from Latin to the vernacular could be done a lot quicker than the return trip.

40 years ago, every priest who knew Latin already knew the new language of the mass.

I don’t know what the future will bring, but the practical problems of a return to Latin are very formidable.

I never said there would be a return to Latin. What I’m saying is, nobody knows. Unless some of us are receiving private locutions about the future. :whacky: And if y’all are, give it up. We all want to know!

 

[mcliffor]

Its been over 40 years since February 1965 when the Latin mass passed from the scene in most places.

It’s interesting that the first changes to be made to the Mass after the council, ad populum and the elimination of Latin, were changes which Sacrosanctum Concilium didn’t mandate or even suggest. Makes me think that there had to be other influences. There must have been something else at work that didn’t come from the council.