The Return of the Tridentine Mass
Pope Bededict's Summorum Pontificum
On July 7, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI released the highly anticipated Apostolic Letter dealing with the Latin Mass. What did he say, and what does it mean?
There has been much confusion and some fuss concerning the latest Apostolic Letter, Summorum Pontificum. There is already enough division to be found within the Catholic Church, and some people are afraid this will just add more.
Summary
The Catholic Mass was celebrated in the language of Latin for many, many years. A universal language made several things possible: a church whose presence was world-wide was united under one liturgical language; the faithful, no matter how literate or not, could learn the proper responses, which did not change from church to church.
Vatican Council II (1962-1965) led to many changes. One such change was the embracing of the vernacular Mass, or Mass in the local language, instead of the Latin Mass. In the "new" Mass, the priest would face the people instead of acting with his back to them. This Mass was most recently updated by John Paul II in 2001.
Why this document?
The main purpose of Summorum Pontificum is to help ease the strain between the Roman Catholic Church and the groups which broke off from the Church following Vatican II, notably the Society of St. Pius X (also known as SSPX, or the Lefebvrites, after its founder, Bishop Marcel Lefebvre). The SSPX has many disagreements with the Church, including the Church's favorment of the present-day vernacular Mass over the traditional Tridentine Latin Mass. The SSPX felt that Vatican Council II too hurriedly threw out things necessary to Catholicism. Abandoning tradition for ecumenism and modernity meant, to the Lefebvrites, that the Catholic Church was no longer following the correct path.
What has followed between the Lefebvrites and the official Catholic Church has been as close to a Catholic soap opera as possible. Agreements would be reached, quickly followed by harsh words or defiance of agreements. Excommunication, accusations of Masonic influence on the hierarchy, acting against Papal order, and other setbacks litter the historical landscape of this problem. Back and forth the situation has gone, separating two groups which should be joined together.
Thus, Pope Benedict XVI, who met with the SSPX as Cardinal Ratzinger, has continued to try to make a way for reconciliation between the two with Summorum Pontificum.
What does it do?
The document is actually very simple.
- The Tridentine Latin Mass of Pope Saint Pius V (revised by John XXIII and known as the Missale Romanum of 1962), may be used as a legitimate form of the Mass. (It actually was never abolished to begin with.)
- Priests may celebrate the Latin Mass in private.
- Groups of people in parishes who desire the Latin Mass have the right to request it from the parish.
- Only priests who are trained in this Mass can celebrate it. Priests not familiar with or trained in the Tridentine Mass will not be forced to say it.
- Priests who cannot help a group desiring the Latin mass can ask the bishop for help.
- The "new" or vernacular Mass in still the normal form of the Mass, to be used regularly.
- No priest may abandon the vernacular. In other words, the Latin Mass may be said by any priest, but he must not only say the Latin Mass. He must still say the "newer" Mass as well.
- Any phrases that could be seen as anti-Jewish were removed or rephrased in the Latin Mass.
Pope Benedict XVI has declared that the Latin Mass and the vernacular Mass are not two separate Masses. Rather, they are "one rite with two expressions". Thus, the faithful should not worry over the long-term effects of this Apostolic Letter. Neither side is "more Catholic" than the other. Desiring the Latin Mass does not make one more holy, or more authentic in faith, nor does it make one stuck in the past, or against the Church's modern mission. The Mass is still the Mass no matter what the language.
Will this document solve the problems between Mother Church and the SSPX? No, the problems run much deeper than a question of Latin vs. vernacular Mass. However, any reconciliation has to have a start, and if this will help to open hearts and minds to peace, forgiveness, and togetherness, then it is a noble first step.
Website Sources for this article:
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - contains both the document Summorum Pontificum and the USCCB response, "Twenty Questions on the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum"
- Catholic.net article "Cardinal Says Door is Open for Lefebvrites"
- Catholic.org article "Traditionalists: Differences still remain after Tridentine document"
