This morning, on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, the Vatican published a long awaited Instruction on the application of “Summorum Pontificum”, Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 motu proprio which aimed to facilitate celebration of the Mass in the extraordinary form (the Roman Liturgy that was in effect in 1962).
Approved by Benedict XVI and signed by Cardinal William Levada and Msgr. Guido Pozzo, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, on April 30th, the memorial of Pope St. Pius V, the Instruction strongly affirms the motu proprio and aims to clarify and resolve notable difficulties that have arisen in its implementation over the years since it was published.
In an explanatory note, also released today, the Vatican says the Instruction “reaffirms the purpose of the motu proprio” and goes through nine topics covered under the heading of “Specific Norms”. These include the reaffirmation of the competence of the diocesan bishops in implementing the motu proprio, and the issue of coetus fidelium (the group of faithful who may request Mass in the extraordinary form).
The explanatory note highlights that the Instruction proposes “a spirit of “generous welcome” towards groups of faithful who request the forma extraordinaria.” It also stresses that those who request the extraordinary form “must not in any way support or belong to groups which show themselves to be against the validity or legitimacy” of the forma ordinaria, or are “against the authority of the Pope”.
“This would be in flagrant contradiction to the the motu proprio’s very aim of “reconciliation”,” the note says.
There was no Vatican press conference to coincide with the document’s release, but the texts of the Instruction and accompanying note are clear and self-explanatory.
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Thank you Mama!
In the end my Immaculate Heart WILL triumph!!
ALLELUIA
Tried to read the Instruction, but there is a code needed to read it.. Why? Seems a little too Guard Dog to me!!! Unhappy!
Rod, the links should work now. Thanks for pointing that out.
A historical background of Our Lady: Office of the Virgin: appointed to be read daily by the clergy , in the Council of Cletmont in 1095 ( this was the council that determined on the first crusade) The virgin Mary ,wad first honored in the fifth century .Prayers addressed to her in 593 .Office of the virgin enjoined by the council of Clermont ,in 1095 ,to be recited daily by the clergy.
happy feast day, Our Lady of Fatima . through her intercession , may God continue to give peace and unity in the world, likewise, that people may continue to propagate the value of life…
This seems to me to be the Holy Spirit at work reconciling the reformers of Vatican II, who forgot that many of the People of God actually liked and wanted the Tridentine Rite, with the rest of the Church. Unfortunately, as usually happens when one point of view gains the ascendancy, it is assumed everyone wants what the prevailing group wants.
It is important to remember that up until 2007, the Traditional Mass was de facto, if not de jure, abrogated-forbidden. This document today has two key points: the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form are side by side, i.e, the Ordinary does not have precedence over the Extraordinary. The second point is that the 1962 Mass stands as it was in 1962 and no authority can “derogate” changes or additions to that Mass. Examples would be adding female servers, Communion in the hand,replacing the altar with a table, lectors, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, lay deacons, etc. With seminarians receiving instruction in seminary of the E. Mass it will be interesting to attend Mass twenty-five years from now.
What I don’t grasp is the Lectionary and some of the enshrined usages that were changeable in 1962, will now be cast in stone for eons in the FE. In my Parish we have tried to keep up having this Mass every month until our Bishop shut it down for no known reason. Having the chance to compare the beauties of the two Masses.. I really like the lectionary curriculum of the Novus Ordo.. Why can’t that be incorporated into the FE? I fear that if there can never be any change to the content of the FE.. (which there certainly was before 1962.. in fact the 1962 Rite was a reform of the older rite, because Pius XII wanted the liturgy updated! After the rich fare of the New Lectionary, I would find it mind numbing indeed to return to the less Scripture filled schema of the older rite.Even the Eastern church beefed up their lectionary after the council so that there was a better fare for the faithful going to Mass daily. I feel that something else s coming that will bring these two mindsets together and we will have a rip-roaring liturgy for which every Western rite Catholic can be proud! IMHO
Rod makes some good points. What must be remembered is the adage: Lex orandi, lex credendi. One of the factors which made this return very urgent was a recent poll which showed that 73% of American Catholics do not believe in Transubstantiation, i.e., the substance of the hosts and the wine at the moment of Consecration literally become the Body and Blood of Christ. In order to achieve the ecumenical goal of rapprochement with our Protestant brethren by introducing the Novus Ordo and its rubrics, Catholics came to understand the Mass in a Protestant way i.e., transignification (the host and wine now are the center of the ceremony but they are still bread and wine), in lieu of Transubstantiation, i.e, the unbloody sacrifice on the Cross of Holy Thursday/Good Friday which Christ suffered to redeem us (This is My Body, This is My Blood).
Sad. What would JESUS celebrate? This is not a contest between rites. The voice of the Universal Church gathered in Council spoke in December 1963 (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) and in several follow-up documents throughout the ensuing years. It baffles me that ANY of the most devout heralds of Catholicism would not have embraced the changes with all their heart and soul. Humility, not reconciliation, is what we need.
You and I both know that those who hold to trans-signification probably would not darken the door of the old rite ( oops). FE! 73% of Catholics in Canada and America have never really been taught about the mystery of the Real Presence through transsubstanciation. They have been told about it. There is a difference. As to which Mass would Jesus celebrate… He celebrates both equally and impartially there is one sacrifice and one celebration of it. It is up to our bishops and clergy to open the doors of our churches and allow the faithful to spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist. One thing I have experienced in our community is a real hostility to and word of Latin in our liturgy. Also a real disdain for the form of the NO. Both Rites are beautiful and when properly celebrated with prayer and piety. We have riches beyond compare let’s not starve like Lords in a castle. ( As they say in French)
Dear Jeanne, there was nothing humble about the nvo masses I had to attend. Start waking up with the programme.Real humility will be tested by women to see if they can succumb to not being at the altar!
I have some questions: 1.) Why was the Latin Rite (FE) forbidden for the past 45 years? 2.)Both the Latin Rite (FE), and Novus Ordo (FO) are COMPLETELY different, only one can be “universal”, not both, right? I’ve seen both and the Novus Ordo (FO) looks more like a Lutheran service, why? 3.)Why is the Roman Church moving toward ecumenism and how is it possible with all the branches believing different doctrines of faith? 4.)Does this article of the Catholic Faith still stand, “Outside the Catholic Church there is NO salvation”?
Confused???
Pope Benedict uses the term hermeneutic of rupture when he describes what happened in the wake of Vat. II. I would be more blunt and say that liberal forces in the Church began a new religion. That is why the Latin Mass was forbidden and why the latest translation of ICEL to be introduced in November, 2011 (which is an almost literal translation of the 1962 Missal) is going to be strongly opposed. The real problem is not liturgy, it is contraception and homosexuality. The NO is designed o resemble a Lutheran service to make Protestants more at ease should they consider converting to Roman Catholicism. The ecumenism effort was completely misunderstood, even by Catholic leaders, to the point that syncretism resulted. Protestants, in order to show their disdain for this outreach, ORDAINED WOMEN which had never been done in 5,670 years of Judaeo-Catholicism. Extra Ecclesiam, nulla salus was declared by two Councils and I believe is still correct. We will all know at the Last Judgement, which is really what Catholicism is all about!!!
Someone told me that Vatican II was a pastoral council and did not change any doctrines, is this true? What does that mean for the Novus Ordo (FO)?
I was at a presentation (in the Raleigh NC Diocese) and the speaker said that the term of an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist was, by Church law, 3 years with an optional renewal for 3 years. He stated that after 6 years there was a mandatory 12 month period of rest and reflection where I was not able to act as an extraordinary minister.
Can you tell me if this is Church law? I have done an internet search and not found the term or the resting period specified by the Church. I have found several different terms and renewal policies for a number of different Dioceses.
Thanks
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