The
Return of the Tridentine Mass
7-7-07
MOTU PROPRIO "SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM"
of Pope Benedict XVI, concerning the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the
reform of 1970.
"Up to our own times, it has been the constant concern of supreme pontiffs
to ensure that the Church of Christ offers a worthy ritual to the Divine
Majesty, 'to the praise and glory of His name,' and 'to the benefit of all His
Holy Church.'
"Since time immemorial it has been necessary - as it is also for the
future - to maintain the principle according to which 'each particular Church
must concur with the universal Church, not only as regards the doctrine of the
faith and the sacramental signs, but also as regards the usages universally
accepted by uninterrupted apostolic tradition, which must be observed not only
to avoid errors but also to transmit the integrity of the faith, because the Church's
law of prayer corresponds to her law of faith.' (1)
"Among the pontiffs who showed that requisite concern, particularly
outstanding is the name of St. Gregory the Great, who made every effort
to ensure that the new peoples of Europe received both the Catholic faith and
the treasures of worship and culture that had been accumulated by the Romans in
preceding centuries. He commanded that the form of the sacred liturgy as
celebrated in
"Many other Roman pontiffs, in the course of the centuries, showed
particular solicitude in ensuring that the sacred liturgy accomplished this
task more effectively. Outstanding among them is St. Pius V who,
sustained by great pastoral zeal and following the exhortations of the Council
of Trent, renewed the entire liturgy of the Church, oversaw the publication of
liturgical books amended and 'renewed in accordance with the norms of the
Fathers,' and provided them for the use of the Latin Church.
"One of the liturgical books of the Roman rite is the Roman Missal, which
developed in the city of Rome and, with the passing of the centuries, little by
little took forms very similar to that it has had in recent times.
"'It was towards this same goal that succeeding Roman Pontiffs directed
their energies during the subsequent centuries in order to ensure that the
rites and liturgical books were brought up to date and when necessary
clarified. From the beginning of this century they undertook a more general
reform.' (2) Thus our predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St. Pius X (3),
Benedict XV, Pius XII and Blessed John XXIII all played a part.
"In more recent times, Vatican Council II expressed a desire that the
respectful reverence due to divine worship should be renewed and adapted to the
needs of our time. Moved by this desire our predecessor, the Supreme Pontiff
Paul VI, approved, in 1970, reformed and partly renewed liturgical books for
the Latin Church. These, translated into the various languages of the world,
were willingly accepted by bishops, priests and faithful. John Paul II amended
the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus Roman pontiffs have
operated to ensure that 'this kind of liturgical edifice ... should again
appear resplendent for its dignity and harmony.' (4)
"But in some regions, no small numbers of faithful adhered and continue to
adhere with great love and affection to the earlier liturgical forms. These had
so deeply marked their culture and their spirit that in 1984 the Supreme
Pontiff John Paul II, moved by a concern for the pastoral care of these
faithful, with the special indult 'Quattuor abhinc anno," issued by the
Congregation for Divine Worship, granted permission to use the Roman Missal
published by Blessed John XXIII in the year 1962. Later, in the year 1988, John
Paul II with the Apostolic Letter given as Motu
Proprio, 'Ecclesia Dei,' exhorted bishops to make
generous use of this power in favor of all the faithful who so desired.
"Following the insistent prayers of these faithful, long deliberated upon
by our predecessor John Paul II, and after having listened to the views of the
Cardinal Fathers of the Consistory of 22 March 2006, having reflected deeply
upon all aspects of the question, invoked the Holy Spirit and trusting in the
help of God, with these Apostolic Letters we establish the following:
"Art 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is the ordinary expression
of the 'Lex orandi' (Law of
prayer) of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite. Nonetheless, the Roman Missal
promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John
XXIII is to be considered as an extraordinary expression of that same 'Lex orandi,' and must be given
due honor for its venerable and ancient usage. These two expressions of the
Church's Lex orandi will in
no any way lead to a division in the Church's 'Lex credendi' (Law of belief). They are, in fact two usages of
the one Roman rite.
"It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass
following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an
extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church. The conditions for the use of
this Missal as laid down by earlier documents 'Quattuor
abhinc annis' and 'Ecclesia
Dei,' are substituted as follows:
"Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic priest of
the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the Roman Missal published
by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the Roman Missal
promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the
exception of the Easter Triduum. For such
celebrations, with either one Missal or the other, the priest has no need for
permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary.
"Art. 3. Communities of Institutes of consecrated life and of Societies of
apostolic life, of either pontifical or diocesan right, wishing to celebrate
Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962,
for conventual or "community" celebration
in their oratories, may do so. If an individual community or an entire
Institute or Society wishes to undertake such celebrations often, habitually or
permanently, the decision must be taken by the Superiors Major, in accordance
with the law and following their own specific decrees and statues.
"Art. 4. Celebrations of Mass as mentioned above in art. 2 may - observing
all the norms of law - also be attended by faithful who, of their own free
will, ask to be admitted.
"Art. 5. � 1 In
parishes, where there is a
stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the
pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according
to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare
of these faithful harmonizes with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish,
under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord
and favoring the unity of the whole Church.
� 2 Celebration in accordance with the Missal of Bl.
John XXIII may take place on working days; while on Sundays and feast days one
such celebration may also be held.
� 3 For faithful and priests who request it, the
pastor should also allow celebrations in this extraordinary form for special
circumstances such as marriages, funerals or occasional celebrations, e.g.
pilgrimages.
� 4 Priests who use the Missal of Bl. John
XXIII must be qualified to do so and not juridically impeded.
� 5 In
churches that are not parish or conventual churches,
it is the duty of the Rector of
the church to grant the above permission.
Art. 6. In Masses celebrated in the presence of the people in accordance with
the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, the readings may be
given in the vernacular, using editions recognized by the Apostolic See.
"Art. 7. If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 � 1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they
should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy
their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the
matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia
Dei".
"Art. 8. A bishop who, desirous of satisfying such requests, but who for
various reasons is unable to do so, may refer the problem to the Commission
"Ecclesia Dei" to obtain counsel and assistance.
"Art. 9. � 1 The pastor, having attentively examined all
aspects, may also grant permission to use the earlier ritual for the
administration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, Penance, and the
Anointing of the Sick, if the good of souls would seem to require it.
� 2 Ordinaries are given the right to celebrate the Sacrament of
Confirmation using the earlier Roman Pontifical, if the good of souls would
seem to require it.
� 2 Clerics ordained "in sacris constitutis" may use the Roman Breviary promulgated by
Bl. John XXIII in 1962.
"Art. 10. The ordinary of a particular place, if he feels it appropriate,
may erect a personal parish in accordance with can. 518 for celebrations
following the ancient form of the Roman rite, or appoint a chaplain, while
observing all the norms of law.
"Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", erected by
John Paul II in 1988 (5), continues to exercise its function. Said Commission
will have the form, duties and norms that the Roman Pontiff wishes to assign
it.
"Art. 12. This Commission, apart from the powers it enjoys, will
exercise the authority of the Holy See, supervising the observance and
application of these dispositions.
"We order that everything We have established with these Apostolic Letters
issued as Motu Proprio be
considered as "established and decreed", and to be observed from 14
September of this year, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, whatever there
may be to the contrary.
" From
(1) General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 3rd ed., 2002, no. 397.
(2) John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Vicesimus quintus annus," 4 December
1988, 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899.
(3) Ibid.
(4) St. Pius X, Apostolic Letter Motu propio data, "Abhinc duos annos," 23 October 1913: AAS 5 (1913), 449-450; cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Vicesimus
quintus annus," no. 3:
AAS 81 (1989), 899.
(5) Cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Motu proprio data "Ecclesia
Dei," 2 July 1988, 6: AAS 80 (1988), 1498.
BXVI-MP/.../SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM
LETTER FROM POPE TO BISHOPS ON "SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM"
VATICAN CITY, JUL 7, 2007 (VIS) - Given below is the text of the
English-language version of Benedict XVI's Letter to
all the bishops of the world concerning his Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum," which was published today:
"With great trust and hope, I am consigning to you as pastors the text of
a new Apostolic Letter 'Motu Proprio
data' on the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970. The document
is the fruit of much reflection, numerous consultations and prayer.
"News reports and judgments made without sufficient information have
created no little confusion. There have been very divergent reactions ranging
from joyful acceptance to harsh opposition, about a plan whose contents were in
reality unknown.
"This document was most directly opposed on account of two fears, which I
would like to address somewhat more closely in this letter.
"In the first place, there is the fear that the document detracts from the
authority of the Second Vatican Council, one of whose essential decisions - the
liturgical reform - is being called into question.
"This fear is unfounded. In this regard, it must first be said that the
Missal published by Paul VI and then republished in two subsequent editions by
John Paul II, obviously is and continues to be the normal form - the 'Forma ordinaria' - of the Eucharistic liturgy. The last version
of the 'Missale Romanum'
prior to the Council, which was published with the authority of Pope John XXIII
in 1962 and used during the Council, will now be able to be used as a 'Forma extraordinaria' of the liturgical celebration. It is not
appropriate to speak of these two versions of the Roman Missal as if they were
'two rites.' Rather, it is a matter of a twofold use of one and the same rite.
"As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a 'Forma extraordinaria'
of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that
this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle,
was always permitted. At the time of the introduction of the new Missal, it
did not seem necessary to issue specific norms for the possible use of the
earlier Missal. Probably it was thought that it would be a matter of a few
individual cases which would be resolved, case by case, on the local level.
Afterwards, however, it soon became apparent that a good number of people
remained strongly attached to this usage of the Roman Rite, which had been
familiar to them from childhood. This was especially the case in countries
where the liturgical movement had provided many people with a notable
liturgical formation and a deep, personal familiarity with the earlier Form of
the liturgical celebration. We all know that, in the movement led by Archbishop
Lefebvre, fidelity to the old Missal became an external mark of identity; the
reasons for the break which arose over this, however, were at a deeper level.
Many people who clearly accepted the binding character of the Second Vatican
Council, and were faithful to the Pope and the bishops, nonetheless also
desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them. This
occurred above all because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the
prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as
authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations
of the liturgy which were hard to bear. I am speaking from experience, since I
too lived through that period with all its hopes and its confusion. And I have
seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused deep pain to individuals
totally rooted in the faith of the Church.
"Pope John Paul II thus felt obliged to provide, in his Motu Proprio 'Ecclesia Dei' (July
2, 1988), guidelines for the use of the 1962 Missal; that document, however,
did not contain detailed prescriptions but appealed in a general way to the
generous response of bishops towards the 'legitimate aspirations' of those
members of the faithful who requested this usage of the Roman Rite. At the
time, the Pope primarily wanted to assist the Society of St. Pius X to recover
full unity with the Successor of Peter, and sought to heal a wound experienced
ever more painfully. Unfortunately this reconciliation has not yet come about.
Nonetheless, a number of communities have gratefully made use of the
possibilities provided by the Motu Proprio. On the other hand, difficulties remain concerning
the use of the 1962 Missal outside of these groups, because of the lack of
precise juridical norms, particularly because bishops, in such cases,
frequently feared that the authority of the Council would be called into
question. Immediately after the Second Vatican Council it was presumed that
requests for the use of the 1962 Missal would be limited to the older
generation which had grown up with it, but in the meantime it has clearly been
demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt
its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most
Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them. Thus the need has arisen for a
clearer juridical regulation which had not been foreseen at the time of the
1988 Motu Proprio. The
present norms are also meant to free bishops from constantly having to evaluate
anew how they are to respond to various situations.
"In the second place, the fear was expressed in discussions about the
awaited Motu Proprio, that the possibility of a wider use of the 1962 Missal
would lead to disarray or even divisions within parish communities. This fear
also strikes me as quite unfounded. The use of the old Missal presupposes a
certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin
language; neither of these is found very often. Already from these concrete
presuppositions, it is clearly seen that the new Missal will certainly remain
the ordinary form of the Roman Rite, not only on account of the juridical
norms, but also because of the actual situation of the communities of the
faithful.
"It is true that there have been exaggerations and at times social aspects
unduly linked to the attitude of the faithful attached to the ancient Latin
liturgical tradition. Your charity and pastoral prudence will be an incentive
and guide for improving these. For that matter, the two Forms of the usage of
the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching: new Saints and some of the new
Prefaces can and should be inserted in the old Missal. The 'Ecclesia Dei'
Commission, in contact with various bodies devoted to the 'usus
antiquior,' will study the practical possibilities in
this regard. The celebration of the Mass according to the Missal of Paul VI
will be able to demonstrate, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto,
the sacrality which attracts many people to the
former usage. The most sure guarantee that the
Missal of Paul VI can unite parish communities and be loved by them consists in
its being celebrated with great reverence in harmony with the liturgical
directives. This will bring out the spiritual richness and the theological
depth of this Missal.
"I now come to the positive reason which motivated my decision to issue
this Motu Proprio updating
that of 1988. It is a matter of coming to an interior reconciliation in the
heart of the Church. Looking back over the past, to the divisions which in the
course of the centuries have rent the Body of Christ, one continually has the
impression that, at critical moments when divisions were coming about, not
enough was done by the Church's leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation
and unity. One has the impression that omissions on the part of the Church have
had their share of blame for the fact that these divisions were able to harden.
This glance at the past imposes an obligation on us today: to make every effort
to unable for all those who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to
attain it anew. I think of a sentence in the Second Letter to the Corinthians,
where Paul writes: "Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians; our heart is
wide. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own
affections. In return ... widen your hearts also!" (2 Cor 6:11-13). Paul was certainly speaking in another
context, but his exhortation can and must touch us too, precisely on this
subject. Let us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that
the faith itself allows.
"There is no contradiction between the two editions of the Roman Missal.
In the history of the liturgy there is growth and progress, but no rupture.
What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too,
and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.
It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the
Church's faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place. Needless to
say, in order to experience full communion, the priests of the communities
adhering to the former usage cannot, as a matter of principle, exclude
celebrating according to the new books. The total exclusion of the new rite
would not in fact be consistent with the recognition of its value and holiness.
"In conclusion, dear brothers, I very much wish to stress that these new
norms do not in any way lessen your own authority and responsibility, either for
the liturgy or for the pastoral care of your faithful. Each bishop, in fact, is
the moderator of the liturgy in his own diocese.
"Nothing is taken away, then, from the authority of the bishop, whose role
remains that of being watchful that all is done in peace and serenity. Should
some problem arise which the parish priest cannot resolve, the local ordinary
will always be able to intervene, in full harmony, however, with all that has
been laid down by the new norms of the Motu Proprio.
"Furthermore, I invite you, dear brothers, to send to the Holy See an
account of your experiences, three years after this Motu
Proprio has taken effect. If truly serious
difficulties come to light, ways to remedy them can be sought.
"Dear brothers, with gratitude and trust, I entrust to your hearts as
pastors these pages and the norms of the Motu Proprio. Let us always be mindful of the words of the
Apostle Paul addressed to the presbyters of Ephesus: 'Take heed to yourselves
and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care
for the Church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son.'
"I entrust these norms to the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother of the
Church, and I cordially impart my apostolic blessing to you, dear Brothers, to
the parish priests of your dioceses, and to all the priests, your co-workers,
as well as to all your faithful."
BXVI-LETTER/MOTU PROPRIO/SUMMORUM
EXPLANATORY NOTE ON MOTU PROPRIO "SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM"
VATICAN CITY, JUL 7, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today issued an
explanatory note concerning the Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum". The most important paragraphs of the note
are given below:
v "The Motu Proprio 'Summorum Pontificum' lays down
new rules for the use of the Roman liturgy that preceded the reform of 1970.
The reasons for such provisions are clearly explained in the Holy Father's
letter to bishops which accompanies the Motu Proprio (the two documents have been sent to all the
presidents of episcopal conferences and to all
nuncios, who have arranged to distribute them to all bishops).
"The fundamental provision is as follows: the Roman liturgy will have two
forms ('usus'):
"a) The ordinary form is the one that follows the liturgical reform
undertaken by Pope Paul VI in the year 1970, as it appears in the liturgical
books promulgated at that time. There is an official edition in Latin which may
be used always and everywhere, and translations in divers
languages published by the various episcopal conferences.
"b) The extraordinary form: which is that
celebrated in accordance with the liturgical books published by Blessed Pope
John XXIII in 1962."
In paragraph 8 the note reads: "The bishop of a particular place may erect
a personal parish, wherever there is to be found a very substantial number of
faithful who wish to follow the earlier liturgy. It would be appropriate for
the numbers of faithful to be substantial, even if not comparable to those of
other parishes."
The explanatory note also highlights some of the characteristics of the 1962
Missal:
"It is a 'complete' or 'integral' Missal in the Latin language, that is,
it also contains the readings for the celebrations (it is not distinct from the
'Lectionary' as the later 1970 Missal is).
"It contains just one Eucharistic prayer, the 'Roman Canon' (corresponding
to the first Eucharist Prayer of the later Missal, which includes a choice of
various Eucharistic Prayers).
"Various prayers (including a large part of the Canon) are recited by the
priest in a low voice inaudible to the people.
"Other differences include the reading of the beginning of the Gospel of
John at the end of
"The 1962 Missal does not provide for con-celebration. It says nothing
concerning the direction of the altar or of the celebrant (whether facing the
people or not).
"The Pope's Letter envisages the possibility of future enrichment of the
1962 Missal (inclusion of new saints, new prefaces, etc.)."
OP/MOTU PROPRIO/SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM
Notes to Study:
Must see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEdyIvvUJB0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwdtprs%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F2007%2F07%2Fthe%2Dhermeneutic%2Dof%2Dcontinuity%2Dcelebrates%2Dwith%2Dvideo%2F
Get Ready for the Tridentine Mass