According to the new ruling from the Pope:
“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.”
Interestingly enough, the document also address what to do in a situation if the pastor does not grant the requests of his parishioners:
“Art. 7. If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 õ 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".
The Commission stated above has the authority of the Holy See to ensure that the regulations of this new document are enforced.
Interesting scenarios evolve regarding Latin Mass. One pastor immediately implemented his ‘freedom’ and celebrated a private Latin Mass early one morning. He had around twenty in attendance. Excited by the groundbreaking event, we collared our own pastor about the possibility. We even had the possible beginnings of a choir, eager altar boys, and a sacristan willing, eager, and able to help with the training. Much to our surprise, we were nicely told that we have to obtain the permission of the bishop. We can’t just decide to have a Latin Mass even if it doesn’t supercede an existing one. Whether we try to have a scheduled one or just have one to test the waters, permission has to come from the bishop. We wondered, to ourselves, about whether the pastor knew about the new ruling or was hoping we did not.
One women voiced fear and deep concern about the renewal of the Latin Mass which never should have needed renewal, in the first place. According to her, a few Latin hymns were okay but to strike down the current spontaneity of the Novus Ordo was unthinkable.
We passed by an elderly couple, one Sunday, who exclaimed to us, “You had better go home and teach your children Latin. It’s coming back so you better watch out!” It made me wonder where they had gone to Mass in their youth. There wasn’t a Novus Ordo back then!
My favorite is that no one will understand the Mass anymore if we go back to the Latin Mass. Thinking that, how on earth did all these pre-Vatican II Catholics manage to retain their Faith before the Novus Ordo came into being?
You have to wonder about the almost-rabid loathing evidenced by so many about the Pope’s new ruling for the Latin Mass. Have they actually read the document? It’s pretty clear that celebration of the Latin Mass will not supercede currently scheduled Novus Ordo Masses. You don’t have to attend the Latin Mass. It is a free-will celebration!
I remember when the illicit hand holding started during the Our Father. It begin with a few and soon the majority were going into contortions to insure they had someone’s hand to hold as if the Mass would not be valid if the chain was broken. Are they afraid the Latin Mass might cause the same, eventual tidal wave? Is it the race around the church during the Sign of Peace they are afraid of missing? Will the Latin Mass put an end to the various spiritual chaos that ensues during some liberal versions of the Novus Ordo? Read the Papal document. Look around you? How many would actually attend the Latin Mass? How can a few, traditional Catholics put such angst into so many?
I will admit, however, that people will be drawn to the Latin Mass. A look at ones already celebrated shows a great number of young people involved and loving it. There never seems to be a problem with finding altar boys for the Latin Mass . . . young ones! Suppose the Latin Mass catches on and becomes the ‘majority’. Would a hypothetical ‘minority’ Novus Ordo be as peaceful in their quest for comfortable worship? A liberal favorite is ‘live and let live’. Why are so many against so few who are only trying to do just that?
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