Sunday, August 12, 2007

We Have a Valid Cause!

In the 19th Sunday Ord. Time publication of NEWBEC (New Way of Being Church), Fr. Aloysius Mowe SJ writes, "A nostalgic longing for the marks of an imgined glorious past, for example, whether it be the Latin language, of the 'smells and bells' of the Baroque liturgy, is nothing but a manifestation of a lack of faith".

K.I.S.S. (Keeping it short and simple)

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Sunday, August 12, 2007  4 Comments

Friday, August 3, 2007

Caption Translation

The English translation for the new caption:

TELL the vision you have seen to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead. (Mt. 17:9)

This verse was taken from the 1962 Roman Missal Communion verse.

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Friday, August 03, 2007  0 Comments

Oakland priest Michael Wiener has been celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass since 1999

(By David Ian Miller)

Incense, bells, mysterious words intoned in an ancient language, congregation and priest moving gracefully in unison as they perform a 1,500-year-old ritual -- that was the old-style Catholic Mass.

But when the Vatican decided to open up the Mass to improvisation in 1965, guitars replaced Gregorian chants, local languages replaced Latin, the priest faced the congregation rather than the altar and the entire Mass was simplified; a priest no longer made the traditional complicated series of scripted gestures during the Mass, nor did he wear elaborate old-style vestments.

Some appreciated the more down-to-earth feel of the new Mass. Others mourned the loss of the mystical, magical ancient Mass. Priests whose congregations wanted to celebrate the old-style Mass -- also referred to as the Tridentine Mass -- had to receive permission from a bishop to do so, until Pope Benedict XVI removed that restriction earlier this month.

Father Michael Wiener is a priest of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in Oakland who has been celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass since he became a priest in 1999. I spoke with Father Wiener by phone about new- and old-style masses, the media coverage of Pope Benedict's restoration of the Latin Mass and the accompanying outrage over the reinstatement of a prayer asking God to convert the Jewish people.

Some of my Catholic friends who grew up with the traditional-style Latin Mass are quite passionate about it. They say it feels very special and powerful. What about it appeals to you?

It's mystical. It expresses very well the character of our faith, which at its center is a mystery -- the mystery of the incarnation of God.

Some people describe the Latin Mass as "bells and smells." That expression is somewhat belittling, but it's also accurate because the Latin Mass appeals to all of our senses in a powerful way. The Catholic faith is like that; it takes in the whole human being. It's not just something intellectual, something you read about in books.

Let's talk more about the traditional Latin Mass. For a long time you needed to get permission from a bishop before you could perform the Tridentine Mass. Why?

I believe there was a desire to unify the church's practice to the greatest possible extent by introducing the changed liturgy [new Mass] to the greatest number of faithful. But there have always been large numbers of people who have continued to celebrate [the traditional way].

Do you think the pope's announcement came as a surprise to many people?

No, I don't think so. The pope's predecessor, Pope John Paul II, had published two documents that urge wider practice of the Tridentine Mass. Pope Benedict's announcement was in line with this, it was a natural progression for the pope to end the requirement to get a bishop's permission before celebrating the Mass. It's a very happy progression for the faithful who are attached to the traditional rite.

Do you prefer celebrating the Tridentine Mass?

I do! I'm very much in love with this "Mass of all Ages" because it links us to the history of man, so to say. For many, many centuries, this Mass was celebrated and sanctified people, and it has brought about many saints.

All this has developed slowly and organically over the centuries, and is therefore a joy to celebrate. In German we'd describe it as "Gesamtkunstwerk," which means a piece of art that expresses an idea in a very complete way. In the Latin Mass, the priest, who is representing Jesus Christ, is enacting the mysteries of our salvation. The rite itself is full with history and many significant gestures and prayers. It's not only the language the Mass is said in, it's also what the priest does at the altar. Every gesture has meaning.

What are some of the gestures?

The kissing of the altar, making the signs of the cross many times, bowing your head, putting your hands on the altar or folding them on your breast. There are many, many gestures that in their sequence and in their completeness express the beauty of our religion. These gestures express the reverence, the worship, the respect and the awe of the priest in the moment of celebration. And I think the whole composition is very beautiful.

Pope Benedict said he was authorizing parish priests to celebrate the old Tridentine rite if a "stable group of faithful" requests it. Why does one need a stable group?

Celebrating this Mass requires a great deal of organization. It takes a major effort even to make the celebration possible. To ask a parish priest to do that is excessive if nobody is really interested within the parish. I think for this reason, and for maintaining harmony within the parishes, it's very important that the Mass be conducted in an orderly way.

There's been some concern in posts on Catholic blogs that offering old and new Masses may polarize parishes into two camps. Does that worry you?

Not really. I'm in the happy position to be in a parish which has both rites -- St. Margaret Mary in Oakland has the new Mass, the so-called Reformed Mass of Paul VI, and the traditional Mass. And it's worked out well.

Do you think some priests are intimidated or worried about performing this complex ceremony? Or are most priests trained to do it even though it hasn't been performed widely for 40 years?

I can imagine some priests hesitate to practice this Mass, although many are trained to do it in traditional religious communities. I have had several requests, in the Bay Area, from priests who would like to learn to celebrate the Mass.

Many of the news reports since the Pope's statement have focused on the fact that the Tridentine Mass includes a prayer asking for the conversion of the Jews. How do you feel about that issue, and the way it's been represented in the media?

I don't think there is much to say. That prayer is part of the Good Friday liturgy. And the church doesn't ask for the light of faith only for the Jewish people, there are also other people mentioned. So I don't see any problem with that. I don't think it's bad to ask God for his grace and for help and for assistance.

Pope Benedict also recently said that other Christian traditions are not as valid as Catholicism. It just seems to me that the Pope might be thinking now is the time to bring people of all faiths together, rather than emphasize their differences. How do you feel about that?

This is, I would say, simply a repetition of the teaching of the church expressed in many documents and on many occasions. It's nothing new. It's the teaching of the universal importance of our salvation. I don't have any problems with that. The pope certainly tries everything to integrate all groups and individuals in a discussion and in his pastoral care, as pope. He receives everybody, and everything, and talks about these things, but he is also a teacher.

How do you bring people of all faiths together if you are saying that other faiths aren't as valid as Catholicism?

Well, that's a church policy question. I'm not the person who can really speak to that. But very briefly, it's the old and well-known position of the Catholic Church that the full truth of Jesus Christ is present in the Catholic Church. That does not mean that part of Christ and Christ's teachings are not present in other religious groups. But it means that in the Catholic Church alone there is the complete full truth of Jesus Christ.

I don't mean to badger you about this, but these issues have been widely talked about in the news lately, in the coverage of the Latin Mass. So I wanted to get your side of the story ...

I'm used to explaining to people, if they ask me, that when we say that the Catholic Church has the full truth, that does not mean that nobody can be saved outside of the Catholic Church. It means that Christ is our universal savior, and the Catholic Church is, so to say, the most safe ship with which we can cross the Atlantic or the ocean. The Catholic Church is the best equipped ship to reach eternity.

This is not news. People wake up every 10 years, when the church underlines these things again, but these are not new ideas. And other religions do the same thing. You will never hear from a member of the Islamic community that his faith is only relative. You will never hear from an Orthodox Jew that his faith is only relative. That would not be a faith -- - it would be something that is, perhaps, nice on a personal level, but not universally important. The Catholic Church has the name Catholic Church because it's universal. "Catholic" means concerning everybody and all. So, there is nothing new about this teaching.

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Friday, August 03, 2007  0 Comments

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Et Tibi Pater

I'm glad to see the willingness of many young priests here in the Archdiocese of Singapore to pick up Latin. Even among young Catholics who have neither knowledge of the traditions of the Church nor the Tridentine Mass, there appears to be an inclination toward the universal language of the Church. I believe that those looking for the sacred dimension in a worship/rite that has become 'secular' have found it in Latin; to enter the Celebration is to enter a sacred mystery. Latin is able to give the Mass a holistic sense of mystery. It does not matter that one does not understand Latin: The forms, words and actions we use are only symbols that help us raise our heats, minds, and soul to God. Prayer is a matter of the heart, not head. Even when we pray using words, etc... the real business should be taking place in the heart; at a much deeper level. Genuine Catholic worship is "a deep absorption, so deep that any distractions cease for five to ten minutes," Fr. Thomas Bubay SM. Genuine prayer also lifts us out of ourselves and to the incomprehensible and indescribable God.

Latin leaves priests at a loss [Emphasis completely mine]
John Hooper in Rome
Monday July 16, 2007
The Guardian

In nomine Patris, et, er, ... thingummy.

Pope Benedict may want more of his flock to have the chance to hear mass in Latin. But there is a snag. Not many of his priests know enough of the language to hold a service in it. Even in Italy.

Yesterday the newspaper La Stampa reported on priests' reactions to the Pope's decision this month to extend the use of the old Latin-only rite. Their views ranged from embarrassment to downright anger.

"I wouldn't know how to say mass from memory in Latin," said a 60-year-old priest from Le Marche region. "No priest should be obliged to go back to school to brush up his Latin. If some dioceses want to hold courses, well, fine."

Father Maurizio Fileni, 57, from near Ancona, went further. "I am absolutely incapable of saying mass in Latin," he told the paper. "And I would actually be ashamed to do so".

During Pope John Paul II's 26-year papacy, the top hierarchy of the Catholic church became far more conservative than before. But many of its rank-and-file priests remain firmly wedded to the ideals of the reforming Second Vatican Council.

Pope Benedict's decree allows Roman Catholics to obtain a dispensation from their priest for mass to be said in the Latin-only form, which was sidelined in 1970. Followers of the late archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who broke with the church over its liturgical reform, have made a 90-minute video showing priests how to celebrate mass in the old way.

But Father Fileni, for one, is unlikely to be acquiring it. "I am certainly not going back to being a student," he said. "The faithful can't any longer understand us in Italian, let alone Latin."

"The motu proprio hasn’t all of a sudden thrust Latin upon us. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council assumed that Latin would continue to be an integral part of our way of worship. The Council’s “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,” Sacrosanctum Concilium, states that "the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites." I would imagine these priests who plead ignorance of Latin probably pride themselves on being “Vatican II priests.” If that’s the case, they’ve got some work to do" Rev. Fr. Christopher G. Phillips.

The Language of Tradition [Emphasis completely mine]
By RAYMOND ARROYO
July 13, 2007; Page W11

While drafting the decree that would return the old Latin mass to Catholic altars around the world, Pope Benedict XVI rightly predicted that reaction to his directive would range from "joyful acceptance to harsh opposition." But what he did not anticipate was the reaction of pundits and not a few clerics who have tried to dismiss the decree as a curiosity -- a nonevent that is likely to have little effect beyond a few "ultraconservative" throwbacks. David Gibson, the author of "The Coming Catholic Church," says that the announcement is "much ado about nothing," and French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard says that he doesn't "see a tsunami coming." But there is much more at play here than satiating the liturgical appetites of a few traditionalists.

The legislation (made public on Saturday) allows a pastor, on his own authority, to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, codified in the 16th century. Following the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), the venerable Mass -- in which cries of "sanctus, sanctus" rose like incense around the altar -- fell out of practice. It was actively suppressed in some quarters -- though never outlawed by the church. Pope John Paul II encouraged celebrations of the old rite in a declaration he issued in 1988, although the permission of the local bishop was required for a priest to offer it. This new legislation removes the middleman and puts the Latin Mass on a par with the widely celebrated vernacular Mass. In the words of the pope, these Masses constitute "two usages of the one Roman rite."

It is an open secret that many in the Roman Curia (including top Vatican officials) were opposed to the decree. Bishops in Germany, France and England grew angry over the prospect of reviving the old Mass. British Bishop Kieran Conry said that "any liberalization of the use of the [Latin] rite may prove seriously divisive. It could encourage those who want to turn back the clock throughout the church." According to several prelates I have spoken to, Bishop William Skylstad, the president of the American Bishops Conference, flatly told the pope that the U.S. bishops opposed any revival of the old rite. Why would the pope risk alienating so many of his own churchmen to appeal to a relatively small group of "disaffected" Catholics?

Reform of the liturgy has been a central concern for Pope Benedict for decades. Disgusted by some of the liturgical experimentation he witnessed in the past few decades, the pope suggested in a letter to the bishops (issued along with the decree) that these "arbitrary deformations of the liturgy" provoked his actions. There is little room for such tomfoolery in the old Mass, whose focus is on the Eucharist and not on the assembled or the celebrant.

During an interview I conducted with the pope in 2003, before his election, he said of the Latin Mass: "[What] was at one time holy for the church is always holy." He also spoke of the need to revive the "elements of Latin" to underscore the "universal dimension" of the Mass. Before Vatican II, a Mass celebrated in New York was identical to the Mass celebrated in Israel. That is not true today. For a faith that crosses borders and cultures, common language and practice in worship are essential signs of unity.

The pope's decree also underscores for Catholics the origins of the new Mass and the continuity of the two rites. Pope Benedict tells his bishops that as a result of his decree, "the celebration of [the vernacular Mass] will be able to demonstrate, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the former usage." By placing the two Masses in close proximity, the pope is hoping that the new Mass will take on the sensibilities of the old. The pope is betting that sacrality and reverence will win out over innovation and novelty, no matter which rite people choose.

There are inevitable problems: Many priests today simply don't know Latin. But they can learn it, or at least enough of it to get through the Mass. The movements of the traditional rite can also be gleaned from older clergy and from groups like the Fraternity of St. Peter that offer intensive instruction in the ritual. Just as the laity have grown accustomed to the incessant hand-holding and hand-shaking that make the Mass look like a hoe-down, they will learn to embrace the gestures of the old liturgy. Parishioners can actively follow the Mass using a Missal, which usually provides side-by-side translations. Listening with attention will be required. But who said worshiping God should be effortless?

Since Vatican II, generations of Catholics have participated in Masses and repeated actions that they have no historical appreciation or understanding of. This move by the pope will not only provoke a healthy conversation about why Catholics do what they do but ground them in the beauty and meaning of the liturgy, both new and old.

More on Latin: Why Latin?

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Thursday, July 19, 2007  0 Comments

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Currently Reading

THIS IS MY BODY

by Rev. Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap.

Preacher to the Pontifical Household for 25 years, Fr. Cantalamessa expounds some of the most beautiful words ever to be penned about the Eucharist in the latin hymns, Adoro Te Devote and the Ave Verum.

It was written for the Pope!

These reflections were the last series of meditations preached to the late Pope John Paul II! But before you rush to get a copy, be warned that unless you have had theological training, this isn't an easy book. The author assumes that the reader already possesses knowledge on the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist as well as other related doctrines, knowledge of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the early Church Fathers.

Being sermons, the text is in an interlocutory form.

Adoro Te Devote

Hidden God, devoutly I adore Thee, Truly present underneath these veils: All my heart subdues itself before Thee, Since it all before Thee faints and fails.

Not to sight, or taste, or touch be credit, Hearing only do we trust secure; I believe, for God the Son hath said it-- Word of Truth that ever shall endure.

On the Cross was veiled Thy Godhead's splendor, Here Thy manhood lieth hidden too; Unto both alike my faith I render, And, as sued the contrite thief, I sue.

Though I look not on Thy wounds with Thomas, Thee, my Lord, and Thee, my God, I call: Make me more and more believe Thy promise, Hope in Thee, and love Thee over all.

O Memorial of my Saviour dying, Living Bread that givest life to man; May my soul, its life from Thee supplying, Taste Thy sweetness, as on earth it can.

Deign, O Jesus, pelican* of heaven, Me, a sinner, in Thy Blood to lave, To a single drop of which is given All the world from all its sin to save.

Contemplating Lord, Thy hidden presence, Grant me what I thirst for and implore, In the revelation of Thine essence To behold Thy glory evermore.

Ave Verum

Hail, true Body, truly born of the Virgin Mary mild. Truly offered, wracked and torn, on the Cross for all defiled, from Whose love-pierced, sacred side flowed Thy true Blood's saving tide: be a foretaste sweet to me in my death's great agony.

O my loving, Gentle One, Sweetest Jesus, Mary's Son. Amen.

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Wednesday, June 27, 2007  0 Comments

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Liberalization of Latin Mass Imminent


(via Rorate Caeli)

The Papal "Motu Proprio" for the liberalization of the Latin Mass according to the Tridentine rite of Saint Pius V is ready, is about to be translated into several languages and will be published right before the departure of Benedict XVI for the summer vacation. [Rorate note: The Pope's vacation this summer will take place in a small villa of the property of the Diocese of Treviso, in the tiny hamlet of Lorenzago di Cadore, Province of Belluno, in the Veneto region, in the July 9-27 period.]

The text has already been signed by the Pontiff, who has even written a long exaplanatory letter, of a theological character, "addressed to all the Bishops of the world", as it can be read in its introduction, "so that they may receive this document with serenity and patience".

The Pope thus asks to the Bishops, to the clergy, and to the faithful a serene mood in the acceptance of the "Motu Proprio", which will be presented in a Press Conference by Cardinals Francis Arinze, Dario Castrillon Hoyos, and Julian Herranz.

The delay in the publication of the document seems to be related to strong oppositions from some sectors of the clergy (especially from the French Episcopal Conference).

Monsignor Nicola Bux (a personal friend of the Pope), a theologian and collaborator of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, declares: "You may write calmly [that] Pope Benedict XVI loves agreement and collaboration, and does not wish to decide everything on his own, which is why he has heard several and repeated opinions, but the Motu Proprio for the liberalization of the Latin Mass has been signed and its publication is imminent, I would say it is a matter of days."

The Tridentine Mass is completely celebrated in Latin, with the exception of a few words and sentences in Ancient Greek and in Hebrew; it is interspersed with long periods of silence, to allow the faithful to adequately meditate on the greatness of the Eucharistic mystery which they are called to assist. The faithful follow the liturgy reading the bilingual handmissal or leaflet, which carry, side by side with the Latin text, the integral translation of the actions in Italian or in the other national languages.

It is not only the use of the ecclesiastical and universal ("Catholic" means precisely universal) language which represents the sole standing difference between the Tridentine Mass and the modern one. The priest, differently than what takes place in the course of the new rite, turns his back to the faithful, as he celebrates turned to the tabernacle and the altar which constitutes the representation of Calvary; the image is that of the celebrant who guides the people.

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Wednesday, June 20, 2007  1 Comments

Friday, June 8, 2007

Why Latin?


Many of us who are interested in the use of latin in liturgy may not be able to explain why we like it. I mean, how interesting could a dead language make the Mass- which is already so boring in English- more interesting? And why should we pray in a language we do not understand?

To understand this we have to thrust ourselves into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. To enter the Celebration is to enter a sacred mystery. Latin is able to give the Mass a holistic sense of mystery. But, can't other vernacular languages acomplish that too? To answer that question we need to look at what worship and prayer is and how they work.

In his book, Prayer Primer, Rev. Fr. Thomas Bubay SM, talks about interpersonal union and intimacy in prayer. In chapter 9, Fr. Bubay explains that contemplation is, "a real awareness of God, desiring and loving Him...", "... there are no words." If we read the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and some modern writers such as Evelyn Underhill and Dom John Chapman OSB, we will see that God does not communicate to the human soul by words or via our intellect.

Would you believe me if I told you that worship that remains at our human intellectual level is not really prayer? Such worship is only a mutual admiration and exhortation.

Genuine Catholic worship is "a deep absorption, so deep that any distractions cease for five to ten minutes," Fr. Thomas Bubay SM. Genuine prayer also lifts us out of ourselves and to the incomprehensible and indescribable God.

The forms, words and actions we use are only symbols that help us raise our heats, minds, and soul to God. Prayer is a matter of the heart, not head. Even when we pray using words, etc... the real business should be taking place in the heart; at a much deeper level.

Fr. Thomas Bubay SM, explains in Prayer Primer, the traditional three kinds of prayer: vocal, meditation, and comtemplation. Vocal prayer is one that remains mainly in the head. Meditation, exercises the intellect- one thinks profoundly about God. Contemplation (which will be emphasised here) is a purely wordless prayer. In contemplation, "we open our hearts and minds to God, " says Fr. Francis Randolph (author of Know Him in the Breaking of the Bread), we "are aware of His presence and are longing for His love; there are no conscious or intellectual thoughts. Words mean very little; glancing lightly off the surface."

Contemplative souls find it very difficult to keep attention on the the intellectual surface of the mind and still be able to pray. A contemplative person will be frustrated if natural contemplation is forced to remain at a level of vocal prayer. He or she will feel as if he/she has not prayed at all.

This is the problem with the new Mass in the vernacular. Contemplatives are agonized when they are 'forced' to keep in touch with the words; they are 'prevented' from praying. In a Latin Mass, which is mostly silent, a contemplative will find attendence and assistance more relaxing. They wouldn't mind going to Mass again!

The problem is that many people have not read St. Thomas or Abbot Chapman, thus, they feel guilty attending a Latin Mass. Fr. Francis Randolph explains that in his experience of many years of confessions, he has been convinced that a very large proportion of people are natural contemplatives but do not know it.

The Catholic Church is a diverse community of believers, we need to respect the mode of prayer of others and cannot insist that one form of prayer is better that the other. Let the vocal/intellectual Catholic worship in the Vernacular Mass, let the contemplative Catholic worship on the Latin Mass. His Holiness, the late Pope John Paul II, the Great, acknowledged that mistake that the Church by forcing the changes the Mass without any sensitivity to the feelings of the people. In a letter to the Bishops on Holy Thursday, 1980, Pope John Paul II wrote, "I would like to ask forgiveness- in my own name and of all of you, venerable brothers in the Episcopate- for everything which, for whatever reason, through whatever human weaknessimpatience, or negligence, and also through the times at partial, one-sided and erroneous application of the directives of the Second Vatican Council, may have caused scandal and disturbance concerning the interpretation of doctrine and the verneration due to this great Sacrament." and also “to all those Catholic faithful who feel attached to some previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition, I wish to manifest my will to facilitate their ecclesial communion by means of the necessary measures to guarantee respect for their rightful aspirations. In this matter I ask support of the Bishops and of all those engaged in the pastoral ministry in the Church.", "By virtue of my Apostolic Authority I Decree... Respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of this who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition, by a wide and generous application of the directives already issued some time ago by the Apostolic See, for the use of the Roman Missal... of 1962.” Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia Dei.

An International Language

This is an entire different consideration. In our globalized, modern world, we need a language that does not carry any political implications with it. Three of the world's most dominant languages are French, English and Spanish. But to use these languages isn't fair to those who speak minority languages and tongues. For this, Latin has the advantage. No one race or political system can claim the language. Latin belongs to the world that has already gone by- the old world.

Our cosmopolitant world, filled with migrants, refugees, tourists, etc... the abolition of an international language is absolutely absurd! I don't think it is too late to repair the damage.


In Christo,
J-PDM


Acknowledgements/References:
Know Him in the Breaking of the Bread by Fr. Francis Randolph
Prayer Primer: Igniting the Fire Within by Fr. Thomas Bubay, SM
http://www.ecclesiadei.org

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Friday, June 08, 2007  0 Comments

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Latvia & Liturgical Reform

(via Cardinal Rating)

In a recent 'Catholic World Report' interview (extracts from which appear below), Cardinal Janis Pujats, Archbishop of Riga, Latvia, explained how the post-Vatican II changes in the liturgy were implemented in his country without the range of problems which have been encountered in other parts of the Catholic world.

(AD2000, May 2003) By 1972 we had the new Missal in Latvia, but it was not yet translated. We celebrated the Novus Ordo in Latin, so the people did not notice much change.

So we were already celebrating the liturgy according to the Roman Missal, in Latin. We read the Gospel in Latvian. If the entire Mass had been in Latvian, then maybe we would have faced towards the people. But we used Latin, and we couldn't "talk to them" in Latin, so there was no particular point in turning towards the people.

Consequently we did things in a step-by-step fashion. First we did the Mass in Latin. Then we started to translate the Lectionary. Finally we translated the whole Missal. When we were done with this, we turned towards the people for the Liturgy of the Word.

In the Liturgy of the Word, we are talking to the people, and they are listening to the Word of God. So at that point we should face them. But even today, after we are finished "talking to the people," we turn to the altar to prepare the elements and so forth.

We are not hurrying to turn around the altars. When we build smaller churches, even today, I do not have the altar built out from the wall. This is not a particularly significant matter. The Pope himself turns his back to the people in his own chapel.

The Second Vatican Council does not require facing the people, and I was fully aware of this. According to Vatican II, if it is better to face the people, then the priest should do so; if not, one can celebrate Mass in the old manner.

I think that the criticism [by Western liturgists of Eastern Europe's 'backwardness' in liturgical renewal, e.g., priests celebrating Mass with their backs to the people] is unjustified. These critics see only the outward appearance; they see that the altar has not been turned around. They ignore all the rest of the liturgical reform to focus on this one thing. But liturgical reform touches all of the Mass. There is a very significant difference between the texts of the Tridentine Missal and the texts that are given to us now.

I do not look upon it as an offence to anyone that the priest stands facing the altar to celebrate Mass, even in the Novus Ordo. The Pope knows that we are not in any particular rush to change this. When you make such a change, some people like it and some people don't, so you stir up controversy.

Our liturgical reforms, on the other hand, have been going on for 30 years, and the people do not feel any negative effects from the changes, because of the way they have been introduced and administered. The people are at peace.

Extremes

What happened outside Latvia happened rather quickly. The Council was not to blame, but the liturgical translators were at fault. The Council was not radical, but when the liturgists began formulating changes, all sorts of extremes emerged. They confused people's minds by what they did.

And we can even boast that our slow liturgical reform preserved old traditions that have been lost elsewhere. I am thinking in particular of the tabernacle in the centre of the altar, with the Eucharist as the centre of the church rather than somewhere off to the side, and the confessionals.

I myself have seen (I will not say in what country) the tabernacle on the floor - in a corner on the floor. That is no way to honour Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I have seen an altar that has been erected from left-over logs: big split logs, placed cross-wise; and across these planks they put a tablecloth to cover it. And this was not in a mission territory, but in a traditionally Catholic country! So the fact that the Eucharist is still in the centre is the primary thing which we have preserved.

The other important thing that we preserved is the confessional. We have not taken them out of the churches, and therefore we have not shortened the lines of penitents. The confessionals are a sort of visible advertisement. The people are already in lines, and so someone who is fearful of going to confession will look at the lines and see that they are very long, and that makes it easier for him to get in line. No one whose faith is shaky will go by himself, and ask individually to see a priest for confession; instead, he will not go to confession at all.

Of course there is another big problem: that in many countries people have the idea that confession is no longer necessary. The result is that today, in many places, few people go to confess their sins, but they all go to Communion. I look on this as the biggest mistake that "reformers" have made. When they lifted the people onto their feet it was apparent to me that it would take two generations to get them back on their knees. And to get them to go to confess their sins, to make their individual confessions, after they have tossed that practice aside - I doubt that can be done.

But with us, individual confession has remained the norm. We have never given general absolution - that is to say, absolution for the whole congregation. That practice is for extreme circumstances, and with the obligation for individual confession later. It is better to go straight to the individual confession. If the people are already accustomed to that practice, then it is better to keep it. We look upon that as a matter in which Westerners can learn something from us.

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Tuesday, May 22, 2007  5 Comments

Friday, April 27, 2007

My Favorite Hymns

Here are all of my favorite hymns with links to Youtube music videos for your listening pleasure.

Latin

English- Traditional/Contempory

I tag the authors of the following blogs: Mysterium Fidei, Catholic Warrior, Unam Sanctam, Exsurge Domine.

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Friday, April 27, 2007  2 Comments

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Of Translations...

(via WDTPRS)

For a long time I have warned people about bad English translations of papal documents.

There are methodological problems in that the documents are no longer composed in Latin.

The Latin text, which is the official text, is itself a translation.

However, since no on refers to the Latin text… few people know this. Thus, they are always working with compromised versions of documents.

Moreover, the texts they are working with were those released at the time of the presentation of the document, even though the LATIN is itself revised before publication in is final official form in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis. But no one goes back to revise the vernacular versions in keeping with the changes in the Latin Lot’s of people are misquoting documents because the vernacular docs themselves were never updated.

That said, let us take a look at the Exhortation’s paragraph on Latin in the liturgy and see if there is a disconnect. I tip my biretta to "stefano" who was alert and caught this before I did.

Latin: exceptis lectionibus, homilia et oratione fidelium, aequum est ut huiusmodi celebrationes fiant lingua Latina.

In Latin, the phrase aequum est means "it is reasonable, proper, right". It can be rendered as "it is becoming", to use a somewhat archaic turn of phrase.

German: es ist gut, wenn außer den Lesungen, der Predigt und den Fürbitten der Gläubigen die Feier in lateinischer Sprache gehalten wird.

Italian: eccettuate le letture, l’omelia e la preghiera dei fedeli, è bene che tali celebrazioni siano in lingua latina.

French: excepté les lectures, l’homélie et la prière des fidèles, il est bon que ces célébrations soient en langue latine

Spanish: exceptuadas las lecturas, la homilía y la oración de los fieles, sería bueno que dichas celebraciones fueran en latín

Portuguese: exceptuando as leituras, a homilia e a oração dos fiéis, é bom que tais celebrações sejam em língua latina

Polish: z wyjątkiem czytań, homilii oraz modlitwy wiernych, dobrze będzie, jeśli takie celebracje będą odprawiane w języku łacińskim (Literally: "It will be good, if such celebration will be officiated in Latin language").

Are you sensing a pattern in the rendering of aequum est, or rather how aequum est in Latin is more than likely the accurate reading of the original language of composition of the Exortation?

Let’s see the English.

English: with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, such liturgies could be celebrated in Latin.

WOAH…. wait a minute… "could be" celebrated? That changes the entire impact of what the Pope said. All the of the other languages reflect one concept and the English alone says another thing entirely. The English implies that the value of Latin is, at best, a neutral thing. The Latin and all the other languages imply that Latin is positive.

I think we must conclude that whoever did the translation into English chose not to stick to the original text which they were given to work from.

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Thursday, March 15, 2007  0 Comments

Monday, March 12, 2007

Salve Regina

Salve Regina at the end of Compline,Church of San Clemente, Rome. Eve of the Feast of St Clement, 2006

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Monday, March 12, 2007  0 Comments

Monday, January 29, 2007

Latinist laments 'dying language'

(By David Willey BBC News, Rome)

One of the world's foremost scholars in Latin has said he believes the language is dying out.

Father Reginald Foster, who was appointed the papal Latinist 38 years ago, says Latin is almost extinct.

He says priests are no longer compelled to study it at seminaries and find it impossible to read important theological texts.

Father Foster has also condemned the loss of Latin teaching in schools across most of Europe.

'Missing out'

Father Foster has just opened a new Latin academy in Rome near the Pantheon, in his final effort to preserve the official language of the priesthood.

He hopes to attract 130 students a year.

But the chief Latinist, who has translated speeches and letters for four popes, says he can see no future for the language he is teaching and has been forced to acknowledge that Latin is dying out.

The reason is that more junior members of the Catholic hierarchy are less enthusiastic about Latin than the recent Popes.

At the Vatican, bishops appointments are still written on papyrus in Latin as are letters of congratulations from the pope, but many bishops and cardinals write back asking for translations.

He has also condemned the loss of Latin teaching in Europe.

In Italy, most schoolchildren are still taught Latin for at least four hours a week until they are 18.

But in other European countries it has been replaced by the more modern languages.

Father Foster believes that without Latin they are missing out on important elements of history.

"St Augustine thought in Latin, you can't read his text in English, it's like listening to Mozart through a jukebox," he says.

Papal leadership

Reports that Pope Benedict XVI might re-introduce Latin mass are way off the mark says Father Foster, not least because of the pontiff's desire to avoid more controversy.

In any case, he says, it just makes the Vatican look medieval. Father Foster does, however, propose a solution - he has called on the Pope to lead by example.

Instead of a siesta, he says, Benedict should announce that he will be reading Latin in his Vatican quarters.

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Monday, January 29, 2007  0 Comments

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Latin Mass isn't DEAD

(via Spartanburg Herald-Journal)

KIM KIMZEY, Staff Writer

Searching for reverence and their spiritual roots, some younger Catholics might feel drawn to the Latin Mass.

Priests say it is the solemnity of the centuries-old rite, known as the Tridentine Mass, that appeals in part to worshippers who grew up celebrating the Novus Ordo Mass.

"The real energy and enthusiasm around this Mass is with the younger people," said Father Lawrence McInerny, pastor of the Stella Maris parish on Sullivan's Island.

The church has offered the Latin Mass in addition to the Novus Ordo Mass for the past five years.

Between 180 and 200 people attend the weekly Latin Mass at Stella Maris. Many are visitors who are drawn to the service for various reasons.

"I don't want to disparage the Novus Ordo Mass, but (the Latin Mass is) more mystical and contemplative," McInerny said.

He believes it is the Latin Mass' symbolism, mystery and order that partly account for its rising popularity.

"People need symbols and ritual," McInerny said. "You don't change the traditional Mass around. It changes you."

The Latin Mass is not currently offered at Catholic parishes in Spartanburg.

Father Michael Polewczak said worshippers at the Catholic Church of Jesus Our Risen Savior have not approached him about offering the Latin Mass.

"Why has it grown in popularity? That's an interesting question I don't have the answer to," he said.

Polewczak, a self-labeled "cradle Catholic," remembers the Latin Masses of his youth well. He said many people interested in the traditional rite did not grow up celebrating it.

Father Michael McCafferty believes young people are searching for their roots.

He said priests at St. Paul the Apostle parish in Spartanburg have not received requests for the Latin Mass.

"A whole generation has grown up with that not a part of their heritage, and they're curious about it," McCafferty said. "There's such a thirst among young people, they're looking for things that are timeless and ancient and beautiful."

He said there is something majestic and awe-inspiring in the Latin Mass.

He believes some of those awe-inspiring aspects, including portions of liturgy and Gregorian chants, can be incorporated into today's Novus Ordo Mass.

Regardless of which mass is celebrated, McCafferty said the service "is something that's supposed to be beautiful and dignified and bring us into an experience with the sacred."

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# posted by Vidimusdominum : Wednesday, January 17, 2007  0 Comments

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