Father Schall On Saying the Tridentine Mass

On Saying the Tridentine Mass | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | August 16, 2007        

"It has been the constant concern of the Supreme Pontiffs, and up to the present time, to ensure that the Church of Christ offers a worthy worship to the Divine majesty 'to the praise and glory of His name,' and 'to the benefit of all His Holy Church.'" -- Benedict XVI, Summorum Pontificum, July 7, 2007. I.

Lo, those many years ago, Schall was ordained to the priesthood the year after John XXIII made the last revision of the Latin Missale Romanum before Vatican Council II. At the time, the pope raised waves because he dared to change the Canon to the extent of adding the name of St. Joseph to its list of those present at every Mass. Some do not even accept changes from the Pius Xth edition of the Missal. However, looking over the whole scope of the Church, including Byzantine rites, there have always been differing ways of celebrating Mass, usually including a different language and external forms. Still, in principle, it can be said that all the essential parts of the Mass--word, sacrifice, and communion--were clearly present in all the varied rites in so far as they were orthodox.

However, with the advent of the Novus Ordo in 1969, and its apparent, in practice at least, suppression of the older missal, I, along with most priests on the Roman rite, have said this Mass in the vernacular. However, in my own private Masses, I often use the Latin Novus Ordo form found in the back of the present Roman Missal. Much of the English translation of the Novus Ordo has been rather vapid, and the Latin not as elegant as that of the Tridentine Mass.

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Comments

[LJ]

"I have always thought that the Vatican should publish an official Missal that everyone, no matter what language he speaks, is expected to own and which will not change, except perhaps for the addition of new saints. On one side would be the Latin and the other the vernacular, whatever it is that one speaks. Over a lifetime, if the Mass were in Latin, everyone would be used to the same service, and would be able to follow and know what it means in his own language. We would then have more common music and all know certain Latin prayers and chants. That strikes me as more genuinely universal than anything we now have."

Absolutely. What a great common-sense idea.

[Sandra Miesel]

We used to have such Missals. The tiny Fr. Lascance Sunday Missal from the 1940s was packed with useful features and simple enough for a child to use.

[Ed Peters]

Note: Sandra Meisel was NOT a simple child. Your results may vary.

[Gail]

Last Sunday, our parish's patron saint's feast day, we had rock versions of all the songs, liturgical dancing, and a sister of the Reiki-practicing variety giving a VERY long "reflection" that sounded exactly like a homily. From my parish you cannot tell that we we have the pope we have. Sigh.

[Sandra Miesel]

OK, Ed, I was an odd little child but that Missal really was easy to use, with numbers and pictures to guide the user between proper and ordinary. I think it had been designed with a view to the needs of WWII soldiers.

[Dan]

Gail, my condolences. I feel your pain, as my parish has some of the same tendencies though it's not quite as bad as what you describe (for some reason the liturgical dancer is reserved for the Holy Thursday Mass in my parish). I am opposed to parish hopping in principle but ever rule has exceptions -- what is the point of sticking it out when it becomes too much to take?

[Robert Miller]

Father Schall's piece is a wonderful, and consoling, reflection on the meaning of Summorum Pontificum.

Let me add, or emphasize, a further reflection.

Benedict wants the J23 Missal to stay alive in order to "teach" the users of the P6 Missal. Benedict and the Council thought (as Ratzinger recounts in his 1977 Memoirs) that the J23 Mass was the Mass, and that Sacrosanctum Concilium merely was encouraging further advance of the reforms of St.P 10 and P 12. (Don't ask me why I, a lover of Latin, am using Arabic numerals.)

The rest of the story has been told by Ratzinger, Father Fessio and others. What is most urgent today, I think, is that the Vatican and the US bishops implement the new ICEL translations of the Ordinary ASAP. This is the real "revolutionary" bedrock liturgical renewal that will immediately give heart to Catholics everywhere in English-speaking countries.

[mj]

Fr. Schall is incomparable!

[Rich Leonardi]

Gail,

Any reason I can't link to your quote on my site? (We hail from the same diocese.)

[Anon]

http://www.catholic.org/prwire/headline.php?ID=4002

Resources for the Traditional Latin Mass
8/23/2007 - 21:20 PST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
Catholic PRWire

CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 23, 2007 - Thanks to Pope Benedict XVI and his Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum," the Traditonal Latin Mass is returning to the Latin Church!

Priests around the world once again need to have the 1962 Missale Romanum, the Rituale Romanum, as well as a number of other liturgical items. And so, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius have now opened a webstore (http://cantius.org/webstore) to help priests find those resources they need to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass.

The CANTIUS WEBSTORE (http://cantius.org/webstore) now is offering:

MISSALE ROMANUM 1962
Roman Missal - Travel Size Altar Missal

ass Altar Cards
Used for Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

ROMAN CATHOLIC DAILY MISSAL
1962 juxta typica (typical edition) of the Missale Romanum

The Roman Ritual
Rituale Romanum in three volumes

The Rubrics of the 1962 Missale Romanum
Translated by Fr. Dennis Duvelius

Liber Usualis
Gregorian Chant for every Mass of the year.

The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described
Adrian Fortescue and J.B. O'Connell, Edited by Dom Alcuin Reid, O.S.B.

Ceremonial of Solemn High Mass

The Ceremonial of Solemn High Mass is a unique aid and quick reference guide for learning to celebrate the Tridentine Solemn High Mass of the 1962 Missale Romanum. Click here for more details...

More helpful items are to be added in the coming weeks...
Contact: Canons Regular of St John Cantius
http://cantius.org/webstore/ IL, US
Rev. Scott A. Haynes, SJC - Website Director, 312-243 7373
Keywords: SanctaMissa.org, Missale Romanum 1962, Rubrics, Traditional Latin Mass
Category: Liturgy

[Patty]

Warm greetings in the True Christmas Spirit!

I hope all is well, you seem very knowledgeable. I read through your blogs--very sharp indeed! Do you have a Doctorate in Divinity or Philosophy?

Anyhow, I was wondering if you could give some priceless advice. I am thinking of buying some good old Catholic theology books for some family members and loved ones, and well, I recently received an advertisement for this very interesting book called "Communicatio in Sacris: The Roman Catholic Church against Intercommunion of non-Catholics" by Mr. William J. DeTucci.

I was wondering if you have seen any book review on this book? I could not find anything on the author. It seems the book talks about the Role of Vatican II in the Modern World and how some Traditionalists have resisted many of the Modernistic teachings of Ecumenism, Religious Liberty, and the New Mass, as opposed to the old Latin Tridentine Mass. However, I also recently read Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio ( www.vatican.va), which seems to be give the Liberty of "Open Communion" to so-called Traditional Catholic Groups who dissent from Vatican II, i.e. Marcel Lefebvre's SSPX, Mark Pivarunas' CMRI, Clarence Kelly's SSPV, Br. Michael Dimond's Most Holy Family Monastery, the various Saint Benedict Centers, Jason Spadafore's Raphael Society, Patrick Taylor's Society of the Virgin Mary, and so many other Independent Bishops at Large)--all who promote Intercommunion Latin Mass Ritual, of course! I think the Spirit of Vatican II is really being recognized now by many of the Traditionalists who once followed Bishop Lefebvre in resisting Vatican II Conciliar Reforms, but since the Motu Proprio Latin Mass Ecumenism has been widely promoted and it has been "well received" by many of these same various Traditionalists Sects and also by many Liberal Bi-Ritual Bishops who offer both the Latin Mass and Ecumenical Modern Liturgies.

However, breaking the rule of judging a book by its cover, and only peaking its table of contents, it seems to me this book is an itchy reaction to this Neo-Ecumenism that both Greek and Latin Churches have been involved with. Not sure if you have read the book, or know of some theologian who has written a review? Here is the link to the contents that I browsed:

http://www.lulu.com/content/1431544

and also here:

http://www.vladcatholic.com

I would most greatly appreciate any book review that you or a theologian has done. This book seems to have positive merit in as much it claims to be "a Compendium of Roman Catholic Doctrine on the subject of Intercommunion with non-Catholics. This book produces the overwhelming theological consensus for the Dogmatic Teaching condemning Intercommunion with non-Catholics, putting together a treasury of Sacred Scriptures, Church Fathers, Doctors, Saints, Theologians, and Popes who have written on the matter."

However, I just wanted to verify that before I make my last minute shopping for this Christmas & New Year Season.

May God bless you all!

Kind regards,

Patty