Vatican Official Foresees Broader Use Of Latin Mass

From Catholic World News:

Vatican Official Foresees Broader Use Of Latin Mass

Rome, Sep. 26 (CWNews.com) - An influential Vatican official believes that Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) could soon expand permission for priests throughout the world to celebrate Mass using the Tridentine rite.

However, Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez cautions that serious doctrinal issues, as well as liturgical questions, must be resolved before the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) can be fully reconciled with the Holy See.

Cardinal Medina, the former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, is a member of the Ecclesia Dei commission, set up by Pope John Paul II (bio - news) to serve the needs of Catholics who cling to the Latin Mass. In an interview with the I Media news service, the Chilean-born prelate said that the Pope could act soon to liberalize Church regulations, allowing all priests to use the Tridentine rite.

Questioned about the outcome of the Pope's August 29 meeting with Bishop Bernard Fellay, the superior general of the SSPX, Cardinal Medina observed that the meeting was preceded by "many other contacts" between Vatican officials and representatives of the Lefebvrist group. Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos (bio - news), the prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, had met repeatedly with Bishop Fellay, he said. And the Chilean prelate added that he, too, had met with the traditionalist leader during his term as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

Consequently, the cardinal said, "you could not say that the meeting with the Holy Father was unexpected." He added that SSPX leaders are well aware that Pope Benedict "is concerned about full communion among all Catholics-- all Christians-- and particularly those who uphold the decisions and positions of Archbishop Lefebvre."

Reconciliation between the Vatican and the breakaway traditionalist group, the cardinal continued, would require "addressing a list of doctrinal difficulties." He said that a working group could be set up to discuss those problems.

"But within the Society [SSPX], there are different currents," Cardinal Medina observed. While some members of the traditionalist group are "inflexible," others are more inclined toward dialogue with Rome, he said. He said that when some traditionalists refer to the Novus Ordo Mass as "heretical" or "invalid," they create "an extremely difficult situation." The Vatican will insist that SSPX members acknowledge the validity of the post-conciliar Mass, he said; they will also be required to accept the teachings of Vatican II.

After his meeting with Pope Benedict, Bishop Fellay suggested that a first step toward reconciliation could be a Vatican recognition of the right for all priests to celebrate the Tridentine-rite Mass, using the liturgical form codified by Pope Pius V after the Council of Trent. Cardinal Medina saw "no difficulty" in expanding access to the Latin Mass. But he reiterated that such a step "would not resolve the fundamental problems with the SSPX."

Questioned on whether Vatican II intended to abolish the Tridentine rite, Cardinal Medina said that the arguments were inconclusive on that point. However, he said, each rite is valid, and "the missal of St. Paul V and that of Paul VI are both perfectly orthodox." He observed that each ritual appeals to "different sensibilities," and noted that the Offertory prayers of the old rite are particularly useful in their emphasis on "the sacrifical character of the Mass: an essential aspect of the Eucharistic celebration." The restoration of universal permission to use the Tridentine Mass would involve canonical and liturgical questions, but no major theological concerns, the cardinal said. "So I hope that, little by little, the possibility of celebrating the old form of the Roman rite will be opened," he said.

As a member of the Ecclesia Dei commission, Cardinal Medina reported, he is sometimes asked to celebrate a Tridentine-rite Mass. When he receives such a request, he said, "I do it, without asking anyone's permission."

Comments

[TM Lutas]

This is exactly the nature of the Orthodox problem of the filioque. It isn't that there's anything wrong with not saying that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and not adding and the Son. The problem is when Orthodox priests say that those that use the filioque are heretics. The situation is similar here. If a group of priests and bishops can overturn the decisions of a Council and declare the Council and subsequent Popes heretical, there really isn't much point in having a Pope or even church Councils.

I pray that all such rifts are healed as quickly as possible and we reunite in one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church for the entirety of chrstendom.

[Boethius]

Broader use of the Latin Mass? Yip, yip, yip, yip, yahoo.

[Jim]

Latin Mass! The new Pope is taking yet another step in the right direction.

[CatholicMonarchist]

If it were true that Pope Benedict XVI were to remove the sanctions against the Tridentine Mass, nothing would really happen. It would still be up to the individual bishops to allow their priests to say it in public and most would not do that.

[Jesuvera]

With "the possibility of celebrating the old form of the Roman rite" should come more interest and co-operation from the Bishops to restore the dignified and universal celebration of the Mass in Latin. Let's pray for an increase of faith with the same.

[Paul Ledbetter]

Being involved with the Traditionalist movement in the past, I have an understanding of the Pius X and many of the other various "Traditionalist" groups...at the root of their schism, is their lack of respect for the authority of the Church, and the Pope in particular. Many don't believe that John Paul 2 had the authority to add new mysteries to the Rosary, and refuse to contemplate the new mysteries when saying it...so allowing every priest to say the Tridentine Mass will not bring Pius X back to the fold. Most of them will not accept the Authority of the Church unless it comes back around to "their" way of thinking...and this means everything will have to revert to post Vatican 2. They believe they are holding fast to the truth, as they see it.

[Joe Odegaard]

Turn the altars back around too. The direction should go out and up to God, IMHO. As it is now, Mass has a here and now social focus and Eternity is often missed. — Joe Odegaard, Architect.

[John]

Quo Primum forbids the denigration and or elimiation of the Mass of All Ages Latin/Tridentine CODIFIED at the council of Trent and handed down to the Church since at least the 3rd century C.E. After the hijacking and deliberate distortions of Vatican 2 by the leftist/revisionists, Prelates, theologians and laity alike & the heavy hand of Paul 6 the Bugnini Mass was promoted universally. Anyone in the 60's 70's 80's &90's daring to observe the Catholic faith (vis a vis the Latin/Tridentine Mass) was denigrated slandered and shunned by the Protestantized Vatican establishment under Paul 6 & John Paul 2. It's still going on in some Catholic circles. AND what are the results of the bugnini mass, out of control ecumenicism and rebellious nationalist Bishops conferences, millions have left the Catholic church, a novus ordo mass more humanis than a Lutheran service, tabernacles removed from front and center of Catholic churches, priests saying mass ad populum and performing for the people as opposed to ad Orientum the Priest and people offering the Holy Mass to God alone, the attempted"by ommission" denigration of the REAL PRESENCE- The Transubstantiated prsence in the Tabernacle and in the Sacrifice of the Mass leading to obsenities like communion in the hand inept "eucharist/lay ministers,eucharist under 2 species, clown masses dorito masses etc. etc. etc, you get the idea. The ancient Mass will make a glorious return to the church the SSPX & Vatican will reconcile with each other and just mayby the healing will begin-God Willing SHALOM

[John]

Slowly but most certainly the Mass of All Ages is beginning to re-appear in the conciliar church. Even EWTN is throwning out "little bones" like interviewing the Superior General of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (a wonderful ecclesia Dei Movement) quick snapshots of the Tridentine Mass being celebrated by Cardinals in the Basilica Churches in Rome etc etc etc.The slander, smearing, alienation and shunning of Orthodox Latin Catholic movements like The Fraternal Society of Saint Pius X have been muted "to a degree" by the establishment. The psydo-Catholics of the revisionist liberal camp still spew out a vitrollic hatred of the Blossoming Orthodox Traditional movement in the Latin-rite Catholic Church, a prime example being the knee-jerk reactionary bishops in France, Belgiun Holland, Canada & the U.S.A. ie Kaspar, Mahoney, Brown & Lustiger.When This Pope, Benedict XV1 finally lifts the demonizing and illigal suppression of the Latin-Tridentine Mass he can expect to be the focus of horrendous abuse from the Schistmatic bishops of the above mention countries. As for Orthodox Latin Catholics worldwide give the Pontiff a chance the man has only been Pope for slightly over a year. It took 40 years in the wilderness after Vat 2 to corrupt and deform the church the Supreme Pontiff can't effect Orthodox renewal overnight, give the man a break.God-Willing the Pauline-Bugnini Heterodoxy will come to an end in our lifetime. John