Liturgical Treasures have an Objective Claim on Catholics

In a posting entitled "On Reunion with the Orthodox and the SSPX Connection" blogger Prima at Gregorian Rite Catholic discusses the centrality of the liturgy in the quest for unity within the the Church Militant, the Body of Christ on Earth.

Allow me to quote the first few paragraphs of this insightful post and if it sounds interesting, pay a visit to Gregorian Rite Catholic. Maybe you'll find some other pleasant surprises there as well.

[I've also added some hyperlinks to the text for the help of the reader.]
__________________________

On Reunion with the Orthodox and the SSPX Connection

A reader wanted a clarification on the possible reunion with the Orthodox and the connection with the reintegration of the SSPX. Certainly, the publication of Summorum Pontificum on 7 July 2007 was the first step in the effort toward reintegration with the SSPX. The SSPX had always made the liturgy one of their points of contention, along with ecumenism and religious liberty (which will now be dealt with in talks under the aegis of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where the Commission Ecclesia Dei now reports). As Benedict XVI wrote:

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.'

Pope Benedict cites the name of Gregory the Great here:

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.

This is an important statement. While the "treasures of worship and culture" do not rise to the level of dogma or doctrine, Benedict notes that Gregory the Great was concerned to make sure that the new Christians of Europe received them. What Benedict is saying here is that these treasures have an objective claim on us as Catholics, even though they may not have the status of dogma or doctrine and that we cannot simply disregard them. They are objectively important in the lives of Catholics:

It is known, in fact, that the Latin liturgy of the Church in its various forms, in each century of the Christian era, has been a spur to the spiritual life of many saints, has reinforced many peoples in the virtue of religion and fecundated their piety.

Benedict particularly commends 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.

Benedict here is saying that, while there is always a need for reform, there is no excuse for disregarding and banishing the treasures of the past, which have proved themselves so salutary for the practice of the faith. Benedict notes the reforms that followed Vatican II, including those of the liturgical books, but says:

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.

In the explanatory letter that accompanied Summorum Pontificum, Benedict reinforced the salutary nature of the ecclesiastical tradition:

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.

Lady Immaculate’s Latin Mass a Trip into the Past

The Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest, Oak Park, Illinois published this report a few days ago and here's the way the story starts off:

As if Vatican II never happened: At Our Lady Immaculate Church, the Mass is in Latin, the priest faces the altar and all the women wear veils. Sound familiar? The altar sits against the wall, unlike those at the Vatican-approved Catholic churches where the priest faces the people.Radically traditional. Our Lady Immaculate’s Latin Mass is a trip into the past.

The article is a little longer than average but overall is well written and balaned and it sure does make for an interesting read. That's not to say that I agree with all that's been stated in the article. Since the story revolves around an SSPX parish, there is always the possibility of some controversial positions taken. Here's one quote for example:

Their critique begins with "the new Mass." They feel that Novus Ordo Missae - i.e. the Mass after the reforms of Vatican II with its use of the vernacular, changing the emphasis of the Eucharist (communion) from a sacrifice to a meal, moving altars away from the wall and omission of many rubrics in the Tridentine Mass - represents not only a "dissimulation of Catholic elements" and a "pandering to Protestants" but also "a danger to our faith, and, as such, evil." (Questions, p. 27)

Moving from liturgy to relations with other religions, SSPX contends that Vatican II has fostered an attitude of acceptance of religious pluralism that undermines the exclusive truth contained in the Catholic faith.

Of course anyone who claims to be faithful to the Pope could not make the bold charge against the new Mass, the Novus Ordo, that it was evil, although many other criticisms may be quite valid.

I must say I admired the statement made by the posted signs at the entrance of the Church:

"Out of respect for our Lord and for the edification of our neighbors we beg visitors to appear in church modestly dressed. For men, norms of modesty are not met by jeans, open shirts or tennis shoes. For women, they are not met by mini-skirts, sheer blouses, slacks or sleeveless or low cut dresses. Women are further asked to cover their heads [with "modesty veils"]. Your cooperation is evidence of your love for our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and respect for the House of God."

Go ahead and read the whole article. You'll learn something of the dynamics of the liturgical struggle.