FEATURE Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10

The voice of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce

Una Voce in Scotland, Ireland, India and Wales

FIUV World-Wide Report for the CDF Reception of Communion in the Epidemic News from around the world GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Gregorius Magnus: biannual magazine of the Una Voce

Federation “He who would climb The FIUV’s periodical is dedicated to St Gregory the Great to a lofty height must (Pope Gregory I), who died in 604 AD, a Pope forever go by steps, not leaps.” associated with Gregorian Chant, and the Gregorian rite of St Gregory the Great Mass (the Extraordinary Form). Gregorius Magnus magazine aims to be a showcase for the world-wide ‘Traditional Catholic’ movement: the movement for the restoration to the Church’s altars of the Mass in its traditional forms: Roman, Dominican, Ambrosian, and so on. Please send contributions Gregorius Magnus is published twice a year: in March and in to Joseph Shaw, the October. Secretary of the FIUV The Editor, Joseph Shaw, FIUV Secretary, wants to hear from ([email protected]), for you! While we cannot pay for contributions, we would like to our two annual deadlines: spread the news, good or bad, about the movement for the restoration of the Church’s liturgical traditions, from all over 15th February, the world. for the March issue, 15th September, the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales, and we wish to for the October issue. recordThe our production thanks to of them. the magazine is supported financially by

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Gregorius Magnus is published by the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce. The FIUV is a lay movement within the Catholic Church, founded in Rome in 1965 6 20 27 38 and erected formally in Zürich in January 1967. The principal aims of the FIUV are to ensure that the Missale Romanum Contents promulgated by Blessed Pope FIUV World Survey John XXIII in 1962 is maintained The CDF Survey, and the Federation’s Response 5 in the Church as one of the forms The FIUV Report: its creation 7 of liturgical celebration, to obtain ‘In their own words’ freedom of use for all other Roman 10 liturgical books enshrining ‘previous ‘Conclusion and Recommendations’ 16 liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition’ and to From the Magazines safeguard and promote the use of Dominus Vobiscum: St Michael, Defender of the Church Militant, Latin, Gregorian chant and sacred by Prof Michael Fiedrowicz 20 polyphony. Una Voce: After Notre Dame de Paris The Council of the International by Jaques Dhaussy 25 Federation Una Voce Mass of Ages: A Shrine of the Virgin Mother of God President: by Dr Caroline Farey 27 Felipe Alanís Suárez An evening companion, (Una Voce México) by Sebastian Morello 29 Honorary Presidents: The Latin Mass Magazine: Repetition is for Poets, Lovers, Children, • Jacques Dhaussy (Una Voce Madmen--and Worshippers, France) Vice Presidents: by Dr Peter Kwasnieski 30 • Patrick Banken (Una Voce France) News from Around the World • Jack Oostveen (Ecclesia Dei Delft, The Netherlands) Communion on the Tongue and Epidemic, Secretary: by Joseph Shaw 37 Estonia: Evangelisation through beauty, Joseph Shaw (Latin Mass Society, England by Maria Madise 38 and Wales) Rest and Joy for Wise Souls, Treasurer: by Robert Knita 39 Monika Rheinschmitt Bishop John Basil Meeking, Requiesquat in Pace, (Pro Missa Tridentina, Germany) by LMS(ED)NZ 40 Council Members: • David Reid (Una Voce Canada) Books Section • Oleg-Michael Martynov Episcopal Opposition to the Ecclesia Dei Commission: (Una Voce Russia) from Leo Darroch’s Una Voce 41 Holy Days of Obligation: Position Paper 13 (Una Voce Polonia) 44 • Jarosław Syrkiewicz • Jaime Alcalde (Una Voce Chile) • Eduardo Colon Editor: Joseph Shaw (Una Voce Puerto Rico) • Fabio Marino (Una Voce Italia) • João Silveira (UV Portugal) Website: http://www.fiuv.org/ Designed by GADS Limited • Prof. Riccardo Turrini Vita For further queries, please email to [email protected] (Una Voce Italia) Cover image: Low Mass in SS Gregory & Augustine’s, Oxford, England

www.fiuv.org/ Page 3 FROM THE SECRETARY GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Message from the Secretary

by Joseph Shaw, Secretary

Welcome to the 10th edition of to learn to celebrate the Traditional conclusions, some reflections on Gregorius Magnus, the biannual Mass, and that numbers attending its creation, and some select, and magazine of the Foederatio Extraordinary Form Masses have held anonymised, quotations from the Internationalis Una Voce. up, or increased, even while number scores of people who contributed to The last issue was published on 8th attending the Ordinary Form have it, from a personal knowledge of the March, which seems like an eternity been under pressure. situation ‘on the ground’. ago. The subsequent six months have The Federation’s time has been Things can look very different from imposed on most of us an experience fully occupied during this period, the perspective of Rome, or of a bishop, unlike anything in living memory, even while hundreds of important than they do from the perspective of the lay people who desire to worship placing enormous strain on the world’s devotional events have been cancelled, God as their predecessors in the Faith economy, on the life of the Church, and by something else, equally unforeseen: did, using the ancient formulas, and on human nature itself. a request by the Congregation for the participating in the same spiritual These new and, I hope, temporary Doctrine of the Faith, to the bishops of ethos. The perspective of the hierarchy conditions have created problems and, the whole world, for information about is certainly a valid one, indeed an perhaps surprisingly, opportunities, the implementation of the Apostolic indispensable one, but the perspective which no one could have foreseen. Letter Summorum Pontificum, of the laity is no less real. Thanks to There has been a fierce attack on the thirteen years after its publication. the work—and it was a lot of work!— ancient practice of receiving Holy Our response to this has been to of the Federation, the lay perspective Communion on the Tongue, although, gather information of our own, from is now available, in some measure, as noted in the Federation’s June our member associations and other to those reflecting on the future of Press Release on the subject, which is contacts, and the result has been a Summorum Pontificum in the Holy See. reproduced below, there seems to be research project such as we have never Spare a prayer for them, and above no scientific justification for the claim before undertaken. When I mailed the all for the Holy Father, Pope Francis: in that it is less hygienic than reception completed report to the Congregation, the words of the traditional prayer for in the hand. On the other hand, there it was 577 pages long, and covered 52 the Pope, ‘that he may desire by Thy have been anecdotal reports, too countries. grace those things which are pleasing many to dismiss, that some priests In this issue of Gregorius Magnus to Thee, and perform them with all his have been making use of periods of I am able to share with readers some strength.’ enforced inactivity during ‘lockdown’ of the fruits of this report: some

By Dr Joseph Shaw £3.50 Available to pre-order Experiencing the Extraordinary Form can raise a lot of questions. Why does the priest have his back to the congregation? Why is everything in Latin? How am I meant to take part? This booklet answers these ques-tions so as to help Catholics get a better understanding of the Extraordinary Form and to engage with it in a fruitful way. Catholic Truth Society CTS: The Catholic Publishing Charity God’s truth, beautifully told. 42-46 Harleyford Road, London SE11 5AY. Tel: 020 7640 0042; website: www.ctsbooks.org Email: [email protected]

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In April this year it was reported that It is worth recalling that in the But if this is the issue, why not the Congregation for the Doctrine of Letter from Pope Benedict XVI which express it positively? Why not ask, for the Faith, exercising the functions of accompanied Summorum Pontificum example, ‘Has the example of the EF the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia in 2007, the Holy Father invited stimulated a greater reverence in the Dei which has been merged with it, bishops’to send to the Holy See an celebration of the OF?’ had circulated a letter to all Latin account of your experiences, three The ‘adoption of elements’ could Rite bishops of the world, through years after this Motu Proprio has however also suggest something less their episcopal conferences, asking taken effect.’ This year’s request positive. As we well know, there are them about the implementation corresponds, therefore, to a ten-year bishops in all parts of the world who of the Apostolic Letter Summorum repeat of that exercise. attempt to forbit their priests from Pontificum. With a deadline of July The CDF’s questions appear, adopting the more traditional options 31st, the letter asked the bishops however, a little unsatisfactory, even within the Ordinary Form. They nine questions, as follows. a little strange. The concerns ask regard the use of Latin, celebration ad 1) What is the situation in your diocese certain tick-box questions: are norms orientem, and the reception of Holy with respect to the extraordinary respected? is the Office celebrated? Communion kneeling and on the form of the Roman rite? etc., without asking any quantitative tongue, all things explicitly allowed 2) If the extraordinary form is questions: How many? How much? Is by the liturgical law of the OF, as practiced there, does it respond to a it growing? Above all, the questions do unacceptable. In places where the EF true pastoral need or is it promoted not put the spotlight on the possible has gained a foothold, or even where by a single priest? of the EF: vocations, 3)  In your opinion, are there positive good fruit the EF is simply being requested, or negative aspects to the use of the marriages, baptisms, thriving such bishops may well regard extraordinary form? communities, historic churches these practices as ‘elements of the 4) Are the norms and conditions saved from demolition, or increased extraordinary form’ which some of established by Summorum offertory collections. their priests wish to introduce into the Pontificum respected? Two of the nine questions in OF. 5)  Did it occur to you that, in your particular raise concerns. One is One can only imagine that when the diocese, the ordinary form number 5: ‘Did it occur to you that, in results of this survey are collated, the has adopted elements of the your diocese, the ordinary form has CDF will find some bishops answering extraordinary form? adopted elements of the extraordinary this question ‘Yes’, meaning: ‘Isn’t 6) For the celebration of the Mass, do form?’ it wonderful that my priests have you use the Missal promulgated by Now Pope Benedict, in the Letter adopted a more reverent way of Pope John XXIII in 1962? already quoted, noted how the celebrating the OF?’, and others saying 7) Besides the celebration of the Mass celebration of the EF could have a ‘Yes’, meaning: ‘Isn’t it dreadful that in the extraordinary form, are there beneficial effect on the OF, as part of I hear of priests celebrating with other celebrations (for example, what he calls ‘mutual enrichment’: their backs to their congregations, The celebration of the Mass or some Faithful receiving kneeling?’ Penance, Unction of the sick, according to the Missal of Paul The contrasting interpretations of Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, VI will be able to demonstrate, the question could then be overlaid Triduum, funeral rites) according to more powerfully than has been by contrasting interpretations of the theOrdination, liturgical Divinebooks prior Office, to Vatican Easter the case hitherto, the sacrality Council II? answers by different people in the which attracts many people to 8) Has the motu proprio Summorum Holy See. Pontificum the former usage. The most sure The other potentially worrying life of seminaries (the seminary of guarantee that the Missal of Paul question is number 2: ‘If the the diocese) had and an otherinfluence formation on the VI can unite parish communities extraordinary form is practiced there, houses? and be loved by them consists in does it respond to a true pastoral need 9) Thirteen years after the motu its being celebrated with great or is it promoted by a single priest?’ proprio Summorum Pontificum, reverence in harmony with the This seems to imply a contrast what is your advice about the liturgical directives. This will bring between the EF being celebrated extraordinary form of the Roman out the spiritual richness and the because of pastoral need, and the EF rite? theological depth of this Missal. being ‘promoted’, in some negative

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sense. We might say, by parallel, that content, but in terms of perspective: 10.  Seminaries: do they teach Latin, the reception of Holy Communion in the CDF would be able to see how Chant, or the EF? Are they perceived the Hand was ‘promoted’, and did not the implementation of Summorum as hostile to the EF? arise out of ‘pastoral need’. Is the EF Pontificum looks like to the laity. 11. In what ways can the Holy See like that? Is it the product, as Pope We gathered information using be of further service in the Francis once suggested, of a fad? online forms with 27 questions, and implementation of Summorum In other words, this is a leading then edited this down to a format Pontificum and its aims? What question, and for this reason less corresponding to the following eleven constructive advice can you offer? likely to elicit objective or informative questions: It occurred to us also that, if responses. 1. How many stable groups of bishops’ responses were for any There is no way of knowing from Catholics attached to the EF are reason misleading, about the reality the outside how the no doubt complex there in the Diocese? of demand for the EF, the way it is process by which the questions were 2. Who celebrates the EF? (Diocesan being celebrated, or about their own formulated and chosen worked, and clergy, regular clergy, priests of the policies towards it, the CDF would the degree to which the result can Traditional Institutes, or priests have a chance to consult an alternative be said to reflect an official attitude visiting from outside the Diocese.) source of information. This is true at at the Congregation. The Federation 3. Who attends? (Young people, old the large-scale level, if the bishops took the view that, overall, the people, families, or the same as the of a whole country gave a certain CDF’s letter need not be considered local population.) impression, and also at the local level, 4. What is the level of provision for as a negative thing: for all the in those cases where in a particular the EF? (Daily, weekly, or monthly limitations and imperfections of the diocese reports were received both Masses; are the other sacraments questions the Holy See was giving from the bishop and from the FIUV. available?) bishops an opportunity to express The possibility of comparing a 5. What do those attached to the bishop’s response directly with one honest opinions and supply useful EF feel about the attitude of the from the Federation covering the same information, and future deliberations Diocese? about the EF there will be the better 6. Does the SSPX have a presence in diocese depends on how many bishops for their contribution. the Diocese? actually answered the CDF’s letter, and It occurred to us, at the same time, 7. What has been the effect on the also on how well we did in getting that we could assist the gathering of Diocese of the implementation of responses specific to each diocese. information by surveying our own Summorum Pontificum? We do not know how well the world’s member associations and presenting 8. What has been the Ordinary’s bishops did in getting responses back the CDF with the results. In doing policy and attitude? to Rome. How well the Federation’s so we could not only complement 9. At whose initiative have survey went is the subject of the next the CDF’s questions in terms of celebrations been organised? article.

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Joseph Shaw

The Federation’s preparation of a 16. Romania: 1/5 report for the Congregation for the occasion, to my knowledge, for the 17. Russia: 1/4 Doctrine of the Faith about the world- Federation This projectto engage was a paid also assistant the first for 18. Scotland: 8/8 wide implementation of Summorum its work, a freelance Project Manager 19. Spain: 6/69 Pontificum, includes detailed who worked full time on the report for 20. Sweden: 1/1 information from 368 dioceses, from two and a half months. 21. Switzerland: n/a2 56 countries in six continents. It has 22. The Netherlands: 7/7 been perhaps the most challenging Level of response 23. Ukraine: 1/7 administrative task the Federation Our achievement in these three has ever faced. months gives an indication of the North America: 3 countries, 82 Gregorius Magnus 8 included an strengths and the limitations of the dioceses extract from Leo Darroch’s Una Voce: Federation and its members. 1. Canada: 20/61 A History, on the ‘Knox report’ of 1980. In the list below, we give the number 2. Mexico: 28/87 James, Cardinal Knox, asked the bishops of dioceses reported on and the total 3. United States of America: 34/176 of the world whether there was real number of dioceses in each country. demand for the Traditional Mass, and Thus, 2/6 means that we had reports Oceania: 2 countries, 20 dioceses it seemed clear that the result was not from two dioceses in a country with 1. New Zealand: 6/6 objective. The Federation produced an six territorial Latin Rite Dioceses, or 2. Australia: 14/26 alternative report and the President, equivalent jurisdictions. Erich de Savanthem, brought the results South America: 16 countries, 69 to Rome, leaving various dicasteries a Africa: 4 countries, 7 dioceses. dioceses suitcase of documents. 1. Nigeria: 1/53 1. Argentina: 21/62 This report was at least partially 2. Angola: 1/18 2. Bolivia: 2/10 composed of results of opinion surveys 3. Uganda: 1/19 3. Chile: 10/25 (from Germany), and responses to 4. South Africa: 4/25 4. Colombia: 7/65 newspaper adverts (in England and 5. Costa Rica: 1/8 Wales). Thirty years later we faced the Asia: 8 countries, 21 dioceses. 6. Dominican Republic: 2/9 task of collecting information about 1. China (PRC): 6/100 7. Ecuador: 2/15 a much larger number of organised 2. India: 1/132 8. El Salvador: 1/8 groups of Catholics requesting the 3. Japan: 1/16 9. Guatemala: 1/13 ancient Mass, from a much larger 4. Jordan: 1/1 10. Honduras: 2/10 number of countries. 5. Korea 3/151 11. Nicaragua: 1/10 A further challenge for us on this 6. Malaysia: 1/9 12. Panama: 1/6 occasion was the strict time limit. We 7. Philippines: 6/77 13. Paraguay: 5/12 wanted our report to arrive at the CDF 8. Taiwan: 2/6 14. Peru: 1/33 as soon as possible after the deadline for 15. Puerto Rico: 3/6 the bishops’ reports to arrive there, 31st Europe: 23 countries, 169 dioceses. 16. Venezuela: 8/32 July. Between the time we heard about 1. Austria: n/a the CDF asking for information, and this 2. Croatia: 1/16 Clearly, there are many countries deadline, we had approximately three 3. England and Wales: 22/22 represented where the celebration months: the months of May, June, and 4. Estonia: 1/1 of the EF is extremely limited: India, July. 5. France: 20/95 Malaysia, Japan, Russia, Croatia, and so It so happened that these months 6. Germany: 24/24 on. From these we received reports for corresponded, for many of us, to a 7. Ireland: 1/26 just one or two dioceses. period of severe restrictions on travel 8. Italy: 39/227 Another group of countries and work due to the Coronavirus. In my 9. Latvia: 4/4 comprises well-established associations own case, a whole series of demanding 10. Lithuania: 2/7 where the EF is more widespread, summer events which normally occupy 11. Luxembourg: 1/1 which were able to provide us with me in the spring and summer, were 12. Malta: 2/2 results either for all of their dioceses cancelled, and my holiday plans were 13. Norway: 1/3 (the achievement of ten countries), displaced from July into August. God 14. Poland: 20/44 or of more than a dozen dioceses in certainly works in mysterious ways. 15. Portugal: 4/20 reasonably large countries.

1. Not counting two dioceses in Korea which are vacant due to Communist rule. 2. We received a summary report for the country as a whole but not diocese-by-diocese reports.

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Included in the total are more than a dozen countries where, at the beginning of the process, we had no Member Association. In one case, that of Bolivia, the national association has now joined the Federation. In another, Luxembourg,

‘National Correspondent’. Four further ‘Nationalour contact Correspondents’ was already anhave official now we made: for Estonia, Latvia, Romania, andbeen Angola. confirmed thanks to the contacts

Gaps in our information We can be very pleased by the level of coverage we achieved, while still wishing to do better in the future. This is because it is reasonably clear that in a vast number of cases dioceses and countries where we received no report First, it quickly became clear that Conclusion are places where there is nothing to only by combining responses to several The gathering of this information report: where there are no celebrations questions could a complete picture of is exactly the kind of task which the of the EF, and no organised stable groups the attitude of the Ordinary to the EF Federation exists to do, and no other asking for it. This is not so in the United be formed: only a human editor could States of America, France, and Italy, but body could even contemplate such an do this. Similarly, many larger dioceses To compare, the Fraternity it is the case in countries in the Balkans, undertaking. received more than one report, which of St Peter, for example, would be able to in the Islamic world, and in much of had to be manually combined. draw on detailed knowledge from their Africa and India. Second, those collating the results 124 apostolates, almost all in North West frequently had to revert to the local local contacts: they told us they know Europe and North America, with none in correspondents to clarify ambiguities of no This other is confirmedcelebrations by of many the EF of and our Spain or Portugal, and very few in central or mixed messages. no other stable groups asking for it in and eastern Europe, and their knowledge Third, results from the different their countries, outside the one or two would be drawn exclusively from the language versions could not easily dioceses they did cover in detail. be combined, especially because the On the other hand, we have reports established, and would exclude the more places where the EF was most firmly from not only our core, founding typical situations. downloaded from the service we were member countries of North-West This, indeed, is a special strength usingExcel filesare not of theat all results user-friendly: which can they be Europe, but all the Baltic states and cannot be viewed on a screen easily, most of Scandinavia, all the countries important feature of the FIUV itself. The of the FIUV’s report, which reflects an of North America, and every Spanish- because they contain blocks of text of Federation represents, and is able to report speaking country except Cuba; and we widely varying lengths. on, not only the success stories, but also the received very informative reports from If we had been seeking primarily places where the Traditional Mass is still our more recently-made friends in the not available. Indeed, it is often groups of Far East and Africa. Catholics who cannot get the Traditional manageable,numerical data, but thisthe most final categoryvaluable Mass who are motivated to form National Use of Online forms resultsof difficulties are the would comments, have been giving more Associations, and come to the Federation We asked our Member Associations extremely interesting insights into local for help. This ocean of unmet demand is and other contacts to forward a link situations. plumbed only by lay Una Voce groups and to an online questionnaire to their Although one can make certain their international Federation, the FIUV. diocesan contacts, and these contacts generalisations about the level of We can be pleased, therefore, that for the most part seemed quite willing interest in the EF, and the level of although the work involved in preparing provision for it, around the world, this report was truly back-breaking questionnaire in English, French, Italian, our survey does not allow us to talk German,to fill it out. and We Spanish. created versions of the about the percentage of dioceses in the leadership of some of our member The information gathered in this way the world where it is celebrated, and associations,for the Officers, the andFederation also, I know, as foran then needed to be collated. This turned so on, because for most countries our organisation proved capable of doing it. out to require a great deal of work, some information is incomplete, and we can It would be unrealistic to suggest doing done by Member Associations, and be sure that the dioceses and countries such a detailed report every year, or even we do have information about are not for every General Assembly, but it might in this stage of the work derived from representative of dioceses and countries severalsome centrally. factors. The difficulty involved as a whole. exercise. be something to consider as a five-yearly

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Select comments from those filling the EF becomes common among the Asia in the FIUV’s world-wide survey on diocesan clergy, as has happened The FIUV has members or other contacts the implementation of Summorum in a few places, this has an effect in seven countries in Asia: India, Japan, Pontificum, lightly anonymised. on the whole ethos of the diocese, Korea, Taiwan, mainland China, Malaysia, Each paragraph below comes from and can be seen in the way the and the Philippines, who between them a different diocese; they have been Ordinary Form is celebrated, in the submitted detailed reports on twenty selected to illustrate both common nature of seminary formation, and dioceses, and summaries of the situation themes and the variations found even in vocations. in many more. The problems faced by the within a single country. 4. In some countries it has taken until Church in Asia are quite different from those Among other themes to be noted here of Europe and North America: in many of the last few years for and throughout these reports, six should Summorum them populations are young and growing, be noted. Pontificum to be implemented. and churches are full, but a deep traditional 1. Congregations at the Traditional In other places, bishops have piety has to compete with the advance of Mass generally have far more apparently taken the view that the Western-style consumerism, fed by the rising young people and families than prosperity of some, while others face the Ordinary Form congregations. policy, less friendly to the Traditional destruction of their traditional communities The drawing in of young people, Mass.new PontificateFor these, the indicates CDF’s asurvey new by urbanisation. family formation, and openness to may serve as a reminder that SP A small but growing number of young children, are very evident fruits of is still extant, especially if the CDF people in Asia have been discovering the Summorum Pontificum. follows it up with even a mild ancient Latin Mass, which in many cases was the basis for an authentic local spirituality 2. The Traditional Mass does not message of encouragement. for centuries before 1970: it was the Mass of just attract young people, it is 5.  Among the clergy, there is a the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese Martyrs, associated with a conversion generational divide. Younger and the daily spiritual food of generations of mori, conversion of life: from priests, and now even many younger Filipino and Indian Latin Rite Catholics, and unbelief, from lapsation, or simply bishops, are far more open to the it resonates deeply with a spiritual culture to a greater commitment to the EF than the older generation. The which emphasises respect for tradition and Faith. This is reflected by the ritual. Their aspiration to attend this form of large number of vocations to the to contemplate the passing of the Mass, and to spread the word about it to priesthood and religious life found liturgicalinfluence offashions senior clergyprevalent unwilling when others in their countries, has been frustrated in congregations. This happens in they were young, often remains not so much by a lack of resources, although even quite new and tenuous EF strong. that is real enough, as by the lack of interest, situations. Sadly, such vocations 6. Another theme touched on in some and sometimes hostility, of many bishops and senior clergy. are not always made welcome at reports is the inclusiveness of the diocesan seminaries (and, though ancient Mass. In large, mixed cities, China not mentioned below, in many congregations typically include ‘We have not purchased new liturgical communities of female religious). people from all sectors of society, items and vestments (we are too poor to 3. There is a contrast between social and ethnic, whereas Ordinary do so), but have been good at digging up dioceses where the Traditional old things that used to be in use in the Institutes have apostolates, and subgroups. Not only does the use of church and making them used again.’ those where the EF is celebrated LatinForm obviateMasses oftenthe need cater for for Catholics specific ‘The former [Patriotic] Bishop only by priests of the Diocese. of different cultural heritages used EF (the Latin Mass) as a rebellion Unless given personal parishes to seek out liturgies in different weapon against the Vatican. When the for the EF, which is very rare for languages, but the ethos of the Mass “underground” church introduced the Ordinary Form through Hong Kong & Diocesan clergy, the latter suffer is appreciated, alike, by immigrants Taiwan groups, they found it much easier the problem of regular rotation, used to a more traditional to perform. So there was an ideological often leaving EF communities spirituality, and those from non- stranded without a celebrant. “subversion” within the Chinese Patriotic traditional backgrounds seeking to Catholic Association brought by those On the other hand, some dioceses reconnect with an authentic form of who joined both the underground and the seem have a policy of allowing only encounter with the Divine. Patriotic church.’ priests of the Institutes to offer Due to constraints of space, reports ‘So far still no EF in the diocese, except regular EF celebrations, with the from the Americas, Africa, Germany, once a month, always Votive Mass of Our result (perhaps intended) that the and Central and Eastern Europe are Lady on Saturdays, never changes, and deferred to the next edition. Below we often cancelled as the only priest who the rest of the diocese is impeded. present Asia, Southern Europe, North celebrates it but is not willing to draw Where,influence by of contrast, the ancient celebration liturgy onof West Europe, and Oceania. others’ attention to it, is busy.’

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‘Anti-intellectualism has already “top down”. So long as the Holy See is Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith spread in the diocese. The Administrator perceived as not really interested in the in early January 2019.’ cares nothing about the use of EF form, EF or in traditional liturgical elements, it ‘There is one stable group, very but wishes to build his own zone of will be an uphill battle to promote it here.’ numerous (practically an entire village) ‘I would also like to note that it has and active.’ Soup for the Soul” to attract people. But produced many conversions, if not oninfluence, the contrary, that is the to say,ones to who make desire “Chicken true from unbelief to belief, then certainly a to a sharp increase in the interest in the religion are scared away by the libertarian conversion of the heart which involves a ancient‘SP has rite had not significant only from effects, the leadingfaithful behaviours.’ stronger spirituality, nourished by two (especially young people), but also from thousand years of tradition represented the clergy; a further push has been made, India by the Usus Antiquior.’ among the laity, following the generous ‘Summorum Pontificum is not all ‘Our seminarian, … has asked us only to openings of Pope Francis towards published in India and this part of the publicise photos of our Solemn High Mass, the SSPX. This is because of the still globe nor in any of the Parish bulletins in which he acted as straw subdeacon, widespread (though erroneous) opinion or magazines. …Please see that the wherein his face is obscured by another that the SSPX problem is a liturgical Summorum Pontificum is published even server… He did this as a precaution.’ matter; accordingly the Holy Father’s after so many years of delay so that lay ‘For us in the Philippines, the popular initiative has been perceived by many as people and priests are aware that the piety of the people remained “pre-1955” Extraordinary Form of Mass is not banned even if they did not realize it. A known approval” of the traditional liturgy.’ example is the fact that Octaves for a further,‘Formally more the meaningful, Ordinary “pontificalis very obligation.’ patronal feasts in our country are not favourable, but he continues to insist on and one can attend and fulfil one’s Sunday unheard of or out of the ordinary; a famous the celebration of the EF Saturday evening Japan instead of Sunday, and to entrust the EF held on the Octave Day of the older date of ‘Classic music concert, lecture by non faithful to a priest who, because of his festivalthe feast in of Manila,Our Lady the of Lathe NavalRosary. fiesta, A feast is believer are always welcomed but we are other commitments, cannot assure them in the Cavite province, of Our Lady of the shut down because of the TLM.’ effective pastoral care.’ Solitude, is held twice in November, and ‘The Bishop appears strongly to dislike the intervening days are called “octavas”.’ Korea the EF, but has taken a more respectful and open-minded attitude than his ‘I think the biggest problem is that EF Southern Europe: Italy, Spain, predecessor, who worked in various ways Mass-going Catholics are seen as “other”. Portugal and Malta to obstruct celebrations and to prevent And over time, they eventually become Catholics attached to the ancient liturgy the application of Summorum Pontificum, just that. I think when such Catholics are of the Church in the countries of profound notably in clergy meetings. The Bishop seen as fellow brothers in the faith, that Catholic culture in southern Europe—Italy, has not visited the church where the EF bunker mentality will disappear to the Spain, Portugal and Malta—have long is celebrated despite several invitations. found it particularly difficult to organise He has declined to invite a traditional ‘With most humble prayers and celebrations of the Traditional Mass, because Institute into the diocese when requested loyaltybenefit ofto all.’the Church, we do hope the of the entrenched hostility of the hierarchy. to do so. He has warned seminarians not situation will be improved and especially Thanks perhaps to the example of the Holy to attend the EF.’ His Holiness and other ordinaries of the See, where the Fraternity of St Peter, the ‘In 2006 the FSSP took over an Church could recognise the richness of Institute of Christ the King, and the Institute existing provision for the EF which had EF and the devotion to Catholicism and of the Good Shepherd, have all been allowed been celebrated since the 1970s. The Church authority of the Faithful who love to establish apostolates, an increasing congregation has grown, but little else has EF.’ number of Italian bishops are now making changed.’ room for the Extraordinary Form, and the ‘The current ordinary is not very Malaysia Institute of Christ the King, whose seminary favourable, he tolerates the celebration of ‘The confusion surrounding the is outside Florence, has established a number the Mass that was there when he entered legitimacy of the Latin Mass is something of chaplaincies. The areas of Venice and the the diocese. In particular, he did not allow that is still prevalent in and around North more generally, Naples, and Calabria the bells to be rung for Mass and to give Catholic circles. The average lay person in the South are particularly well served. news of the celebration.’ may still somewhat associate the EF with However, progress remains slow in Spain, ‘There is less aversion to the EF the SSPX and treats them as one and the and even more so in Portugal and Malta. same.’ Curia, following their retirement for age ‘We do not wish to speak ill of our Italy limitson the and part the of officialssuccession of theof diocesanyounger Ordinary but his stipulations on the ‘After nearly ten years of effort by the ecclesiastics in their posts.’ availability of the mass clearly impede group of faithful, now a splendid Baroque ‘There are some individual religious what is allowed for in Summorum church is dedicated exclusively for the clergy in dioceses who celebrate the Pontificum.’ daily celebrations in the EF and for all ancient rite privately (or at least not as part traditional devotions.’ The Philippines ‘The general feeling is that a and sometimes even celebrate for some ‘Those who usually pass by, get curious widespread disappointment. The stableof the officialgroups activity of neighbouring of their community), dioceses.’ and enter, as if beguiled by the Music or application of Summorum Pontificum ‘There are at the moment no regular the Silence.’ was the result of a hard-won battle celebrations in the ancient rite. The ‘The Philippines is one of many and lasted only a few years. It virtually faithful attached to the EF do not attend culturally-Catholic countries where ceased to be applied when the Ecclesia the churches of the diocese but turn to liturgical and theological attitudes are Dei was suppressed and merged into the other neighbouring dioceses where the

www.fiuv.org/ Page 11 SURVEY GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 ancient mass is celebrated, or to the SSPX pretexts, until the direct intervention of prohibited also from celebrating EF. This or sedevacantists.’ the Ecclesia Dei Commission. This Mass has practically stopped the sterling work ‘The EF is frequented by people of all is barely tolerated by the bishop. The and efforts done by Pro Tridentina Malta ages, several young couples with children, number of participants is reduced. Other since 2007. The bishops have discouraged often Oriental (Sri Lanka) to even Africans priests are discouraged from celebrating. diocesan clergy from establishing regular (Congo) even recently about 70-75 He has ordered the parish priest to celebrations of the EF.’ people. By now, after decades of this Mass suspend the celebration which he could it is a stable and growing reality. It has only resume after his authorization.’ North West Europe already happened that people attended ‘After nearly ten years of effort by the In France, Germany, The Netherlands, the celebrations outside the church due to group of faithful, now a splendid Baroque Scotland, and England and Wales, the lack of space.’ church is dedicated exclusively for the Traditional Movement is very well- ‘There is no more adversity by clergy, daily celebrations in the EF and for all established, and provision for the EF is at a whereas previously it was even ferocious. traditional devotions.’ reasonably high level. England and Wales, ‘The previous Ordinary established a Scotland, Germany, and The Netherlands conditions of law—and then the hostility.’ personal parish and himself celebrated are among the countries where the The‘The ostracism Bishop ceased refused first—lacking to receive the or assisted at the older Rites, but put the Federation received reports for every delegates of a stable group in audience, brakes on the spread of EF in the ordinary territorial diocese in the country; France denying in principle that they could not parishes, which especially in small towns has the largest number of celebrations of even ask to have a Mass celebrated in was growing up just because the EF is in the EF of any country other than the USA, the EF in the city, and therefore deeming natural, profound tune with local culture. and the greatest concentration of priests it useless to talk to them. The Ordinary It was not, however, a personal position, from the Traditional Institutes and other contradicts Summorum Pontificum by but the policy of the region’s bishops.’ communities dedicated to the EF. not allowing the clergy and faithful to In France, the number of Mass locations celebrate any Mass other than the one Spain recognised by the bishops has more said by the one permitted group. This is ‘The celebration of the extraordinary than doubled since the promulgation of based on the prejudice that in a diocese, form began ten years ago, monthly. For overtaking by a however extensive, there may be a single three years the celebration took place significant margin the number supplied Mass in the EF.’ every Sunday and holy day of obligation. bySummorum the SSPX, Pontificum,which has increased by only ‘The Faithful lament that the Ordinary Currently, with some exceptions due to by 10%. Despite this, Catholics attached dissuades diocesan priests from the absence of the priest, it is celebrated to the EF continue to be subject to many approaching the EF, and does not receive daily from Monday to Friday.’ ‘Our bishop difficulties and frustrations, and often representatives of the stable groups even is one of the very few in Spain who has perceive the attitude of bishops to be on request.’ celebrated the traditional mass.’ decidedly unfriendly. Only a very small ‘After SP the number of faithful ‘The current Ordinary has prohibited number of bishops are really appreciative attending the celebrations has increased any priest from saying the Traditional of the possibilities which the EF represents. ten-fold.’ Mass, appointing only one to do so, and The limitations of the provision for ‘The Ordinary is part of the problem in a single church. Mass is celebrated on the EF even in North West Europe, and and not of the solution. According to Sundays and holy days of obligation, but the difficulties still faced by priests and reliable sources, he conceded SP only for there is no other pastoral or catechetical laity attached to the EF, are instructive. the traditionalist faithful to come forward care for this group of faithful. The church Ignorance about the provisions of in the hope to subsequently disband them and a disdain and then secure their return to the OF. for the EF, are still not difficult to find, and But the failure of this strategy led to the doesdesignated not know for Mass how isto insufficient say Mass properly.’ because theseSummorum continue Pontificum, to influence the policies of suppression of the celebration of the EF in not all the faithful can fit in, and the priest many dioceses. This is particularly so in The the main city of the diocese.’ Portugal Netherlands. ‘The general feeling is that of frustration ‘The Faithful are denied access, Ireland has a poor record for the on the part of traditional minded faithful. indirectly, through the local bishop implementation of For example, asked by the faithful for the accusing the EF of being a divisive liturgy and the countries of Scandinavia are similar possibility of celebrating the EF, the parish and directly pressuring priests not to to the Baltic nationsSummorum in relation Pontificum,to the small priest made himself immediately available pursue educating themselves to offer the number of Catholics present, and to the for its celebration, but had to give up once EF with threats of relocation under the generally slow development of provision for his Ordinary said no, despite the fact, as guise of “lack of obedience to the bishop.”’ the EF. Luxembourg has a provision for the we know, that in terms of SP no bishop’s ‘The Bishop does not grant a church EF which is accessible to all thanks to the approval is needed.’ or chapel for worship!’ ‘He does not tiny size of the state. ‘The Ordinary is perceived as friendly want Mass in Latin.’ ‘We gathered 154 to the EF. He invited the ICKSP and the signatures this April: we are awaiting a England and Wales Sister Adorers into the diocese.’ response.’ ‘I know of 3 young people who have ‘The Mass is discouraged, even ‘The bishop makes fun of us in every entered into vocations from the EF if the numerical participation of the interview he gives to the media.’ congregations in the area.’ faithful remains good. It is currently not ‘A reiteration of the content of advertised on social media to avoid hostile Malta Summorum Pontificum to ordinaries and interventions by opponents. The Bishop is ‘The celebration of the EF has been the Faithful should be considered by the perceived as hostile to the EF.’ allowed in one church only, and with the Holy See. 2007 is now 13 years ago. Many ‘The Ordinary hindered the celebration proviso that if other priests celebrate people will never have known the content in the SF for two years under various publicly the EF, this church will be

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‘The Ordinary’s attitude and policy assist.’ ‘Where Masses were/are said, more by their colleagues than by the have never been made clear. He hasn’t they ceased/cease as soon as the priest Ordinary at the moment. We have several impeded long standing Masses. However, saying them was/is moved unless lucky priests who have asked for training in the on the negative side, he has not responded enough to have a replacement willing and last six months.’ ‘Last year the Archdiocese to my offer of help in relation to the CDF able to celebrated the EF. As most Mass enquired as to why the parish income survey that has inspired this piece of goers of necessity are peripatetic, having had increased by 40%. The Parish Priest work, and has rejected suggestions that to leave their own parishes regularly to was pleased to report that it was down to the Traditional Institutes be given a place introducing the TLM on Sundays.’ in the life of the Diocese. His view was that disconnection between them and their ‘The Ordinary is completely open to the diocese was too dependent on non-UK ownfind theparishes.’ Latin Mass, there is of course a celebrations of the EF. Unsurprisingly, he priests as it is.’ ‘The Ordinary is learning to celebrate has had the biggest number of ordinations ‘I believe the standard resistance to the EF, and sent another priest on a course in the Province. He has created an open the EF and Summorum Pontificum will to learn to celebrate it also. The Ordinary and inviting atmosphere the EF within gradually die away. The Holy See should also ensured that a priest of a Traditional his diocese. By his actions, he has made ensure seminaries are properly preparing Institute replaced another regular EF- it obvious that the EF is welcome in his the next waves of priests not only for the celebrating priest to maintain the main diocese.’ celebration of the EF but how to handle centres of the EF, and he has also invited ‘The Ordinary has said that his priests objections at a parish level.’ the ICKSP to take over a parish in the are hard working and have much to do. ‘Summorum Pontificum has reinforced Diocese, which has been agreed. He has He is unwilling to ask them to take on an the legitimacy of the EF by example.’ tried to ensure that priests are available to additional burden. He is, however, happy ‘Since the time of Summorum maintain and develop existing provision Pontificum, 4 out of 8 priests ordained for the EF. He has been extremely friendly priest who is willing to accommodate the during that decade either celebrate the EF to the EF, by marked contrast to his EF,if those and whoa priest want eventhe EF from can findoutside a parish the Mass or have indicated an interest. One of predecessor who was not friendly at all to diocese.’ our current seminarians is also interested it.’ ‘There are no obvious divisions among in the EF.’ ‘The Holy See could reinforce the right lay people (i.e. parishioners) where ‘The EF is well integrated into the of the Laity to have unencumbered access the EF is celebrated, but it has revealed life of the diocese and there is little to the Latin Mass without prejudice, which ideological divisions among the clergy, antagonism towards Catholics attached falls in the wider right of the Laity to a which tend to fall along generational lines.’ to it. Plans have been made to formalise worthy and sacred liturgy in accordance ‘I think that any diocesan seminarian arrangements with the appointment of a to their primary duty to give what is due to who attended the EF would be ostracised. designated chaplain.’ the Holy Trinity.’ ‘Remind Ordinaries that There is a seminarian from this Diocese in ‘The bishop is reasonably sympathetic we are not way out, backwards looking the Institute of Christ the King and there to the provision of the EF in the Diocese, and that the young and especially young was a second. Attempts were made by although he probably thinks that the converts from Anglicanism, are attracted the diocese to persuade them not to join current provision of one Sunday Mass and to the old rite if someone just gives them the Institute but to go along with the one the opportunity to experience it!’ diocesan seminarian to the Scots College are a few priests of the Diocese who are ‘The current Ordinary has a neutral in Rome.’ stronglytwo weekday opposed Masses to the is sufficient. EF, and would There overall attitude, but did respond positively perhaps sideline the traditionalists, but to a request for additional celebrations, Ireland these are few. The Bishop has made efforts when the only ones were in the centre of ‘We have the best of liturgy, regular to increase the level of provision of EF the diocese. However he has not ensured confession and access to great priests. We Masses. However, he does not appear to that one of these continued when he provide for ourselves, with permission to support the provision in SP which allows moved the celebrant. Priests of the use the church building from the diocese, parish priests to respond to requests from Archdiocese are strongly discouraged subject to agreement of the local parish stable groups for EF Masses. He likes to from taking the initiative with the EF. His priest. So in that sense we are somewhat reserve this to himself. He welcomed the predecessor was less friendly.’ on the periphery.’ Oratorians to the Diocese, but I think he is ‘They do not feel marginalised. The fearful of a backlash from some clergy and The Netherlands some laity if he goes further.’ outside some small cities the population ‘There is no regular celebration of ‘The current Ordinary is a recent main difficulty in the diocese is that the EF on Sunday in the diocese despite appointment; his predecessor had a provide the EF to those who live in the the fact that there are people who want poor record, disparaged the EF and countryis very thinly districts.’ spread and it is difficult to it. The signs are that those who want the by his moving of clergy destroyed one EF are frustrated by this lack. They feel Scotland themselves treated as lower class Faithful ‘Any stable groups, i.e., parishioners ‘Catholics attached to the EF feel of the Archdiocese.’ whoparticularly asked for flourishing the Mass stable in their group.’ parishes, like second class citizens, although they ‘The EF is celebrated about four have been effectively shut down by (1) have been allowed to expand what they times a year. Until eleven years ago it was unsupportive/hostile parish priests (2) are doing in recent times. The previous celebrated on two Sundays a month. The Ordinary was very hostile and responded Faithful who want to attend the EF are Mass and (3) the previous Ordinary’s total to SP by issuing a letter to the clergy obliged to travel to other dioceses or to antipathy.insufficient There clergy was being even available a lock out to sayby asserting that although his permission Belgium.’ a Parish Priest of the Faithful when his was not needed for the celebration for the ‘The recently retired Ordinary invited assistant priest was willing and able— EF, it was required for any priest to attend the FSSP into the Diocese in 2006, and and saying—the Mass, no-one could a training course. Priests feel ostracised established them as pastors of the

www.fiuv.org/ Page 13 SURVEY GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 personal parish in 2012. He attended an EF celebration by a visiting Cardinal in 2011. His successor, while Auxiliary Bishop and later as Bishop Coadjutor, and another auxiliary bishop of the diocese, have regularly conferred the Sacrament of of the diocese has celebrated the EF in thisConfirmation. personal parish A retired once, auxiliary the only Bishop Dutch bishop to celebrate the EF.’ ‘The EF Mass is not promoted by the seminary and the attraction of the EF by seminarians are not fully respected. For this reason recently one of the seminarians left this diocesan seminary. With regard to the EF the seminarians have to take their own initiative outside the seminary.’ ‘Following requests from the Faithful and the intervention of the PCED, the EF had been celebrated in the diocese before 2007, but this was severely restricted. Following the promulgation of Summorum Pontificum, formal requests were made by two groups. However, these did not bear fruit, while on the other hand due to the attitude of the diocese the agreement with the FSSP concerning the earlier- established EF venue was discontinued.’ ‘It was under the previous Ordinary that the every-Sunday provision was established. This is celebrated by a rota of A Priest Training Conference in Prior Park, Bath, in England, organised by the Latin Mass priests while the organist and the director Society in 2018. The Conference planned for 2020 was twice cancelled due to the Coronavirus; of the Choir are paid by the diocese. Since it is hoped that it will take place in 2021. the celebrants have to celebrate their own parish Mass in the OF and travel to the Ordinary has not appointed anyone and latitude, especially with regard to being venue, Mass is at an inconvenient time the situation seems frozen. So we asked chaplains to scout groups, which is still a which places a limit on its growth.’ for an appointment. We are waiting to be stumbling block for their apostolate.’ received.’ ‘As a result of the move of the Luxembourg ‘The seminary was moved … the traditional congregation from an overly ‘The Luxembourgish Mass, the Italian cramped, invisible place of worship to Mass, the Portuguese Mass, the English a beautiful and large church in which language Mass, the French Mass, the laterofficial confessed reason wasto seminarians, to share resourceswas that worship was no longer celebrated, within Polish Mass and so on are all focuses of previouslywith other dioceses.the seminarians The unofficial had been reason, able a month there was a steady increase in attendance by the various expatriate to have contact with FSSP priests and had attendance, which tripled, mainly made communities. If you attend any of these adopted the wrong attitude (wearing the up of young people and young families. you are unlikely to meet anyone whose cassock, etc.).’ This is proof of the missionary dimension native language is not that of the Mass ‘The bishop’s attitude to the of the liturgy in FE. It would be good if you are attending. It is at the TLM that the authorities were to take this kind of Following the Bishop’s communication example into account.’ onExtraordinary the Motu Proprio, Form there is rated have five gradually stars. backgrounds. There, you can meet people ‘Priestly Institutes which use the EF developed Traditional Masses in several ofyou Luxembourgeois, will find a real Hungarian, mixture of British, ethnic should provide chaplaincy in schools or parishes. The Bishop has made a French, Polish, Japanese, Belgian, Italian, schools.’ Nigerian, Austrian, Dutch and Spanish commitment to ensure that groups of ‘The faithful who live outside the two nationality, united by the common faithful attached to the Extraordinary main cities are abandoned and make language of the Church: Latin.’ Form receive priests who are able to meet their expectations. The bishop journeys of dozens of kilometres.’ France invited traditional religious institutes to ‘The Holy See can assist or support ‘Sunday Mass is at 8:30 a.m. in this the diocese.’ ‘There is a seminary in the the application of the Motu Proprio rural area. Many of the faithful would diocese that teaches the Extraordinary Summorum Pontificum by requesting that like to come, but this timetable prevents Form to a high level. The EF is accessible an objective communication on Motu them from doing so. During school to seminarians on an occasional basis.’ Proprio be carried out in parishes: many holidays, the number of those present ‘The Holy See can assist or support people are ignorant of the EF option can double or triple. Since Pentecost, the the application of the Motu Proprio and are “converted” when given the day of our priest’s departure for another Summorum Pontificum by further opportunity to attend an FE at weddings, diocese, we no longer have a priest: the normalizing the EF, giving priests full First Holy Communions, funerals, etc..’

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www.fiuv.org/ Page 15 SURVEY GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 ‘Conclusions and Recommendations’ The Federation submitted the text below to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as part of our Report: ‘The implementation of the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum in dioceses around the world, 2007-2020’.

The Federation’s survey was such group, given the distances it is 3. Seminaries addressed to Catholics in every possible for the Faithful to travel for Despite the earnest request of the possible social and cultural Mass. Young people, notably, often do situation: in wealthy countries not have cars, and public transport can the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae and poor ones, in countries of be very limited on Sundays. ninePontifical years Commission ago, few seminaries Ecclesia Dei have in Western culture and in countries of Even in France, where the EF is most taken up the challenge of teaching traditional indigenous cultures, in widely available of any country in the the celebration of the Extraordinary overwhelmingly Catholic countries, world (leaving aside microstates such Form. This is a subject we take up in and in those where Catholics are as Luxembourg), for many Catholics more detail below, under the heading a small minority. We are able to access to the EF depends on being able of Recommendations. include detailed reports for 368 More fundamentally, it is common dioceses, from 56 countries. Despite In the next best provided countries, for seminaries to fail in their obligation enormous variation between suchto drive, as the perhaps United a significantStates and distance.England, under Canon Law to give seminarians dioceses even within a particular it is not the case the EF is celebrated a thorough grounding in Latin, often country, certain clear patterns even in every moderately large city, offering none at all. emerge. or on an every-Sunday basis in every Even more worrying is the diocese. At the other end of the scale continued perception of many 1. Stable groups. there are many whole countries, seminaries as being hostile The questions of our survey have notably in Africa, where the EF is environments for those interested been chosen to complement the celebrated, if at all, only in private. As in the Extraordinary Form or, as our questions asked of Ordinaries by the our reports make clear, there are stable Ugandan correspondent noted, for Congregation for the Doctrine of the groups of the Faithful seeking the Mass ‘more orthodox seminarians’. Even Faith, and to make the most of the in the Extraordinary Form in many of supposing this perception were perspective offered by the lay Faithful. these places. exaggerated or false, the effect it must This perspective draws our attention, have on vocations is obvious, and this 2. Supply and Demand issue should urgently be addressed. When the EF is available in liturgicaefirst, to theantecedenti question ofadhaerentium the ‘stable particular places it is nearly always 4. Treatment of Catholics attached stabilitergroup’ (‘coetus exsistit’) referred fidelium to traditioniin Article because the lay Faithful have asked for to the EF 5 of Summorum Pontificum (SP), which it. When Ordinaries and priests take Catholics attached to the EF have tells us that when a priest receives a the initiative in providing the EF, this is request for the Extraordinary Form almost always against a background of years, and while the situation has (EF) from such a group, he should ‘freely requests for it from the laity. enormouslyhad a very improved, difficult timea great over many the accede’ to this (‘libenter suscipiat’). There is a phenomenon of priests of our correspondents, even when The logic of Article 5 is that, just as the learning the EF, and then celebrating it reporting on dioceses where the EF requests of occasional groups, such as on days when they do not have to offer is well established, told us that they of pilgrims, should be accommodated a public Mass, as a personal devotion. did not feel that the Ordinary took with occasional celebrations (5.3), so Such celebrations can become public their needs seriously, or treated them the needs of stable groups should be ones in time and come to attract a as having equal importance to other met with regular celebrations. congregation without being much Catholics. They are dismissed as a Our survey shows that there are publicised or promoted. Even in these group of eccentrics who can be ignored many hundreds of such groups around cases, however, generally speaking the for most purposes, even by bishops the world, only a minority of which pastoral needs of Catholics attached who tolerate the celebration of the EF; have been given what they legitimately to the EF quickly become in time the other bishops publicly criticise them, request. In a diocese of any size, it is dominant issue in determining when one correspondent in Portugal noting, likely that there will be more than one and where these priests celebrate it. of his Bishop, ‘The bishop makes fun

Page 16 www.fiuv.org/ SURVEY GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 of us in every interview he gives to the is a most regrettable hostility to it, development of a religious community media.’ They are treated, in short, like though this, too, is characteristic of which comes to see the Extraordinary ‘second class citizens’. only a minority of bishops. The great This perception on the part of majority of Ordinaries have little or charism, as has happened with some our correspondents should not be no interest in the Extraordinary Form OratoriesForm as of a reflectionSt Philip Neri of itsand special some interpreted as a lack of gratitude, one way or the other. This is a frequent houses of the Order of Preachers. but simply a daily reality. Where explicit comment in our survey results, Because such communities have both bishops are not especially motivated and it is implied by still more. resources, and a degree of autonomy to develop the EF, even a successful This generally means that they in using these resources, a new EF ministry requires a degree of effort do not wish to devote any time or celebration of the Extraordinary Form on the part of clergy and laity quite resources to it, but will not actively can become established relatively unlike that needed for the provision prevent priests and religious orders easily, and can quickly come to show for the Ordinary Form. Help from celebrating it. its potential. the diocese and from other parishes Such a policy of neutrality has A good illustration of this which would be routinely available different results under different phenomenon is South Africa, where in the context of the Ordinary Form conditions. In countries where there the contrast between the situation in (OF)—supply priests, and all kinds of are many priests with a high level of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, which resources—is not available for the EF, liturgical formation, and who know and suspicion and hostility is far more about SP, a lack of episcopal interest of an Oratory of St Philip Neri, and the often encountered. need not impede the development otherbenefits dioceses from the of thatvery country,active ministry is very One illustration of this has already of regular celebrations of the marked. been touched on: the treatment of the Extraordinary Form, wherever it can Another important factor, however, EF in seminaries. in the development of the Extraordinary Another is something well expressed Form is the attitude of the senior priests by our Japanese correspondent: andbe fitted well in toorganised parish timetables. demand for in a diocese. This group is naturally ‘Classic music concert, lecture by non theAgain, Extraordinary where there Form is a significantfrom the dominated by the oldest generation of believer are always welcomed but we laity, some bishops may see formal clergy still in active ministry, who are are shut down because of the TLM chaplaincies, or apostolates of the unfortunately very often much less [Traditional Latin Mass]’. At the level Traditional Priestly Institutes, such openminded about the Extraordinary of the parish, as well as of the diocese, as the Institute of Christ the King Form than their younger colleagues, priests and administrators who are Sovereign Priest (ICKSP) or Fraternity and indeed the younger generation of happy to host all sorts of 3on-Catholic of Saint Peter (FSSP), as a simple bishops. In many ways these priests events will not allow a talk about the solution to the issue. can set the tone of a diocese, and (in Extraordinary Form, let alone an EF This is a common situation in many the words of our correspondent in Mass, when this would put them to no developed countries, such as the USA, Lithuania) can be a source of negative inconvenience. In this we still see the England, and France, and a number ‘invisible pressure’ on the younger shadow of the ostracism described of correspondents express their clergy. Where this pressure is not nearly twenty years ago by the then contentment with a bishop’s policy actively countered by the Ordinary, Cardinal Ratzinger: of benign neglect, where the EF can it can be a major impediment to the Anyone who nowadays advocates develop on its own merits. serene implementation of Summorum the continuing existence of this liturgy Where the cultural and educational Pontificum. or takes part in it is treated like a leper; conditions noted above are not met, This raises the question of all tolerance ends here. the initial development of provision for Although this remains a problem, the Extraordinary Form in the absence surround the issue of the EF. Many of the progress already made, in the of encouragement by the Ordinary can ourthe correspondents conflict which cannoted sometimes that the context of Summorum Pontificum, is be very slow. Priests may be reluctant establishment of regular EF Masses enormous. As a correspondent from to learn how to celebrate it, and few the USA remarked about his own attached to the EF have become settled diocese: Catholics seeking it with nowhere to andled integrated to a reduction into the in life conflict: of the parish those I would note that in the parishes turn.will find Where it easy there to is do a well so, leaving organised lay and the diocese, and other Catholics where both rites are celebrated SP lay group requesting the EF, Ordinaries have become used to them, and even provided the traditionalists with a have sometimes considered that the begin to appreciate the contribution sort of ‘stamp of approval’ which solution is the services of a priest old they make to the life of the Church. was helpful in enabling their deeper enough to remember how to celebrate In the interests of balance we also integration into the life of the parish. the EF from his own seminary training, encouraged our correspondents to as is the case in the Archdiocese of record where this was not the case, and 5. The attitude of bishops Mumbai (Bombay), India, and in a a small minority do note continuing, On the attitude of the Ordinaries, a number of dioceses in China. real interest in or enthusiasm for the One way such a situation can among those attached to the EF, noted EF remains very rare. More common be transformed is by the arrival or foror evenexample increased, in one conflict: report thefrom feeling New

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Zealand, that they are not welcome in represent an existential threat to the a parish where celebrations take place, parochial system in many parts of the perhaps accompanied by a feeling world, but our correspondents tell utmostbeen frustrated, importance we that find Summorum continuing among the regular parishioners that us again and again of the vocations Pontificumconflict and be suffering. maintained, It is and of theits these others are trespassing in their associated with the EF: to the importance reiterated. church. Again, we read sometimes of traditional priestly Institutes, and to The process of appeal to Rome, in the mounting frustration of a stable diocesan seminaries as well. This is not cases where local pastors and bishops group over the apparent reluctance of an empty claim, but frequently based on are unable or unwilling to provide the an Ordinary to take even elementary personal knowledge of the individuals EF for a stable group requesting it, has steps to accommodate their needs, involved. Our correspondent for the worked well in some cases, and less so as reported about the Archdiocese of Diocese of Providence in the United in others. On this subject we suggest Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. States remarks, of a Mass he attended that, in cases where this inability or It is clear from these reports that in 2000: reluctance to provide the EF for a group these regrettable situations have arisen The two acolytes at the Sung Mass persists, the Priestly Institutes attached from a failure, for whatever reason, to were high school students, in due to the Extraordinary Form be given a implement Summorum Pontificum in course we had the pleasure to attend role in meeting these groups’ needs. a thorough or generous spirit. Like their ordinations. I believe the parish all Catholics, those attached to the EF has produced more vocations than any 2. Symbolic actions need a spiritual home where they can other in the diocese since 2000. A great part of the practical receive consistent pastoral care, ideally Such contributions can be visible in a canonically established chaplaincy even at an early stage of the development or personal parish. Arbitrary of communities attached to regular bishops,difficulties priests, which and face laity those alike—derives trying to restrictions on celebrations, and even celebrations of the Extraordinary notimplement from any Summorumwell considered Pontificum— theological the denigration of what Pope St John Form, but for their full effect to be seen, critique of this liturgical tradition, but a Paul II called their ‘rightful aspirations’ the EF must be properly established. miasma of suspicion which surrounds as long ago as 1988, will not lead to the This means it must be celebrated in it in the minds of some Catholics. The serene implementation of Summorum a location and time truly accessible promulgation of Summorum Pontificum Pontificum, or to the development of to the Faithful, including those with and Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter to abundant spiritual fruits. young children, with consistent Bishops which accompanied that pastoral care for the congregation, and document had an enormous effect in 6. The Contribution of the the availability of other sacraments and dispersing this suspicion, but in certain Extraordinary Form devotions of the same liturgical ethos. places it continues to linger, and in some It is in this context that one must In short, Catholics attached to the EF countries it remains a dominant attitude. consider the contribution made by must be allowed a level of spiritual care It will continue to dissipate gradually the Extraordinary Form to the life which parallels that of other Catholics, as celebrations of the Extraordinary and mission of the Church around rather than being treated as second Form spread, but this process can be the world. It draws very little on the class citizens. accelerated by statements, exhortations, resources of dioceses and parishes, and events, which demonstrate and the burden of supporting it falling on Recommendations emphasise the favour with which the the shoulders of some very dedicated This review of the situation around Holy See considers this Form of the priests and lay Catholics. Among the the world of the implementation of Mass. resources which these contribute to Summorum Pontificum raises the In the words of a correspondent their parishes and dioceses, are things question of what the Holy See, and in from Australia, what is needed is ‘more which money cannot buy: thriving particular the Congregation for the public communication about how the EF communities, sometimes maintaining Doctrine of the Faith, can usefully do to is available and is a beautiful part of the historic churches which may otherwise facilitate the serene integration of the church.’ need to be closed; concern for apostolic Church’s ancient liturgical tradition Such things, of course, already works, especially of teaching the faith, into the life of the Church, so its good happen, and we would like to express and frequently also of serving the fruits may be more abundant. our gratitude to the Congregation, as poor; Catholic families, as Cardinal well as to many others in Rome, for Castrillón Hoyos noted even before 1. The role of Summorum the promulgation of Summorum Pontificum to point out that these efforts are of Pontificum, ‘frequently are enriched by Insofar as Summorum Pontificum its role in facilitating these. It suffices many children’; conversions and the has been implemented, it has worked normalising the Extraordinary Form return to practice of the lapsed, and as intended. The Extraordinary Form aroundno small the significance world, and inshould the processcontinue. of vocations to the priesthood and to the has become available to those attached religious life. to it, avoiding or reconciling situations 3. Seminaries The issue of vocations should be The request made in 2011 by the stressed. The scarcity of vocations Church with the good fruits noted to the priesthood is beginning to above.of conflict, Where and its enrichingimplementation the local has in the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei,

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§21, that bishops provide for training own. It is admittedly not always done by something certainly within in the celebration of the Extraordinary a simple matter for seminaries to the power of seminary Rectors: Form in seminaries, has not borne arrange comprehensive tuition in the simply arranging celebrations of the fruit: such training remains rare. This celebration of the Extraordinary Form. Extraordinary Form in the seminary, failure began swiftly, with the English Furthermore, the context, which timetabled for seminarians to attend. translation of this document on the too often exists, of some suspicion Currently, such celebrations are rare. Vatican website, declining to translate towards the EF in seminaries, would We would accordingly humbly the adverb ‘enixe’, in the phrase suggest that the Congregation make ‘Ordinarii enixe rogantur’: ‘Ordinaries take up such training if it were offered. this recommendation to ordinaries are earnestly requested’. Themake present it difficult writer for was seminarians puzzled to around the world: that they ensure that A similar failure has occurred with see several correspondents, notably the Extraordinary Form is celebrated the teaching of Latin in seminaries. in Poland and the USA, reporting that in seminary chapels at least four times Although this is attempted, at least to a particular seminary is regarded a year. That level of frequency would a basic level, in many seminaries, it is as unfriendly to the EF, and yet that begin to familiarise future priests completely absent from far too many it offers training in its celebration. with this liturgical form, which surely others, in violation of Canon Law (see Having checked every instance where should be part of the education of any Canon 249), not to mention the Second this combination of answers occurs, seminarian of the Latin Rite. At the Vatican Council (see Optatam Totius same time, this level of celebration can 13), and instructions from the Holy See complicated reasons, this really is the very easily be arranged, if necessary by too numerous to mention. case.we can confirm that, for perhaps bringing in a celebrant from another The failure to teach Latin in Accordingly, although many diocese on a weekday. seminaries creates an obstacle to the correspondents suggest that the This would be a small concession celebration of the EF, as it does to the Holy See go further in encouraging indeed, on the part of seminary Rectors serious study of theology and related seminaries to offer training in the unsure of the value of the Extraordinary subjects, and should be addressed as a EF, the Federation’s proposal is more Form, and yet it has the potential to matter of urgency. limited: we take the view that it is a begin to break down barriers to this In addition, we would like to matter of greater urgency to address liturgical form which are based on make a modest proposal of our this attitude of suspicion. This can be ignorance and misunderstanding.

www.fiuv.org/ Page 19 FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Saint Michael, Defender of the Church Militant By Prof. Michael Fiedrowicz From Dominus Vobiscum, the magazine of Pro Missa Tridentina, Germany.

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio! [Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!] Thus prays the priest at the end of every Low Mass, in what are called the Leonine Prayers. Pope Leo XIII mandated these prayers for the whole Church in 1884, in the struggle for the freedom of the Church. Defende nos in proelio! What kind of battle is it? What powers are involved? Where is this battle made manifest? What role in it belongs to the Archangel Michael? What is our place and our assignment in this battle?

The battleground: world history rather the victory of the woman’s everything connected with it. This Already at the beginning of Sacred offspring, that is, of Christ. The history defeat of Satan only increases his rage. Scripture, the thought of a rebellion of the world will be nothing other In the knowledge of what time remains against God appears, while at the same than the aforementioned battle that to him, he tries to destroy what he can time the triumph of humanity over the descendants of the woman have to destroy. He turns his attacks against the enemy of God is announced. After carry out with the descendants of the the historical unfolding of Christ in serpent, in ever new constellations.1 the Church. The battle against Christ by the serpent – an embodiment of now becomes the battle against the the firstpower human of evil couple – God was speaks led astray to it: pages of Genesis Holy Scripture Church. From the depiction of this What was described on the first ‘I will put enmity between you and the takes up again in its last pages, in the confrontation the Apocalypse goes on woman, and between your seed and her Apocalypse of St. John. The adversary, to describe yet another battle: seed; he shall bruise your head, and you Satan, appears here in the image of the Now a battle arose in heaven [Et shall bruise his heel’ (Gen 3:15). The dragon (see Rev. 12:3–17), which was factum est proelium magnum in so-called Protoevangelium shows how caelo], Michael and his angels the adversary carries out his enmity Genesis. As enmity was declared there already prefigured in the serpent of against the progeny of the woman, between the serpent and the woman, the dragon and his angels fought, in order to strike at length against butfighting they againstwere defeated, the dragon; and there and the Creator himself. And not only is a appears of a heavenly Woman, whose was no longer any place for them in so too in the Apocalypse the figure battle announced, but a victory is also Child, whom she bears, the dragon heaven. And the great dragon was declared. A descendant of Eve will put seeks to swallow (see Rev. 12:3–6). thrown down, that ancient serpent, an end to this work of the adversary But the Child is taken up to God and who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world – Rev. 12:13). The Woman is a symbol of freed from historical conditioning, he was thrown down to the earth, for ever. So the first pages of the Bible, the people Woman of flees God: into‘Becoming the desert a mother, (see already show the powers opposed to and his angels were thrown down she represents Israel; as the persecuted one another in the history of the world: with him. […] And when the dragon God, the Messiah, and human beings on one side, the Devil, in the roles of People of God of the New Testament.’2 1 Satan’sand fleeing striving Woman for worldshe represents domination, the  See M. Fiedrowicz (publisher), Ecclesia adversary to God and of the Antichrist, militans – Der streitende Kirche. Zeugnisse on the other side. The state of fallen as it would have been assured to him aus der Frühzeit des Christentums [Ecclesia nature resembles a battleground from through the killing of the newborn militans: the Church militant. Witnesses from the very beginning. For the end of time, Child, failed, since the Child was the early era of Christianity], Fohren-Linden (Germany), 2017. a reconciliation of their respective lifted up to heaven, as the Apocalypse 2  Michael Schmaus, Katholische Dogmatik IV/2, descendants is not proclaimed, but tells us in the light of Christ’s life and 3rd/4th ed. Munich, 1953, 1959.

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saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman not even make an attempt against Job the conquest of Jericho as the defender who had borne the male child. […] heredared [on to fightearth], in ifHeaven, God did since not permithe could it ofa stillthe namelessOld Testament figure people appears of God, before a Then the dragon was angry with (See Job 1:12 and 2:6). But here Heaven the woman, and went off to make obviously is speaking of the Church, Archangel Michael by later expositors. war on the rest of her offspring, on where each of the faithful steadily does Thefigure designationthat was often ‘Archistrategos’ identified with theis those who keep the commandments battle against the spirits of iniquity. For found here: of God and bear testimony to Jesus this reason the Apostle says: ‘We are When Joshua was by Jericho, he (Rev. 12:7–9, 13, 17). lifted up his eyes and looked, and but against the principalities, against behold, a man stood before him The Battle in Heaven thenot powers,contending against against the fleshworld and rulers blood, of with his drawn sword in his hand; How is this battle in Heaven, which this present darkness’ (Eph. 6:12). Here, and Joshua went to him and said breaks out after Christ is taken up therefore, it means that Michael with to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but into the desert, to be understood? The Devil, because, rightly understood, he as command of the army of the Lord into Heaven and the Woman has fled his angels is said to fight against the does battle for the Church according to I have now come.’ Ego archistrategos the fall of Satan at the beginning of the God’s will, inasmuch as he prays for the dynameos kyriou (Jos. 5:13–14). description seems to fit more closely to world’s history (see Is 14:12; Ez 28:14– pilgrim Church and provides aid. The The great biblical scholar Cornelius 19), after he rose up against God and Apostle says: ‘Are they not all ministering a Lapide, SJ (Cornelis von den Steen, wanted to be equal to God (see Is 14:14: spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake b. 1567 at Lüttich, † 1637 in Rome, ‘I will make myself like the Most High’). of those who are to obtain salvation?’ taught exegesis in Louvain and, from Interpreters of the Apocalypse have (Heb. 1:14). For the name Michael also 1616 on, at the Collegium Romanum) suggested various understandings is interpreted to mean ‘the help of God’, commented on the scene as follows: for this scene. An explanation that and correspondingly this assignment is Michael … is the leader of the appears plausible is that again here given to him in a special way. For Daniel Church of Christians (praeses Ecclesiae the primordial fall of angels is being also said that he will come to the aid of Christianorum) and is invoked as such, recalled, in order to set forth the the Church in her last need. He says: ‘At to protect and defend them against the background of all the later battles in the that time shall arise Michael, the great demons, against unbelievers, and all course of history, that is to say, the origin prince who has charge of your people. the godless.7 and heavenly prologue of all battles on And there shall be a time of trouble, Michael also as guardian angel of earth.3 Before St. John describes the such as never has been since there was the old and the new people of God, battle of the dragon with the Woman a nation till that time; but at that time (Rev. 13), he points to the origin and your people shall be delivered, every watchman over all the spiritual cause of this long struggle of the forces one whose name shall be found written creation.has received He fromis the God leader an office of the as of Hell against the Church. in the book’ (Dan. 12:1).6 angelic battle against Satan. He It is notable that the Apocalypse stands at the summit of the angels because in general it names no names serpent, the great dragon who butspecifies rather the speaks angelic withname symbols. ‘Michael’ here,‘This deceiveswho fight the againstwhole world the and ancient was Name by itself is already a revelation, thrown down from Heaven to earth. and a whole program […]: ‘Who is like (Rev. 7:12f).8 God?’ The whole battle in Heaven and The passage also apparently on Earth is summed up in this name.’4 With the cry of petition, ‘Who is equal to God?’ the Archangel Michael steps out angels was summoned up from the describes how the fighting force of the against the arrogance of Lucifer. ‘That heavenly throne of Christ: Here in the Book of Daniel, the Michael was the guardian angel prince of the Angels as his own name.’5 Archangel is mentioned with his name of the Jews; in the Apocalypse he cry Manyof power Fathers and fidelity of stayedthe withChurch the becomes the guardian of ‘the Israel interpreted Heaven as an expression Testament. He is ‘the great prince’ of the of God’, the Christian Church. This for the Church. As a consequence, this angels,‘Michael’ the for princeps the first magnus time, as in the the texts Old scene is about the expulsion of Satan of the liturgy similarly also describe 3  See H.H. Féret, Geheime Offenbarung, from the hearts of believers who live in him: ‘most glorious Prince’ (princeps Düsseldorf, 1955, 136, cf. 151. 4 the Church. In the middle of the sixth gloriosissime  D. Clabaine, Le combat exorciste de l’Église, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 1988, 142. century, the north-African expositor of September 29). Furthermore, Michael 5  O. Hophan, Die Engel, Lucerne, 1956, 321. the Apocalypse Primasius wrote: is also described: Magnificat in the antiphontradition as of 6  Primasius, in Apocalypsin III, 12, 7 (CCL 92 ‘Now a battle arose in Heaven: the ‘Archistrategos’, the ‘supreme 183f). 7 Michael and his angels fought with the leader of armies, high commander’.  Cornelius a Lapide, commentaria in Josue 5, 14f (Oeuvres III, Paris 1869, 31). dragon’, and so on. One should not think The background of this title is a place 8  A. Winkhofer, Traktat über den Teufel, that the Devil and his angels would have in the Book of Joshua (5:13f), where Frankfurt, 1961, 164.

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battle appears, and rightly so, to This presentation is a clear example Again and again she gives us the be the result of the Ascension of for the multiple meanings of Scripture: admonition: ‘Be brave in battle, Christ into Heaven. It is Jesus who one passage is interpreted on various fight with the ancient serpent, summons up the host of angels levels: looking back to salvation and you shall attain the eternal against the dragon; since, inasmuch history, making it current with a look kingdom’ (Magnificat antiphon as he sits upon the throne of God, at the present, and looking ahead in of the Second Vespers of feasts of he now acts as the King of Heaven.9 the eschatological perspective. This Apostles).11 The battle in Heaven of which the was the general practice of patristic Apocalypse tells, can therefore also exegesis, which the Jesuit expositor of The Leonine Prayers and the signify what happens, so to speak, Scripture thoroughly followed. Exorcismus Leonis above the Church’s earthly existence, In particular, the prayer Sancte the invisible dimension of her battles Reflection of the Battle in the Michael Archangele, defende nos in on earth, as a medieval miniature in the Traditional Liturgy proelio (‘Saint Michael the Archangel, Hortus deliciarum (Garden of Delights) This confrontation between the defend us in battle’), mandated by by the abbess Herrard von Landsberg Kingdom of God and the powers of evil Pope Leo XIII for the conclusion of visibly sets before our eyes. finds comprehensive and expression the Low Mass, sets his role in the in the texts and rites of the traditional Dimensions and Phases of the Battle liturgy, as it was described just a few foreground.12 Cornelius a Lapide, mentioned years before the decisive changes spiritualThe prayer, battlefield beseeching insistently the leader in the of above, sets forth the various in the wake of the Second Vatican the heavenly hosts to bring to naught dimensions and phases of this battle in Council: the attacks of Satan and the demons, his commentary on Apocalypse 12:7 as According to revelation, salvation was the work of Leo XIII himself. follows: history contains a drama. A portion According to reports from papal I am saying that in the historical of the angels fell and brought circles, he was said to have previously sense there is an allusion here to the physical and moral evil into the received a vision showing how demons battle of Lucifer and his followers world. From this moment on, the were ruling the world and bringing the which was waged against Michael history of the world presents and his followers in Heaven: it is a fight not only between good and evil, between contradictory all clarity. […] strivings in mankind, but between Indeedbeing referenced this battle here brieflysymbolically and in person and person: on one hand, refers to the war that Lucifer carries God and those true to him, the on day by day against the faithful Kingdom of God, on the other, Satan in the Church and their guardian and his accomplices, the kingdom angels. But in the prophetic sense of Satan. Both these empires lay and the literal meaning of the intermingled in the battle. It has words it refers to the battle that he cosmic dimensions and reaches to all that is, all persons and things. against the saints at the end of the Man on his earthly pilgrimage, in world.himself That will wage,is what fiercest is intended and last, in his still insecure position, forms the proper meaning of the passage. the battleground. Man’s decisions 9  E.-B. Allo, S. Jean. L’Apocalypse, 3rd ed. Paris, […] So Michael and his angels in this or that direction matter 1933, 182. not only for him personally, and 10  Cornelius a Lapide, commentaria in Apocalypsin S. Joannis XII, 7 (Oeuvres XXI, demons then, in that the Archangel cannot be explained merely out Paris, 1869, 246). supports,will fight strengthens, against Lucifer and inspires and his of his autonomous psyche, but 11  See C. Vagaggini, Theologie der Liturgie, Christians who are brave and are woven into the great cosmic Einsiedeln, 1959, 232f, 263; see the entire steadfast, that they stand along drama that plays out between the chapter, 232–263 (‘Die beiden Reiche. Die Liturgie und der Kampf gegen den Satan’). with Elijah and Enoch openly and two kingdoms. Someone who is not 12  See M. Fiedrowicz, Die überlieferte Messe. aware of this does not understand Geschichte, Gestalt und Theologie des for whom and with whom Lucifer the liturgy in an essential point. klassischen römischen Ritus, 4th ed., Fohren- unselfishly against the Antichrist, Conversely, someone who Linden, 2017, 124. Note 329, translated: deception, false miracles, hypocrisy, understands and lives the liturgy such prayers in 1859 for the beleaguered threats,will fight tortures, through andflattery, all the cunning, other in this aspect best understands and ‘Pope Pius IX had ordered a first version of tricks and weapons that he himself lives this component of revelation. for the freedom of the Church, extended these prayersPapal state. to the Pope entire Leo Church, XIII, in theand 1884 added fight the puts in the hands of the Antichrist. […] The liturgy ensures that this general petition for the conversion of sinners truth is not forgotten. It shows in 1886. Under Pope Pius X, a threefold in that he will defend his own and how ‘the Church strives, ever ready invocation of the Heart of Jesus was added. theThen faithful once again in the Michael court will of fight,God, to strike in the ceaseless battle In 1930 Pius XI ordered that these prayers be said for the free exercise of the faith in Russia. especially after their death, against against her enemies’ (Pontificale Under Pope Paul VI these prayers were the Devil, their accuser.10 Romanum, Diaconal Ordination). abolished in 1964.’

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Church of God into the cruelest need.13 therefore wanted to see this allusion doubt drastically reduced. All of these In addition, the Pope had the minor set aside. fell away: exorcism (the so-called Exorcismus • The mention of the Archangel Leonis) added to the Rituale Romanum The Archangel Michael, Resistance against the Antichrist (fourth edition, 1895). In it the help whose form, handed on by The Archangel Michael’s defensive of the Archangel Michael is likewise tradition,Michael in has the newbeen Confiteor,attested war, attested to in the Bible (Daniel, invoked for defense against the since the 12th century. forces of evil and the adversary, that Apocalypse) and the liturgy, has led • The prayer at the signing of they cease persecuting the Church.14 incense during the Offertory Unlike in a major exorcism, this is not power of whom the Apostle Paul about an individual possessed person, speakshim to bein identifiedthe Second with Letter a mysterious to the rite, which in allusion to the but about the guarding of humanity as Thessalonians. Before the great Apocalypse (Rev. 8:3f) asks: ‘By a whole, the Church, and the elect of apostasy in the end times, the ‘man the intercession of the blessed God.15 of lawlessness’, the Antichrist, steps Archangel Michael, who stands The original version of this exorcism upon the stage of the world in order included in its introductory prayer to exalt himself over God, have himself 13  Testimonies are offered in J. Pizzoni, this passage, not contained in later divinely worshiped in the temple of ‘De precibus post missam imperatis’, editions16 even soon after the death of God, to perform deceptive miraculous Ephemerides Liturgicae 69 (1955) 54–60, 58 note 9; a German translation is in M. Gaudron, the Pope, as well as in the revised new signs, and so lead men astray, both Die Messe aller Zeiten: Ritus und Theologie edition of the Roman Ritual of 1925:17 Christians and non-Christians (see 2 des Meßopfers, Altötting, 2006, 200 note 186; paraphrased in M. Huber, Weiche Satan! Der Teufel heute, Stein am Rhein, 1997, 17f. the Bride of the spotless Lamb, with there is something that ‘is restraining’ 14 bitterness,Wily armies havehave filledintoxicated the Church, her thisTh 2:4–12). coming. But ‘For first, thethe Apostlemystery says, of Congregatio de Propaganda Fide of May 18, with wormwood, have laid impious lawlessness is already at work; only he  1890:Published Acta first Sanctae in the Sedis decree 23 (1890–91)of the Sacra 743- hands on all that was precious who now restrains it will do so until he 746 (Text). See the Rituale Romanum, Editio quarta post typicam, Regensburg, 1895, in her. Where the See of Blessed is out of the way. And then the lawless Appendix 214*-220*. Further literature on Peter and the Cathedra of truth was one will be revealed…’ (2 Th 2:6–8). the subject is listed in Fiedrowicz, Ecclesia erected as a light for the nations, How are we to understand what militans, 61 note 273. 15 they have set up the throne of their or who ‘is restraining’ it? (Paul uses  See Rituale Romanum (editio quarta), 218*: Non ultra audeas, serpens callidissime, godless abomination, so that once both forms: to katechon / ho katechōn.) decipere humanum genus, Dei Ecclesiam the shepherd is struck down, they Since early Christian times there have persequi, ac Dei electos excutere et cribrare been many attempts at interpretation: sicut triticum. (Dare no longer, crafty serpent, to deceive the human race, to persecute the undefeated Prince, stand by the it was said to mean the Roman empire Church of God, and to shake and sift the elect peoplecan scatter of God the against flock. the Arise, outburst then, as an organizing force, or after its fall, of God like wheat.) of the evil spirits and grant us the the Christian institution of the state, 16  Not contained in the Rituale Romanum victory.18 especially of the Middle Ages, or to (editio octava), Regensburg, 1906, Appendix 193*. Why was this passage removed mean the proclamation of the Gospel 17  See AAS 17 (1925) 326. in later editions of the Rituale? Much throughout the world. However, one 18  Rituale Romanum (editio quarta), 216*: has been speculated about it. It may interpretation sees the one ‘who Ecclesiam, Agni immaculati sponsam, have happened for diplomatic reasons. restrains’ as the Archangel Michael vaferrimi hostes, repleverunt amaritudinibus, inebriarunt absinthio; ad omnia desiderabilia In the wake of the rapprochement together with the heavenly forces of eius impias miserunt manus. Ubi sedes between the Holy See and Italy a the angelic hosts.20 beatissimi Petri et Cathedra veritatis ad lucem possibly erroneous understanding gentium constituta est, ibi thronum posuerunt abominationis impietatis suae; ut percusso would have been avoided, in which the the presenters of this interpretation, Pastore, et gregem disperdere valeant. ‘godless throne’ would have referred to correspondsSuch an identification, best to theaccording Pauline to Adesto itaque, Dux invictissime, populo Dei the King of Italy residing in the Quirinal, description of that mysterious contra irrumpentes spiritales nequitias, et fac which had been the Papal palace until restraining power, as it conforms to all victoriam. direct quotations from the Lamentations of 1870. Other hunches see a connection the traits named there. Jeremiah 3:15,The first1:10. sentence contains two with Freemasonry. In 1884 Leo XIII 19  See Clabaine, Combat exorciste, 158. had spoken expressly in Humanum A liturgy reform full of consequence 20  Among others, see F. Prat, La Théologie de , the encyclical on that topic, But how does it relate to the word Saint Paul. Première partie (Bibliothèque de Genus Théologie Historique 4,1) Paris, 1961, 93–99; about the ‘battle of enemies against the of the Apostle that the one who has Die Heilige Schrift für das Leben erklärt, Vol. Apostolic See and the Roman Pope’ and restrained the mystery of lawlessness XV, Die kleinen Paulusbriefe, Freiburg I Br., possibly may have wanted to refer to it until now must be put ‘out of the way’ (2 1937, 313 (H. Molitor, translated): ‘But the will of God (= the Restrainer in verse 6) is in the minor exorcism. The shortening Th 2:7)? One suggested interpretation holding him [that is, the adversary] under a of this allusion, it is speculated,19 could have been obtained later by the efforts come. During this span of time, St. Michael ban, until the end time fixed in God’s plan has of Leo XIII’s then Cardinal Secretary of Archangelsees this predictionMichael underwent fulfilled inin the (= the Restrainer in verse 7), with his marginalization that the figure of the angels, is at work hindering Satan and his State, Cardinal Rampolla, who himself wake of the liturgical reform. Its place helpers from the full development of their was accused of Freemasonry and in liturgical practice was without a destructive, dark power.’

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at the right of the altar of incense, Archangel Michael, doubtlessly builds cast down headlong upon the earth and all his chosen ones, may the up on earth the strongest alliance of together with his angels. Lord deign to bless this incense that mysterious heavenly power, able But behold, that first enemy of …’ in the present time to hold back the mankind, and a murderer from the • The Offertory of the Requiem final and most forceful incursion beginning, has lifted himself up. Mass, which prays for the of the forces arrayed against God. Changing himself into an angel of deceased: ‘May the standard- What has been said about the minor light, he goes about disguised with bearer Michael lead them into exorcism of Leo XIII also applies to the the whole multitude of the wicked the holy light, as you promised to short version of the invocation of St. spirits to invade the earth and blot Abraham and his seed.’ Michael in the Leonine prayers after out the name of God and of His • The Leonine prayers after the Holy Mass, and for the traditional Christ, to plunder, to slay and to Holy Mass with an express form of the liturgy as a whole: consign to eternal damnation the invocation of the Archangel, as Man finds himself at the heart souls that have been destined for a they were abolished under Paul of the spiritual warfare of crown of everlasting life. This wicked VI in 1964. Christianity, an exorcistic warfare. serpent pours into men of depraved • The singular veneration of the Obviously Leo XIII, a century minds and corrupt hearts the poison Archangel Michael on September before Paul VI, placed a special of his malice, like an unclean torrent, 29, the feast of dedication of weapon at his disposal, one that the spirit of lying, impiety and his Roman Church on the Via is suited to fight the entry of the blasphemy, and the deadly breath of Salaria, replaced with a collective ‘smoke of Satan’ into the sanctuary impurity and every form of vice and commemoration of all three of God. […] If Paul VI sounded the iniquity. Archangels on the same day, alarm call, Leo XIII did the same Wily armies have filled the Church, which was instituted in 1969. before him and put the fitting the Bride of the spotless Lamb, with • The feast of the apparition of weapon for it into his hand. If we bitterness, have intoxicated her the holy Archangel Michael on had used this weapon en masse, as with wormwood, have laid impious Monte Gargano in southern Italy. had been possible and necessary, hands on all that was precious in her. This liturgical commemoration then we would not have fallen into Where the See of Blessed Peter and goes back to a vision by the the situation lamented by Paul VI, the Cathedra of truth was erected Archbishop Laurence of Siponto which since then has markedly as a light for the nations, they have (about 590), has been attested worsened and made it more set up the throne of their godless in the calendar of the Lateran urgent than ever to reach back abomination, so that once the basilica since the 12th century in a comprehensive way for this shepherd is struck down, they can and was added to the Breviary weapon.21 also scatter the flock. and the Missale Romanum by the Arise, then, undefeated Prince, Council of Trent (1568/1570), Long Prayer to St Michael by Pope stand by the people of God against 22 before it was abolished with the Leo XIII (1810–1903) the outburst of the evil spirits and reform of the rubrical code as O glorious Prince of the heavenly grant us the victory. early as 1960. Host, Saint Michael the Archangel, The holy Church honors thee When the Liturgy Constitution of defend us in battle and in the fearful as her guardian and protector. She the Second Vatican Council directed warfare that we are waging against glorifies thee as her defender against that no innovations be introduced, the principalities and powers, against the wicked powers of the earth and ‘unless the good of the Church the rulers of this world of darkness, the underworld. To thee the Lord has genuinely and certainly requires against the evil spirits in the heights. entrusted the souls of men, to lead them’ (Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. Come thou to the assistance of them into heavenly blessedness. 23), then, in view of the situation of men, whom Almighty God created Make petition to the God of peace, the Ecclesia militans as described, immortal, making them in His own that He may crush Satan under His the question arises: who was really image and likeness and redeeming feet, no longer to hold men captive the beneficiary of all those changes, them at a great price from the tyranny and harm the Church! which afterward, by the lack of of the devil. Bring thou our petitions before intercession, considerably reduced Fight this day the battle of the the face of the Most High, that the or altogether interrupted the support Lord with the army of blessed Angels, mercy of the Lord may swiftly look and protection of the leader of the even as of old thou didst fight against upon us, while thou layest hold of heavenly angel powers for the Church Lucifer, the leader of the proud spirits the dragon, the ancient serpent who and her faithful. and his apostate angels, who were is the Devil and Satan, and cast him powerless to stand against thee, shackled into the abyss, that he may The liturgy handed on: an alliance neither was their place found any no more deceive the nations. of heavenly powers more in heaven. Instead the great Amen. The celebration of the liturgy in dragon, the ancient serpent, who the form handed on, with its frequent is called the devil and Satan, who 21  Clabaine, Combat exorciste, 93, 100. and manifold invocation of the holy leads the whole world astray, was 22

 Note: an unofficial translation.

Page 24 www.fiuv.org/ FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 After Notre-Dame de Paris The Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral in Nantes once again devastated by fire

By Jaques Dhaussy

From Una Voce, the magazine of Una Voce France.

Flames always evoke hell. How, when thinking of the fires in the cathedrals of Paris and Nantes, can we not think of the remark read by a political writer: ‘When God does not reign through his presence, he reigns through his absence and it is hellish!’ Acts of vandalism of Catholic places of worship in France never stop multiplying. When it is not the attack on a priest, like Fr Jacques Hamel, massacred at the altar on July 26th 2016 in Saint Étienne-du-Rouvray, distasteful and of churches. These acts seem most of therevolting time tograffiti be greeted is painted with onwidespread the walls indifference, although this year the Prime Minister and the new Minister of Interior and Worship, Gérald Darmanin, did go to Normandy to pay their respects at the annual tribute to the holy priest. It is not for us here to pass judgment on the terrible disaster in Nantes. It is up to the ministry of Justice to do so. It is not for us to analyze those responsible and their states of mind. We don’t have to search ‘hearts and minds’. We can, however, observe in passing how prudence is sometimes overcome by a naïve and indulgent charity. It would be impossible to be unmoved by the response of Michel Onfray, a philosopher with whom we do not often share common ground. We cannot but acknowledge his good sense and honesty. He calls himself an atheist, destruction of Christian roots. Atheist the effects are visible: a cathedral but his commentary on the events in that I am, I am not going to deny the unusable by its parishioners and its Nantes on Saturday July 19th on the obvious.’ He added: ‘There are about faithful, for several years at least, a LCI channel does not lack nobility. ‘The one or two anti-Christian acts a day in large historic organ destroyed, as well France, and it takes a burning cathedral as the stained glass windows of Anne of Saint-Paul de Nantes has moved many for us to start talking about it.’ ‘I defend Brittany, the oldest of the building, and faithfulfire in of the the cathedralCatholic Church Saint-Pierre-et- as well as our civilization and our civilization is a large painting by Hippolyte Flandrin, those attached to our cultural heritage.’ Judeo-Christian. We know very well that The Church has also poured out its France is a Catholic land.’ Bishop of Nantes, St Clair, healing a ‘immense sadness’, but Michel Onfray In 2019, there were 1,052 anti- blindcompleted man. inFlandrin 1836, depictingwas a disciple the first of notes: ‘Today in France there is quiet Christian acts in our country. In Nantes, Ingres.

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Worship and prayer will disappear for long months in the main church in 1972 and still recovering from thisof Nantes, disaster. already The restoration ravaged by of flames the wonderful organ after that disaster appeared to us to be particularly beautiful and original. cathedral, and the most recent signed the Threedeath fireswarrant thus of have the damaged great organ, this housed in a superb 17th century case, on a platform built in 1620 and accessed by a staircase of 66 steps.

An exceptional organ This most elegant of instruments, with its eight turrets, represents in itself four centuries of history. It was first completed by the builder Girardet in 1621, and was then comprised of 27 stops. The organ subsequently underwent several restorations and Fr Matthew Goddard FSSP, as Deacon, proclaims the Gospel at a High Mass of Requiem for enlargements. Thus is was that in 1784 Colin Mawby, a Patron of the Latin Mass Society, who died 24th November 2019. This Mass Francois Clicquot, the ‘great organ took place in February 2020 in St Mary Moorfields in the City of London. The celebrant was builder to the King,’ turned it into an Mgr Gordon Read, National Chaplain of the LMS. organ of five keyboards – four manuals grandson of organists. He was born the return of the cathedral to worship. and a pedalboard – and 49 stops. From in 1922 in Aigrefeuillesur-Maine. He The cathedral has another organ, 1970 until last summer, it boasted 74 was a pupil of Canon Courtonne who considered to be the largest choir stops and 5,500 pipes. Joseph Beuchet- obtained permission to send him to organ in France. It is housed in a Debierre, from the famous company of Paris to continue his musical studies. superb solid oak, organ builders based in Nantes, had He had the best teachers and worked neo-Gothic case. It has unusual added considerably to the majesty of with André Fleury, Marcel Dupré and proportions for such an instrument: the instrument, and his company had 31 stops, on three keyboards with plans to take it up to 89 stops and turn disciple. Not only did he devote himself electric transmission. Had not the it into a sort of ‘twin’ of the instrument toMaurice liturgical Duruflé, music, of butwhom he washe was ordained a true tribune organ already held the title in the church of Saint-Etienne-du- a priest in 1948, and left a considerable ‘great organ’, it could have been Mont in Paris. body of work as a composer. recognised as one, as it had all the This organ held a very special place We can imagine the pain and dismay conditions required to deserve that in the French organistic heritage. of the organists of the great organ of title. Both instruments are born from It was a survivor of the Revolution, the cathedral when they learn of the the same family. The choir organ, the bombings of the last war and the destruction of their instrument, one which needs repair or replacement fire of 1972. It has been played by of the jewels of our country’s heritage. at the level of the keyboards, is, like 34 Cathedral organists. Among the There are three of them. Marie-Thérèse the victim of the July fire, from the last holders of this position was a Jéhan, who was a student of Félix Moreau Beuchet-Debierre house. It was canon who was also a composer: a before entering the class by Rolande enlarged in 1945 by Joseph, the native of Nantes, Marcel Courtonne Falcinelli at the Conservatoire National grandson of Louis who gave the great (1883-1954) who had been a student Supérieur de Paris, and the founding organ all its power and influence. of Vincent d’Indy, Louis Vierne and president of the Hymnal association, There was a spiritual communion, it Abel Decaux at the Schola Cantorum, Michel Bourcier, whom readers of Una was said, between the two instruments professors who had undoubtedly Voce may remember, for he was the when they dialogued. A voice has been imparted to him the influence of César silenced and we all mourn it. Franck and Gabriel Fauré. Canon Florentz and the creator of works by Courtonne, titular organist since 1922 Jacquesfirst performer Lénot ofand works Valéry by Jean-LouisAubertin, in 1987, this large choir organ was the had a brother who was also canon, and Mickaël Durand, a graduate of the subjectClassified of a majoras a historical restoration monument by Jean a distinguished Greek scholar and CNSMD in Paris. Renaud. Its console has become mobile professor at the Catholic Institute of and can be moved for concerts. It was Paris. A remedy: the choir organ inaugurated on November 28, 1993 On the death of Canon Marcel Of course, the destroyed organ’s by Olivier Latry, organist of the great Courtonne, he was replaced by replacement is already being instrument of Notre-Dame de Paris, his deputy, Félix Moreau, son and considered, but even more important is after the restoration of the choir.

Page 26 www.fiuv.org/ FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 From Mass of Ages, the magazine of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales A Shrine of the Virgin Mother of God Dr Caroline Farey looks at a remarkable oak carving made around 1300 and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This little statue of carved wood, standing just under 14 inches high, robin, getting the red colouring on its is both typical and exceptional. It is breastspeaks fromof a bird, plucking such outas a a goldfinch thorn from or typical in its outward appearance, Christ’s crown and being stained by which is delicate and reverential. Christ’s blood ever after. A third reason Statues and paintings of the Blessed is as a symbol of protection from Virgin Mother, crowned as Queen of plagues. Heaven and breast-feeding, ‘giving milk’ (Lactans) to her child, were not An Altarpiece It may seem strange to set such uncommon. This is a natural gesture, Exceptionally, this statue could be a scene inside a statue of Mary, but very discreetly portrayed here, which opened and placed on an altar before again let us hear St Ephraem: also carries a strong theological which a priest would celebrate Holy ‘Blessed be He Who dwelt in the message. On earth, Mary nurtures the Mass. For this, a priest must have a womb, and wrought therein a Christchild and, as Queen of Heaven, perfect Temple, that He might she continues to nurture the members dwell in it, a Throne that He of the body of Christ, the Church might be in it, a Garment that through her intercession.1 crucifix or crucifixion scene in front He might be arrayed in it, and a St Ephraem, a deacon of the Church Weapon that He might conquer in at Edessa in the fourth century, had 1 already written hymns on a similar it.’ Hymn . theme, that as Mary nourishes Jesus for Mary’s womb is already ‘a perfect his earthly life so Jesus nourishes the Temple’, which is a place of pure world with his divine life. sacrifice; it is already a ‘throne’, The High One became as a little as the cross is, and Jesus’ human child, … Most High, yet He sucked the nature of body and soul, is formed in milk of Mary, and of His goodness all Mary’s womb as the ‘garment’ and creatures suck! … When He sucked the ‘weapon’ for conquering Satan the milk of Mary, He was suckling all and destroying the sins of mankind. with Life’. 2 The Mercy Seat On close observation we can see several other elements to support The crucifixion scene portrayed this mystical exchange. Notice that here is called the ‘Mercy Seat’ Trinity, both the Blessed Mother and her son that is, God the Father holds the wood are dressed identically, in gold, with of the cross on which his Son’s blood a rich decoration at the neckline and was shed, as on the Mercy Seat of hem: they belong to each other. Mary of him, and such a scene is seen here the Arc of the Covenant (Ex25:21- as queen, which always links to the prominently in the centre. Today, the 22), where God made his mercy kingship of Christ, is seated on a throne available for the forgiveness of sins with trefoil decoration (three petalled been removed and lost. Only the pin when sprinkled with the blood of foliage), symbol of the Trinity. figures of Christ and the Holy Spirit have the sacrifice. Just as the Arc of the Notice too, that Jesus is carrying a Covenant was made of wood covered bird in his left hand. Art historians give holes remain where the separate figures in gold, so too, this whole statue three different meanings to this. A bird would have been fixed. of Mary on the outside, and the can be a symbol of the Resurrection arrayHere, of other as well images as spread the crucifix, out before the Blessed Trinity on the inside, are of himpriest to wouldstrengthen find him himself in his facing eucharistic a rich wood covered in the same gold and heavens) or the Passion. A legend faith. identically decorated. (like a soul flying upwards into the www.fiuv.org/ Page 27 FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10

Christ ‘bowed his head and gave The Nativity and Presentation in Just as these two groups of people, up his Spirit’(Jn 19:30), the Spirit the Temple rich and poor, Jews and Gentiles, who would have been seen on the In these two scenes the white visited the Christ child, they are now Father’s chest just above the precious cloths mirror each other and remind placed either side of the crucifixion. head of Jesus, which would have lain us that the temple was originally a They came to adore the baby ‘a against the circle with a cross on it, tent, a sanctuary, for God to dwell Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’(Lk which sits at the centre of the arms 2:11) and now they are placed to in the midst of his people, the first of the crossbeam, looking like the adore the same Saviour, who is ‘both tabernacle. In the left-hand scene, sacred host. Lord and Christ’(Acts 2:36), on the Mary is that tabernacle and the cross and as the Sacred host, not manger, where the newborn Christ is The Annunciation and Visitation on his mother’s lap nor lying in a A pair of simple scenes, each of two laid, is the new sanctuary where God manger, but lying on the corporal on people and each fitting perfectly in the dwells. the altar. Such scenes lead the priest highest of the three registers on either On the right-hand side, notice that and the small congregation to adore, side, remind us of the Eucharistic the altar of the temple, the Jewish to worship and to receive. Jesus. At the Annunciation, the Angel sanctuary where God dwells, is Gabriel visits Mary. At the Visitation, depicted like an altar in a church. Here Mary visits Elizabeth. The ‘Word was Mary shows Jesus to the priest holy Date: ca. 1300, Made in the Rhine valley, man, Simeon, who then declares Germany, Oak, linen covering, polychromy, made flesh’ (Jn 1:14) at the moment gilding, gesso. of Mary’s fiat at the Annunciation and ‘mine eyes have seen your salvation’ - Dimensions: open: 14 1/2 x 13 5/8 x 5 1/8 the Word is made flesh at the moment which we too see on every altar at the in. (36.8 x 34.6 x 13 cm) of the consecration by the priest. consecration. Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917, to the Then Mary took the ‘Word made flesh’ Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. in her womb to visit Elizabeth, and The visits of the kings and shepherds 1. Cf. Bugliani Knox, Francesca, and David Lonsdale, Poetry the Holy Mass brings the ‘Word made The pair of scenes in the lowest and the Religious Imagination, Routledge 2016, p250. flesh’ to those who are present. register, are the kings and shepherds. 2. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3703.htm

Page 28 www.fiuv.org/ FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 An evening companion Sebastian Morello on the pleasures of Coteaux Bourguignons

On many evenings, with the children We have largely forgotten concrete things, settled, and my wife returning the like earth, vines, wines and pistachios, home to order after our progeny and have become hysterically obsessive bestowing a day’s chaos upon it, I over mere abstractions, abstractions that sneak off to my study where I pour would be tolerable if they corresponded myself some wine and open a book. to something in the world, but this does Recently I have been dividing this not seem to be so with the abstractions sacral wine-time between studying tormenting us today. Indeed, we have Integralism by Fr Thomas Crean OP recently seen entire cities thrown into and Alan Fimister, The Realm by Fr pandemonium over something as abstract Aidan Nichols OP (both books are as race. This indignation began over a superb, though very different), and murderous Minneapolis policeman, but by the time people were vandalising Stirling’s meditating on the Psalms. Wine is statue of Robert the Bruce it had clearly like a companion for my evening ceased to be about the initial outrage. It mental pilgrimages, like Tobias’s is widely believed that an array of moral dog, or, if it is a really good wine, like conclusions can be inferred from one’s St Raphael. allocation to the abstract categories of This week the wine of choice has ‘white’ and ‘black’, as if it were that black been a Coteaux Bourguignons (a new appellation) from Paul Fontaine, a non- and white. I have in fact never met a white vintage Burgundy found at an affordable person or a black person; all the people Pinot Noir vines with which they enjoyed I have met have been of different skin- price at M&S. If you are looking for a monogamous relationship. Indeed, the something really special, this is not it. If, pigment intensity, and I have found their viticultural principle of terroir comes skin-pigment to be their least interesting to us from the Burgundian Cistercians’ wine which possesses the power – when attribute. We undoubtedly need fewer Dionysian science. The same grape type, encouragedhowever, you with are a looking few pistachios for a quaffing – to fanatics and more terroiristes. with the same ancestry, can be planted transcend that base purpose to join you Our ideas, the possession of which one hundred yards apart and bring forth in noble thoughts, like those prescribed indicates the nobility of our nature, have utterly different wines solely due to the soil by St Paul to the Philippians (4:8), this can become our tormentors. This is one of the in which they were nurtured. Traditionally, do the trick. They have lightly oaked this reasons why liturgy must be profoundly when you were drinking Burgundy, wine, probably with chips, which gives it incarnational, with chant, incense, more than with any other wine you were beautiful vestments, candles, statues, crumble in a bottle. mysterious gestures and postures, all a silky‘Burgundy’ finish. Think can ofapple course and blackberrybe said of Earth, this spot made pleasing to God by encountering a very specific plot on the wine in two senses. There is the Burgundy the dedication and innumerable prayers of countless holy men consecrated under the be rooted in concrete things, rather than which refers to any red made from Pinot filling and elevating the senses. We must Rule of their holy father Benedict. fetishizing useless abstractions. This is Noir grapes, wherever it is from in the one reason why it is so dangerous to get world; thus, one can speak of a ‘New For these reasons, when drinking this new wine of the new Coteaux Bourguignons rid of so-called liturgical ‘trappings’, and Zealand Burgundy’. There is also the opt for a whitewashed versus populum Burgundy which refers to the region, in appellation, I was somewhat perturbed liturgy centred on transmitting ideas which different grapes are grown; for to discover that I was not drinking a true through the vernacular – this is the last example, the Coteaux Bourguignons I have Burgundy, not in the sense of the term thing the modern mind needs. been enjoying is made from 100 percent which has so developed as to ever honour Wine is to the hearth what liturgy is Gamay, a grape associated with Beaujolais. those holy monks. Indeed, this Gamay ‘Burgundy’ and Pinot Noir came to be used wine was too full-bodied to pass as a true to the sanctuary. It has a ritual of its own: synonymously because, up until quite Burgundy. This, however, almost gave it the cutting the foil, twisting the corkscrew, recently, Pinot Noir was the only grape character of what the Italians call a vino da drawing out the cork, pouring, swilling, grown in Burgundy. The great Cîteaux meditazione – good for my purposes. smelling, sipping, contemplating; indeed, Abbey of the Cistercians, where St Bernard Nevertheless, sipping a Burgundy the imposition of the screw-top is like was a monk, is located in Burgundy, and it (in the literal, unpoetic, and therefore replacing the Canon with new prayers is not inaccurate to say that Burgundy as a impoverished sense of the term) got written on a napkin. Wine roots you in a wine region is a product of the Cistercian me thinking about the importance of Order. Those monks cultivated this place terroir. Perhaps the source of our many to the sphere of ideas while keeping your contemporary maladies comes from being feetplace, on fills the the ground, senses, recalling accompanies you back you each up time you pick up the glass. into a land of fine wines, and they were utterly devoted to the fickle and delicate insufficiently rooted in the soil, so to speak. www.fiuv.org/ Page 29 FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Introducing the Latin Mass Magazine

It’s full title is The Latin Mass Magazine: A Journal of Catholic Culture. Based in Jersey in the United States of America it has faithfully served Catholics attached to the Traditional Mass since its foundation in 1992. It is published by Keep the Faith, a foundation which also organises conferences, and has an impressive collection of downloadable audio talks on its website: https://store.keepthefaith.org/featured-products The magazine expresses its mission as to make itself the intellectual arm of Catholics working for the return of the Church to tradition and authentic organic development. and to Identify, develop and publish writers committed to Catholic liturgical, spiritual, theological and cultural traditions. Among its many distinguished writers over the years are many closely associated with the FIUV, including such luminaries of the past, Michael T. Davies, Count Neri Capponi, and Alfons, Cardinal Stickler. A regular writer for it today is Dr Peter Kwasniewski, whose article on Repetition in the liturgy we reproduce below. The magazine can be found online at http://www.latinmassmagazine.com/ Repetition is for Poets, Lovers, Children, Madmen—and Worshipers

Dr Peter A. Kwasniewski

Repetition in the liturgy is a profound the threefold Domine, non sum dignus, history are now to be restored to the topic. In this article I would like vigour which they had in the days of to suggest some ways of thinking cross in the Roman Canon. The purging the holy Fathers, as may seem useful about repetition that will help us to ofand these the repetitions genuflections was andsaid signsto have of been the or necessary.1 appreciate its positive value. First, The dictates in this paragraph rest on I will look at a symptomatic text in paragraph 50 of the Constitution on the more universal principles enunciated in done in fulfillment of the criteria given in the Second Vatican Council; second, I Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium: paragraph 34: will explore the psychological value The rite of the Mass is to be revised in The rites should be distinguished by a such a way that the intrinsic nature of repetition; third, I will examine noble simplicity; they should be short, formal repetition in a sacred context, and purpose of its several parts, as clear, and unencumbered by useless using the Confiteor as my case study; also the connection between them, repetitions; they should be within the fourth, I will consider whether there is may be more clearly manifested, and people’s powers of comprehension, room for improvement in the old rite that devout and active participation of Mass; finally, I will discuss certain by the faithful may be more easily and normally should not require temptations that arise with repetition. achieved. For this purpose the rites much explanation. simpliciores fiant], A weak link in Sacrosanctum due care being taken to preserve their rather poor translation of the Latin— Concilium’s chain substanceare to be simplified [substantia [ ]; elements affordingWe might us yet note, another first, example that this of why is a Among the worst casualties of the which, with the passage of time, came a fresh and more accurate English edition liturgical reform were prayers and to be duplicated, or were added with of the conciliar documents is desperately gestures in the Mass that were judged to but little advantage, are now to be overdue: be instances of ‘useless repetition,’ such as discarded; other elements which have Kyrie, suffered injury through accidents of 1  Translation from the Vatican website. the doubled Confiteor, the ninefold Page 30 www.fiuv.org/ FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10

Ritus nobili simplicitate fulgeant, sint could disagree, and why would it need to Fifth, the requirement that liturgical brevitate perspicui et repetitiones be said at all? On the other hand, verbal rites should not ‘generally require repetition is one of the most common accommodati, neque generatim literary devices found in Scripture (‘Amen, multisinutiles indigeant evitent, explanationibus. sint fidelium captui amen, I say to you’4), in the world’s great ritemany is explanations’communicative is bafflingto the extent in light that of The rites should shine forth with poetry (‘Quoth the Raven “Nevermore”’5), itparagraph is permeated 34’s callwith for signs simplification. or symbols, A a noble simplicity; they should be in popular devotions (the Rosary, litanies, and thus one might believe that the more novenas), and in all liturgies (e.g., dozens densely symbolic it is, and the more repetitions, and be accommodated to of ‘Lord have mercy’s’ in the Divine numerous and pronounced its gestures, theclear faithful’s in brevity, capacity; avoid nor unprofitable should they Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), so the and the richer its prayers, the more generally require many explanations. criterion can also come across sounding powerfully it will be able to communicate While this rendering makes the text uneducated or, worse, ideological. to a receptive soul—and precisely not quite so heavy-handed, it is still one of A meaningless repetition of elements without the need for many explanations. the weaker statements in the Constitution, is rightly avoided as irrational. How But if a rite is too obvious, too brief, too different is the chanting of the Litany straightforward, and too stripped down, First, what exactly is meant by of the Saints or the Litany of Loreto, it will take a huge amount of explanation as can‘simplicity’? be seen from The five simplicity angles. of God the Paters and Aves counted on the to persuade people that something beads of a well-loved rosary, or the important, numinous, transformative, or of all things; the simplicity of prime cascading Kyries of a Byzantine Divine miraculous is happening. If one wishes is actually infinite and pre-inclusive Liturgy! Of such insistent pleading, it to avoid a lot of verbal explanations is Our Lord himself who offered the before, during, and after the liturgy, one amatter saint is is bound potentially to look infinite strange and to has to protect the liturgy’s own inherent thetotally world; indefinite; the simplicity the simplicity of a child ofis Gethsemane: ‘He left them again, and language of vestments, manipulatives, easily taken advantage of. Adding the wentdefinitive away example and prayed in the a third Garden time, of places, postures, gestures, chants, saying the same thing once more’ (Mt orations, and silences. Second, that rites be brevitate 26:44; cf. Mk 14:39).6 Sometimes one wonders how perspicuiqualifier, ‘clear ‘noble’ in [their]helps only brevity,’ a little. raises The conciliar text, in its far-from-clear Sacrosanctum Concilium might have a host of questions left unanswered: why brevity, does not specify when repetition been written, if its authors had been should we think that a ritual enactment is useful and when it is not, nor what altar card-carrying members of Roman of an unfathomable mystery could the criteria of utility might be. There is Catholicism who had harnessed the ever be transparent to the eyes of body no hint of awareness that emphasizing insights of anthropology, psychology, and or of soul? Why should we think that the concept of usefulness might betray theology. Let’s imagine how paragraph 34 conciseness would help, rather than a utilitarianism at odds with deeper in particular could have read: hinder, our assimilation of this mystery? considerations of spirituality, aesthetics, The rites should shine forth with the Aidan Nichols writes: ‘To the sociologist, and tradition. it is by no means self-evident that brief, Fourth, the statement that rites clear rites have greater transformative ought to be ‘accommodated to the andbeauty the ofordered a unified multiplicity complexity of thatHis potential than complex, abundant, lavish, faithful’s capacity’ is totally unhelpful. creation.mirrors theThey infinite should simplicity combine ofclarity God rich, long rites, furnished with elaborate Are ‘the faithful’ an undifferentiated and obscurity, length and brevity; ceremonial.’2 The Eastern tradition works homogeneous mass? Some are well- they should cultivate meaningful on the opposite assumption, namely, that catechised, others are ignorant; repetition, accentuate symbolic leisurely length, waves of repetition, and some are new to the Faith, others objects and actions, and eschew verbal a certain obscurity are essential to the lifelong devotees; some are inclined explanations. To the faithful who liturgy—a fact to which Pope John Paul II to contemplative prayer, others are seek holiness, the rites should offer a bore witness when he wrote, concerning lifelong apprenticeship in the Church’s the Byzantine liturgy: ‘The lengthy down and concentrate; some are avid prayer of adoration, contrition, duration of the celebrations, the repeated readersextroverts of Guéranger’s who find it Liturgical hard to quietYear, supplication, and thanksgiving. invocations, everything expresses others have barely taken notice of the 2  Aidan Nichols, OP, Looking at the Liturgy: A Liturgical Movement’s existence. There Critical View of Its Contemporary Form (San celebrated with one’s whole person’3— is no way to succeed in creating a Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996), 59. andgradual the same identification may be said with of thethe Western mystery 3  Encyclical Letter Orientale Lumen (2 May tradition at its best. Art historians love 7 It 1995), n. 11. 4  Examples of repeated Amens in the Bible to speak of the chiaroscuro of Baroque isliturgical the faithful rite aimedwhose at diverse an ill-defined capacities or include, in the OT, Num 5:22 and Neh 8:6, painters, but the painters are not the mustindefinable be accommodated ‘capacity of theto the faithful.’ liturgy’s and in the Gospel of John, 1:51, 3:3, 3:5, 3:11, inventors of this approach to light and immense reality, not the liturgy that 5:19, 5:24, 5:25, 6:26, 6:32, 6:47, 6:54, 8:34, darkness. The liturgy is the chiaroscuro must be retooled and refashioned to suit 8:51, 8:58, 10:1, 10:7, 12:24, 13:16, 13:20, 13:21, 13:38, 14:12, 16:20, 16:23, 21:18. of the divine mysteries, which shine forth an imaginary congregation. As we know, Some translations have ‘Truly, truly.’ with a light far too bright for our intellects the default assumption later on was that 5 From Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Raven’. to comprehend. liturgy should be accommodated to the 6 Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis: Sacred Liturgy, Third, that rites should ‘avoid lowest denominator,­ that is, the Catholic the Traditional Latin Mass, and Renewal in the who knows almost nothing, makes no Church (Kettering, OH: Angelico Press, 2014), 65. scratching one’s head. If we are speaking effort to cultivate his interior life, and, 7 Pope Pius XII in his Encyclical Letter Mediator aboutunprofitable senseless repetition’ babbling, like leaves a broken one consequently, needs to be constantly Dei (20 November 1947), n. 108, expands on record or a scratched compact disc, who animated from without. this point.

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In other words, the rites should be the almost endless subjective involvement memorize it, or, in that wonderful idiom, traditional Western rites that the Church of the faithful, and at the same time, that ‘learn it by heart.’ If we want prayer to already had, most notably the Roman Catholic devotions at their best possess move from our intellect to our heart, Rite. There was no need to ‘improve’ a rock-solid dogmatic core and lend it must become familiar, internalized, them; rather, the deformations that had themselves to, or inspire the creation of, habitual, and connatural, so that we are occurred under Pope Pius XII, above all quasi-liturgical literary and artistic forms. not expending our energy on the more the massacre of Holy Week, should have One might think of the many musical been undone. compositions, some of them truly great, phrases, new sentiments, new patterns. It In any case, paragraph 34 is what it is, that have been inspired by the Stations doesn’tsuperficial do me activity any good of to navigating be surrounded new and must stand or fall on its own merits. of the Cross, and served as food for by thousands of books if I have none of One must ask: Why was it even meditation in the popular paraliturgies of their content in my soul. This is why, if thought necessary to ask for a removal Good Friday. a lectionary has as one of its purposes of repetitions? Where did the negative the familiarization of the faithful with attitude come from? Consider the The psychological value of repetition the Word of God, the old one-year following passage from Romano We need to ask ourselves deeper lectionary, with its limited readings, will The Spirit of questions than the authors of be far superior to a multi-year lectionary the Liturgy (1918): Sacrosanctum Concilium evidently did. when it comes to implanting the Word of Guardini’s influential book What is repetition all about? When God in our souls. It is when the Church’s such as, e.g., the Rosary, must not be and why it is used in human life and in words given to me from without become gainsaid.The justification They have of methods a necessary of prayer and worship? We should seek an answer at my words rooted within that the liturgy peculiar effect in the spiritual life. both the natural level, that is, as regards becomes, in fact, the font and apex of my They clearly express the difference universal human psychology, and at the Christian life. Any amount of repetition which exists between liturgical and supernatural level, in connection with the will help in this regard, even if it is as popular prayer. The liturgy has for rituals of the Christian religion. minimal as it often is with the new Liturgy its fundamental principle, Ne bis We repeat things for several distinct of the Hours, where some psalms are said idem [never the same thing twice]. reasons, as can be seen by looking, with only once a month. Far more helpful in It aims at a continuous progress of St. Thomas Aquinas, at the different acquiring that connaturality with prayer ideas, mood, and intention. Popular faculties of the soul. is daily and weekly repetition, and so, in devotion, on the contrary, has a In regard to the faculty of the intellect a different way, is the straightforward strongly contemplative character, and and our capacity for understanding, we verbal repetition of saying the same thing loves to linger around a few simple repeat for the sake of further penetration. multiple times in a row, provided that one images, ideas, and moods without Since men do not have angelic intellects does so conscientiously and not with a any swift changes of thought. For the capable of immediately grasping a truth wandering mind. people the forms of devotion are often I would add here that the very merely a means of being with God. encounters with a statement or an object, forming of words on the lips, whether we On this account they love repetition. forin itseach totality, time it we is possible benefit we from might repeated catch utter the words out loud or mouth them The ever-renewed requests of the Our a new glimpse of it, like (to use a well-worn sotto voce, is a crucial part of this process Father, Hail Mary, etc., are for them at metaphor) an observer walking around of informing the memory. In The Love the same time receptacles into which a statue, seeing it from different angles. of Learning and the Desire for God, Jean they can pour their hearts.8 Take a sentence and read it over and over, Leclercq reminds us that medieval monks This is an odd thing for a man of each time emphasizing a different word: rarely read silently; they saw reading Guardini’s stature to say, for surely he we understand the sentence differently as an act of ruminating or chewing on knew that all liturgical prayer in East when we say ‘My the words, savouring their distinctive and West includes repetition, no less ‘My soul sounds, as if words were already incipient than he knew that popular devotions magnifies soul magnifies the Lord,’ music. Reading, in short, involved ‘muscle involve progression, as in the mysteries the Lord. ’ magnifiesMoreover, theliturgical Lord,’ repetition ‘My soul memory.’ Just as it is well known from of the Rosary, the versicles of the is usually bound the Lord,’ up with ‘My soulnumerological magnifies Angelus, or the Stations of the Cross. symbolism, which makes an appeal to singing facilitates textual memorization Moreover, the characteristic he attributes the intellect, establishing a connection farexperience better than and mere scientific reciting studies does, thatand to popular devotion, namely, that it between whatever it is we are saying and that rhymed and metered poems are has a contemplative character, can just a larger, more encompassing mystery to easier to memorize than prose, it is also as readily be attributed to the liturgy, which it alludes. Thus, the ninefold Kyrie well known that making words with one’s especially in the Western sphere. Perhaps at the start of Mass is a doubly underlined it was this kind of dichotomous thinking Trinitarian prayer: three petitions tablet of the soul than silently passing our that stood behind the campaign against addressed to the Father, three to the Son, eyeslips inscribesover them. them What more I have firmly said onabout the repetitiones inutiles. and three to the Holy Ghost. the lips may be said about any part of Members of the Liturgical Movement Closely related to this intellectual the body that is subject to the control of often praised the ‘objectivity’ of liturgy and slighted the ‘subjectivism’ of the imagination and shaping the memory. and legs. Consciously repeated bodily devotion. While there is some truth to Thataspect which is the is valuerepeated of repetition is more continually for filling actionour will, produces such as ourover head, time fingers,a facility arms, for this contrast, there is also a tendency to present to our inner sensorium, thereby making a deeper impression on our 8  Note 10 of chapter 1. See The Spirit of which the sphere of liturgy is so grand in faculty of memory. It is obvious that the Liturgy, trans. Ada Lane (New York: itsoversimplification objectivity that ifit we makes forget room the wayfor anin we must repeat something if we are to Crossroad, n.d.), 30–31.

Page 32 www.fiuv.org/ FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 doing it and a pleasure or delight in doing verbal complexities. The reformers’ to gestures. Dom Mark Kirby gives the it. The use of the entire body in prayer, rationalism, born of utilitarian thinking, example of the kissing of the altar: could not see with a lover’s eyes or hear bowing, standing, uniting of the hands, with a lover’s ears; the uselessness of the altar and impress it upon ourselves andwith so a forth,regimen inscribes of kneeling, the meaning genuflecting, of the leisure, of play, of contemplation, was by meansWe express of certain this prescribed rich significance gestures. of hidden from their pedantic pride. . . . The priest and deacon kiss the altar weight of our bodies to the intentions of The Byzantine Catholic writer Adam upon arriving in the sanctuary and before thewords soul. into In ourthis flesh way andwe extend adds the the sensible power DeVille has some fairly spicy words on leaving it. In the traditional rite of Holy of memory into the whole person, while this topic: Mass the priest kisses the altar frequently; uniting what is lower and more animal to All Eastern liturgical traditions these repeated kisses signify the desire what is higher and more divine. Liturgical understand this wisdom of loving of the priest—representing both Christ bodily repetition thus becomes a practical repetition. We repeat because we love. the Bridegroom and the whole bridal way of reintegrating our fragmentary self Byzantine liturgy is replete with its Body of His Church—for the fruitful and reorienting it to God. repetitions, usually in groups of three, consummation of their sacramental Needless to say, in keeping with the both because love demands repetition union. The suppression of the repeated adage repetitio est mater studiorum, the kissing of the altar in the Novus Ordo is education of children used to involve a screams what? ‘Do it again!’), and a cold rationalistic innovation foreign to huge amount of repetition, for there is because(the child threefoldflung into repetitionthe air by Daddyis of the language of love in which one or even no better way to learn the elements of course a mnemonic device bearing a two kisses are not enough.12 language, arithmetic, geography, history, Trinitarian imprint. The West must Repetition, then, is for poets, for and religious doctrine. That we have so therefore stop its psychologically lovers, for children, and for madmen— largely left behind this approach in the destructive and perverse disdain for those who are striving to express the name of dubious pedagogical theories for so-called useless repetitions. ineffable, those who are longing for the is one more sign of the loss of common Repetition is the essence of liturgy beloved, those who are learning from a sense for which our age is destined to be and ritual. In this light, stop assuming master, those who have lost their ‘wits,’ remembered—or perhaps forgotten. a three-year lectionary is better than which, in the spiritual realm, are the ‘holy In regard to the faculty of the will and a one-year. It isn’t. One-year cycles fools,’ such as the Russian pilgrim who our capacity for loving, repetition both mean more frequent repetition, ceaselessly repeats the Jesus Prayer. So, if proceeds from and enkindles fervour— which means a greater likelihood of we have reached a point where we don’t and this will be no less true at the level of people remembering the readings need repetition any more, it must be that the sensitive appetite, in our passions or and calling them to mind later. Hatred we are neither children of God nor lovers emotions. On Psalm 6:9–10, ‘The Lord has of Him; we have nothing in common with heard the voice of my weeping; the Lord by self-congratulatory talk about holy fools; we have no poetic bone in our has heard my petition; the Lord has taken ‘nobleof repetition simplicity.’ is invariablyIt is neither. justified ‘Noble bodies. Without a doubt, this would be up my prayer,’ St. Augustine admirably simplicity’ is just a sanctimonious a condition to be ashamed of, not one to comments on why the psalmist repeats display of bourgeois iconoclasm, with aspire to. himself: ‘The frequent repetition of the its fetishes for ‘cool, clean lines’ and This, then, might be called the natural 11 same idea does not denote the need the ‘decorative sparseness.’ foundations of the value of repetition. speaker feels to ram home his point, but Whether consciously or not, DeVille’s But what about its supernatural the warmth of one who rejoices. Those words call to mind a famous passage in dimension? Is there a special reason for who rejoice usually speak in such a way G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy: pre-set, formulaic reiteration in Christian that it is not enough for them to give Because children have abounding worship? voice to their joy only once.’9 Lovers are infamous for the repetitious nature of and free, therefore they want things Formal repetition in a sacred context their chatter, which is delightful to them, repeatedvitality, because and unchanged. they are in They spirit always fierce though it can be embarrassing to any who say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up world that is not properly ours, but God’s. might happen to overhear. With her usual person does it again until he is nearly We Ritual,are standing by definition, on holy is ground; our entry we into must a charm, Jane Austen observes in Sense and dead. For grown-up people are not think, desire, act, and speak differently Sensibility: strong enough to exult in monotony. than we do in the everyday world to Though a very few hours spent in But perhaps God is strong enough which we are proportioned by our created the hard labour of incessant talking to exult in monotony. It is possible nature. We are in the presence of the will despatch more subjects than can that God says every morning, ‘Do it really be in common between any two again’ to the sun; and every evening, rational creatures, yet with lovers it is ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not 9  Exposition of the Psalms, Psalm 6, n. 11. different. Between them no subject is be automatic necessity that makes 10 Chapter 49. My attention was drawn to this all daisies alike; it may be that God splendid passage by Fr. Edmund Waldstein, made, till it has been made at least makes every daisy separately, but has O.Cist. 11 From “When it comes to liturgy, we’re all 10 twentyfinished, times no communicationover. is even never got tired of making them. It may mutually-enriching mongrels,” published at Here, Jane Austen exhibits more sense be that He has the eternal appetite The Catholic World Report, February 10, and sensibility than either the drafters of of infancy; for we have sinned and 2017. 12 Sacrosanctum Concilium or the liturgical grown old, and our Father is younger  From a talk given on 5 July 2014 at the Evangelium Ireland Conference at St Patrick’s reformers who took their battle axe to than we. College, Maynooth: “The Mass—You Can’t the liturgy and chopped away lovers’ Repetition is not, of course, limited Live Without It.” The text may be found online repetitions, poetic cumbrances, and to the sphere of words, but extends also at Vultus Christi.

www.fiuv.org/ Page 33 FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 holy, and it makes us stammer, whisper, exhibits the dignity of the servant who sing, and fall silent, and then do all this or a great poem? A masterpiece says to the master: ‘May almighty God over again, as if climbing a mountain by maysuperfluous’ contain things gaps, in less a great felicitous fresco have mercy on thee, and having forgiven switchbacks that take us back and forth parts, repetitions, things that are thy sins, lead thee to eternal life.’ and slowly up. Ritual cannot be calculated, unintelligible or contradictory—but Bishop Athanasius Schneider once never things that are unnecessary and told the following story. He was offering is, one could say, a kind of role playing, a dialogue Low Mass in Africa with a whereefficient, we businesslike,dare to act a part logical, that linear. belongs It been people who made themselves large community of schoolgirls. When properly to someone else, and as a result, ridiculoussuperfluous. by At trying all times to thereeliminate have he had confessed his sins, he heard all we act ceremoniously, we wear special the ‘mistakes’ in masterpieces, these little girls say to him ‘Misereatur garments and speak special words, we applying their half-baked scholarship tui omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis to Michelangelo’s frescos and tuis, perducat te ad vitam aeternam.’ He ourselves over to the rulership of our Shakespeare’s tragedies. Great works was overcome with a crushing sense superiors.are formal, Indeed, dignified, even scripted; the seraphim we handwith have a soul: we can feel it, alive and of humility, littleness, and joy. This their powerful intellects are portrayed in radiant, even where its body has experience of the priest confessing Scripture as crying out Kadosh, kadosh, been damaged. The liturgy must his own sins in front of the people is kadosh, in response to the vision of God’s be regarded with at least as much something we could use a great deal more unutterable and inexhaustible glory (Is respect as a profane masterpiece of of in the Church today—and, of course, 6:3); so too must we cry out Sanctus, this kind. Respect opens our eyes. the corresponding confession of the sanctus, sanctus in our earthly sanctuary, Often enough, even in the case of people, with the invocation of the saints the image of the heavenly. a profane work of art, if we study by name. Verbal and ceremonial repetition, conscientiously and ponder the detail, like many other traditional liturgical it was not only the repetition of something elements, perfectly and manifestly suits thatWith had thealready Confiteor been before done earlier communion, in the elementespecially comes the apparently unexpectedly superfluous to life; in Mass that was objected to; it was rather setting it apart from the ordinary and the thedetail, end weit sometimes find that happens the offending that we the impression that the communion rite profane.the sphere I am of reminded the sacred, here defining of an incisive it and come to see it as a special quality of for the faithful is ‘tacked on to’ the Mass remark by C.S. Lewis: the work. This is always the case with as a sort of extrinsic piece rather than The modern habit of doing ceremonial the rites of the sacred liturgy. There is something intrinsic to it. Yet the old things unceremoniously is no proof nothing in them that, given intensive practice makes theological sense, at least of humility; rather it proves the contemplation, does not show itself to from the vantage of the dogmatic teaching offender’s inability to forget himself in be absolutely saturated with spiritual of the Council of Trent. The communion the rite, and his readiness to spoil for power.14 of the offering priest is essential to the everyone else the proper pleasure of ritual.13 in the minds of liturgical reformers was the communion of no one else is. In fact, Lewis sees that a rite, precisely An example of unprofitable repetition thecompletion obscuring of theof thissacrifice point in by a wayhaving that a because of what it is (or rather whom it rite of Mass. First, it was ‘doubled’ in the single communion rite in which the priest belongs to), demands that those who take prayersthe way theat the Confiteor foot of was the employedaltar (the insame the announces ‘Ecce Agnus Dei’ prior to it up or enter into it forget themselves receiving Christ and distributing Him to and allow themselves to be drawn into of Compline). Second, it was repeated by the faithful is among the many factors that the realm of the other. By yielding in this thecan serversbe seen inor theministers opening after of the the old priest’s office have contributed to the obscuring of the fundamentally passive way to another’s communion and prior to the communion difference in kind between the ministerial activity and by taking part in that activity of everyone else. They saw both of these priesthood and the priesthood of the as best we can, we allow His fullness to faithful. spill over into our poverty—not once, Moreover, one should not evaluate but again and again and again, even as singlethings severely as superfluous, redacted so text, they and, conflated already this practice from a low Mass standpoint, the Confiteors at the beginning into a but from the Solemn High Mass, the renewed daily upon our altars. before communion—although this normative Mass of the Roman Rite. the Speakingall-sufficient broadly Sacrifice about of thethe Crosswealth is customprior to has 1962, shown suppressed a remarkable the Confiteor tenacity of detail in traditional liturgical rites of survival to the present. companions, the deacon and the (including their repetitions), Martin Let’s take a closer look at each of these subdeacon,Seeing the priestwith the flanked deacon by hischanting close Mosebach argues that we will never practices. be able to understand the unity and complete coherence of these rites until we look at at the beginning of Mass just once, all withthe Confiteor,the communion throws of into the sharppriest, reliefwho them with the sensitivity and sympathy Why shouldn’t we say the Confiteor standshow the in sacrificefor Christ is the essentially High Priest, and we bring to great works of art: strongly brings out the dialogical nature that the further communions are an The Council of Trent, in its teaching oftogether? liturgical Theworship, double where Confiteor the celebrant here concerning the liturgy’s sacred rites, acts as a mediator for the people, and and the faithful, a sacramental ‘rippling said that these rites ‘contain nothing where each member of the body is praying extension of this sacrifice to the ministers for the other. The doubling formalizes dictum, properly understood, again the mediation as well as the mutual 13  C. S. Lewis, A Preface to Paradise Lost (Oxford: unnecessary or superfluous.’ This Oxford University Press, 1942), 17. challenges us to regard the liturgy assistance. It reinforces the humility 14  Martin Mosebach, The Heresy of Formlessness, as a work of art. … Who would dare needed in the celebrant, who confesses new ed. (Brooklyn: Angelico Press, 2018), his sins alone coram omnibus, and also 74–75.

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out’ comparable to the rippling out of the indeed, we had matured, it seems, past the authentic rites of Christendom— Pax, the gesture of peace, passed down the need for self-denial, reverence, and be it Roman, Ambrosian, Mozarabic, from on high—much as the higher angels adoration. Would it be too harsh to Greek, Slavic, Georgian, Coptic, Syrian, communicate illuminations to lower say that this set of attitudes betrays an Syro-Malabar, and so forth—has its own angels. In other words, it is the liturgy’s infernal origin? identity, integrity, and coherence, its way of representing the dogmatic truth relative perfection within the tradition spoken of by Pope Pius XII in Mystici Improvements to the old rite in which it developed, and should be Corporis Christi when he distinguishes Now, I have a confession to make: I treasured as such. It is not our business to between the ‘objective redemption’ used to think about certain things the construct a liturgy according to our own that Christ accomplished in full on the way modern liturgists do. I have found bright ideas; it is our privilege to receive Cross and the ‘subjective redemption’ notes in my drawer from decades ago in a rite of apostolic heritage, to venerate it of Christians, which occurs through the as a given, to embrace it, and to bear fruit application of the merits of His Passion other aspects of the Latin Mass should be by it. Not even the pope is the maker or to our souls in the sacraments of the which I argued that the Confiteors and manager of liturgy; he is only its servant. Church.15 This aspect of the usus antiquior never published.) What I lacked was long We have had quite enough of tinkeritis. points unambiguously to the essence of andsimplified. patient (Fortunately, experience. As these time notes went were on, I Second, the question of improvements the Mass as the re-presentation of the came to appreciate, even to relish, every usually betrays a progressivist mentality, detail of the old Roman Rite; things that as if change can take place in only one ordained minister, and forcefully sets had once struck me as beside the point direction, namely, that of modernization. Sacrifice of the Cross at the hands of the came to acquire a meaning in my eyes— When people ask me what I think the Mass and the Last Supper, that is, the perhaps an idiosyncratic meaning, but ‘future development’ of the 1962 Missal aside the Protestant conflation of the so what? The liturgy is like a vast epic will look like, and whether it will continue with communion. poem, an Iliad or an Odyssey, in which simpleAgain, identification at a high Mass, of the the faithful Eucharist are my answer is simple: we have already usually not able to hear characters, scenes, and turns of phrase goneto be beyond‘frozen inthe time’ 1962 like Missal, a fly butin amber, in the of the priest and the servers at the thatevery mean age, the every most generation,to it. Every element finds the in direction of reclaiming things that were beginning, as these preparatory the Confiteor prayers the liturgy is like spiritual scaffolding or unwisely abolished in the period between ladders or handholds by which we can lift 1948 and 1962, such as abundant soaring sound of the Introit. Thus, when ourselves up to God—or rather, be drawn octaves, multiple orations, doubled thein the deacon sanctuary sings are or muffled the servers under say the up by Him. Why would we remove any readings, folded chasubles, proper last such occasion of grace? We don’t need Gospels, the old Holy Week, and the everyone is able to hear it and make it to add things randomly to the liturgy, in three-hour Eucharistic fast. There will be theirthe Confiteor own, since right there before is nothing communion, else fact we should hesitate seriously before development in the sense of unshackling ‘covering over’ this action. Holy Mother introducing anything; but for a like the old rite from the archeologising and reason we should not remove what is modernizing redactors who were already opportunity to bow low before the altar, already there, even if it came about ‘by expressChurch offerscontrition all thefor faithfulsins, call one upon final accident.’ There’s a marvellous passage in its countenance in preparation for saints and angels as intercessors, and Ratzinger’s memoirs, Milestones, where thebusily extreme cutting itmakeover down and theyreconfiguring dreamt receive a minor absolution prior to he describes his gradual apprenticeship of and eventually performed. I agree receiving the Sanctissimum, the most Holy to the Roman Rite: with Catherine Pickstock that any good One, before whom even the cherubim and It was a riveting adventure to move liturgical reform would have to be anti- seraphim veil their faces. Thus we see by degrees into the mysterious world modern, not ne plus ultra modern. She of the liturgy, which was enacted writes: the reform ‘failed to challenge before us and for us on the altar. It those structures of the modern secular thatIt thisis worth Confiteor mentioning, is both theologicallyin passing, was becoming more and more clear world which are wholly inimical to thatappropriate the three and spirituallymost obvious profitable. places to me that here I was encountering a liturgical purpose’; indeed, it surrendered where the glimmering scalpels of the reality that no one had simply thought to them.17 In this sense, we have far more Consilium excised the fatty tissue of to learn from the Middle Ages and the or great individual had created. . . . Baroque than we have to learn from the the ‘Domine, non sum dignus’—all have Notup, a everythingreality that wasno official logical. authority Things 20th century. We are still wading in the torepetition—the do with acknowledging Confiteor, the our Kyrie, sins and sometimes got complicated, and it shallows compared with the spiritual our unworthiness to receive the Lord or depths of our distant predecessors. even to place ourselves before Him. Is But precisely this is what made the this a coincidence? No more, I would say, was not always easy to find one’s way. muscles, we ought to cultivate the virtue 16 than the systematic removal of prayers own home. Rather than flexing our engineering that ask for the grace to ‘despise earthly wholeNow, do edifice these comments wonderful, indicate like one’s that I think the old Roman liturgy is ‘perfect’ in 15  Cf. St Thomas Aquinas Summa theologiae III, Bible verses, or communion in the hand q. 80, a. 12, ad 2 tothings,’ those or who the are disappearance standing, rather of ‘difficult’ than on any further change? To be honest, I reject 16  Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Milestones: the tongue to those who are kneeling. In theevery validity way, and of couldthe question, never benefit for threefrom Memoirs 1927-1977 (San Francisco: Ignatius reasons. Press, 1998), 19–20. 17  See Catherine Pickstock, After Writing: On of age’; we had matured past a medieval First, no human liturgy could ever be the Liturgical Consummation of Philosophy preoccupationthe late ’60s, Christians with the hadfear finally of the ‘comeLord, ‘perfect’ in comparison to the worship (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1998), sin, penance, detachment, asceticism; of the heavenly Jerusalem; but each of 169–273.

www.fiuv.org/ Page 35 FROM THE MAGAZINES GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 of attentive receptivity to the great gift that has come down to us. Reading medieval commentators on liturgy is one of the best ways we can push forward liturgical renewal in our times. Third, the question is highly ambiguous. There are changes, and then there are changes. The Church Father St. Vincent of Lérins distinguished between profectus and permutatio. Profectus means growth according to kind, as when a child puts on height and weight to become a man, but remains the same person; permutatio means a change away from a thing’s original identity, as when an animal dies and thereby ceases to be an animal, or when a heresy takes a certain partial truth, rips it from its larger context, and erects a new version of Christianity upon it. So, yes, the liturgy should welcome and has always welcomed profectus, growth by augmentation, even if the pace of change slows down over time, and the additions are minor ones like new feasts. But a permutatio of the liturgy would be its demise, as experience has all too clearly Bishop John Sherrington, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Westminster, strikes a demonstrated. candidate for the Sacrament of Confirmation lightly on the cheek. Forty three candidates were confirmed at this service in November 2019. It is organised annually by the Latin Mass Society, Temptation associated with in St James’ Spanish Place. repetition I would be remiss not to mention a so speedily that they lose the density and other rites—‘relevant,’ up-to-date, problem that confronts us fallen human interesting, attractive, evangelical. They beings, namely, that repetition is known insistence, and the merit of their humble succeeded only in creating the Synod of from experience to present the danger pleading.of their meaning,‘Domine, thenon benefitsum dignus’ of their is Pistoia’s dreamt-of Enlightenment liturgy, of zoning out and losing focus. Everyone, worth saying three times because it is which hit the world just when rationalism I assume, knows the temptation of worth saying well once, and therefore was entering its last agony. The new speeding up in order to get through a three times as weighty when repeated. liturgy attracted few and repelled many; long liturgical text, particularly when Dom Mark Kirby writes: ‘The threefold it held interest for its textbook votaries it involves repetitious phrases. The Domine, non sum dignus is no vain but seldom excited enthusiasm. Like lightning speed at which some priests repetition; it is a trirhythmic grace of many buildings from the same period, say ‘Domine, non sum dignus ut intres compunction that batters the door of it has aged badly and desperately needs sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo even the most hardened heart.’19 And repairs. It was evangelical only in the et sanabitur anima mea’ before receiving yet, if this exclamation is to bring the sense that it emulated certain strains of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar grace of compunction, it must be done Protestantism and left behind much of prompts some laity to wonder just how deliberately and attentively. If we are what was distinctively Catholic, which has unworthy they feel and whether they see to rejoice in repetition, we must always ensured for it a fate comparable to that of themselves as directly addressing the strive to attend to the meaning of words mainline Protestant denominations. Lord of heaven and earth, really present a and gestures as well as we can, and We also know that, unexpectedly, the few inches away, or how sincerely they are therefore, avoid becoming susceptible traditional Roman liturgy has acquired a asking Him to heal their souls. What St. to Our Lord’s warning against ‘vain new relevance in the life of the Church, Thomas says about why custom has the repetition.’ Was it not St. Francis de Sales that it stirs up keen interest by its alluring force of law is something that we would who said that haste is the great enemy of beauty, and is prompting conversions by want to be true of ourselves whenever we devotion? its palpable sacredness. At least part of are repeating liturgical words or actions: the secret of its enduring vitality is the ‘By repeated external actions, the inward ..... pedagogically sound, spiritually edifying, movement of the will and concepts of and ritually appropriate use it makes of reason are most effectually declared; for We know that much damage has repetition. when a thing is done again and again, been done to the sacred liturgy of the it seems to proceed from a deliberate Catholic Church in the past century by 18 presumably well-intentioned reformers judgment of reason.’ 18 who, operating from dubious theories  Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 97, a. 3. It should go without saying that 19  “The Ordinary Form after Summorum the worst thing that can happen with and astonishing naïveté, sought to make Pontificum,” published online at Vultus Christi, repetitions is to rush through them October 25, 2012.

the liturgy—the Mass, the Divine Office, Page 36 www.fiuv.org/ NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Communion on the Tongue and Epidemic

Joseph Shaw

The Coronavirus epidemic has been has sometimes started happening once on the Tongue. In both cases Minister the occasion for a small number of more, Holy Communion was given after and Communicant are obliged to bishops around the world to attempt or between Masses. come close to each other, if only for supress the ancient practice of receiving The opponents of Reception on the a short time, and without touching. Holy Communion on the Tongue, the Tongue have consistently attempted to practice which accords with the norms, make the argument that it is more likely of an instrument such as a pair of not only of the Traditional Mass, but of to spread infection than distribution in tongsIt is difficult (for which to see there how areeven historical the use the Universal Church. the hand. However, the only relevant precedents) would enable Minister In the Ordinary Form permission expert advice of which the Federation and Communicant to maintain a was only given for the reception of Holy is aware says that the two methods are distance of six feet or two meters. Communion in the Hand at the request of equally safe (see below). 5. Canon law is rightly very restrictive Bishops’ Conferences after a vote of two in the penalties which bishops can Press Release from the Foederatio thirds in favour of the request. Despite impose on their priests for the Internationalis Una Voce: the disfavour of the Church, Reception breach of regulations of their own On the Reception of Holy Communion in the Hand is often treated as the norm. devising. Bishop Rodi’s attempt to on the Tongue in time of Epidemic In 2004 the Congregation for Divine prohibit priests who do not obey Worship had to insist that wishing to In light of the recent statements by his regulations to celebrate public receive on the Tongue is not grounds Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Masses—something which amounts for refusing Catholics Holy Communion. Alabama, in the United States of America, to a partial suspension of a priest— They reiterated this during the 2009 on social distancing during the reception goes beyond what Canon law would ‘Swine Flu’ epidemic. of Holy Communion, and related issues appear to justify. (See Canons 1316- Despite this some bishops suggested surrounding the reception of Holy 1319). that, during the Coronavirus crisis, public Communion around the world in the 6. It has become increasingly evident health concerns allowed them to prohibit context of the Coronavirus epidemic, Reception on the Tongue. the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce for the claim that Reception on the The Federation took the opportunity (FIUV) would like to make the following Tonguethat there is ismore no clear likely scientific to transmit basis of the world-wide survey to ask our observations. the Coronavirus than Reception in contacts what has been happening 1. In the Ordinary Form, the universal the Hand. This has been the expert with the reception of the Eucharist. The law of the Church gives every Catholic advice given to Archbishop Sample results, which we intended for internal the right to receive on the tongue. This of Portland, Oregon, USA, and use only, are reassuring. to Archbishop José Antonio Eguren, of Some bishops have explicitly said of Divine Worship in the context of Piura, Peru, and it is also the view of the that Communion on the Tongue remains earlierwas reaffirmed public health by the concerns, Congregation the experts involved in the guidelines of permissible; many more have ignored the Thomistic Institute of Washington, the issue. In the small number of places 2009. (See for example Redemptionis DC, in the USA. If any bishops around where rules have been put in place Sacramentumso-called ‘Swine (2004) flu’ 92; epidemic Letter of the world are in possession of studies allowing Reception in the Hand but the Congregation of Divine Worship not on the Tongue, priests celebrating 24th July 2009, Prot. N. 655/09/L.) growing consensus, it behoves them or expert opinions in conflict with this the Traditional Mass, supported by the 2. In the Extraordinary Form, the to make these public as a matter of Faithful, have almost always announced universal law of the Church allows urgency. that Holy Communion cannot be for the reception of Holy Communion 7. … As [restrictions] are gradually lifted distributed at that Form of the Mass. only on the tongue. (See Universae around the world, we urge bishops to continue to act in accordance It is worth remembering that Mass Ecclesiae (2011) 28; Memoriale with expert advice, not arbitrarily celebrated without the Communion Domini (1969).) picking out certain priests and faithful of the Faithful was the norm for many 3.  In neither case can the law of the for greater restrictions than those centuries up until the 1930s, when the Church be set aside by the Ordinary. imposed on others, and with respect Communion Rite was reintegrated into all 4. The problem of maintaining physical for the rights of the Faithful. Masses celebrated with a congregation. distance between Minister and The former practice was accompanied Communicant during the Reception by the Rite of Communion Outside Mass, of Holy Communion applies equally to Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce, found in the Rituale Romanum, and, as Reception in the Hand as to Reception 8thThe June President 2020. and Officers of the

www.fiuv.org/ Page 37 NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Estonia: Evangelisation through beauty

Maria Madise

What is truly beautiful, ought also to be Partly because of this environment, a true. Beauty is a way to the truth. This large proportion of Estonian Catholics have is the lesson I learned growing up in come to the Church by the way of beauty. Estonia in the 1980s and ’90s. Beauty Also, during the Soviet era, the arts attracted led me and many others to the Catholic people who did not agree with the regime. Church. While there was no freedom of speech or thought in the public sphere, music and art,

It is quite difficult to convey adequately towhat a country. five hundred But some years of ofthe Protestantism, fruits of this truth,where or figurative at least a speechrespite from and imageslies. have longtopped period with of fifty rejection years of of Communism, the Catholic doesfaith a justified Consequently, place, became the a platformproportion for theof in this country of ca 1.3 million speak for Catholics among Estonian musicians, artists themselves. There are about 4,000 Catholics and actors is unusually high. In fact, the very Estonian pilgrims, summer 2020 in Estonia today; approximately 75%-80% of the year. More than ten years since of the population declare themselves to only remaining, but virtually abandoned, Summorum Pontificum, it has still not been have no religion at all; roughly half of all Catholicfirst Estonian Church converts in Tallinn who inapproached the mid-’70s, the possible to have a weekly Mass. We pray that marriages end in divorce; the majority of were a handful of young musicians. By some now, as many more children are growing up children are born out of wedlock; and since miracle, they had discovered Gregorian as Catholics—and not surprisingly, many 1956, when abortion was legalised in Soviet chant in the archives of their conservatoire. who love tradition have large families!—our Estonia, c. 1.5 million people have been They were fascinated by it, and were keen voice will be heard more clearly. After all, aborted, a total which exceeds our current to discover where it belonged. However, as this is the voice of love for the tradition that population. A society that has lost the sense the Soviet occupation relaxed and religious nourished St Birgitta, St Dominic, and so of God quickly loses the sense of man also— practice became easier, they soon realised many other saints whose spiritual heritage that is, the sense of the sacredness of human that the liturgy had abandoned this music. sustains us to this day. life created in His image and likeness—and So they continued their search, because Estonia was dedicated to Our Lady in turns against all of God’s order. it seemed evident that what the newly the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade by Virtually all Estonian Catholics today discovered Catholic Church looked like, Pope Innocent III and is still commonly are converts. Only the children of our at the end of the ’70s and beginning of the referred to as the Land of Mary (Terra generation of converts are growing up as ’80s, was not the full story. This realisation Mariana). So we must, above all, have baptised Catholics. We are discovering the led to the discovery of tradition, the true recourse to Our Lady to restore the faith anew and perhaps having ‘entered home of Gregorian chant, and the prayers the scene’ a couple of decades after Vatican it transmitted. this land that belongs to her. II has enabled us to see the effects of the It was a period of much eclecticism, as CatholicAs a faithstep inand that make direction it flourish in this again past in Council in a clearer light, and helped us to such discoveries came through fragmentary summer, a pilgrimage took place in her turn to tradition quite quickly. contacts with the outside world rather than honour. While the great international However, we were also very fortunate systematic study and formation. As children pilgrimages were cancelled due to the Covid as converts, because much of our medieval in the late ’80s, mostly unbaptised, we would restrictions, we had to rediscover our own Catholic heritage is well preserved in the learn to read music by learning neumes. We traditional routes. We walked to Vastseliina, architecture of Tallinn, in craft workshops, learned to chant the Pater Noster and Ave which was one of the most popular in music, and in Estonian culture in general. Maria, without putting much meaning into pilgrimage destinations in Northern it. Years later, those of us who converted to Europe in the Middle Ages. A White Cross landmarks, some of which are still here Catholicism, therefore, had much in their had miraculously detached itself from today.Medieval The Tallinn Dominican had significantfriary established Catholic memory that fell into place, even more so as a wall of the chapel of the fortress and in 1246, not very long after St. Dominic we found the traditional Mass. placed itself on the altar where it remained died, was one of the largest monastic Perhaps because of our cultural standing, unsupported, accompanied by a buildings of its time. The entire Catholic inheritance or our Nordic character, or supernatural light and angelic music. Pope Cathedral in Tallinn today only occupies perhaps because of our nation’s historic Innocent VI granted an indulgence to those the refectory of the medieval complex! The experiences, there seems to be an innate visiting the site, and this became a much- Bridgettine convent in Tallinn, founded in longing for tradition in Estonia. Yet, we still used privilege. Our pilgrimage this summer 1436, also used to be the biggest nunnery have a long way to go to restore the Mass of in the region. There is a whole tapestry of our fathers, with the fullness of its Catholic visual and cultural reminders of medieval spirit, between our ancient walls. helpwas theto win first our in country centuries. back Please to the God, Truth it Catholicism that only need to have their Currently, the traditional Mass is offered ofwill Christ be the through first of themany beauty more of to His come, Blessed and meaning recovered. in Tallinn Cathedral twice a month, most Mother.

Page 38 www.fiuv.org/ NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Rest and Joy for Wise Souls and games: Eutrapelia.net Introducing a website of reviews of wholesome books, films, Robert Lazu Kmita

Authentic Catholic culture is characterised not by the embrace of decadent and dehumanising pleasures, or by a puritanical rejection of innocent pastimes, but by a careful discernment and development of activities which relax, divert, and ‘recreate’ the mind and the body: hunting, dancing, music, drama, stories, games, and sports. Many of these, like the ‘Fives’ played between the buttresses of Medieval cathedrals, or the exploits of G.K. Chesterton’s fictional detective Fr Brown, bear outward marks of a Catholic origin, but Catholic culture embraces all that is wholesome. Today the task of discernment is more critical than ever, and the volume and hype of deeply problematic commercial entertainment can seem overwhelming. In this situation the Eutrapelia website comes to our assistance, to inspire and guide our choice of entertainment, in film, fiction, cartoons, and games.

The content of the Eutrapelia website (www.eutrapelia.net) can be described by using eight words: Good books. Good movies. Good cartoons. Good games. We have created it because one of the most worrying phenomena we all face in these times: it is increasingly difficult to find joy without any trace of vulgarity and indecency. Threatened daily by all sorts of spiritual ‘viruses’—much more dangerous than those that attack the mortal bodies— our souls become weary. Nowadays, this negative experience is usually expressed by using the word ‘stress’. That is why we need rest and joy for our souls. That kind of rest which Frodo Baggins found in Eutrapelia home page Rivendell after he was almost killed by the the more since when the soul works, Second, we have to keep a good balance dark nazgûls. the body is at work likewise, in so far of mind. According to St Ambrose of Milan, it This type of rest is given through those as the intellective soul employs forces is important that by its relaxation the activities—such as reading, watching a that operate through bodily organs. mind should not lose its preoccupation movie or playing a game—designated by (Summa Theologica, II, 2ae, 168.2) with those serious things and deeds Saint Thomas Aquinas by the umbrella At the same time, Saint Thomas necessary for the salvation of the soul. Latin word ‘eutrapelia’. A word that means Aquinas warns us about some dangers And last but not the least ‘we must rest for a weary, tired soul: and risks that the pleasure and joy of be careful, as in all other human actions, Just as man needs bodily rest for playing game—to which we add reading to conform ourselves to persons, time, the body’s refreshment, because he books and watching movies/cartoons— cannot always be at work, since his may involve. and place, and take due account of First, no pleasure should be sought other circumstances’. In other words, ‘in indecent or injurious deeds or words.’ we have to do the right thing at the right power is finite and equal to a certain For us, those who live in the post-sexual time, in the right context. Essential for fixed amount of labour, so too is it with revolution era that began in the ’60s and professional or religious activities, Consequentlyhis soul, whose when power he isgoes also beyond finite ’70s, this statement seems downright the same principle can be applied to hisand measure equal to in a fixeda certain amount work, of work.he is trivial. However, restoring the principle of reading, watching, listening or playing oppressed and becomes weary, and all purity of heart is crucial. in our free time.

www.fiuv.org/ Page 39 NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Bishop John Basil Meeking, Requiescat in Pace

From the Latin Mass (Ecclesia Dei) Society of New Zealand.

In the last period of his life Bishop Basil Meeking was a huge support for the Traditional Movement in New Zealand as Bishop Emeritus of Christchurch, notably facilitating the reconciliation to the Holy See of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, a community of Redemptorists formerly aligned with the SSPX, and the regularisation of their apostolate in Christchurch. Fittingly, he subsequently carried out Ordinations for them. Prior to that he had made himself available to a remarkable number of churches and communities, not only as Ordinary of Christchurch, a task he carried out for nine years, but after taking early retirement, in Australia and the United States. He is fondly remembered all over the world.

It is with sadness that the Latin Mass Holy Cross College, Mosgiel in 1947 and (Ecclesia Dei) Society of New Zealand was ordained in 1953 for the Christchurch records the passing of the Most Rev. Diocese at St Paul’s Church, Dallington. Bishop Basil Meeking, Emeritus Bishop of Christchurch and Patron St Bede’s. A deep-thinking man of slight of our Society. Bishop Meeking died buildHe offered and hisscholarly first Mass mien, in theFr chapelMeeking at on the Feast of Corpus Christi, 11 nevertheless threw himself into the June, 2020, aged 90, at Christchurch practical duties connected with building Hospital following a recent period of projects at parish and diocesan levels in a ill health. time of substantial growth in the Church. Bishop Meeking was a staunch He was appointed to the parishes of supporter for many years of the usus Beckenham and St Martin’s and in the mid- antiquior, which he celebrated frequently. 1950s was involved in the building of new churches in both parishes. He was then ceremonies in Melbourne, Australia, for appointed to the Cathedral Parish, where manyHe celebrated years and pontificalhe actively Holy supported Week he served as chaplain to Christchurch the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer Hospital and to the Catholic Nurses’ Guild (Transalpine Redemptorists), the Priestly from 1959 to 1963. He became secretary Fraternity of St Peter, and the Institute of of the Hospital Chaplains Council. Christ the King Sovereign Priest, among In the early 1960s, Bishop Meeking others. The traditional movement in New undertook doctoral studies at the Zealand and Australia is greatly indebted University of St Thomas Angelicum in to him. He was also well known and Rome, graduating Doctor of Divinity Retiring as Bishop of Christchurch in loved in the Diocese of Portland, Oregon, in 1966. In 1969 he was appointed to 1996, he explained in a letter to Catholics where he celebrated the traditional Mass, in the Christchurch Diocese that, ‘the Christian Unity in Rome and in 1976 episcopal ministry in this diocese … has friend and supporter of the Cantores in hethe was Pontifical honoured Council with the for designation Promoting taken its toll … Therefore I am grateful Ecclesiaordinations choir, and Portland, confirmations. Bishop Meeking A great of Chaplain to the Holy Father, Pope St that the Holy Father has agreed to let me joined the William Byrd festival family in John Paul II, and was made a Prelate of give up the weight of responsibility that 1997 and was the principal celebrant for Honour in 1982. its Masses for 20 years. He was appointed as Bishop of After retiring in 1996, Bishop Meeking John Basil Meeking was born in Christchurch by Pope St John Paul II goes with the office.’ Ashburton on 19 November 1929 and and was ordained as the seventh Bishop took leave to study and meditate in attended St Joseph’s School in Ashburton. of Christchurch in the Cathedral of the a Benedictine monastery in France. His family moved to Kaikoura in 1938. He Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch, on Following that he served in chaplaincy studied Latin and regularly served Mass. 3 June 1987. He served as Bishop of positions in various institutions in the He was put forward for a scholarship and Christchurch from 1987 until 1996. United States of America. He served in completed his secondary schooling as a During this time Bishop Meeking also the Archdiocese of Portland for four years boarder at St Bede’s College, Christchurch. served as chaplain to Christchurch before leaving to assist Cardinal George Hospital and represented the Catholic in Chicago, where he took up residence taught him, he was drawn towards Church at the National Council of until 2006. Returning to Christchurch teachingInfluenced as bya career the nuns but felt and a stronger priests who call Churches. He established Good Shepherd he became chaplain to the Carmelite to become a priest. House in Christchurch which provided Sisters and, following the ‘World Youth Encouraged and interviewed by pre-seminary courses to young men Day’ gathering in Sydney in 2008, he Bishop Lyons, he entered the seminary at considering a vocation to the priesthood. became chaplain to the traditional youth

Page 40 www.fiuv.org/ BOOKS SECTION GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 movement Juventutem and provided support to the diocese in many ways Episcopal Opposition to the in his retirement. He wrote for various publications on a range of themes, showing in particular his interest in Ecclesia Dei Commission, 1989 Church liturgy and tradition. Extract from Leo Darroch: Una Voce: The History of the understanding on the nature of ordained Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce 1964–2003 Bishop Meeking had a firm ministry in the Catholic Church. He (Gracewing, 2017), pp247-250 often took the opportunity to teach on this matter and considered that clarity Every step forward for the Church’s ancient liturgy has faced strong opposition within the concerning the priestly vocation would Church, including from bishops. The comments included in this issue of Gregorius Magnus in turn illumine the great, and but often give examples of bishops who have created arbitrary obstacles and restrictions on the unappreciated, dignity of the lay vocation rights given to priests and the lay faithful by the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum, in the church. thankfully no more than a faint echo of the efforts made by some bishops when the When Bishop Jones died in February document was first promulgated in 2007. 2016, Bishop Meeking was called upon to This was itself a repeat of the strategy adopted by some bishops in 1988, following the assist the Christchurch Diocese until the promulgation of Pope John Paul II’s Indult (permission for celebrations of the older form appointment of Bishop Paul Martin SM in of Mass) Ecclesia Dei Adflicta. This attitude dogged the implementation of the Indult right December 2017. up to 2007, and this problem provides the context for the determination of Pope Benedict The Latin Mass (Ecclesia Dei) XVI to take away from bishops the arbitrary veto over celebrations of the Extraordinary Society of New Zealand was privileged Form, which had been (at least in appearance) handed to them by the 1988 Indult, and its to have Bishop Meeking as our Society’s predecessor, Quattuor Abhinc Annos in 1984. Patron and he was at the forefront of In this extract from Una Voce: The History, Leo Darroch describes the opposition faced the Traditional Latin Mass movement by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (PCED), from bishops, after it was set up in in New Zealand, Australia and in many 1988, tasked with the implementation of Ecclesia Dei Adflicta. other countries, ordaining priests and principle: faithfulness to tradition and facilitating the Easter ceremonies under On 5 May 1989, the Ecclesia Dei openness for legitimate progress. Thus the traditional rite each year in the Commission forwarded to His Holiness one can say that the liturgical reform is Melbourne Diocese in Australia. Bishop the final version of a Notificatio strictly traditional Meeking had very generously been the giving legal force to the (slightly ad normam Sanctorum Spiritual Director of our annual Retreat in reformulated) recommendations Patrum. elaborated in December 1986 by In line with such unrealistic white- washing the text contained not a single Bishop Meeking’s Requiem Masses the eight-member Commission of reference to the two Roman Instructions wereWellington celebrated for the pastin the five Pro-Cathedral, years. Cardinals charged by the Pope to which in 1970 and in 1980 inveighed Christchurch, on 16 and 17 June. There review the results of the Indult. against the many grave abuses reported was a Solemn High Requiem Mass in the Although these recommendations were never made public, their content from different parts of the Church. Nor Extraordinary Form on the evening before had long been known in interested was there any allusion to the 1984 his funeral in the Cathedral. This Mass circles. Since they were expressly Indult or to the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei mentioned in the Papal Mandate Adflicta. Whilst some abuses were again privilege which is reserved for a Bishop conferring extra-legal powers to ofhad the five Church. Absolutions The Mass at the was catafalque, celebrated a the Ecclesia Dei Commission, Dr de the only remark concerning those who and served by the congregation of the Saventhem included a summary in a remainedspecifically attached mentioned to previous and condemned, liturgical Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer and the long article for the October–December forms of the Latin tradition was couched issue of Una Voce Korrespondenz. in strictly negative terms: ‘Others, The funeral Mass on the Wednesday Member associations were urged unfortunately, cling in one-sided and waschoir in sang the Ordinarymagnificently. Form and celebrated to use this summary freely in their exclusive manner to preceding liturgical by the Bishop of Christchurch, Bishop own publications or refer to it in forms, perceived by some as the sole Paul Martin. The Society and members correspondence with ecclesiastical guarantee of security in the faith’! were represented at the Requiem Masses authorities. It was thought that work on this by our National Secretary, Mrs Melda On 14 May 1989, the Holy See published Apostolic Letter was in progress Townsley. The Society arranged for a an Apostolic Letter commemorating the already when the Ecclesia Dei Traditional Latin Mass to be offered for Bishop Meeking by Fr Antony Sumich, Constitution on the Liturgy. The letter was for a new papal ordinance on the old FSSP, and we ask for your prayers for the datedtwenty-fifth 8 December anniversary 1988, i.e. of theit was Conciliar signed Missal.Commission Monsignor prepared Noè its(then first still draft all- happy repose of Bishop Meeking’s soul. by the Pope on that day. No explanation powerful at the Congregation for Divine A Faithful Shepherd—May he rest in Worship) suggested to Cardinal Mayer peace. months’ delay before publication. Overall, to incorporate this new ordinance in thewas text or haswas sincea hymn been of praise given for for the the post- five the Apostolic Letter. At that time, the Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux conciliar work of reform which ‘has been Commission was still hopeful of having perpetua luceat ei. accomplished according to the conciliar its own text published as a motu proprio,

www.fiuv.org/ Page 41 BOOKS SECTION GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 thus giving it the highest degree of In particular: towards general liberalisation of the Old authority. Cardinal Mayer, therefore, •  they limited celebration of ‘Mass Mass. It may also have been intended turned down Monsignor Noè’s offer, in Latin’ to only one location in any to provide a lead for other episcopal which, incidentally, would have made the diocese; conferences. Whatever may be the true Commission lose control of the published • they mandated the use of the new status of these so-called norms, or the wording of its proposed decree. Lectionary and observance of the motives behind Archbishop Strecker’s These behind-the-scenes man- 1969 Liturgical Calendar; publication thereof, their very existence oeuvrings could have accounted for the • they expressly forbade celebrations proved the neo-liturgical establishment’s fact that publication of the Apostolic Letter of weddings and funerals in Latin determination to subvert the Pope’s will and ruled that all Sacraments other as expressed in the motu proprio. published text contained no reference to the than the Mass were to be celebrated On 13 and 14 November 1989, all Lefebvre-triggeredwas delayed for five months, and that the motu proprio Ecclesia according to the approved English the Ordinaries of Western Germany’s Dei Adflicta, since this was shortly to be version of the Roman rite and in the twenty-three dioceses were in Rome supplemented by another motu proprio of proper parish of the recipient; for continuous sessions with the Pope • they prescribed that at Latin Masses it seemed that Cardinal Mayer may have a series of instructions were to be this time including Cardinal Mayer. overplayedlasting liturgical his hand, significance. underestimating In hindsight, both given on the spirit and theology of the and heads of—both the majorthe curial offices, the strength of the opposition to world- Second Vatican Council; Ecclesia Dei motu proprio wide liberalisation of the old Mass, and • they ordered that a collection be and the Commission—were among the the Pope’s proneness to yield to episcopal taken at each celebration of a Latin subjects aired. To justify their unchanged pressures. Mass to defray the expenses of using practice of refusing permission for At a hastily arranged secret meeting at the parish church, though all were regular Sunday celebration of the old the Vatican on 16 May 1989, the Pope and Mass and for access to parish churches, leading members of the Curia (including to support their parish of residence. the German bishops pointed to the motu Cardinal Mayer) spent three hours reminded of their financial obligation proprio’s lack of precision regarding the with the Presidents of the Episcopal Archbishop Strecker of Kansas City said legal status of the old Missal. In what Conferences of England and Wales, France, thatPresenting they had these been norms approved to his by flocks, the may have been an echo of the US norms, Germany and Switzerland, who had come bishops of the USA for their nation. He two German bishops asked for a clear- to Rome to oppose Cardinal Mayer’s called them ‘the best pastoral approach cut ruling from the Holy See. Despite proposal and to call for curtailment of the that could be made to our people’ this opening, no attempt seemed to have Ecclesia Dei Commission’s power to grant and added that ‘all has been done in been made to muster episcopal support celebrets. Although Cardinals Casaroli consultation with our Holy Father, Pope for the Commission’s draft Notificatio— and Ratzinger strongly supported the John Paul II and the Congregation in as Cardinal Mayer wrote to Dr de Commission’s draft Notificatio, the Pope, Rome’ (sic). Saventhem on 27 October: ‘It seems that his pen hovering over the paper, decided Apart from Archbishop Strecker’s for the moment the Sovereign Pontiff, in at the last moment not to sign. Moreover, public announcement, there had been no instructions were subsequently given (i.e. the meeting of 16 May), has left this to the Ecclesia Dei Commission to Archbishop John May, as President of projectview of inthe suspense’. results of a first consultation official news about these norms. Indeed, refer requests for celebrets the USA Bishops’ Conference, assured Visiting Rome shortly afterwards, the place to the applicant’s local superior, the Ecclesia Dei Commission that no de Saventhems found the Commission in the first recommending that he should grant the nation-wide directives had been issued itself in a state of suspended animation, asked-for faculty iure proprio. Only if or approved. waiting to be received in corpore by the that recommendation went unheeded It appeared that what Archbishop Holy Father. There was, in fact, urgent for no legitimate reason should a Strecker had published as ‘norms celebret henceforth be issued by the approved by the US bishops for our of the Commission’s future role and Commission itself. nation’ was in reality no more than courseneed for of clarification action. Cardinal by the Mayer Pope could, himself of From 17 to 19 June 1989, the bishops a set of draft directives prepared by of the United States met in South Orange, Archbishop Quinn’s ad hoc committee. New Jersey. In closed executive session Elaborated ‘in consultation with the in a personal meeting with His Holiness. course, have obtained such clarification they discussed, inter alia, their collective Congregation (for Divine Worship) But an in corpore reception would give stance on the papal motu proprio. in Rome’, they provided insight into greater weight to the orientations then Following recommendations submitted that dicastery’s intentions, should the by an ad hoc committee chaired by San responsibility for formally revising the issued. At the same time, it would confirm Francisco’s archbishop, John R. Quinn, 1984 Indult be transferred back to it. To organism of the Roman Curia. Since the Commission’s status as a fully fledged the bishops reportedly agreed on a set have these so-called nationwide norms these side-effects were unwelcome of national norms for the celebration of published in one diocese may well have to the Commission’s adversaries, the ‘Mass in Latin’ (sic). These norms openly been a trial balloon, designed to test Secretariat of State was under pressure intended to thwart the Pope’s express not only public reaction in the USA, but not to arrange the requested audience. injunction for a wide and generous By the end of November 1989 no date application of the 1984 Indult. pushing in the opposite direction, i.e. also Rome’s firmness of purpose in had been fixed. Page 42 www.fiuv.org/ www.fiuv.org/ Page 43 BOOKS SECTION GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 Position Paper 13: Holy Days of Obligation

In this issue of Gregorius Magnus we reproduce the FIUV’s Position Paper on Holy Days of Obligation, first published in November 2012. It addresses the problems created by the removal of Holy Days from their traditional days of celebration to the nearest Sunday. It seems timely to raise this issue again since during the Coronavirus epidemic the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days has in many places been entirely suspended, for months on end, with no devotional substitute suggested. Like all of the FIUV’s 33 Position Papers, this is to be found in full on the FIUV website, and in The Case for Liturgical Restoration ed Joseph Shaw (Angelico Press, 2019).

In the 1983 Code of canon law (can. The main exceptions are those cases have in relation to the Eucharistic 124 6), ten holy days of obligation in which the traditional dates of feasts fast considered in the last chapter. are listed, in addition to Sundays: are marked by public holidays: the Accordingly, in this chapter we wish §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic Nativity of Our Lord, most obviously, not merely to point out the value of tradition the paschal mystery is and certain other feasts in Catholic the practice of the Extraordinary celebrated, must be observed in the countries or regions (many examples Form, but also to suggest respectfully universal Church as the primordial will be noted below). Notwithstanding that the practice of removing the holy day of obligation. The following this, the effect of each point (a) to obligation to attend Mass on so days must also be observed: the (c) is to reduce the number of non- many of the canonical holy days be Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Sundays in a typical year that require discontinued for the whole Latin rite. the Epiphany, the Ascension, the attendance at Mass. Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary The dates of the ten holy days The significance of the dates the Mother of God, her Immaculate are in fact the same in the 1962 and The first consideration in favor Conception, her Assumption, Saint 1969 calendars, notwithstanding that of celebrating the feasts on their Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the octave of the Nativity of Our Lord traditional dates, as is done in the the Apostles, and All Saints. (January 1) is renamed the feast of usus antiquior, is that these dates §2. With the prior approval of Holy Mary Mother of God in the 1969 have great significance, historically, the Apostolic See, however, the 3 calendar. culturally, and above all theologically. conference of bishops can suppress As the Pontifical Commission Ascension. Most obviously, it is some of the holy days of obligation 4 Ecclesia Dei has ruled, in celebrations appropriate for the Ascension to be or transfer them to a Sunday. of the usus antiquior the 1962 celebrated forty days after Easter, Furthermore, liturgical law, given calendar is used, governed by the since Scripture tells us that Our in the Normae universales de anno rules of the 1962 Missale Romanum. Lord ascended forty days after His liturgico et de calendario of the 2002 This means that when bishops’ Resurrection.5 The liturgical calendar Missale Romanum conferences use their authority under does not always follow exactly the In those places where the the Normae universales to transfer , specifies as follows: sequence of events in Scripture, but in solemnities of Epiphany, Ascension, a Holy Day to Sunday, the Sunday and Corpus Christi are not observed this case the forty days—symbolic of does not become the “proprium die” a period of waiting and preparation, as holydays of obligation, they are (“proper day in the calendar”) of that assigned to a Sunday, which is then and mirroring the forty days of feast in the usus antiquior. Instead, Lent—have long been observed as a considered their proper day in the the obligation to attend Mass on the calendar. joyful period after Easter. Moreover, original day ceases, and the feast may Ascension can be viewed as the The typical result of these rules is (under the 1962 rules) be celebrated as follows: beginning of a Novena of preparation on the Sunday as an “external 1. Some of these feasts are celebrated for the coming of the Holy Spirit at celebration.” Nevertheless, the feast without an obligation to attend Pentecost.6 continues to be celebrated on the Mass. original day, which does not become 2.  Epiphany, Ascension, and Corpus 1  As, e.g., in England and Wales. a feria. 2 Christi are celebrated on the nearest  As, e.g., in the United States of America. 3  See appendix B below. Sunday. On this topic, not only does the 4  Letter dated 20th October 2008, Protocol N. 3. The remaining holy days of practice of the Extraordinary Form 107/97 obligation are themselves moved to differ from that of the Ordinary Form, 5  Acts 1:1–3 6 Sundays,1 or the obligation to attend but changes to canon law have altered  Cf. Normae universales (2002), n. 26: “The weekdays after the Ascension until the 2 Mass is removed, when they fall on the legal framework within which the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a a Saturday or a Monday. Extraordinary Form exists, as they preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.”

Page 44 www.fiuv.org/ www.fiuv.org/ Page 45 BOOKS SECTION GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10

The symbolic meaning of the a particular date, can quickly become was still to an extent active in the period after, as well as before, the feast embedded in the consciousness of the reforms following the Second Vatican of the Ascension is lost if the feast faithful, and indeed in mass-produced Council, may be seen in the perhaps is moved to a Sunday. It is a public diaries, as landmarks of the year. As exaggerated words of the liturgical holiday in France, being included in noted with the feast of the Ascension, scholar Pius Parsch: the Concordat of 1801. the distance of time between feasts, as Pope Benedict XV placed the feast Epiphany. The celebration of well as their order, is important. of the Holy Family on the Sunday Epiphany after “Twelfth Night” The ecumenical dimension should within the octave [of Epiphany], following Christmas marks the most also be noted, since the traditional necessitating the transfer of ancient day of the celebration of dates are shared in a great many cases the older and more meaningful the Nativity of Our Lord, kept by the by non-Catholic ecclesial communities, Mass of the Sunday to a weekday. Eastern Churches and in Gaul long such as the Oriental Churches, the These various infringements on before it was adopted in Rome. As Anglican Communion, and Lutheran liturgical order and propriety may “the Birthday of the Savior,” it was communities. Thus the celebration still be remedied as scholars and attended by the Emperor Julian (“the of the Ascension and Epiphany, on ecclesiastics become more familiar 7 Apostate”) at Vienne in the year 360. the traditional dates, is common to with and sympathetic to matters It was adopted in Rome, in addition to the Oriental Churches, Anglicans, and liturgical.14 Christmas, by at least the reign of Pope Lutherans (although some Lutherans, Moving feasts onto Sundays is, from Leo the Great (d. 461). such as in Norway, have in recent times this point of view, a retrograde step. Christmas, which had been moved the celebration of Ascension The celebration of an important celebrated in Rome since at least 336, to the following Sunday). The feast of feast on the nearest Sunday can be became the principal celebration of Corpus Christi can at least optionally beneficial in certain contexts, when the the Nativity of Our Lord throughout be celebrated on its traditional date in faithful may find it difficult to attend the West due to Roman example. The the modern Anglican Book of Common Mass—or a more solemn celebration of Twelve Days of Christmas are deeply Worship (published in 2000).12 Mass, or other appropriate devotions embedded in European culture. such as Corpus Christi processions— Epiphany is a public holiday in Spain, Calendrical disruption on the traditional day, but this is Poland, and parts of Austria and If, under canon 1246, a feast is already possible at the discretion of Germany. moved from one date to another, it the pastor under the rules of the 1962 Corpus Christi. This feast was creates a disruption to the rhythm calendar. An important feast can be instituted following private revelations of liturgical life on both dates. The celebrated as an “external solemnity” to St Juliana of Liège.8 The use of a original date either becomes a feria Thursday recalls the events of Holy 7 (as often in the Ordinary Form), which Ioannes Zonaras, Epitome Historiarum Thursday, to which the feast is closely 13.11.6 (ed. Theodor Büttner-Wobst, related. The feast was established on seems inappropriate, or the feast is III:54–55, in the series Corpus Scriptorum the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday, celebrated without the obligation Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn, 1897). In the translation and commentary by Thomas M. first locally, and then universally to attend Mass. In the latter case the feast loses the honor that is its due, Banchich and Eugene N. Lane, The History of by Pope Urban IV in 1264 and Pope Zonaras (London: Routledge, 2009), 170, the Clement V at the Council of Vienne in and that the Church wishes to accord commentary gives the parallel in Ammianus 1311.9 The Propers and Office of the it, not only in terms of the obligation Marcellinus, Res Gestae 21.2.5. to attend Mass, but in terms of the 8 St Juliana was the subject of Benedict XVI’s feast were composed by St Thomas General Audience of 17 November 2010. Aquinas: doubts about the historicity special efforts that would otherwise 9 Urban IV composed the Bull Transiturus of Aquinas’ involvement have been set be made to celebrate it with greater de hoc mundo (1264), but died before the aside by recent scholarship.10 This was solemnity. Bull could be distributed; it was reissued by On the new date, the Sunday, the Clement V, with a brief introduction of his in fact the first creation of a feast of own, in 1311. the universal Church by a pope.11 original liturgy of the day is displaced, 10 See Fr Michael Uwe Lang, Voice of the Church, The celebration of public and the sequence of Sundays is 149 and note 33. 11 processions on the day itself is a interrupted. It is worth noting the The surprisingly complicated history of the long-term policy of trimming the adoption of the feast is recounted by Lauren feature of a number of countries Pristas, “The Calendar and Corpus Christi,” where it is marked with a public number of feasts and octaves that in The Genius of the Roman Rite: Historical, holiday, notably in parts of Spain and would displace the Mass of a Sunday, Theological, and Pastoral Perspectives on Austria; elsewhere these take place on particularly by Pope Pius X and Pope Catholic Liturgy, ed. Uwe Michael Lang (Chicago: Hillenbrand Books, 2010), 159–78; the following Sunday. Pius XII. The very ancient Sunday cycle see 170–72. Similar considerations can be of the classical Roman rite, which goes 12 The full version of this paper includes an adduced for the other holy days, whose back substantially to the 6th century,13 Appendix on the other Holy Days listed in obligatory celebration is subject to relates in a systematic and progressive Canon 1246. 13 The Sunday gospels of the 1962 missal removal when they fall on Monday or way to the liturgical seasons, and the largely correspond to the subjects of St Saturday (see appendix B). greater appreciation of its richness Gregory the Great’s forty homilies on the Looking at the calendar as a whole, was one of the Liturgical Movement’s gospels, preached at Rome between 590 and the timing of great feasts, whether most notable achievements. The 604. The collection indicates the dates of each sermon. they are fixed to the Easter cycle or to attitude at work in this project, which 14 Fr Pius Parsch, Church’s Year of Grace, 1:199.

Page 46 www.fiuv.org/ BOOKS SECTION GREGORIUS MAGNUS – Winter 2020 – Edition No. 10 on a Sunday that is free, in the sense In those jurisdictions where Epiphany, The Church does not command that no other more important feast Ascension, and Corpus Christi are the respect, or stimulate the zeal, of falls on that day, and the Sunday itself moved to Sundays whenever they fall her children by asking less and less of is not a feast of greater rank. Corpus on Saturday or Monday, the result them.19 In the case of the holy days of Christi processions have usually taken was that the faithful were obliged to obligation, the Church has imposed the place on the Sunday following the attend Mass on only one day in 2009 obligation to attend Mass on certain feast, except when the feast is a public other than on Sundays, namely the days to emphasize the importance of holiday. Nativity of Our Lord (December 25). some truth of the faith, of an event in These principles allow practice Anecdotal evidence suggests that, in the life of Our Lord, or of some of her to follow local needs precisely—a England and Wales, attendance at the saints. When the obligation is removed, sparsely populated rural parish may remaining holy days of obligation fell the Church’s exhortation to the faithful be in a different situation from a following the transfer of Epiphany, to embrace the spiritual significance of seminary, for example—and at the the Ascension, and Corpus Christi to these things is inevitably proclaimed same time serves to emphasize that Sundays in 2006, and the remaining with less urgency. the traditional date has not been holy days of obligation ceased to The example of St Peter’s in Rome abandoned. Furthermore, where there be announced as such in parish is of no small significance here, is more than one Mass on a Sunday, newsletters. It is to be hoped that the in maintaining the celebration of all but one would be Masses of the restoration to their original days of holy days on their traditional dates. Sunday. the Epiphany and the Ascension by the Whereas there is certainly room for bishops of England and Wales in 2017 variation among local calendars, it The importance of the will help to reverse this trend. is fitting within the Latin rite that obligation In this way the attempt to make Catholics be able to celebrate these great feasts in union with the universal The duty to attend Mass on a holy the obligation less onerous can pastor, the Holy Father in St Peter’s. day of obligation is not absolute, and paradoxically make the remaining those for whom attendance would obligation seem arbitrary, harder to involve grave inconvenience are remember, and so harder to keep.17 excused.15 Nevertheless, a formal Finally, the obligation to keep a feast obligation has important advantages. does not undermine the devotion with First, it gives parish priests and which a Catholic assists at Mass, but school chaplains the opportunity to adds to it a conscious act of obedience, celebrate Mass in even only nominally emphasizing one’s membership of and Catholic schools. Since in day schools, unity with the Church, engaging in an and even in many boarding schools, act of worship alongside Catholics all pupils spend Sundays with their over the diocese, country, and indeed families, these celebrations are a the world. precious opportunity for the school to Since it is sometimes claimed that worship together. In the case of pupils an act of devotion is more meritorious coming from non-practicing families, if not done in obedience to an it may be their only opportunity obligation, it is worth noting in passing to experience the Church’s liturgy the contrary teaching of St Thomas celebrated with solemnity, or even at Aquinas. A commanded good act, far all. from driving out the virtue of wishing Secondly, in many places it will to do the good act, enables the agent to Holy Communion distributed outside Mass give Catholic employees, students, and perform two virtues simultaneously. according to the Rituale Romanum, to Insofar as an obligation, such as a vow, prisoners an important advantage in maintain COVID precautions. SS Gregory & asking for special provision to be made fixes the will in the doing of a good Augustine’s, Oxford, England. to enable them to attend Mass, since deed, this is reminiscent of the state of arguments based on official religious the Blessed in heaven, whose wills are 15 18 CIC (1983), can. 1248 §3. obligations carry more weight than free, but fixed on the good. 16 The full version of this paper has an appendix optional devotions.16 giving a discussion of the legal implications of Thirdly, the number of holy days Conclusion religious obligations under the United States Constitution and the European Convention on of obligation is today so low in some The reduction of the number of days Human Rights. places that there is a danger that the of obligation is part of a widespread 17 A parallel case, with the Eucharistic fast, is very notion of an obligation to attend trend, over many decades, of discussed in Position Paper 10 (see also The Mass on a weekday is being lost. For responding to falling Mass attendance Case for Liturgical Restoration ed. Joseph Shaw (Angelico Press, 2019) example, in 2009 the feast of SS Peter and other difficulties by trying to 18 See Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae IIa- & Paul (June 29) fell on a Monday; the make the practice of the faith easier. IIae, q. 88, a. 6; q. 104, a. 2. feast of the Assumption (August 15) While an understandable reaction, 19 As noted in another Position Paper, it has fell on a Saturday, and the feast of All we believe this to be fundamentally been observed in sociological research that less demanding religions do not necessarily Saints (November 1) fell on a Sunday. misguided. attract or retain more followers.

www.fiuv.org/ Page 47 COMMENTCOMMENT FIUV Member AssociationsGREGORIUSGREGORIUS MAGNUSMAGNUS –– WinterWinter 20192019 –– EditionEdition No.No. 88

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Enquiries to these can be made through the FIUV Website: https://unavoce.lv The following countries have no Member Association, but an official Email: [email protected] Romania, Uganda. PagePage 48 48 Secretary ( [email protected] ): Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,www.fiuv.org/www.fiuv.org/