Thursday, September 1, 2011

Archbishop Annibale Bugnini on the Novus Ordo Missae


Msgr. Annibale Bugnini, (14 June 1912 – 3 July 1982) was a Roman Catholic prelate and the main person behind the introduction of the Novus Ordo Missae. One of his most famous quotes (L’Osservatore Romano, 19 March 1965) is the following:
"We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren that is for the Protestants.”

However, it must be said, for the record that these are not the exact words of Bugnini.What follows are the actual words in bold (the clear ecumenical goals aimed for in the liturgical reform of the liturgical prayers on Good Friday are evident):

The 7th prayer [of the new rite for Good Friday] bears the title: 'For the Unity of Christians' (not 'of the Church', which was always one.) No longer used is the pariah 'heretics' and 'schismatics' but 'all brethren who believe in Christ...' Scholars think to shed light on biblical and liturgical sources from which the new texts are derived or inspired, which the Study Groups of the "Council" accomplished by using a chisel. And let's say that often the work proceeded 'with fear and trembling' by sacrificing terms and concepts so dear, and now part of the long family tradition. How not to regret that 'Mother Church - Holy, Catholic and Apostolic - deigned to revoke' the seventh prayer? And yet it is the love of souls and the desire to help in any way the road to union of the separated brethren, by removing every stone that could even remotely constitute an obstacle or difficulty, that has driven the Church to make even these painful sacrifices."

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