Habemus Papam!!!

I recently came across an interesting website with an argument I knew had followers but I never knew had followers so keen on it. The website is http://www.protridentina.org/. The group's stated aim as per the website is that of promoting the Tridentine mass or rather the return of the Tridentine mass in Malta and Gozo as per Papal policy.

For those who perhaps might now know what the Tridentine mass is; this is basically the mass that used to be celebrated prior to the Second Vatican Council meaning a mass in Latin with the priest giving the people his back as can be seen from the picture with this blog and with certain different prayers including a prayer during the time of Lent praying for the conversion of Jews, something deemed most offensive by the Jewish community and rightfully so.

Obviously its a free world and those who believe that the Tridentine Mass should return are free to argue so and that much I have no qualms about; more so when some within that category happen to be friends of mine. It is however in my view an outdated, andequated argument which clearly fails to understand modern times.

The church cannot fossilize itself; indeed the Roman Catholic Church is already plagued by a mentality of fossilization and a lack of catching up with the times. To revert to Latin is merely to increase the severity of the situation. Mass should be a spiritual expience where one feels closer to God and not merely a trip down traditions lane. One can only feel close to God if one is understand what is being said!

Imagine if someone read out the works of Shakespeare in Chinese; would you appreciate the beauty of Shakespeare's stories? Most certainly not!

Some might argue that Pope Benedict XVI merely made it possible for the Tridentine Mass to be held and by no means turned it into obligatory. All too true, but it is nonetheless a regression; a regression which certainly caused Pope John XXIII to turn in his grave!!

Let us not become the Christian version of Iran! Iran under the Shah had all the modern commodities of western life and indeed had a western culture. It was the ascension to power of the Ayatollah Khomeini that Iran reverted back to the strictly Muslim society it is today. Let us not be the Church which opened up in the 60's and went back in the 2000's.

The days of the Tridentine Mass are over; it is a tradition best kept in the history books and nowhere else! Its an element which would only serve to weaken the Catholic community and not strenghten.

The way to strenghten the faith is by living the faith and believing the faith and not by turning the faith into a mere living museum of traditions!

Godwin Xuereb, Pro Tridentina (Malta) President's comment: The above article dated 16 August 2009 shows that a number of 'Catholics' have little, if any, appreciation of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Worse still, they have no idea of what this Rite is all about!! Mr Angelo Micallef also refused any comments on his Blog for a fair representation of the arguments.