FIUV Statement in Response to the Publication of Universae Ecclesiae.

FIUV Statement in Response to the Publication of Universae Ecclesiae.

The publication of the document Universae Ecclesiae on 13th May 2011 has generated much comment and been the subject of detailed analysis in the media. The International Federation Una Voce would like to present a different perspective on this document which it welcomes enthusiastically.

The Una Voce movement started in late 1964, before the end of the Second Vatican Council, to ensure the retention of the age-old Latin language for the celebration of the Holy Mass. National societies were formed and the International Federation Una Voce (FIUV) came into being formally in 1967. In 1970, following the introduction of the Novus Ordo Missae, the emphasis had changed and the members of the Una Voce Federation decided to strive for the preservation of the traditional Roman rite as decreed by the Council Fathers in Sacrosanctum Concilium (Art. 4), the document on the liturgy.

In 1970, Dr Eric de Saventhem, the first President of the FIUV, said that the suppression of the
traditional Mass had been achieved de facto only and not de jure. It would be unthinkable, he said, for the older form of Mass to be forbidden as one would have to argue that it had been wrong or bad – either doctrinally or pastorally.

In 1984 the Indult Quattuor Abhunc Annos of Pope John Paul II granted a partial relaxation for the celebration of the traditional Mass which was a small step forward. In 1988 the Indult Ecclesia Dei Adflicta was more generous but the difficulty remained that a bishop’s permission was required and in most instances this was not forthcoming. The situation remained very unsatisfactory – both for priests and laity.

When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005 he asked that people pray for him that he may not flee for fear of the wolves. Notwithstanding the great obstacles being faced, the Holy Father promulgated the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum in July 2007 and affirmed the right of all priests of the Roman rite to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass, thus confirming the position of the Una Voce Federation since 1970 that the traditional Mass may have been suppressed de facto but not de jure. To their shame, some in the Church refused to accept the will of the Holy Father and the legitimate aspirations of many of the faithful and were determined to undermine this Motu Proprio at every opportunity. It was this negative and obstructive stance that made necessary a subsequent document to clarify certain matters.

Although some have commented that Universae Ecclesiae still leaves some questions unclear, what is perfectly clear is that the Holy Father has fully restored to the universal Church the traditional Roman rite as enshrined in the liturgical books of 1962, that the rubrics in force in 1962 must be strictly observed, and that Latin and the Usus Antiquior must be taught in seminaries where there is a pastoral need. And this pastoral need must be determined by those who wish to benefit from Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae, and not be decided by those many in authority whose natural desire is to prevent their implementation.

The International Federation Una Voce has worked patiently and tirelessly for the restoration of the traditional liturgy for more than 40 years and is now witnessing a vindication of its fidelity to Holy Mother Church and the See of Peter. The Federation expresses its thanks, prayers, and admiration to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and praises his courage in not fleeing in the face of the wolves.

The Federation also extends its thanks and gratitude to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and to those bishops and priests who have also striven, often in great personal difficulty, to preserve and foster the traditional liturgy for this and future generations.

Leo Darroch, President – Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce.
17th May 2011.

Instruction “Universae Ecclesiae” on the implementation “Summorum Pontificum”

PONTIFICAL COMMISSION ECCLESIA DEI
INSTRUCTION

on the application of the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum

of HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI given Motu Proprio

I. Introduction

1. The Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum of the Sovereign Pontiff Benedict XVI given Motu Proprio on 7 July 2007, which came into effect on 14 September 2007, has made the richness of the Roman Liturgy more accessible to the Universal Church.

2. With this Motu Proprio, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI promulgated a universal law for the Church, intended to establish new regulations for the use of the Roman Liturgy in effect in 1962.

3. The Holy Father, having recalled the concern of the Sovereign Pontiffs in caring for the Sacred Liturgy and in their recognition of liturgical books, reaffirms the traditional principle, recognised from time immemorial and necessary to be maintained into the future, that "each particular Church must be in accord with the universal Church not only regarding the doctrine of the faith and sacramental signs, but also as to the usages universally handed down by apostolic and unbroken tradition. These are to be maintained not only so that errors may be avoided, but also so that the faith may be passed on in its integrity, since the Church's rule of prayer (lex orandi) corresponds to her rule of belief (lex credendi)."1

4. The Holy Father recalls also those Roman Pontiffs who, in a particular way, were notable in this task, specifically Saint Gregory the Great and Saint Pius V. The Holy Father stresses moreover that, among the sacred liturgical books, the Missale Romanum has enjoyed a particular prominence in history, and was kept up to date throughout the centuries until the time of Blessed Pope John XXIII. Subsequently in 1970, following the liturgical reform after the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI approved for the Church of the Latin rite a new Missal, which was then translated into various languages. In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II promulgated the third edition of this Missal.

5. Many of the faithful, formed in the spirit of the liturgical forms prior to the Second Vatican Council, expressed a lively desire to maintain the ancient tradition. For this reason, Pope John Paul II with a special Indult Quattuor abhinc annos issued in 1984 by the Congregation for Divine Worship, granted the faculty under certain conditions to restore the use of the Missal promulgated by Blessed Pope John XXIII. Subsequently, Pope John Paul II, with the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei of 1988, exhorted the Bishops to be generous in granting such a faculty for all the faithful who requested it. Pope Benedict continues this policy with the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum regarding certain essential criteria for the Usus Antiquior of the Roman Rite, which are recalled here.

6. The Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI and the last edition prepared under Pope John XXIII, are two forms of the Roman Liturgy, defined respectively as ordinaria and extraordinaria: they are two usages of the one Roman Rite, one alongside the other. Both are the expression of the same lex orandi of the Church. On account of its venerable and ancient use, the forma extraordinaria is to be maintained with appropriate honor.

7. The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum was accompanied by a letter from the Holy Father to Bishops, with the same date as the Motu Proprio (7 July 2007). This letter gave further explanations regarding the appropriateness and the need for the Motu Proprio; it was a matter of overcoming a lacuna by providing new norms for the use of the Roman Liturgy of 1962. Such norms were needed particularly on account of the fact that, when the new Missal had been introduced under Pope Paul VI, it had not seemed necessary to issue guidelines regulating the use of the 1962 Liturgy. By reason of the increase in the number of those asking to be able to use the forma extraordinaria, it has become necessary to provide certain norms in this area.
Among the statements of the Holy Father was the following: "There is no contradiction between the two editions of the Roman Missal. In the history of the Liturgy growth and progress are found, but not a rupture. What was sacred for prior generations, remains sacred and great for us as well, and cannot be suddenly prohibited altogether or even judged harmful."2

8. The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum constitutes an important expression of the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff and of his munus of regulating and ordering the Church’s Sacred Liturgy.3 The Motu Proprio manifests his solicitude as Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church,4 and has the aim of:

a.) offering to all the faithful the Roman Liturgy in the Usus Antiquior, considered as a precious treasure to be preserved;

b.) effectively guaranteeing and ensuring the use of the forma extraordinaria for all who ask for it, given that the use of the 1962 Roman Liturgy is a faculty generously granted for the good of the faithful and therefore is to be interpreted in a sense favourable to the faithful who are its principal addressees;

c.) promoting reconciliation at the heart of the Church.

II. The Responsibilities of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei

9. The Sovereign Pontiff has conferred upon the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei ordinary vicarious power for the matters within its competence, in a particular way for monitoring the observance and application of the provisions of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum (cf. art. 12).

10. § 1. The Pontifical Commission exercises this power, beyond the faculties previously granted by Pope John Paul II and confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI (cf. Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, artt. 11-12), also by means of the power to decide upon recourses legitimately sent to it, as hierarchical Superior, against any possible singular administrative provision of an Ordinary which appears to be contrary to the Motu Proprio.

§ 2. The decrees by which the Pontifical Commission decides recourses may be challenged ad normam iuris before the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

11. After having received the approval from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei will have the task of looking after future editions of liturgical texts pertaining to the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite.

III. Specific Norms

12. Following upon the inquiry made among the Bishops of the world, and with the desire to guarantee the proper interpretation and the correct application of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, this Pontifical Commission, by virtue of the authority granted to it and the faculties which it enjoys, issues this Instruction according to can. 34 of the Code of Canon Law.

The Competence of Diocesan Bishops

13. Diocesan Bishops, according to Canon Law, are to monitor liturgical matters in order to guarantee the common good and to ensure that everything is proceeding in peace and serenity in their Dioceses5, always in agreement with the mens of the Holy Father clearly expressed by the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.6 In cases of controversy or well-founded doubt about the celebration in the forma extraordinaria, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei will adjudicate.

14. It is the task of the Diocesan Bishop to undertake all necessary measures to ensure respect for the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite, according to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

The coetus fidelium (cf. Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, art. 5 § 1)

15. A coetus fidelium ("group of the faithful") can be said to be stabiliter existens ("existing in a stable manner"), according to the sense of art. 5 § 1 of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, when it is constituted by some people of an individual parish who, even after the publication of the Motu Proprio, come together by reason of their veneration for the Liturgy in the Usus Antiquior, and who ask that it might be celebrated in the parish church or in an oratory or chapel; such a coetus ("group") can also be composed of persons coming from different parishes or dioceses, who gather together in a specific parish church or in an oratory or chapel for this purpose.

16. In the case of a priest who presents himself occasionally in a parish church or an oratory with some faithful, and wishes to celebrate in the forma extraordinaria, as foreseen by articles 2 and 4 of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, the pastor or rector of the church, or the priest responsible, is to permit such a celebration, while respecting the schedule of liturgical celebrations in that same church.

17. § 1. In deciding individual cases, the pastor or the rector, or the priest responsible for a church, is to be guided by his own prudence, motivated by pastoral zeal and a spirit of generous welcome.

§ 2. In cases of groups which are quite small, they may approach the Ordinary of the place to identify a church in which these faithful may be able to come together for such celebrations, in order to ensure easier participation and a more worthy celebration of the Holy Mass.

18. Even in sanctuaries and places of pilgrimage the possibility to celebrate in the forma extraordinaria is to be offered to groups of pilgrims who request it (cf. Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, art. 5 § 3), if there is a qualified priest.

19. The faithful who ask for the celebration of the forma extraordinaria must not in any way support or belong to groups which show themselves to be against the validity or legitimacy of the Holy Mass or the Sacraments celebrated in the forma ordinaria or against the Roman Pontiff as Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church.

Sacerdos idoneus ("Qualified Priest") (cf. Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, art 5 § 4)

20. With respect to the question of the necessary requirements for a priest to be held idoneus ("qualified") to celebrate in the forma extraordinaria, the following is hereby stated:

a.) Every Catholic priest who is not impeded by Canon Law7 is to be considered idoneus ("qualified") for the celebration of the Holy Mass in the forma extraordinaria.

b.) Regarding the use of the Latin language, a basic knowledge is necessary, allowing the priest to pronounce the words correctly and understand their meaning.

c.) Regarding knowledge of the execution of the Rite, priests are presumed to be qualified who present themselves spontaneously to celebrate the forma extraordinaria, and have celebrated it previously.

21. Ordinaries are asked to offer their clergy the possibility of acquiring adequate preparation for celebrations in the forma extraordinaria. This applies also to Seminaries, where future priests should be given proper formation, including study of Latin8 and, where pastoral needs suggest it, the opportunity to learn the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite.

22. In Dioceses without qualified priests, Diocesan Bishops can request assistance from priests of the Institutes erected by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, either to the celebrate the forma extraordinaria or to teach others how to celebrate it.

23. The faculty to celebrate sine populo (or with the participation of only one minister) in the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite is given by the Motu Proprio to all priests, whether secular or religious (cf. Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, art. 2). For such celebrations therefore, priests, by provision of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, do not require any special permission from their Ordinaries or superiors.

Liturgical and Ecclesiastical Discipline

24. The liturgical books of the forma extraordinaria are to be used as they are. All those who wish to celebrate according to the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite must know the pertinent rubrics and are obliged to follow them correctly.

25. New saints and certain of the new prefaces can and ought to be inserted into the 1962 Missal9, according to provisions which will be indicated subsequently.

26. As foreseen by article 6 of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, the readings of the Holy Mass of the Missal of 1962 can be proclaimed either solely in the Latin language, or in Latin followed by the vernacular or, in Low Masses, solely in the vernacular.

27. With regard to the disciplinary norms connected to celebration, the ecclesiastical discipline contained in the Code of Canon Law of 1983 applies.

28. Furthermore, by virtue of its character of special law, within its own area, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum derogates from those provisions of law, connected with the sacred Rites, promulgated from 1962 onwards and incompatible with the rubrics of the liturgical books in effect in 1962.

Confirmation and Holy Orders

29. Permission to use the older formula for the rite of Confirmation was confirmed by the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum (cf. art. 9 § 2). Therefore, in the forma extraordinaria, it is not necessary to use the newer formula of Pope Paul VI as found in the Ordo Confirmationis.

30. As regards tonsure, minor orders and the subdiaconate, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum does not introduce any change in the discipline of the Code of Canon Law of 1983; consequently, in Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life which are under the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, one who has made solemn profession or who has been definitively incorporated into a clerical institute of apostolic life, becomes incardinated as a cleric in the institute or society upon ordination to the diaconate, in accordance with canon 266 § 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

31. Only in Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life which are under the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and in those which use the liturgical books of the forma extraordinaria, is the use of the Pontificale Romanum of 1962 for the conferral of minor and major orders permitted.

Breviarium Romanum

32. Art. 9 § 3 of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum gives clerics the faculty to use the Breviarium Romanum in effect in 1962, which is to be prayed entirely and in the Latin language.

The Sacred Triduum

33. If there is a qualified priest, a coetus fidelium ("group of faithful"), which follows the older liturgical tradition, can also celebrate the Sacred Triduum in the forma extraordinaria. When there is no church or oratory designated exclusively for such celebrations, the parish priest or Ordinary, in agreement with the qualified priest, should find some arrangement favourable to the good of souls, not excluding the possibility of a repetition of the celebration of the Sacred Triduum in the same church.

The Rites of Religious Orders

34. The use of the liturgical books proper to the Religious Orders which were in effect in 1962 is permitted.

Pontificale Romanum and the Rituale Romanum

35. The use of the Pontificale Romanum, the Rituale Romanum, as well as the Caeremoniale Episcoporum in effect in 1962, is permitted, in keeping with n. 28 of this Instruction, and always respecting n. 31 of the same Instruction.

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, in an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei on 8 April 2011, approved this present Instruction and ordered its publication.

Given at Rome, at the Offices of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, 30 April, 2011, on the memorial of Pope Saint Pius V.

William Cardinal LEVADA
President

Mons. Guido Pozzo
Secretary
_______________

1 BENEDICTUS XVI, Litterae Apostolicae Summorum Pontificum motu proprio datae, I, AAS 99 (2007) 777; cf. Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, tertia editio 2002, n. 397.

2 BENEDICTUS XVI, Epistola ad Episcopos ad producendas Litteras Apostolicas motu proprio datas, de Usu Liturgiae Romanae Instaurationi anni 1970 praecedentis, AAS 99 (2007) 798.

3 Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 838 §1 and §2.

4 Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 331.

5 Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canons 223 § 2 or 838 §1 and §4.

6 BENEDICTUS XVI, Epistola ad Episcopos ad producendas Litteras Apostolicas motu proprio datas, de Usu Liturgiae Romanae Instaurationi anni 1970 praecedentis, AAS 99 (2007) 799.

7 Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 900 § 2.

8 Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 249; Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, 36; Declaration Optatum totius, 13.9 BENEDICTUS XVI, Epistola ad Episcopos ad producendas Litteras Apostolicas motu proprio datas, de Usu Liturgiae Romanae Instaurationi anni 1970 praecedentis, AAS 99 (2007) 797.

Godwin's comment: This is surely Great News! Thanks be to the Holy Father Benedict XVI! This will surely help Pro Tridentina (Malta) in its work. Let us pray that the local church authorities will implement the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum according to this Instruction. That the current Pontiff loves the forma extraordinaria is amply demonstrated, e.g. the photo above showing then Cardinal Ratzinger celebrating this form at Wigratzbad in 1990.

Saint George Preca

I am putting this brief account of Saint George Preca, Malta's first canonised saint, on the occasion of his feast day (9 May). It fills me with pride and at the same time with humbleness to know that this saint is a distant relative from my mother's side. Godwin







SAINT GEORGE PRECA
Diocesan Priest



Founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine, M.U.S.E.U.M.

(Valletta, Malta, 12 February 1880 - Sta. Venera, Malta, 26 July 1962)

SAINT GEORGE PRECA was born in Valletta, Malta on 12 February 1880 of Vincenzo and Natalina Ceravolo. He was baptised in the Parish Church of Our Lady of Porto Salvo, Valletta, on 17 February. In 1888 the Preca family moved to Ħamrun, a fast growing town not far from Valletta. George received his Confirmation and his first Holy Communion in the parish church of St Cajetan. One day when he was 17 years old George was walking along the Maglio Gardens (Il-Mall) in Floriana. He met one of his Lyceum Professors, Fr Ercole Mompalao, who told him: “Preca, when you grow up, people who revere God will befriend you and you them. You will find your good fortune through them and they through you”. After his studies at the Lyceum, George entered the Seminary of Malta with the aim of becoming a priest.

His confessor, Fr Aloysius Galea, died on 8 April 1905. Blessed George used to recount how Fr Galea appeared to him a few days later and told him: “God has chosen you to teach his people”. George Preca was enthused with this idea. He wrote a rule in Latin which he wanted to send to Pope Pius X for approval. He envisaged groups of seven permanent deacons in every parish who, with the help of lay auxiliaries, would be responsible for the formation of the people of God. It was around this time (1905-1906) that George met a group of young people at Ħamrun and invited them to start attending his spiritual conferences. He set his eye on their leader, Eugenio Borg, and started explaining the Gospel of John to him. (Later on Eugenio Borg became the first Superior General of the Societas Doctrinae Christianae and was renowned for his holiness when he died in 1967).

A few months before his ordination to the priesthood George Preca almost died of a very serious sickness. Through the intercession of St Joseph he survived the ordeal, but as a consequence of the illness his left lung was permanently impaired. He was ordained priest on 22 December 1906 by Bishop Pietro Pace, and he celebrated his first Solemn Mass at the St Cajetan Parish Church in Ħamrun on Christmas Day. For a number of weeks after ordination George would not venture out of home except to say Mass, after which he would retire to a small room on the roof and remain there all day bereft in meditation and contemplation. Towards the end of January 1907 he called the same group of young people and invited them for a spiritual conference on 2 February at the Ta’ Nuzzo Church at Ħamrun. The little group subsequently rented a small place at n. 6, Fra Diegu Street, Ħamrun and met there for the first time on 7 March 1907. These two dates mark the beginning of the Society of Christian Doctrine: a group of lay people leading an exemplary life, well formed in the principles of the Catholic faith and sent to teach the faith to the people. At first, Fr George called his society Societas Papidum et Papidissarum (Society of the Sons and Daughters of the Pope). In the meanwhile, however, the rundown place where the first members met was jokingly referred to as the “museum”. The nickname soon became the name of the group itself and it stuck. The founder had no alternative but to devise an acrostic in Latin: M.U.S.E.U.M., Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus! which in translation means: "Teacher, O that the whole world would follow the Gospel!" The female branch of the Society was inaugurated in 1910 with the help of Giannina Cutajar who later became the first Superior General of the same branch.

It was around 1910 that Dun George had a very powerful mystical experience which he always referred to as “the extraordinary vision of the child Jesus”. One morning, he was passing in the vicinity of the Marsa Cross when he suddenly saw a twelve-year old boy pushing a low cart with a bag full of manure. The boy turned to George and ordered him imperiously: “Lend me a hand!” The moment Fr George put his hand on the cart he felt an extraordinary spiritual sweetness and he never could remember where they went or what happened to the young boy. He later understood however that the boy was Jesus and that the Lord was asking him and his followers to help him with nurturing the Lord’s field and vineyard with sound doctrine and formation.

The M.U.S.E.U.M. developed along the years into the society we know today: a group of lay people who dedicate themselves to the apostolate of catechesis, lead a simple evangelical lifestyle, commit themselves to a life of prayer using short prayers or meditations at regular intervals during the day (“The Museum Watch”), teach the young catechesis for an hour everyday, which is then followed by a group meeting for personal permanent formation (“The Assignment”).


The Society had its difficult moments. In 1909 Dun George was ordered to close his Museum centres. Broken-hearted but without hesitation, he started following superior orders until the parish priests themselves protested with the ecclesiastical authorities and the ban was revoked by Vicar General Salvatore Grech. Between 1914-1915 a number of daily newspapers carried articles and letters denigrating the new Society. Dun George ordered his members to take a vow or promise of meekness, gladly forgiving anybody who poked fun at them and taught them “to love the contempt” they suffered and not to let it trouble them unduly. In 1916 Bishop Mauro Caruana ordered an enquiry concerning the Society. After many humiliations for the founder and his close followers, the Curia issued a favourable report. Although some changes were required, the way was open for definitive ecclesiastical approval. Bishop Caruana canonically erected the Society of Christian Doctrine on 12 April 1932.


Dun George Preca strived unceasingly to spread the values and teaching of the Gospel in the Maltese islands. He wrote a great number of books on dogma, morals and spirituality in Maltese. He also published numerous booklets with prayers for the private use of his members and for popular devotion. He was undoubtedly a great apostle of the Word of God, especially of the Gospel which he used to call “The Voice of the Beloved”. He would encourage his followers and the public in general to memorize sentences and phrases from the Gospel and his charismatic preaching constantly referred to parables and stories from Scripture and the life of the saints. He zealously defended the honour due only to God and persuasively illustrated how ugly sin was. He never shied away from openly preaching about death, judgement, hell and heaven. Utterly convinced of God’s justice, he nevertheless movingly proclaimed the Lord’s infinite mercy.

People flocked to him for advice or a word of encouragement. They trusted in his intercession and many still recount stories of healings wrought by God through Fr George’s prayers. He was endowed with many supernatural gifts, among which were the knowledge of hearts and of the future. He was nonetheless a priest of great humility, goodness, meekness and generosity. He was truly a holy pastor of the people of God.


Dun Ġorġ, as the Maltese know him, is well known for his constant efforts to promote devotion to the mystery of the Incarnation. From 1917 he propagated devotion for the text from the Gospel of John: “Verbum Dei caro factum est!” (Jn 1, 14). He wanted the SDC members to wear a badge with these words. On Christmas Eve 1921 the Society organized the first “Demonstration in honour of the Baby Jesus” in the towns and villages of Malta and Gozo and this event has since become a typical aspect of Christmas celebrations on the islands. Fr George wanted every child who attended catechism classes to take a small crib or statue of the baby Jesus home for Christmas.


The holy priest learnt to trust in the maternal protection of Our Lady, especially during the difficult moments of the Society. He was enrolled as a Carmelite tertiary on 21 July 1918 and at his profession in September 1919 he chose the name of Fr Franco. Children attending the Society’s centres are still enrolled in Our Lady’s scapular. Dun Ġorġ also nurtured a filial devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel; he promoted use of the Miraculous Medal and in fact wanted the Church of the Society’s Motherhouse to be dedicated to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. In 1957 he suggested the use of five “Mysteries of Light” for the private recitation of the Rosary.


On 19 May 1951 he blessed the foundation stone of the St Michael School at Santa Venera, and in 1952 he sent the first members to start the Society in Australia. The SDC is today also found in England, Albania, the Sudan, Kenya and Peru.

On 2 October 1952 Pope Pius XII nominated Dun Ġorġ as Privy Chamberlain with the title of Monsignor. Dun George was mortified. He kept the title for six years until Pope Pacelli passed away in 1958.

In 1955 Dun George blessed the foundation stone of the Sacred Family Institute at Żabbar which later housed SDC members living in common who had been staying at Żebbuġ ever since their establishment in 1918.

After a long and very active life in the service of the Gospel and of the Christian formation of the people of God, Dun Ġorġ Preca died on Thursday evening 26 July 1962 at his house: “San Cajetan”, Parish Street, Santa Venera, Malta. He was deeply missed by all the Maltese population. He had wished for a very simple funeral but thousands, including the highest civil and ecclesiastical authorities, turned up to pay him homage. He was buried in the crypt of the Church of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal at Blata l-Bajda which soon became a venue for constant pilgrimages.

Fr George Preca was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Malta on 9 May 2001 and canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 3 June 2007. His liturgical feast is celebrated on 9 May.

L-Għid it-Tajjeb lil kulħadd!

Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia!

L-Għid it-Tajjeb lil kulħadd u nawgura li dalwaqt iseħħ dak li Pro Tridentina (Malta) qed taħdem għalih!

What's in a (sur)name?

A year ago, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI visited Malta. To remember this important event for my country, today I am including an interesting interview with assistant personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, Mgr. Alfred Xuereb (in the photo praying with His Holiness and Mgr. Georg Gänswein, the Pope's personal secretary).

A colloquio con monsignor Alfred Xuereb, della segreteria particolare del Pontefice

Paolo, Benedetto e il regalo dei maltesi

Le mani del Pontefice hanno stretto quelle delle vittime degli abusi

di Gianluca Biccini

"Dalla scura nube, poi brillanti scendon per te gocce di cristallo". Saggezza antica quella del popolo maltese, abituato a leggere segni di speranza anche nelle difficoltà. È successo con il naufragio di san Paolo, trasformatosi in occasione provvidenziale per l'evangelizzazione del piccolo arcipelago; e in qualche modo è accaduto di nuovo con il viaggio compiuto da Benedetto XVI il 17 e il 18 aprile scorsi, per celebrare i 1950 anni dell'approdo dell'Apostolo sull'isola. Parola di chi conosce bene sia Malta - dov'è nato cinquantuno anni fa e dov'è stato ordinato sacerdote nel 1984 - sia il Pontefice, di cui è addetto alla segreteria particolare. E da quest'ottica privilegiata monsignor Alfred Xuereb offre al nostro giornale una rilettura della visita del Papa. Una visita apertasi sotto la "scura nube" provocata dal vulcano islandese, che ha paralizzato i cieli di mezza Europa, e sotto quella degli attacchi mediatici alla Chiesa per alcuni casi di abusi sessuali commessi da membri del clero. Ma che si è conclusa con le "gocce di cristallo" di un successo andato al di là di ogni più ottimistica previsione. Schivo e riservato, come esige l'ufficio che ricopre dal settembre del 2007, in quest'intervista monsignor Xuereb racconta il dietro le quinte del quattordicesimo viaggio internazionale di Benedetto XVI.

All'udienza generale di mercoledì 21 aprile il Papa ha paragonato l'accoglienza ricevuta a Malta con quella sperimentata 1950 anni prima da san Paolo dopo il naufragio. Lei che lo ha accompagnato da vicino può raccontarci com'è andata?

La calorosa ospitalità che san Paolo ha ricevuto dagli abitanti dell'isola è documentata dal capitolo 28 degli Atti degli apostoli. Nei primi due versetti si narra che, "una volta in salvo", Paolo e i suoi vennero "a sapere che l'isola si chiamava Malta" e che "gli indigeni" trattarono i nuovi arrivati "con rara umanità". Questa bellissima espressione sta molto a cuore ai maltesi. E forse il testo in tedesco degli Atti la rende ancora più eloquente, quando spiega che i maltesi hanno dimostrato un'amicizia e una cordialità non comuni accogliendoli appunto con: ungewönliche freundlichkeit. Sappiamo che Paolo aveva fatto insieme a Luca moltissimi viaggi durante i quali avevano più volte sperimentato l'accoglienza delle popolazioni visitate. Ma a Malta l'accoglienza doveva essere stata talmente speciale da spingerli a lasciare per iscritto una testimonianza di quell'esperienza. Per quel che ho potuto constatare personalmente, penso si possa tranquillamente affermare che un simile calore è stato riservato al Pontefice: a cominciare dalle parole di benvenuto rivoltogli dal presidente della Repubblica, il signor George Abela, fino al canto dei cinquemila bambini che nel piazzale antistante il palazzo presidenziale a Valletta gli hanno augurato buon compleanno in maltese, in inglese e in tedesco.

Benedetto XVI si aspettava tutto questo? E lei, personalmente, visto che conosce bene i suoi conterranei, era ottimista in proposito?

Il Papa ha più volte parlato in privato di questo bell'incontro con la popolazione di Malta: della folla entusiasta che lo ha reso felice, sorprendendolo con tanto calore. Io ero fiducioso del successo del viaggio perché conoscevo il grande sforzo organizzativo che c'era stato sia qui in Vaticano, da parte degli uffici competenti sotto l'attenta guida della Segreteria di Stato, sia a Malta da parte della Chiesa e del Governo. La nunziatura apostolica in Malta ha coordinato il tutto con particolare cura, affrontando e risolvendo i diversi problemi man mano emersi. Personalmente devo ammettere però che ero timoroso che gli attacchi mediatici sferrati ingiustamente contro la persona del Papa potessero in qualche modo oscurare il suo messaggio. Vivendo poi in un'era tecnologica, la mia preoccupazione era anche che la popolazione maltese potesse preferire la comodità di casa e seguire gli avvenimenti in televisione, anziché scendere nelle strade per accoglierlo. Invece, da questo punto di vista, il viaggio è stato un grande successo perché c'è stata una reazione contraria: lungo il tragitto della papamobile non c'era una strada che non fosse piena di uomini, donne, giovani e bambini in festa; tutti sventolavano bandierine con i colori del Vaticano e della Repubblica di Malta; le bande musicali suonavano nelle piazze antistanti le circa quaranta chiese incontrate lungo il percorso. Diverse parrocchie hanno esposto la statua del santo patrono, come espressione di benvenuto, invocando la benedizione del Pontefice.

Lei è stato uno dei pochissimi testimoni dell'incontro del Papa con le vittime di abusi. Può descrivercene l'atmosfera?

È stato un momento molto toccante e di speciale grazia. Nella cappella della nunziatura, dapprima il vescovo di Gozo, monsignor Mario Grech, ha introdotto l'incontro con una breve preghiera in un clima di grande raccoglimento che mi rimanda col pensiero all'esperienza di Pentecoste, quando lo Spirito discese sugli apostoli riuniti nel Cenacolo insieme a Maria. Soprattutto è emersa la singolare paternità di Benedetto XVI. Basti pensare che il portavoce delle vittime ha riferito così ai giornalisti che lo hanno intervistato: "Quando ho incontrato il Papa, mi sono reso conto di avere davanti a me una persona molto diversa da come viene descritta dai media". È rimasto toccato dal fatto che il Papa fosse visibilmente commosso e sinceramente dispiaciuto per quanto accaduto. Benedetto XVI ha anche apprezzato il loro coraggio nel denunciare quanti hanno commesso gli abusi. Inoltre le vittime sono rimaste colpite dal fatto che il Papa abbia preso le loro mani tra le sue. Quel momento mi ricorda il gesto misericordioso di Gesù che toccava e sanava. Anche in questo caso abbiamo avuto una guarigione, magari non fisica, ma sicuramente spirituale e psicologica. Tanto è vero che uno di loro ha affermato: "Ormai per me è un capitolo chiuso. Ora posso ricominciare con fiducia rinnovata nella Chiesa e nei membri della Chiesa che sono fedeli al loro ministero sacerdotale". L'incontro è durato circa mezz'ora, ma i presenti hanno avuto la sensazione che se avessero parlato più a lungo il Papa li avrebbe ascoltati per tutto il tempo. E questo nonostante fosse stanco ed in forte ritardo sul programma previsto. Perciò quando si è congedato, i presenti ci hanno chiesto più volte, con insistenza, di porgere al Papa il loro vivo ringraziamento. E si leggeva nei loro volti tanta commozione. Mi preme aggiungere che questo incontro è stato ben preparato dai vescovi di Malta e dai loro collaboratori. L'arcivescovo, monsignor Paul Cremona, aveva già incontrato le vittime nella sua abitazione privata. Tale incontro era durato oltre due ore, in un clima di particolare commozione.

Al di là del protocollo e dei discorsi ufficiali, può sottolineare qualche particolare della visita del Papa?

Più volte, prima del viaggio a Malta, Benedetto XVI aveva espresso il desiderio di visitare un sito paolino. Per questo, quando da solo, in ginocchio, ha potuto pregare nel luogo che fu la dimora dell'Apostolo durante i tre mesi del suo soggiorno a Malta, è come se avesse potuto immergersi, calarsi in quella realtà e incontrare personalmente il grande evangelizzatore delle genti. È come se avesse potuto toccare con mano l'apostolo di cui aveva fatto conoscenza tramite le sue lettere.

E poi domenica c'è stata la messa a Floriana.

È stata il cuore del pellegrinaggio. Penso che durante la celebrazione dell'Eucaristia il Papa abbia potuto percepire la fede matura dei presenti, espressa tramite una devozione sincera, che non era solo esteriore: i cinquantamila sul piazzale dei Granai hanno ascoltato le sue parole con attenzione e hanno partecipato con consapevolezza alla liturgia eucaristica. Durante il ringraziamento dopo la comunione c'era un tale silenzio da poter sentire il cinguettio degli uccelli sugli alberi circostanti. Da questa esperienza di una Chiesa viva che celebra la vittoria del Signore Risorto sul peccato e sulla morte il popolo di Malta è ripartito rinvigorito nella fede.

L'esatto contrario del frastuono assordante dei giovani al porto di Valletta?

Sì, si sa, i giovani sono così. Ma era evidente che si trattava di una gioia interiore. Sia durante la navigazione in catamarano sia sulla banchina dov'era allestito il palco, Benedetto XVI ha sperimentato la freschezza di questa Chiesa che continua a crescere soprattutto grazie alle nuove generazioni che vogliono conoscere Cristo. Ciò si riflette anche nelle comunità parrocchiali, dove i giovani partecipano attivamente alle celebrazioni e agli incontri di formazione. Molti turisti di ritorno da Malta esprimono la meraviglia che mentre in molte chiese d'Europa si vedono in prevalenza persone anziane, nelle parrocchie dell'arcipelago è normale trovare tanti ragazzi e ragazze.

I maltesi sembrano un originale mix tra rigore britannico e solarità mediterranea. Si riconosce in questa definizione?

Mi sembra che i maltesi siano fatti di tutt'altra pasta. Nonostante un secolo e mezzo di dominazione da parte dell'Impero britannico, noi maltesi non abbiamo imparato più di tanto a osservare la puntualità, né la precisione tipica degli inglesi; al contrario siamo chiassosi e molto più spontanei, per non dire anche poco curanti delle formalità e del protocollo. Ma, in compenso, come dice lei, siamo un popolo solare. E questo l'hanno notato anche alcuni dei membri del seguito papale apprezzando la freschezza dei volti e il calore sincero.

Lei è uno dei moltissimi sacerdoti maltesi che vivono lontano dalla patria.

Da quando ho il privilegio di vivere nell'appartamento pontificio, più volte Benedetto XVI ha mostrato la sua sorpresa e la sua soddisfazione nel constatare quanti preti e quante suore maltesi siano presenti in varie parti del mondo. Glielo riferiscono soprattutto i vescovi in visita ad limina. Questo fatto però non è solo una questione di generosità da parte nostra che evidentemente ci rende orgogliosi, ma ha anche una ricaduta positiva sulla comunità ecclesiale locale. Essa è rimasta una Chiesa viva perché missionaria: quando questi missionari visitano i loro familiari a Malta organizzano messe o incontri, in cui raccontano le loro esperienze. E la popolazione si sente coinvolta nella pastorale missionaria: non si limita a raccogliere soldi e viveri per poi mandarli a chi ne ha bisogno tramite "il loro" missionario, ma segue i progetti, si reca sui luoghi a dare una mano. Proprio durante il viaggio del Papa ho scoperto con piacere come siano in aumento i gruppi, specialmente di giovani, che vanno a fare soggiorni con esperienza missionaria insieme ai loro sacerdoti in India, in Brasile, in Albania, in Etiopia, in Guatemala, nel Perú, e in altre parti del mondo dove operano i nostri missionari. Il Santo Padre, come è noto, ne ha incontrati oltre duecento nella chiesa di San Paolo a Rabat la sera del suo arrivo a Malta.

A cos'è dovuta questa generosità?

Normalmente, i missionari maltesi riescono a inserirsi e ad adattarsi bene nell'ambiente in cui si trovano. Per loro conta molto il sensus ecclesiae, per cui lavorare per la Chiesa in Australia o in Africa o in Brasile è come lavorare per la Chiesa di Malta. Io provengo dalla diocesi di Gozo: ventisettemila abitanti, quindici parrocchie, un centinaio di sacerdoti. Nel periodo di formazione i seminaristi sono inviati a fare un'esperienza di lavoro all'estero interrompendo gli studi per un anno intero. Io ho vissuto l'anno intermediario lavorando in un ospedale in Germania. È anche previsto che dopo l'ordinazione sacerdotale si dedicano almeno due anni di ministero fuori Malta per sperimentare l'universalità della Chiesa.

E lei è stato inviato a Roma?

In realtà da giovane sacerdote volevo fare il missionario, magari in Brasile, perché il mio vescovo di allora, monsignor Nikol Joseph Cauchi, oggi emerito, ci aveva incoraggiati a formare in seminario un gruppo missionario di cui ero segretario. Volevo partire per una terra di missione, attirato anche dalla bella testimonianza di sacerdoti della mia diocesi che da anni lavorano all'estero. Solo che quando manifestai il mio desiderio al vescovo, mi disse che non voleva distogliermi da questo buon proposito, ma che prima reputava utile "farmi le ossa" in Europa, perché l'esperienza missionaria oltre che affascinante è altrettanto difficile. Così in due parrocchie romane ho fatto delle ricche esperienze pastorali: lì ho imparato a esercitare il ministero sacerdotale offrendo il mio contributo nella catechesi degli adolescenti e degli adulti e alla mensa per i poveri dove, con gli immigrati di lingua araba, cercavo di farli sentire accolti salutandoli con frasi maltesi, visto che gli idiomi sono simili. Successivamente la Provvidenza mi ha condotto su una "nuova rotta".

L'ordinamento maltese non legalizza né l'aborto né il divorzio. Ritiene che questo modello possa essere esportabile o che prima o poi anche Malta finirà con l'allinearsi al resto del mondo?

Molti Paesi, soprattutto europei, ritengono che nell'ordinamento maltese ci sia un deficit di democrazia. Invece qui la legislazione rispecchia i sentimenti della maggioranza della popolazione, che aderisce al Vangelo piuttosto che alla mentalità secolare del mondo di oggi. E in tal modo i maltesi, per usare l'allegoria evangelica, costituiscono quella luce che è collocata non sotto il letto, ma sopra il candelabro; una città sopra il monte, che è lì, come testimonianza per chiunque voglia accoglierla. Ovviamente se dovessero cambiare le cose, ritengo che questo sarebbe senz'altro un passo indietro, certamente non un progresso.

Crocevia tra l'Europa e l'Africa del Nord, l'arcipelago rappresenta spesso una rotta obbligata per i disperati in cerca di nuove possibilità. Ma le politiche maltesi in materia di immigrazione attirano numerose critiche. Può aiutarci a capire come stanno realmente le cose?

Credo che si tratti di un'impressione sbagliata. I fatti dimostrano il contrario: dal 2002, quando sono iniziati gli sbarchi dal Nord Africa sono stati accolti ben tredicimila immigrati. Tantissimi su una popolazione di appena 443 mila individui, che però detiene il primato europeo, e il terzo posto al mondo, di densità demografica. Oggi gli immigrati sono circa quattromila, accolti in numerose strutture, assistiti sia dal Governo, che provvede con un piccolo sostentamento economico, e ha rafforzato le leggi contro lo sfruttamento, equiparando gli immigrati ai dipendenti maltesi; sia dalla Chiesa, che ha allestito quattordici case di accoglienza e offre loro viveri, vestiario, e cerca di aiutarli nell'ottenere i documenti o un impiego. Va aggiunto che essi non hanno intenzione di rimanere a Malta: la loro destinazione è l'Europa continentale per ricongiungersi con amici e familiari che li hanno preceduti.

Concludiamo tornando al viaggio. Ha avuto riscontri da parte dei maltesi?

Al ritorno in Vaticano sono stato inondato da e-mail, sms, e telefonate di gente rimasta particolarmente colpita dalle espressioni dolci e paterne di Benedetto XVI. Hanno scritto per manifestare la loro gratitudine al Papa. Uno di questi messaggi diceva: "Ci è successo come gli Apostoli quando Gesù è asceso in Cielo: il Papa è partito ma noi continuiamo a parlare di lui col cuore pieno di gioia!". Un altro diceva: "Mi si è spezzato il cuore vederlo partire, tuttavia il Papa ha lasciato dietro di sé una scia di santità".

Il Papa ha detto qualcosa in proposito?

Ritornava volentieri a parlare dell'entusiasmante esperienza vissuta a Malta, e quando gli ho confidato l'infinita riconoscenza per il grandissimo dono fattoci nell'aver scelto di visitare Malta, tra i tanti inviti che riceve ogni giorno, egli ha risposto: "Il regalo l'ho ricevuto anche io!". Mi è restata in cuore l'impressione che, come san Paolo, dopo aver sperimentato una furiosa tempesta, ripartì dall'isola rinfrancato dalla "rara umanità" degli abitanti a cui aveva offerto il dono della fede cristiana, sia accaduto altrettanto per il nostro amato Benedetto XVI.

(©L'Osservatore Romano 5 maggio 2010)

Stabat Mater

+ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Joánnem (Ioann. XIX, 25-27). In illo témpore: Stabant juxta crucem Jesu mater ejus, et soror matris ejus María Cléophae, et María Magdaléne. Cum vidísset ergo Jesus matrem, et discípulum stantem, quem diligébat, dicit matri suae: Múlier, ecce fílius tuus. Deínde dicit discípulo: Ecce mater tua. Et ex illa hora accépit eam discípulus in sua.

Litaniae Dominae nostrae Dolorum

(ad usum privatum tantum)

Kyrie, eleison.

Christe, eleison.

Kyrie, eleison.

Christe, audi nos.

Christe, exaudi nos.

Pater de caelis, Deus, miserere nobis.

Fili, Redemptor mundi, Deus, miserere nobis.

Spiritus Sancte Deus, miserere nobis.

Sancta Trinitas, unus Deus, miserere nobis.

Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis.

Sancta Dei Genetrix, ora pro nobis.

Sancta Virgo virginum, ora pro nobis.

Mater crucifixa, ora pro nobis.

Mater dolorosa, ora pro nobis.

Mater lacrimosa, ora pro nobis.

Mater afflicta, ora pro nobis.

Mater derelicta, ora pro nobis.

Mater desolata, ora pro nobis.

Mater filio orbata, ora pro nobis.

Mater gladio transverberata, ora pro nobis.

Mater aerumnis confecta, ora pro nobis.

Mater angustiis repleta, ora pro nobis.

Mater cruci corde affixa, ora pro nobis.

Mater maestissima, ora pro nobis.

Fons lacrimarum, ora pro nobis.

Cumulus passionum, ora pro nobis.

Speculum patientiae, ora pro nobis.

Rupes constantiae, ora pro nobis.

Ancora confidentiae, ora pro nobis.

Refugium derelictorum, ora pro nobis.

Clipeus oppressorum, ora pro nobis.

Debellatrix incredulorum, ora pro nobis.

Solatium miserorum, ora pro nobis.

Medicina languentium, ora pro nobis.

Fortitudo debilium, ora pro nobis.

Portus naufragantium, ora pro nobis.

Sedatio procellarum, ora pro nobis.

Recursus maerentum, ora pro nobis.

Terror insidiantium, ora pro nobis.

Thesaurus fidelium, ora pro nobis.

Oculus Prophetarum, ora pro nobis.

Baculus Apostolorum, ora pro nobis.

Corona Martyrum, ora pro nobis.

Lumen Confessorum, ora pro nobis.

Margarita Virginum, ora pro nobis.

Consolatio Viduarum, ora pro nobis.

Laetitia Sanctorum omnium, ora pro nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, parce nobis, Iesu.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, exaudi nobis, Iesu.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis, Iesu.

Scribe, Domina, vulnera tua in corde meo, ut in eis legam dolorem et amorem: dolorem, ad sustinendum per te omnem dolorem: amorem, ad contemnendum per te omnem amorem.

Respice super nos, libera nos, salva nos ab omnibus angustiis in virtute Iesu Christi.

V. Ora pro nobis, Virgo dolorossisima.

R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

Oremus.

Intervéniat pro nobis, quaésumus, Dómine Jesu Christe: nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae, apud tuam cleméntiam beáta Virgo María Mater tua ; cujus sacratíssimam ánimam in hora tuae passiónis dolóris gládius pertransívit: Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre, in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.

R. Amen.

Third Conference on Summorum Pontificum

The Association Youth and Tradition And the Sodality Priestly Friends of Summorum Pontificum

Rome, 13-15 May 2011

The Third Conference on the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI

“Hope for the entire Church”

Programme: Friday, 13 May 2011 (Pre-Conference)

Parish of SS. Trinità dei Pellegrini

17,00: Introduction and Welcome Rev. Father Vincenzo M. Nuara O.P. (Moderator of the Sodality Priest Friends of Summorum Pontificum) Rev. Father Joseph Kramer F.S.S.P (Pastor of the Personal Parish of SS. Trinità dei Pellegrini)

17,15: Holy Rosary and the chanting of the Litany of Loreto

18,00: Spiritual Conference: “Liturgy and Priestly Life” Rev. Father Cassian Folsom OSB (Prior of the Monastery of St. Benedict at Norcia)

19,00: Pontifical Vespers Priests’ Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (Officiating: His Excellency Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Astana) (Service at the altar and music: The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter)

Saturday, 14 May 2011 (Conference) Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Aula Minor

8,00: Holy Mass in the Church of Sts. Domenic and Sisto at the Angelicum

9,00: Chanting of the Veni Creator Welcome and Introduction Dr. Angelo Pulvirenti (President of the Association Youth and Tradition) Rev. Father Vincenzo M. Nuara O.P. (Honorary President of the Association Youth and Tradition) Commemorative Video Presentation (Dr. Emanuele Pressacco)

9,30 1st Paper: The Sacred Liturgy, Life of the Church His Eminence Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera (Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments)

10,15 2nd Paper: Spirit of the Liturgy, Liturgy of the Spirit His Excellency Most Rev. Marc Aillet (Bishop of Bayonne, France)

11,00 Break

11,30 3rd Paper: The Ancient Liturgy of the Church: Ecumenical Bridge His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch (President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity)

12,15 4th Paper: The Minor Orders and holy service at the Altar His Excellency Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider (Auxiliary Bishop of Astana)

15,00 Recitation of the Holy Rosary

15,30 A perspective: The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, assessment and possibilities (Mons. Guido Pozzo, Secretary, Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”

16,00 5th Paper: The Episcopate in the Roman Pontifical (from the editio princeps 1595-96 until the editio typica of 1961-62). A theological liturgical reflection. (Mons. Nicola Bux, Teological Institute of Bari)

17,00 Break

17,30 6th Paper: The apostolic-patristic origins of the “Tridentine Mass” (Sr. M. Francesca of the Immaculate, F.I. of Città di Castello)

18,15 7th Paper: Latin, liturgical language of the Church and of Catholicity (Prof. Roberto de Mattei, European University of Rome) Concluding Remarks: Rev. Father Vincenzo M. Nuara, O.P.

19,00 Chanting of the Te Deum and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (Officiating: His Eminence Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”) (Service at the altar and music: Franciscans of the Immaculate)

Sunday, 15 May 2011 The Papal Basilica of St. Peter at the Vatican Altar of the Chair

8,00 Pontifical Mass at the Faldstool in the Ancient Roman Rite (Celebrant: His Eminence Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments) Assistant Priest: Rev. Father Almir De Andrade, F.S.S.P Diacono: Rev. Father Mark Withoos Subdeacon: Rev. Mons. Patrick Descourtieux (Officials of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei) Familiari: Mons. Nicholas Thevenin – Mons. Marco Agostini Master of Ceremony: Rev. Father Gilles Guitard, I.C.R.S.S. Liturgical Functions: Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest Musical Services: Gregorian Choir: Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome Directed by Maestro Mons. Renzo Cilia Polifonia: Domenico Bartolucci Foundation Choir Directed by His Eminence Maestro Domenico Cardinale Bartolucci Organist: Maestro Andrea Buccarella

12,00 Regina Coeli of the Sovereign Pontiff His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in Piazza San Pietro

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS

Ventidue Anni di "Ecclesia Dei". Un Bilancio

di Giancarlo Rocca

Il 2 luglio 1988 veniva istituita la pontificia commissione "Ecclesia Dei" con l'omonimo motu proprio di Giovanni Paolo II. L'obiettivo iniziale era quello di facilitare il rientro nella piena comunione della Chiesa di sacerdoti, seminaristi, religiosi, religiose, gruppi e singoli che, non condividendo la riforma liturgica del concilio Vaticano II, si erano legati alla fraternità sacerdotale San Pio X fondata da monsignor Marcel Lefebvre, ma non avevano condiviso il gesto, da lui compiuto nel 1988, di consacrare alcuni vescovi.

In seguito, la "Ecclesia Dei" ha ampliato le proprie competenze, ponendosi al servizio di tutti coloro che, anche senza legami con i gruppi di monsignor Lefebvre, desiderano conservare la liturgia latina anteriore nella celebrazione dei sacramenti, in particolar modo dell'eucarestia. In pratica, alla "Ecclesia Dei" è stato attribuito il compito di conservare e preservare il valore della liturgia latina della Chiesa fissata nella riforma del 1962 da Giovanni XXIII.

Il cammino percorso dalla "Ecclesia Dei" in questi quasi ventidue anni è stato notevole.

Nel 1988, anno della sua fondazione, ha concesso l'approvazione pontificia alla fraternità sacerdotale San Pietro e alla fraternità san Vincenzo Ferreri.

La prima era stata fondata subito dopo lo scisma del 1988 e aveva avuto come primo superiore don Joseph Bisig, già assistente generale della fraternità San Pio X con monsignor Lefebvre.

La seconda era nata nel 1979 per opera di padre Louis-Marie de Blignières, che aveva ritenuto la dichiarazione conciliare "Dignitatis humanae" sulla libertà religiosa contraria all'insegnamento tradizionale della Chiesa, e poi, dopo uno studio più accurato, si era convinto che il Vaticano II non rappresentava una rottura.

Sono seguite altre approvazioni pontificie di istituti:

– l'abbazia Santa Maddalena, fondata nel 1970 dal padre Gerardo Calvet, un monaco della congregazione benedettina sublacense (1989);

– l'abbazia Nostra Signora Annunciazione, con sede a Le Barroux, in Francia, fondata nel 1979 come ramo femminile dell'abbazia Santa Maddalena, fondata dal padre Calvet (1989);

– le madri della Santa Croce, con casa generalizia in Tanzania, fondate nel 1976 da suor Maria Stieren, delle benedettine missionarie di Tutzing, e da padre Cornelio Del Zotto, dei frati minori (1991);

– i servi di Gesù e Maria, fondati nel 1988 dal sacerdote ex gesuita padre Andrea Hönisch e attualmente con sede in Austria (1994);

– le canonichesse regolari della Madre di Dio, fondate in Francia nel 1971 e collegate con i canonici regolari della Madre di Dio (2000);

– i missionari della Santa Croce, con casa generalizia in Tanzania, fondati nel 1976, che costituiscono il parallelo maschile delle madri della Santa Croce (2004);

– l'istituto San Filippo Neri, fondato nel 2003 da don Gerald Goesche, con sede a Berlino, in Germania (2004);

– l'istituto del Buon Pastore, fondato nello stesso anno in Francia da don Philippe Laguérie insieme con alcuni sacerdoti usciti dalla fraternità sacerdotale san Pio X (2006);

– l'oasi di Gesù Sacerdote, fondata nel 1965 da padre Pedro Muñoz Iranzo e con sede ad Argentona, in Spagna (2007);

– l'istituto Cristo Re sommo sacerdote, fondato da monsignor Gilles Wach nel 1988, con sede a Sieci, Firenze (2008);

– le adoratrici del Cuore regale di Gesù Cristo sommo sacerdote, fondate nel 2000, con sede a Sieci, Firenze, che costituiscono il ramo femminile dell'istituto Cristo Re sommo sacerdote (2008).

Sono attualmente in corso le approvazioni di diritto diocesano dei figli del Santissimo Redentore, fondati nel 1988 e con sede in Scozia, e della fraternità di Cristo sacerdote e Santa Maria Regina, con sede a Toledo, in Spagna.

Molte altre sono le fondazioni – singoli monasteri e conventi di suore – che celebrano la liturgia secondo il rito del 1962 ed è impossibile elencarli. Qui però è necessario ricordare il cammino percorso dalla diocesi di Campos in Brasile, il cui vescovo, vicino alle posizioni di monsignor Lefebvre, nel 1981 ha rassegnato le dimissioni per raggiunti limiti di età e in seguito ha fatto parte della società sacerdotale di San Giovanni Battista Maria Vianney. Nel 2002 la società è rientrata nella comunione della Chiesa ed è stata costituita come amministrazione apostolica personale – limitata al territorio della diocesi di Campos – per i fedeli legati alla tradizione tridentina. In questa nuova amministrazione apostolica nel 2008 ha ricevuto l'approvazione di diritto diocesano l'istituto del Cuore Immacolato di Maria, che era stato fondato nel 1976.Come si vede, sono già un discreto numero gli istituti che hanno ottenuto l'approvazione pontificia, con la possibilità di seguire il rito tradizionale nella Chiesa. Presi singolarmente, si tratta di piccoli istituti, attorno ai quali, però, ruota un certo numero di fedeli.

Il gruppo più numeroso sembra essere quello della fraternità sacerdotale di San Pietro, che conta una trentina di case negli Stati Uniti d'America, una ventina in Francia, poi alcune altre in Austria, Germania, Canada, Svizzera, Belgio. A Roma nel 2008 è stata affidata alla fraternità una parrocchia personale per i fedeli che preferiscono il rito di Pio V: come loro centro è stata designata la chiesa della Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini. Gli altri istituti sono di entità molto minore, a eccezione dell'istituto Cristo Re sommo sacerdote, presente in una cinquantina di diocesi con circa 70 sacerdoti.

In ogni caso, è difficile quantificare il numero di coloro che in vario modo sono sottoposti alla "Ecclesia Dei". Si parla di circa 370 sacerdoti, 200 religiose, un centinaio di religiosi non sacerdoti, circa 300 seminaristi e alcune centinaia di migliaia di fedeli.

Come risulta da questi dati, la "Ecclesia Dei" è stata a volte molto rapida nel concedere l'approvazione pontificia a istituti che desideravano rientrare nella Chiesa. E questo modo di operare appare chiaramente se raffrontato con la prassi della congregazione per gli Istituti di vita consacrata e le società di vita apostolica, che attende parecchi anni prima di concedere l'approvazione pontificia a un istituto.

Il modo con cui queste istituzioni sono state approvate è altrettanto significativo ed è chiaramente espresso nei documenti relativi.

Erigendo l'amministrazione apostolica personale San Giovanni Maria Vianney, nel 2002, la congregazione per i vescovi concedeva la facoltà di celebrare l'eucarestia, gli altri sacramenti e la liturgia delle ore secondo il rito codificato da Pio V e con gli adattamenti introdotti sino al 1963 col pontificato di Giovanni XXIII.

Approvando nel 2008 l'istituto Cristo Re sommo sacerdote, la "Ecclesia Dei" lo presentava come una società di preti che si proponevano di celebrare "decore ac sanctitate cultus liturgici secundum formam extraordinariam Ritus Romani".

E sempre nel 2008 la commissione concedeva all'abbazia trappista di Mariawald, in Germania, un ritorno completo alla liturgia in uso nell'ordine trappista sino al 1963-1964.

Il diverso regime appare ancor più evidente se si tiene conto che questi istituti, elencati nell'Annuario Pontificio, dipendono unicamente dalla "Ecclesia Dei", anche se per la loro erezione di diritto pontificio si richiede di sentire il prefetto della congregazione per gli istituti di vita consacrata e per le società di vita apostolica.

Due documenti di Benedetto XVI hanno precisato l'ambito di azione della "Ecclesia Dei" e la vita di coloro che si sentono legati all'antico rito della Chiesa.

Nel motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum", del 7 luglio 2007, il papa afferma che il messale di Paolo VI è espressione ordinaria della preghiera della Chiesa cattolica di rito latino, mentre quello edito da Giovanni XXIII ne è espressione straordinaria. Le due forme dell'unico rito latino, cioè, non sono più considerate l'una in sostituzione dell'altra. Di conseguenza, l'uso del messale romano nella edizione del 1962 viene liberalizzato e regolamentato secondo le disposizioni normative del "Summorum Pontificum". Tutti i sacerdoti che lo desiderano possono celebrare secondo l'antico rito senza bisogno di alcun permesso. E anche gli istituti religiosi possono celebrare seguendo il messale romano anteriore, con il consenso dei loro superiori maggiori se si tratta di una celebrazione abituale o permanente. L'effetto di queste misure, certamente voluto, è di non contrapporre il messale risalente a Pio V a quello di Paolo VI o viceversa – facendone un elemento di frizione – ma di considerarli due forme dell'unico rito.

Il secondo documento è la lettera apostolica motu proprio "Ecclesiae unitatem", del 2 luglio 2009, con la quale il pontefice ha collegato strettamente la "Ecclesia Dei" alla congregazione per la dottrina della fede. Questo aggiornamento della sua struttura è finalizzato ad adattare la pontificia commissione alla nuova situazione creatasi con la remissione della scomunica – avvenuta il 21 gennaio 2009 – ai quattro vescovi consacrati da monsignor Lefebvre. Poiché i problemi in vista della ricomposizione della divisione della fraternità sacerdotale San Pio X sono di natura essenzialmente dottrinale, Benedetto XVI ha deciso di ampliare le competenze della "Ecclesia Dei", subordinandola direttamente alla congregazione per la dottrina della fede.

(Da "L'Osservatore Romano" dell'11 maggio 2010).

SSPX Delegation in Malta?

Rumours are continuing to circulate about a possible SSPX presence in Malta. Between 30th March and 1st April, a SSPX delegation allegedly was in Malta to discuss pending issues. The undersigned was informed that discussions will continue but it is still unclear whether an agreement has been reached or whether this presence was solicited by traditional Catholics in Malta with the approval of the Archdiocese of Malta.

Godwin

A SSPX District in Malta?

The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) is an international Traditionalist Catholic organisation, founded in 1970 by the French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who today happens to be the 20th anniversary of his death. According to its own figures, the Society had (as of November 2009) 510 priests present in 31 countries and active in 32 more, 725 Mass centers, 117 religious brothers, 164 religious sisters, 200 seminarians in six seminaries, 88 schools, and 2 university-level institutes. The SSPX's main seminary is in Ecône, Switzerland; others are located in the United States (Winona, Minnesota), France (Flavigny-sur-Ozerain), Germany(Zaitzkofen), Australia (Goulburn), and Argentina (La Reja). The largest proportion of the SSPX's priests (over 120) are stationed in France.

Rumours are circulating in traditionalist circles that the SSPX is about to establish a presence in Malta if not a fully fledged District. It is also being said that a private chapel has been put at the disposal of the Society together with a house. Pro Tridentina (Malta) is not in a position to confirm or otherwise these rumours, but we will keep you posted if any developments follow.

Godwin

Beauty of Sunday Mass

Another not-so-recent article. Although this article is about the Ordinary Form of the Mass it is still relevant for Pro Tridentina (Malta)'s work especially in the Diocese of Gozo. It is also pertinent to note that the latest census of Mass attendance certified St. George's Basilica, as being the first and most popular church on the island of Gozo. Mgr Joseph Farrugia SThD, Prel. d’Onor. di S.S. is the Delegate of the Bishop for Culture and Education, Delegate of the Maltese Episcopal Conference for the COMECE. He is also Archpriest Emeritus of the Collegiate Chapter of St George’s Basilica.

Godwin Xuereb

Mgr Joseph Farrugia, Victoria

Concluding an allocution about an otherwise rather obscure 8th century German monk and poet by the name of Rabanus Maurus, on Wednesday of Pope Benedict XVI spoke once again on the beauty of the liturgy.

"We mustn't forget," he said, "that Sunday is the day of Our Lord, the day of the liturgy, (the day) to perceive in the beauty of our churches, in the sacred music and in the Word of God, the same beauty of our God, allowing him to enter into our being".

"Liturgy" (from the Greek leitourgia) is the set form for public worship according to prescribed ritual and ceremonial rites as in the celebration of the Mass, vespers and the sacraments. Jesus himself presided at a liturgical action in the Last Supper and, according to Catholic and Orthodox belief, he continues to do so in Christian liturgy through the person and action of the validly ordained priest. St Augustine famously said: It is not Peter who baptises but Christ, through the person of Peter.

I regularly say Mass at St George's basilica, in Victoria a church that is often associated with "beautiful liturgy", especially in solemn festivities. I consider it my fortune to celebrate the Sunday 11 a.m. Mass and to enjoy the beauty of the sacred music that animates it. In fact, in no small measure, the beauty of the liturgy at St George's is due to the Laudate Pueri Choir, directed by the indefatigable Can. George J. Frendo, a stalwart in sacred polyphony.

Beauty and excellence in the celebration of the liturgy, especially in its component of sacred music, is obviously not an end in itself. It serves the Word of God. It fosters authentic Catholic worship. It educates the faithful in the various forms of "active participation" as well as in the value of the skilful execution of sacred music. It sustains a cultural tradition that it is rooted in, and expresses, a rich history that is every Catholic's heritage. It sustains an identity that is widely respected even by other Christian confessions, especially the Orthodox. It constitutes not only a milieu for ecumenical exchange but also for inter-religious communion. Christian aesthetics are, in fact, a form of evangelisation.

The beauty of sacred music does not, of course, exclude the modern idiom. Local composer Joseph Vella has articulated sacred texts in incredibly fine musical form which is no less sacred than Palestrina's. It uplifts all those who hear it performed by the Laudate Pueri Choir, for which it was composed. It also contributes to the beauty of Sunday.

The Catholic Church has so much to be thankful for in Pope Benedict XVI and in his teaching and governance.

The Popes and Latin

This is an article written a couple of months prior to the promulgation of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, but still relevant. Unfortunately, as far as I know, no Tridentine Masses have taken place in the Diocese of Gozo.



Sunday, April 15, 2007

The Popes and Latin

by Mgr Anton Gauci, Victoria, Gozo.


It was right and appropriate for 'A Christian Outlook' to remind us of the injunction contained in Vatican II's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy "Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rite" (The Sunday Times, March 25). I am also happy to note that, in The Times Mr Alfred Sladden pointed out that "Pope Benedict himself has urged the universal Church to revamp the use of Latin" (April 2). It is several years that Popes have been hammering on the revival of the Latin language in the Catholic Church. And they want Church schools to take the matter seriously. They know that, for 2,000 years, Latin has been the chief means of expression for the Western Church. And they are aware that the major part, if not the totality, of the Church's traditional teaching has been through this language.



Preserved for our use and benefit in the works the Fathers of the Church and Saints have bequeathed us. Addressing members of the Latinitas foundation in 2005, Benedict XVI insisted that the study of Latin be encouraged and spread. The Pope noted that "Catholics cannot put aside the custom of using Latin as the official language of the Church", adding that "the great treasures of the Latin language cannot be lost". Nor did he fail to remind us of John XIII's Constitution Veterum Sapientia confirming the role of Latin "as the international language of the Catholic Church and the city state of the Vatican".



I would not be so pessimist as to lament that, in our country, these eye-openings of the two Popes have been "cries in the desert". But neither will I refrain from noting that, these last 30 years, Latin has been given a deadly blow in our schools, not excluding those under the responsibility of the Church.



Apart from the fact that traditional courses of Theology and Philosophy are no longer led in Latin, the language itself is no longer taught in either the Church's secondary schools or those of the State.



And, in post-secondary courses here with us, a mere lesson a week is given for two years - which is not even enough for a rudimentary knowledge of the language, let alone the prose and poetry of the classics: of these not a mention is made. I believe it is no exaggeration to note that today's priests know Latin no better than religious Sisters knew the language when they chanted the Psalms in Latin in choirs.



I fail to understand how students proceeding abroad to read for degrees in such subjects as Theology and Canon Law can carry out appropriate research when they know not Latin.



Obviously the blame lies not at the feet of these students, but on the shoulders of those who dealt the deadly blow to Latin in Church schools. There it used to be studied for nine years with a lesson a day. Moreover, lessons in the courses of Theology and Philosophy were delivered in Latin.



It is not only since 2005 that the Holy See has been insisting, even if with no success, on the study of Latin. Way back on November 27, 1978, and November 26, 1979, John Paul II pointed out this necessity in speeches to Certamen Vaticanum. And, in 1981 and 1986, to the foundation Latinitas. Here in Malta, I remember the late Mgr Joseph Lupi insisting on the same need in May 1997. In an article entitled "Reviving Latin", Bernard Vassallo on December 3, 1995 and in "Latinitatis studium, quo vadis Malitae?" Dr Horace Vella on May 25, 1997, did the same thing.



On October 30, 1993, news spread that the "European Community is now trying Latin". And, on April 14 of that same year, Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, then Minister of Education, had "vowed" to reawaken the study of classics in Malta: Dr Mifsud Bonnici was then speaking in a symposium at the University of Malta, and he deplored the decline of Latin and said that the study of Latin had to be "extended to various schools".



It was on this occasion that we had a remark very much to the point, when Professor Anthony Bonanno noted that "very few schools have reintroduced the teaching of Latin on a regular basis". In the symposium, I remember it had been made clear that it was the Catholic Church that had spread Latin throughout Western Europe. Dr Mifsud Bonnici had said that "the decline of Latin in Malta and abroad is a tragedy".



We do not lack people who goad us for the study of Latin. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and various others. But, so far, I am afraid efforts have fallen on deaf ears. Again, I do not blame teachers. The malady goes much beyond that. It comes from above, from upper quarters, those at the helm, whether it be in the Church or in State schools.

A homily which is so relevant to the situation in Malta

Extracts from a homily by Archbishop Thomas Gullickson, Apostolic Nuncio, Trinidad and Tobago.

Why, even three years after the issuance of Summorum Pontificum (just to name one example), are well-meaning lay folk still treated with such great disdain by no less than bishops, bishops in communion (of heart, soul, mind and strength?) with the Successor of St. Peter when they ask for Mass in Latin? Is this anything other than blind hypocrisy (the plank!)? You tolerate no small amount of bad taste, bad music and caprice, while begrudging some few a port in the storm of liturgical abuse which seems not to want to subside? Can we be after His own Heart and not just claim to be members of Christ’s Body while still acting so at odds with the example set by the Holy One of God, meek and humble of heart? Such prelates are at counter or cross purposes to the sense in which the Church wants to go; they are ignoring what the Spirit is saying to the Churches and doing so with a backhand to some who are branded common and contemptible, but certainly not in the eyes of Christ... Let me say it more clearly! My issue is with the contempt shown for an outstretched hand, contempt such as would not be shown toward someone asking for some other benefit.

When the Holy Father speaks of his will to see these two forms of the Roman Rite (ordinary and extraordinary) enrich each other, when he and others express eagerness for a recovery of the sense of the sacred in our churches and in how we worship, I am convinced that he has indicated the true nature of the rupture which has indeed occurred and needs to be mended or healed.

You would think that those in communion with the Pope would seek to understand him and embrace his point of view. There is too much room for caprice and hence the need to reform contemporary Catholic worship. This is evidenced time and again, by way of one example, in the sense of helplessness many priests experience when confronted by musical groups moving into church with inappropriate repertoires, not to mention the dance and puppet troupes which should have been banished long ago. If a bishop does not want to discipline at least he can respect and foster those seeking good order.

St. Charles Borromeo advised his priests to fight distractions and foster devotion the same way that you keep a stove lit with only a flicker of flame inside, and that is, by keeping that stove closed up tight until you get the fire going strong. I think that has to be the aim of the reform of the reformed liturgy. That was the genius over centuries of the old Latin Low Mass, tamper-proof and self-contained throughout the vicissitudes of time. The pendulum swing to the other extreme, which has swept away everything that was popular devotion and religious expression, while at the same time opening up that stove to nearly anything and everything, has had little more effect than to have diminished the liturgy’s capacity for providing heat and light.

Contemporary worship is too often held hostage by caprice (tasteful or tasteless is not the point), by creativity, if you will, but still something not foreseen by legitimate authority.

Among the things which contribute to the crisis of faith among our youth, among those things which contribute to their dismissal of the Sunday obligation to assist at Mass (see the statistics for Mass attendance by young Catholics!) is the absence in what they experience in their parishes and Catholic school settings of an approach to Divine Worship marked by the healthy fear and trembling which time and again brought His disciples to their knees before the Son of Man. Just the other day in an airport waiting lounge I caught a conversation, in the row of seats back to back with me, between two elderly Catholic couples who were miffed at Father for having admonished them to go to confession for having failed to fulfill their Sunday obligation on the day after Christmas! The grounds for their dismissal of Father’s well-meant admonition were that such rules are man-made anyway. This is to my mind a logical conclusion to be drawn from a Sunday service as free-flowing and de-sacralized as they probably experience, as anything on cable TV or to be found in a passing revival tent meeting.

“The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God’s doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom.”

Apart from this intolerance, I’ve been confronted again and again recently with the reality of how oblivious many priests, religious and laity are to the de-sacralized character of their liturgizing. Jeff Tucker at “The Chant Café” is swarming about all he sees as progress toward the reform of the reform. I wish I could see what he sees. The promotion of the extraordinary form is an encouragement to reforming vernacular liturgy. The hunger of many of the laity for a reformed vernacular liturgy marked by noble simplicity has been and continues to be fostered by encounters with the extraordinary form. My guess is that a more positive attitude by more bishops toward the extraordinary form would go a long way to moving some of the priests toward an examination of conscience concerning their approach to celebration.

Why do some successors to the Apostles seem so unaware of the injustice of the double standard they apply in reacting negatively to requests for Mass in the extraordinary form? If they are unwilling to restore decorum to vernacular worship “cold turkey” for lack of courage or whatever, then the least they could do is recognize and support those among them who seek better.