WHAT ABOUT THE
CONTROVERSY REGARDING THE NEW ORDER OF THE MASS ?
*** The Mass contains liturgical rites that are essential and others of lesser importance. The elements originating directly from Christ, which the Church always jealously preserves, can never be abolished: the Word of God, the Offertory, the Eucharistic prayer, the consecration and communion. The Mass will always be a sacrifice and a divine banquet. Some customs or prayers could be changed or had to be changed to allow the great Eucharistic prayer to be better understood and lived by the succeeding generations and the variety of peoples. A third edition of the new Roman Missal has come out in 2000; it was first published in 1969 and revised in 1975. The Second Vatican Council made excellent improvements to the liturgical rites, in particular, those of the Mass. However, some people misinterpreted these changes and took them too far. We must distinguish between true liturgical progress and false adaptations. In striving to make the liturgy completely understandable, there is a danger of destroying that which is sacred and holy. The Mass is sacred; it is the divine liturgy and will always be beyond our human comprehension. Some wish to keep, at all costs, the ancient traditions relating to the Mass and are still reluctant to accept change. Some even rejected the legitimate reforms which were implemented through the work of Vatican II; this rejection has resulted in some aberrations such as those of Archbishop Lefebvre. Other Christians, both priests and lay people, wish to preserve the wealth of the past while continuing to remain faithful to the Church. For example, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Motu proprio Ecclesia Dei (Apostolic Letter of John Paul II), in 1998, the Pope addressed a crowd of pilgrims. Present in the crowd were 2000 members of the ‘Fraternity of Saint Peter’, a movement faithful to the Church and to the ancient rituals. He used the occasion to invite “all Catholics to take action towards unity... and not allow the legitimate diversity and different customs, all worthy of respect, to separate them from each other”. At the same time, the Pope wished “that all would come to terms with the spirit of Vatican II, in full harmony with the Tradition of the Church, and aiming at unity in the charity and faithfulness to the Truth”. The Church, says the Pope, remains the faithful heir to Tradition as a living reality making progress for the benefit of the whole Church. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was pleased with the positive results of Ecclesia Dei. He deplored the mistrust that surrounded the older rite. However, the existence of two rites does not necessarily conflict. Behind the two forms of celebration, there are two different spiritual standpoints. In the new liturgical rite, there is a lot of room for creativity and the active presence of the laity, because the liturgy is the concern of the entire Body of Christ. The older liturgical rite, faithful to sound Tradition, stresses the importance of the sacrificial nature of the Mass, the sacred mystery and the specific role of the priest. More complete information on liturgical rites is contained in a conciliar document entitled: The Holy Liturgy and also in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Nos 1322-1419. They urge us to be faithful to Tradition, yet open to progress.
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