Vatican official acknowledges liturgical crisis

All who are interested in the Church’s liturgy are currently wondering whether Pope Benedict XVI will soon issue a motu proprio allowing the celebration of the Tridentine Mass, and, if he does, what it will say.

A moto proprio is a papal rescript (document that is issued not on the initiative of the author, but in response to a specific demand made by its addressee) in which the clause motu propio (Latin, “of his own motion”) is used, signifying the provisions of the rescript were decided by the Pope personally, not by a cardinal or other advisors. It is normally in the form of a decree, resembling a papal brief except that it is not sealed and countersigned. The first motu proprio was issued by Pope Innocent VIII in 1484. It continues to be a common form of rescript, especially when establishing institutions, making minor changes to law or procedure and when granting favours to persons or institutions. (Source: Wikipedia)

In an interview with Inside The Vatican, one of the Vatican’s liturgists, Archbishop Malcom Ranjith who is currently the secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, sheds light on the Pope’s plans. The full interview can be found here. Below is some excerpts and personal thoughts on the matter.

The interview begins with Archbishop Ranjith stating that the post-Vatican II reform of the liturgy “has not been able to achieve the expected goals of spiritual and missionary renewal in the Church”. He adds that although there has been positive results, the negative effects seem to have been greater, causing much disorientation in the ranks of the Church. “One has to, then, begin wondering if the reform process had in fact been handled correctly. Thus, we need to take a good look at what had happened, pray and reflect about its causes and with the help of the Lord move on to make the necessary corrections.”

This interview is of interest to me following a small discussion on this blog with several Catholics in support of the Society of St. Pius X, who mentioned the same thing as Archbishop Ranjith, and with whom I agreed. However, one thing that Archbishop Ranjith does not do is to lay blame on any one individual.

On being asked whether the pope will issue a motu proprio, Archbishop Ranjith acknowledges that there is a rising call for the restoration of the Tridentine Mass, and that “certain leading figures of the elite have made public appeals for this Mass in some newspapers recently”. However, he stops short of saying whether or not the pope will issue the motu proprio, assuring us that the Holy Father will definitely take note of the call and decide what is best for the Church.

That is good, because the archbishop respects the pope’s leadership and does not second-guess him or tell him what to do.

Another thing that people seem to be hoping is that the pope would institute a juridical structure that will enable priests to celebrate the Tridentine Mass “without being unjustly harassed and persistently thwarted by” their own pastors and bishops. Archbishop Ranjith hopes that the bishops and priests would not reject requests for the Tridentine Mass so much that it requires the pope to ensure the enforcement of his decision, if there is one.

Archbishop Ranjith poses a good question for bishops and priests to ask themselves: “How can I as bishop or priest bring even one person closer to Christ and to His Church?” The archbishop explains: “It is not so much a matter of the Tridentine Mass or of the Novus Ordo. It is just a question of pastoral responsibility and sensitivity.

I like this guy! He cuts across the arguments for and against the Tridentine Mass or the Novus Ordo, and goes straight to the point that most people miss – it is about bringing people closer to Christ and His Church.

“And if that can be achieved through the celebration of the Novus Ordo Mass or the Pius V Mass, well, then space should be provided for whatever is best instead of getting down to unnecessary and divisive theological hair-splitting. Such things need to be decided through the heart and not so much through the head,” said Archbishop Ranjith. “Besides, we should remember that the Tridentine Mass is not something that belongs to the followers of Archbishop Lefebvre only. It is part of our own heritage as members of the Catholic Church.”

He also reminded that the Second Vatican Council was not meant to be a totally new beginning for the Church, but one of continuity “with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and a new outlook that better responds to the missionary needs of the time”.

Archbishop Ranjith also addressed another point brought up by Joyce in my discussion with her – that the diminishing number of faithful in some of the churches in the Western world cannot be attributed to secularization alone, but also due to a liturgical crisis. Come to think of it, I’ve never attended Mass in the Western churches before, so I don’t really know what kind of “meaningless liturgical experimentation” takes place there. All I know is from my own experience in Singapore, where the churches are still filled with people, and the parishes are still growing.

The archbishop seems to indicate, at one point, that there will indeed be a motu proprio from the Holy Father, but nothing is known about the timing and nature of it. “It is the Holy Father who will decide,” he said. “And when he does, we should in all obedience accept what he indicates to us and with a genuine love for the Church strive to help him. Any counter attitude would only harm the spiritual mission of the Church and thwart the Lord’s own will.”

He seems to be sending a message to those who are frequently termed ‘disobedient’ to the Holy Father.

The next part of the interview focuses on the Novus Ordo Mass, and how priests are asked to remember that “the Holy Eucharist belongs to the Church” and that “it has a meaning of its own which cannot be left to the idiosyncrasies of the single celebrant”. He also reminds us that “communion” is not so much a communion created by those taking part in the Eucharist as much as by the Lord Himself.

In other words, less emphasis on communion with the people in the community, and more emphasis on communion with Jesus Christ. When we are in communion with the Lord, we will also be in communion with all others who unite themselves to Him. The reverse, which we tend to emphasize at times, is not always true. That is to say, we sometimes seem to give the impression that if we are in communion with the people in the community, we will therefore be in communion with Jesus, which is not true at all.

Archbishop Ranjith also notes that even more important is the sacrificial dimension of the Eucharist. “Each time we celebrate the Eucharist we relive the sacrifice of Calvary, celebrating it as the moment of our salvation.”

In response to a question on whether the solution to the liturgical crisis should be either the implementation of the exclusive use of the Tridentine Mass, or a reform of the Novus Ordo Mass, Archbishop Ranjith wisely replies that this “either-or” attitude would unnecessarily polarize the Church, whereas charity and pastoral concern should be the motivating factors. He adds that if the Holy Father so desires, both could co-exist.

In other words, we should not lean too much to the implementation of the use of the Tridentine Mass, or to reform the Novus Ordo Mass, but hope that both Roman traditions will interact more in future, and so influence each other eventually.