The irony of this is that Fr. Reese is advocating for the strict Tridentine position: the Roman Rite has one form, and it fits all. That's contrary to what I understand happened with the Mass of Paul VI after Vatican II. Some wanted to retain the old Roman canon, some wanted a different canon. So they decided, "Let a hundred flowers bloom!" (Well, four, actually, but in the context of Rome it might as well have been a hundred.) Then came some more alternatives, and then a new ordo for the Anglican Ordinate, and at that point there really seemed no good reason for Benedict to deny use of the Mass of John XXIII.
So it seems to be that the "Extraordinary Form" is perfectly justified from the "liberal" perspective as respecting the preference of some substantial minority of Catholics.
This is not any particular hobby horse of mine. I understand that the new old mass has been popular, but that there has not been the overwhelming clamor for it that many traditionalists hoped for. Still, I can't imagine anything that that would increase its popularity with the young more that Fr. Reese's call to forbid it to them.
Actually the Bull Quo Primum Tempore explicitly preserved local liturgical rites and missals that were over 200 years old as well as various specific liturgical traditions such as the Ambrosian Rite & etc.
I'd like to say that I forgot about Quo Primum Tempore--except I'm pretty sure I've never run across it.
And you're undoubtedly right that there are usually exceptions to most generalizations. Still, I think the point still holds that proponents of uniformity or diversity need not fall into the categories of "traditionalist" or "progressive" as we might expect. And though unity is pretty widely considered a virtue for Christian doctrine and practice, it can arguably be promoted either by the requiring of a uniform set of rituals or by a diverse set of forms, some of which may be better at fostering devotion in some individuals than others. So that diverse forms of the mass may tell against unity, but may also cast the net a litter wider.
I am surprised that anyone takes the current RC community seriously. Dialogue for what purpose?
ReplyDeleteThe irony of this is that Fr. Reese is advocating for the strict Tridentine position: the Roman Rite has one form, and it fits all. That's contrary to what I understand happened with the Mass of Paul VI after Vatican II. Some wanted to retain the old Roman canon, some wanted a different canon. So they decided, "Let a hundred flowers bloom!" (Well, four, actually, but in the context of Rome it might as well have been a hundred.) Then came some more alternatives, and then a new ordo for the Anglican Ordinate, and at that point there really seemed no good reason for Benedict to deny use of the Mass of John XXIII.
ReplyDeleteSo it seems to be that the "Extraordinary Form" is perfectly justified from the "liberal" perspective as respecting the preference of some substantial minority of Catholics.
This is not any particular hobby horse of mine. I understand that the new old mass has been popular, but that there has not been the overwhelming clamor for it that many traditionalists hoped for. Still, I can't imagine anything that that would increase its popularity with the young more that Fr. Reese's call to forbid it to them.
Actually the Bull Quo Primum Tempore explicitly preserved local liturgical rites and missals that were over 200 years old as well as various specific liturgical traditions such as the Ambrosian Rite & etc.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say that I forgot about Quo Primum Tempore--except I'm pretty sure I've never run across it.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're undoubtedly right that there are usually exceptions to most generalizations. Still, I think the point still holds that proponents of uniformity or diversity need not fall into the categories of "traditionalist" or "progressive" as we might expect. And though unity is pretty widely considered a virtue for Christian doctrine and practice, it can arguably be promoted either by the requiring of a uniform set of rituals or by a diverse set of forms, some of which may be better at fostering devotion in some individuals than others. So that diverse forms of the mass may tell against unity, but may also cast the net a litter wider.
If the Jesuits were the slightest bit honest, the entire order - Bergolio included - would become Anglicans.
ReplyDelete