Sunday, July 6, 2008

Mass hysteria?

People who were pulling their hair out over the wider use of the Latin mass can now have an official, low-grade freak-out.

It sounds like more changes in the mass could be coming soon, to a sanctuary near you:
The rite of the Mass could change. According to some indiscretions, Benedict XVI has charged the Congregation for Divine Worship to study some modifications in the liturgy. In particular, the Pope is said to have the intention to restore Latin for the formula for the Eucharistic consecration within the Mass in the "vernacular language", i.e. the one celebrated in the different national languages. The same could happen to the formulae of Baptism, Confirmation, Confession and of the other sacraments. In addition, the exchange of peace among the faithful during the Mass, which today takes place prior to the distribution of the Eucharist, could be anticipated (as in the Ambrosian rite) to the offertory so as not to disturb the recollection that precedes Communion.

These would be changes which would be added to the changes in the liturgy and regarding sacred vestments which the Pope, together with his Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, has made in recent months, to recover ancient traditions: the restoration of the crucifix at the center of the altar, the distribution of Communion to the faithful in the mouth while kneeling, the recovery of the pastoral staff of Pius IX (the ferula), the changing of the style of pallium (the strip of white wool with red crosses worn by the Pope), the restoration of the papal throne used in the Consistory and the celebration of Mass with the back to the assembly, as happened in January in the Sistine Chapel.
H/T, to good old reliable Rocco.

4 comments:

Padre Steve said...

Thanks for that news... I had not heard any of this! We do live in intersting times. Keep up the great work!

mfranks said...

If you are interested in keeping up with this type of news you should add to your blog reading list the following three (3) sites:

Rorate Caeli
The New Liturgical Movement
WDTPRS

Warning: Before clicking on any of the above links – RIGHT-click to open in separate window. Otherwise, you may open these links in the comments box which is rather small and you will not be able to easily view or navigate.

All of the above blogs are must reads for Catholics.

They are excellent sources of information on liturgical matters and tradition - even if you are more liberal minded. :-)

Mhari Dubh said...

AUGH! I wish that the piece-meal news would stop :P

I'm tired of arguing with my sister whenever some new "anticipated change/return" comes down the pike.

If the changes/returns are WELL explained I'm willing to think it will all be okay but I would prefer (yeah, I know) that it just happens instead of news trickling down.

Patm said...

They can't change the sign of peace fast enough for me. Put it at the beginning of the mass, after the opening prayer, or at the offeratory. It is SORELY misplaced right now.