Catholic Fire

Valladolid, Jul 25, 2007 / 10:20 am ( CNA ).- Archbishop Braulio Rodriguez Plaza of Valladolid (Spain) said this week the Pope’s intention behind allowing greater use of the Missal of 1962 is not to turn the clock back, as many have said, but rather to foster “unity among Catholics, especially during the celebration [of the Mass] and to reconcile the Church with her liturgical past prior to Vatican II.” “Even though the media has repeated it so many times, the Pope has not decided that we are going to return to celebrating the Mass in Latin. To say such a thing is not only ignorant, it’s also thoughtless. It has always been permitted to celebrate the Mass in Latin, even after Vatican II, and the books of the liturgical reform were written in Latin and later translated into the different languages,” Archbishop Rodriguez explained. He stressed that the Pope is not discrediting Vatican II with the Motu Propio or acquiescing to the Lefebvrists, as he knows the differences with them “are n...

After years of waiting, the Motu Proprio is finally here! Today marks the historic issuance of Pope Benedict’s apostolic letter on the use of the Roman Missal of 1962. The much talked about letter gives every priest the right to celebrate the Mass using the 1962 Missal, and instructs pastors to "willingly accept" requests from the faithful for access to the older liturgical form. Pope Benedict emphasizes that there are not two different rites, but two different forms of the Roman rite: the ordinary form, according to the current Roman Missal, and the extraordinary form, which uses the Missal that was in universal use prior to the liturgical changes that followed the Second Vatican Council. The document begins with the Pope giving a history of the use of the Roman Missal, and then, among other things, also provides an explanation of the purpose of this Motu Proprio. Pope Benedict has written an official letter to the Bishops on the topic of this motu proprio. The full text of...

CWNews - The Vatican press office has confirmed that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone yesterday briefed a group of bishops on the forthcoming motu proprio expanding the use of the 1962 Roman Missal. The Vatican Secretary of State spoke to "representatives from various episcopal conferences" about "the content and spirit" of the motu proprio, the Vatican announcement indicated. Pope Benedict XVI joined the meeting to speak with the bishops for about an other. The publication of the document, along with "an extensive personal letter from the Holy Father," will take place "within a few days," the Vatican said. The statement did not confirm the July 7 publication date reported yesterday by the Kath.net news service. The Vatican statement did indicate that the text of the motu proprio and the Pope's explanatory letter will now be sent to all of the world's bishops before the document is formally released. That mailing will also indicate when the Pope...

The long-awaited motu proprio in which the Holy Father liberalizes access to the traditional Latin Mass will be released on July 7. The motu proprio is a 3-page document. It will be made public along with an explanatory letter from Pope Benedict to the world's bishops; that letter is somewhat longer, at 4 pages. The document emphasizes the unity of the Roman rite, and the Pope explains that he hopes the two forms of the Mass will enrich each other. The ordinary form of the Roman rite will continue to be the Novus Ordo Mass; the extraordinary form will be the Latin Mass, using the 1962 Missal. Source. For more information, go here .

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The motu proprio allowing broader use of the Latin liturgy has been the subject of anticipation by the faithful for several months now. CWN reports today that in an interview with the Italian daily Avvenire, Cardinal Bertone revealed: "I think we won't have to wait much longer to see it published." The cardinal did not offer a specific date for the release of the document. He did, however, confirm that the motu proprio will be accompanied by a letter in which Pope Benedict will explain his reasons for encouraging the use of the 1962 Missal. Cardinal Bertone emphasized that the Pope has taken a direct personal interest in this initiative, and hopes for a "serene reception" of the document. During the same interview with Avvenire, the Secretary of State spoke about the Pope's scheduled meeting with US President George W. Bush, saying that the war in Iraq would be on the agenda, along with issues involving the dignity of human life, such as abortion and stem...