There is a saying in French: «the best is the enemy of good » (le mieux est l’ennemi du bien).
I received an e-mail yesterday from a French diocesan priest who is a reader of the Rorate Caeli Blog. This priest told me of his surprise when he read the article by Brian Mershon which discusses an unwillingness on the part of certain priests in regards to the liberalization of the Tridentine Mass. I read the article and, I too, was surprised, especially on reading the following sentence by Father Santos: "A general indult could make things worse, not better, with a multitude of well-intentioned, but inept celebrations."
I received an e-mail yesterday from a French diocesan priest who is a reader of the Rorate Caeli Blog. This priest told me of his surprise when he read the article by Brian Mershon which discusses an unwillingness on the part of certain priests in regards to the liberalization of the Tridentine Mass. I read the article and, I too, was surprised, especially on reading the following sentence by Father Santos: "A general indult could make things worse, not better, with a multitude of well-intentioned, but inept celebrations."
The arguments seem to be good and show a certain concern for the dignity of the Liturgy, which is, of course, legitimate. Priests are required to celebrate well the Holy Mysteries for the glory of God.
Father Fromageot makes another good point by saying: "The Classical Roman rite has not been available everywhere for a long time, so when you just have it freed, it just doesn't begin again as if it were here just yesterday."
But now, we have to consider the matter in reality, not just in theory. What would happen if tomorrow the general Indult were given? We are certainly not going to see a tidal wave of Tridentine Masses celebrated around the globe. The priests desirous of celebrating the Ancient Rite of the Mass are few when compared to the total number of priests in the Latin Rite. As my fellow French priest says, most of them have already been trained to celebrate this Mass. At least, he speaks about that with which he is familiar in France. The situation might be a little bit different in the United States, but not too much. I don’t meet regularly with Novus Ordo priests who want to celebrate the Old Mass, and when I do meet some, most of them know it already or are learning how to say it.
The Ecclesia Dei communities definitely have a mission regarding the training of Novus Ordo priests, and thanks be to God, this is already taking place. Many diocesan and religious priests from all over Europe, and sometimes priests from more distant countries, go to the Benedictine Abbeys of Le Barroux or Fontgombault to be trained for the Traditional Mass. Here, in Atlanta, we have taught two priests from Tennessee how to celebrate it. I know that other Fraternity apostolates train priests in the Tridentine Rite as well.
The majority of priests don’t care about the traditional Liturgy and sometimes they are opposed to it. So, a liberalization of the Traditional Mass will not affect them directly. This being the case, Father Fromageot is certainly right when he asserts that it just doesn’t begin again as if it were here just yesterday. But I do not agree when he speaks about the side benefit of the restrictions of the Classical Roman Rite, because those restrictions are simply an abuse of authority.
The Missal of Saint Pius V has never been abrogated and every priest of the Latin Rite can celebrate it in good conscience without any particular authorization. In fact, a general Indult would simply be the acknowledgement by the Highest Authority of the Church of a right already granted, which would be good.
And the matter is serious, because it involves the Catholic Faith and consequently salvation of souls. I don’t mean that all the Novus Ordo Masses contradict the Faith directly, but, as a matter of fact, it appears that the new Liturgy, at least as it is celebrated most of the time, has created a new way of worshiping God, and, ultimately, a new religion. This is a fact easily noticeable in the field. On the other hand, the Traditional Missal is a guardian of Orthodoxy.
Understand well: I am not saying that because you say or attend the traditional Mass, you are infallibly in truth – the Sedevacantists, for example – and I am not saying that because you say or attend the Novus Ordo you are infallibly in error: there are some places, though very rare indeed, where the Novus Ordo is well celebrated and where true Doctrine is taught.
We have fought for almost 40 years for the Traditional Mass. Today it appears that our fight is bearing fruit. The liberalization of the Old Missal would be one of these fruits. It is certainly not the time to put obstacles in the way. If a general Indult could make things worse, we will not be the ones for whom the situation worsens, but for the enemies of the Traditional Mass. It will also be an important step toward a reconciliation with our brothers of the Society of Saint Pius X.
To conclude, I will use the argument of Father Santos about the Novus Ordo. This one has to be well celebrated as for any rite of the Church. It has to be said in Latin according to Vatican II, at least for the main parts. But it appears that many priests do not, in fact, celebrate the Novus Ordo as they should, with reverence and according to the spirit of the Church. So I think that some restrictions concerning the Novus Ordo would be good, at least until priests can celebrate it well. By the time that occurs, perhaps the Old Mass will be then predominant.
You say that it is a dream? Perhaps...… but why can not allow ourselves to dream sometimes? For, amen I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.
Sursum Corda!
In Christo Rege
Father Laurent Demets
