As Summorum Pontificum goes into effect...
Point (from the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana):
Point (from the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana):
MEMO to Priests:
September 11, 2007
RE: Motu Proprio
As you know Pope Benedict XVI issue a Motu Proprio that becomes effect on September 14, 2007 allowing the celebration of an extraordinary form of the Mass, commonly called the Tridentine Mass, under certain circumstances. This does not require special permission from me. However, the Holy Father is very clear that it is the Bishop’s responsibility to ensure that the liturgy is celebrated properly and that the priests who celebrate it are sufficiently knowledgeable in Latin. Since very few of our priests were ordained while this form was in common use, it will be necessary to establish a process to train and/or evaluate this competency the Holy Father mandates.
We do not yet have the details of this in place but hopefully we will have it in place soon. In the meantime, please do NOT presume such competency. Do not celebrate using the extraordinary form until you have been certified.
Even after certification, please be aware that it may only be used for private celebrations (without people present, except for a properly trained male altar server) or at the request of an established, stable group of lay faithful who request it and with the pastor’s approval. Such public celebrations are not at the initiative of the priest. The proper liturgical books must be used as well as the vestments required for the 1962 rite. Information about where you may acquire these will also be provided.
To the best of my knowledge there are no groups that meet the conditions of the Motu Proprio. For the purpose of clarity, such groups would need to number at least 20 people.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to refine this option to avoid unnecessary confusion for our people. Consistency in the practice will help.
+Ronald P. Herzog
Certification for "private Masses"? Counterpoint:
Summorum Pontificum, Art. 2
"In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum. For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the other, the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary."
Art. 4
"Celebrations of Mass as mentioned above in art. 2 may – observing all the norms of law – also be attended by faithful who, of their own free will, ask to be admitted."
Could it be any clearer that, for "private Masses" (Masses sine populo, with or without attending faithful), the juridical position of both Missals ("secundum unum alterumve Missale") is the same, and that no priest has any need for any permission, certification, diploma, or any kind of pseudo-obstacle? (Old posts on the subject: Summorum Notes: The priest's unalienable right to the Traditional Mass - The significance of "Private Masses" and Summorum Pontificum: Axes of Interpretation).
Would Latin courses be useful for many priests? Perhaps, but not nearly as useful as reading comprehension courses for several bishops...
Would Latin courses be useful for many priests? Perhaps, but not nearly as useful as reading comprehension courses for several bishops...
