Now, it is truly excellent news that Archbishop Raymond Burke celebrated a Pontifical Mass in Saint Peter's this Sunday - as part of the events related to the Congress on the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, which has been going on in Rome in the past few days (we had announced this in July - thorough coverage with many pictures at Messa in Latino).
However, as Prof. Luc Perrin recalled today at Le Forum Catholique, this has not been the first Traditional Mass celebrated in that august Basilica in 40 years. The catacomb-like Hungarian Chapel (crypt) housed celebrations of low Masses still under the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei. And a Mass was celebrated by Bishop Pascal N'koué, Bishop of Natitingou (Benin) in November 2006, in the extremely tense and difficult months which preceded the publication of Summorum. That celebration, promoted by CIEL, took place in the Chapel of the Choir, which is located opposite to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, where today's Mass took place.
All should be extremely happy for today's Mass, celebrated by a powerful, relatively young, and high-ranking prelate, and, as Prof. Perrin mentions, with the notable fact that it was a full Pontifical Mass, with faldstool and all... Yet one must remember the fact that Summorum has been in force for two years. Pontifical Masses should be common and permanent features in the Vatican Basilica by now - the Extraordinary Form should not remain an extraordinary event at Saint Peter's.
