As previously announced on Rorate, Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos offered Solemn Pontifical Mass in Osimo on January 6, while Cardinal Canizares Llovera did so in St. John Lateran yesterday, January 7. The New Liturgical Movement and Orbis Catholicus have magnificent pictures of the Mass of Cardinal Canizares Llovera, while Rinascimento Sacro has the pictures of Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos pontificating in the Campocavallo sanctuary.
(Joseph Cardinal Zen, emeritus of Hong Kong, also celebrated a Missa Cantata in Hong Kong last December 27.)
(Joseph Cardinal Zen, emeritus of Hong Kong, also celebrated a Missa Cantata in Hong Kong last December 27.)
The sight of these sumptuous Masses and other services being celebrated by Cardinals of the Holy Roman Catholic Church should be a matter of great rejoicing for all who love the Catholic faith, and are signs of hope for the future of the Church. There can be no gainsaying that here, we see great progress. In particular, the offering of Pontifical Masses in the two greatest basilicas of Christendom cannot but signal how much has changed since the days of the three previous Pontificates.
At the same time, it should be noted that out of 183 cardinals (as of the time of this writing), only six Cardinals publicly celebrate the Mass of the Missal of 1962 with some regularity (meaning, at least once a year or more): Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos (retired), Cardinal Rode (still active, but past retirement age), Cardinal Canizares-Llovera, Cardinal Pell of Sydney, Cardinal Zen the emeritus of Hong Kong, and Cardinal Medina Estevez (retired, former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship). Of these six cardinals, only Cardinal Rode had not already offered it (as a bishop) prior to September 14, 2007. Some cardinals still living offered this Mass prior to 2007, but are now, perhaps, too old to offer it in public.
Since 2007, Cardinal Ricard of Bordeaux and Cardinal Vingt-Trois of Paris have also offered the occasional Mass. Solemn Masses have been offered as well in the presence of Cardinal Barbarin of Lyons and Cardinal George of Chicago.
We pray and hope that more Cardinals -- especially those actually reigning as Archbishops, and still quite young -- will offer the Traditional Latin Mass as well, and soon.
Since 2007, Cardinal Ricard of Bordeaux and Cardinal Vingt-Trois of Paris have also offered the occasional Mass. Solemn Masses have been offered as well in the presence of Cardinal Barbarin of Lyons and Cardinal George of Chicago.
We pray and hope that more Cardinals -- especially those actually reigning as Archbishops, and still quite young -- will offer the Traditional Latin Mass as well, and soon.
