Dear Father,
I write to you in Lent, a season not only of penitence but also a season of reflection, reflection certainly on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also a time of personal reflection on one’s life. For me that reflection this Lent focuses on my priesthood of forty- two years. The two adjectives that come to mind at this time to describe my priesthood are “difficult” and “glorious”. To have been ordained a priest in the 1980s and to try to be a priest, as traditionally understood, was quite difficult. It was a time when I was stripped of much that I love, but that stripping away was necessary to understand the glory of the priesthood that has made me the happy man that I am today.
Your generation of priests, those ordained in the past decade, are not afflicted with the problems of the Church of forty years ago. It is your generation that through grace sees and understands the liturgical situation in the Church today. The most important thing is that you understand that the offering of Holy Mass is the most important thing that you do as a priest. This is not to say that there are not other duties of priests that are not grace-filled, but if a priest does not love the Mass above all priestly things, then the priest becomes a mere religious functionary. Most importantly, it is your generation who have discovered the Traditional Roman Mass, and that discovery permeates how you “be” a priest today.
The fact is that the present situation in the Church is one where the Traditional Roman Mass is still under constant attack. The “both-and” understanding of Pope Benedict XVI is no longer allowed by those currently in charge of the Church: bishops and the Roman apparatus. (I do not include Pope Leo in the apparatus.) I remind you that it is Protestantism that is “either-or” (pace Kierkegaard). Catholicism is “both-and”. We pray that this terrible misunderstanding of liturgy will come to an end soon, but meanwhile you must do your part in doing what can be done now to help the laity understand and experience the beauty of the Mass.
You must forgive that I am resorting to making a list for what you must/may do in your celebration of the Mass in your parishes. It is time not for the theoretical or the hoped-for, but rather concrete suggestions for you as parish priests. I hope this is helpful for you.
- Many sacristies are noisy and chaotic. Make sure that as the celebrant you insist on one minute, yes, only one minute, of absolute silence before you process into the church. God understands that this one minute is linked to eternity, and so will you.
- As to vestments: The traditional prayers meant to be said as each vestment is put on are beautiful and enhance the priest’s understanding of who he is and the meaning of the vestment itself. Two vestments “not mentioned” in the Novus Ordo are the amice and the maniple. The amice should aways be worn. In a practical sense it covers the neckwear and shoulders thereby avoiding the common appearance of a chasuble thrown over a clerical shirt with tongue depressant collar. But more importantly, the amice is the “helmet of salvation” worn to offer the saving act of the Cross which is re-presented in the Mass. The maniple comes from the large handkerchief that the Romans carried on their forearm to wipe away sweat. In this way the maniple is the symbol of the priest as worker, the priest as laborer. To wear this vestment is to remind the priest that he is not a member of the elite, but rather one of the laborers in the vineyard of the Lord. The maniple, when worn, is obvious to all. So your pastor may not allow you to wear the maniple, because you would stand out. If this is the case, obey your pastor. You must wear it, however, when you say your private Mass.
- The Mass is meant to be sung. The Low Mass came relatively late into the Church. There are times for a said Mass, but not at a Sunday Mass or Feast Day. You must learn the proper tones for the Collect and the other prayers. These can be easily adapted to English. You must not ad lib the tones! The preface should always be sung as well. The tones in the Novus Ordo Missal are not great, but they are serviceable. If you need help singing, go to someone who can help you with that.
- Always use the Roman Canon at Mass. The Roman Canon is the Eucharistic Prayer of Tradition. The umpteen eucharistic prayers in the Novus Ordo missal are meant to satisfy everyone of any age or situation. Most priests seem to use Eucharistic Prayer 2, because it is so brief. Remember that the prayers and singing in heaven are infinitely. Do the double ablution of the chalice after Communion. Again, the pastor may forbid this, and so obey him
- The sermon or homily was never understood as a part of the Mass. The celebrant formerly removed his maniple and also in many places the chasuble. This does not mean the homily is not important--it is indeed important--, but that it is not part of the Mass per se.--in spite of strong opinions to the contrary. Our people need to hear the meaning of the Word of God, especially as it pertains to the contemporary world. I advise you to do what priests like Cardinal Newman did: On Monday read the three readings. On Tuesday look at the commentaries, especially of the Fathers. Wednesday begin to outline the sermon. Thursday and Friday write and revise. Saturday is a day of rest. And do not fear to preach on the epistles of St. Paul, which are avoided because of their rich complexity. You may say: how can I devote so much time to writing a sermon when I have so many duties as a parish priest? I don’t know. You have to figure it out.
- Make use of external symbols that convey the meaning of the Mass, like bells and incense.
- Wear your cassock in public as much as you can. The clergy suit with collar is generic and rather pompous. The worst is the short sleeve black shirt and collar for summer wear. The cassock identifies you and humbles you.
- Love your bishop and pray for him. This may sometimes be difficult, but it is necessary. Christ loves the Church in spite of you and me and the rest of the clergy. Offer the Traditional Roman Mass daily if possible. That is how it will become a part of you.
You all give me great hope. But our firm hope is in the Name of the Lord.
Oremus pro invicem.
Fr. Richard Gennaro Cipolla
