Pontifical High Mass in D.C.: photos, video and recap

The solemn pontifical Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception this past Saturday in Washington, D.C., was a major success.  The massive upper church was full, and the traditional Latin Mass was absolutely gorgeous, with thousands of laity in the nave and dozens of priests, deacons, brothers and seminarians in the sanctuary. 

His Excellency Alexander Sample, of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, was very well received for the 2 1/4 hour Mass, and offered a magnificent liturgy on Saturday afternoon after rehearsing for two hours with all of the clergy, servers and schola on Friday evening. His sermon was a fitting tribute to traditional liturgy and Pope Benedict XVI, acknowledging the dedicated young adults (including a Juventutem shout-out) driving the TLM movement (while paying homage to TLM elders) and the continued grass-roots momentum following ten years of Summorum Pontificum.  And he met hundreds upon hundreds of people after the Mass, taking photos with them, hearing their stories and sharing his perspective as a young archbishop who was raised 100 percent a product of Vatican II, yet came to learn and love the TLM as a result of Summorum.

SATURDAY: Solemn pontifical Mass in D.C.; final details

Tomorrow's solemn pontifical Mass at the basilica shrine in Washington, D.C., will be either the most attended, or second-most attended, traditional Latin Mass in the United States in the last 50 years.

Until now, the 2010 Mass in the same location, the upper church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, has held the top honor, with "more than 3,500 people," according to the Washington, D.C. archdiocesan newspaper.  Can it be topped?

The celebrant for the 1 p.m. Mass will be His Excellency Alexander K. Sample, who issued the following "tweet" yesterday:

Pontifical High Mass at D.C. basilica shrine, new details

In just two and a half weeks, a solemn pontifical Mass at the throne will be offered in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.  This will be only the second such Mass there since 1969.  The first one was in the upper church of the basilica shrine in 2010, with over 3,500 people filling the largest church in North America.

Rorate announced the basics about the planned 28 April 2018 Mass back in July and announced the celebrant (Archbishop Sample) earlier this year. The Paulus Institute for the Propagation of Sacred Liturgy -- the sponsors and organizers of the Mass -- have now shared several new details, including the planned music (Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony, including Father Victoria's "Missa Salve Regina") and sacred ministers (Fraternity of Saint Peter, Institute of Christ the King and diocesan clergy).  Dozens of priests and seminarians will be in choir, and women religious will be in the front pews. The organization's latest news release is here.  The event page for the Mass is here.

Reminder: Pontifical Mass in Philadelphia today, live on EWTN

A reminder that EWTN will broadcast live the Pontifical Latin Mass which His Excellency Bishop Joseph Perry will celebrate at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the 10th Anniversary of Summorum Pontificum. 

You can also watch on EWTN’s website: http://ewtn.com/multimedia/live.asp; the Mass begins at 7pm EDT. 

Sacred music for the Mass will include Mozart’s Missa Brevis in C-major, (the “Sparrow” Mass), Elgar’s Ecce Sacerdos Magnus, Monteverdi’s Adoramus te, and John Blow’s Salvator Mundi, in addition to the Gregorian chants.

Summorum Pontificum anniversary Mass at basilica shrine

In 2010, a pontifical High Mass was offered in the upper church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., the largest traditional Latin Mass offered in the United States since the creation of the novus ordo liturgy.

Today, on the tenth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, it has been announced there will be a second pontifical High Mass in the upper church there. It will be offered on 28 April 2018. Details are in the works, but here is the announcement from our friends at the Paulus Institute, which is organizing and funding the Mass:

Event: Pilgrimage and TLM at birthplace of St. John Bosco in Asti, Italy

Exactly! First Things compares Novus Ordo to the Protestant Revolt

For those paying attention, First Things has had a lot to say lately, so much of it timely and important. In the following piece, that we find fitting to bring to our readers' attention, not only do they rightly compare the Novus Ordo to the Protestant Revolt, but credit the saving of the Roman Rite to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. 

RETURN TO FORM

A CALL FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE ROMAN RITE

The times in which a new form is born are extremely rare in the history of mankind. Great forms are characterized by their ability to outlive the age in which they emerge and to pursue their path through all history’s hiatuses and upheavals. The Greek column with its Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian capitals is such a form, as is the Greek tragedy with its invention of dialogue that still lives on in the silliest soap opera. The Greeks regarded tradition itself as a precious object; it was tradition that created legitimacy. Among the Greeks, tradition stood under collective protection. The violation of tradition was called tyrannis—tyranny is the act of violence that damages a traditional form that has been handed down.One form that has effortlessly overleaped the constraints of the ages is the Holy Mass of the Roman Church, the parts of which grew organically over centuries and were finally united at the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. It was then that the missal of the Roman pope, which since late antiquity had never succumbed to heretical attack, was prescribed for universal use by Catholic Christendom throughout the West. If one considers the course of human history, it is nothing short of remarkable that the Roman Rite has survived the most violent catastrophes unaltered.

Motu Proprio under Threat: Traditionalists must make so much noise no one would dare touch Summorum Pontificum

Don't touch me - Noli me tangere

This from the latest blog post by Italian vaticanist Sandro Magister (along with Marco Tosatti, the top vaticanist in the current pontificate):

There are those who fear that after the demolition of “Liturgiam Authenticam,” the next objective, of this or another commission, will be the correction of “Summorum Pontificum,” the document with which Benedict XVI liberalized the celebration of the Mass in the ancient rite.

The time to agitate is now: Traditionalists around the world must make clear the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (which was not an act of "mercy," but a mere recognition of justice and logic) cannot be touched.

"Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum 2007-2017: 10 Years for Nothing?"

a report by Paix Liturgique

The year 2017 will mark the tenth anniversary of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum published on 7th of July 2007. This text, which was written by Benedict XVI and came into force on the 14^th of September of the same year, reminded Catholics that the traditional missal had never been abrogated and gave, at least theoretically, a greater degree of freedom concerning the celebration of the ancient liturgy.

Theoretically…