Why the Abrogation of the Traditional Latin Mass Might Be a Good Thing | My Thoughts As a Catholic Convert

 

So Pope Francis dropped a bomb today with his motu proprio, "Traditionis Custodes," which effectively abrogates the "Traditional Latin Mass" (TLM), or Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Here is a summary of the situation without all the hysterics attached to it: https://catholic-link.org/pope-francis-new-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes/.

Basically, the sweeping restrictions of the new motu proprio make null and void Pope Benedict XVI's "Summorum Pontificum" of 2007. After consulting with bishops all over the world, Francis decided that this change was necessary for the good of the unity of the Church. 

I started attending Mass in the fall of 2011, and my conversion to the Catholic Faith became official with my confirmation in March of 2013, which was the same month and year that the Francis pontificate began. I was aware of the TLM, but I went through RCIA and attended Mass at "Novus Ordo" churches, where only the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite was celebrated. I was converted through this form and was perfectly happy with it. I was glad that the Mass, though different in significant ways from my former experiences as a Protestant, was not entirely foreign. 

However, as I was a religious seeker prone to much research on the subject, I encountered the detractors of the "Novus Ordo" Mass and Vatican Counsel II early on, and their messages did instill doubt and engender criticism on my part of the Masses I attended. Traditionalists will insist, for example, that receiving Communion in the hand is a desecration of the Eucharist, that the TLM is the more reverent form of the Mass, and that there should not be female altar servers, among many other "liturgical abuses" that they point to. 

In a county adjacent to mine there is a church that has offered the TLM once a month, and I took the opportunity to attend it twice.  I enjoyed the Gregorian Chant, and admittedly the quality of music in Ordinary Form Masses is often, though not always, mediocre. I did think receiving the Eucharist kneeling rather than standing was more reverent, but otherwise, I didn't feel that the TLM was really more reverent in general. I also did not understand why only the host and not the wine was offered. Both are offered in the Ordinary Form. 

I couldn't follow what was going on in the TLM. I suppose that would eventually not be an issue once one got used to it, but nevertheless I felt discouraged. And because this Mass was only offered once a month and was not even at one of my sister parishes, I didn't feel like it could really offer me a sense of community. Now it seems that this Mass will no longer be held at that church, because according to the new motu proprio, the TLM can't be celebrated at parochial churches anymore. No mention is made as to where it can be celebrated, just that the bishops will have to work that out. 

While the TLM has not been categorically banned from the face of the earth, it seems clear that the intention is to eventually phase it out completely. There will be a time of transition leading to the integration of all the faithful into one expression of the Roman Rite. Additionally, care will be taken to ensure that no liturgical abuses exist, which has been a concern with the implementation of the "Novus Ordo." As a side note, nothing has been said regarding the Eastern Rites of the Church, and I imagine they may become a more popular option for those attached to the TLM. 

While I personally have nothing against the TLM, and my heart goes out to those who love it so much and are utterly committed to it as a lifestyle, I feel a sense not of relief exactly, but of peace that in the end this is not a bad call on the part of Pope Francis. 

The division in the Church that concerns him is quite real. I've personally had it shake my faith. I've observed the rhetoric against Vatican II, the "Novus Ordo" Mass (which is, after all, no longer new), and Pope Francis himself escalate to a fever pitch. Even the traditionalists are fighting amongst themselves. Conservative but not radical traditionalist Catholics like myself feel torn and somewhat homeless. It's a struggle to discern who is telling the truth. 

A whole Catholic subculture has developed around the TLM. What began as an aesthetic preference has morphed into folks insisting that theirs is the "true Church." They have lost the way of obedience to the Church Magisterium that characterizes Catholicism in the first place. They go so far as to say that there is an entirely different theology inherent in the TLM, and that the Ordinary Form is quite inferior. 

While there will surely be an uprising against "Traditionis Custodes" and an even greater sense of division in the Church will ensue, this may be what is needed for the future of Catholic unity. The schismatics will basically declare themselves as such by their actions, even if they continue to insist that they are the true followers of Christ. Catholics like me can let go of our doubts and stop thinking that maybe we should try to get to the TLM, even move to a place where it's offered every week in order to fully engage in the lifestyle. We can stop listening to the traditionalist commentators who seem to become more and more radical as time goes on. We can put our faith in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and stop being conspiratorial and suspicious of Vatican II and the development of doctrine since. We can reject the pronouncements of those who scandalize the church by defaming the character of our pope. 

Sure, there are serious problems in the Catholic Church, but probably no more than there are in other branches of Christianity, and in certain ways there are less. So let's not panic. Practice detachment instead of being reactionary. The sky is not falling, I promise. On this her feast day, may Our Lady of Mt. Carmel pray for us. 

Hyper Conservatives & Rad Trads | In Search of Catholicism's Middle Path

Oh Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother's breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul. 
(Psalm 131: 1-2, RSV-2CE)

For now, the only commentary I'm following about what's going on in the Catholic Church, and especially regarding the Amazon Synod, is the Where Peter Is blog (wherepeteris.com), and Bishop Barron's YouTube channel. Taylor Marshall is still going on about the carved wooden statue of Our Lady of the Amazon being the pagan goddess Pachamama, Michael Voris is still sewing despair, and I can't listen to the disharmonic voices anymore. I want the quiet soul of the song of King David. 

It seems that certain vocal members of the Church, once representing a centrist, conservative element, are becoming increasingly hyper conservative, taking a hard right toward the "rad trad" position. While stopping short of saying that Vatican II, Pope Francis, and the Ordinary Form of the Mass are invalid, some traditional Catholics nevertheless come across as wanting to erase the teachings and changes of the Council; and to shed doubt on the conclave that elected Francis as Benedict XVI's successor.  

I'm not a theologian, and I don't think you have to be one in order to live as a faithful Catholic. Sometimes we strive to comprehend things that are perhaps a bit beyond us. We lean too much on our own understanding, and we forget that we will know what we need to know in God's time.  During a period of confusion and uncertainty, it's beneficial to go back to the basics. Focus on prayer, Scripture, and the Fathers of the early Church. 

This ressourcement, or a "return to the sources," is what the late Cardinal Henri de Lubac and his Communio school sought to accomplish in the aftermath of Vatican II. Faced on the one hand by a small number of bishops who wanted to reject the council, and on the other hand with a larger, too liberal faction, the Communio bishops persevered in a conservative but not regressive "middle path". This is the path continued on by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, which we see Pope Francis developing in his unique way. 

Believing that Francis is actually working more along the excessively liberal lines represented by Karl Rahner, hyper conservative Catholics likewise lump Henri de Lubac into the category of heretics. Their solution to every ill of the Church is a return to the pre-conciliar traditionalism represented by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, which means jettisoning most of Vatican II and reverting, across the universal Church, to the Tridentine Mass and the pre-conciliar disciplines that go with it; ie., no female altar servers, receiving Communion on the tongue only, the predominance of the Latin language, no Eucharistic ministers, etc...

If there's one thing history teaches us, it's that we can't turn back the clock. As Catholics, we must hold to the traditions, both oral and written, left to us by Jesus and his Apostles. This is biblical. It's also a matter of Scripture and oral Tradition that we would see a development of doctrine over time. And that Jesus left us his Church as the ultimate pillar and foundation of Truth (1 Timothy 3: 15). Where Peter (the pope) is, there is the Church. This is what I cling to in these difficult times. 

So my next step is to read some of the works of Henri de Lubac and prayerfully discern the orthodoxy of his theology. I will follow his lead in returning to the sources as a way of putting the history of the Church in its entirely into perspective. I'll cease hurting my brain with those current arguments "too great and too marvelous for me." I'll keep following St. Therese's little way and the humble wisdom of the Holy Father. 

There are some testimonies that may prove helpful and inspiring, but that we are not meant to copy, for that coud even lead us astray from the one specific path that the Lord has in mind for us. The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them. 
-- Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate   

Restoring the Catholic Church: Dr. Marshall's Infiltration, Receiving on the Tongue, and Veiling

Infiltration: The Plot to Destroy the Catholic Church from Within, by Dr. Taylor Marshall, will be released May 31. I've been following Dr. Marshall's YouTube show, "TnT," co-hosted with Timothy Gordon. These guys shoot straight from the hip about all-the-things surrounding the ongoing crisis in the Church. The goal of this book is to provide an explanation for what and who led to the events and revelations related to the 2018 "summer of shame." Last summer exposed for the world a systemic sex abuse scandal involving the highest levels of Church hierarchy and reaching back many decades. 

How can the laity help to heal and restore the Body of Christ? I'm awaiting Dr. Marshall's recommendations, but I've already begun to implement small steps of my own. Many Catholics have been calling for a return to tradition for some time, especially in the liturgy of the Mass. Some are fortunate to have regular access to the Tridentine Mass, or Traditional Latin Mass, and have been spiritually edified by what they feel is a more reverent worship of God. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI re-instituted this pre-Vatican II form of the Mass while he was still the acting pope. He asked that the faithful refer to this as the Extraordinary Form. (The 2nd Vatican Council was held from 1962-1965.)

The Ordinary Form of the Mass, instituted after Vatican II, is the one most available across the world and is spoken in the vernacular languages. It's often referred to as the Novus Ordo. Unfortunately, division has been created by liturgical abuses in the Ordinary Form and by those who prefer one form over the other, with very vocal protests. I won't go into the reasons for the debate here, but you can read all about it on the Internet. Do be aware that there's a lot of misinformation out there. 

One approach to bridging the gap is to return, even if only on an individual basis, to more traditional practices in both worship during the Mass and in private devotions. Near to where I live, the Extraordinary Form is only available once a month, at a parish in an adjoining county. I've been to it a couple of times, but my family has always attended the Ordinary Form otherwise. Even with a guide to follow the Latin with English translations, I was honestly lost during the Tridentine Mass. I plan to go again soon so I can make a better evaluation of the differences between the two forms.

Last Sunday I began to receive the Eucharist on the tongue rather than in the hand, and to make sure that I'm in line to receive from either the priest or deacon, rather than from lay persons (known as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, who can only distribute the Eucharist in the Ordinary Form). In the Tridentine Mass, the Eucharist can only be received on the tongue and is distributed exclusively by a priest or deacon. Here, only the host (the bread) is available. Both the bread and wine can be received at the Novus Ordo.

I felt a profound difference immediately from receiving the consecrated bread on the tongue. I'd been feeling awkward and uncomfortable receiving in the hand and from a lay person. These practices are allowed in the U.S. and do not desecrate the Eucharist, which Catholics believe is the Real Presence of Jesus, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the transubstantiated bread and wine. In order to receive the consecrated wine, doing so from a lay person is unavoidable at the parishes I attend, but it's fine to receive the host alone. And since the wine is in a chalice and isn't directly touched by the Extraordinary Ministers, I'm more comfortable with it. 


Today I wore a head scarf, in the tradition of women veiling, a practice which goes back to the early Church and is a biblical exhortation.  The Church no longer requires women to veil at the Mass, but from what I understand, this was never officially stated. Rather, the requirement was only omitted from an update to Canon Law at some point following Vatican II. My feeling is that women can have a profound impact in their parishes by taking up this devotion in humility to Christ and as role models for the restoration of tradition. I have veiled at other times, and once it brought such great joy to a man who had grown up with women veiling at church. He said to my husband, "You must be so proud of her!" I feel an internal shift toward piety when I wear a head covering at Mass, and I don't think I'll be able to go without it anymore. 

In so many ways our modern society is faltering, failing, and sinking into the abyss as a result of the loss and intentional rejection of traditional values. As the rot in the hierarchy is rooted out, we can return to the roots of our Faith. The solution is not to leave the Church. I converted to Catholicism because I came to believe that this is the one Church founded by Jesus on the rock he named Peter. I believe that in this Church, full of snakes and sinners, the fullest expression of Christian Truth can be found. I believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and I will not be deprived of this spiritual nourishment. Don't let Satan win. Fight in your own little way, until the light you shine becomes irrepressible. 

My goal for this summer is to continue to implement ideas for the restoration of tradition in Catholic worship and with my family in the domestic church, and to create a picture for you of how all this fits with the virtue of simplicity. Please share your own ideas and practices in the comments!

St. Rita of Cascia, patroness of Impossible Causes, pray for us!

Traditional Catholicism and the Novus Ordo Mass

What is tradition? Here are some definitions from Merriam-Webster:

1)

a :  an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious       practice or a social custom)

b :  a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable

2)

:  the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction

3)

:  cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions

4)

:  characteristic manner, method, or style <in the best liberal tradition> 

There is a new group on Facebook called "Novus Ordo Traditionalists".  Isn't that a contradiction in terms? Didn't Vatican II and the new form of the Roman Rite do away with traditional Catholicism?  That is precisely what you would think if you spent enough time searching the internet for just one good word about the Novus Ordo Mass.  But about all you get is a barrage of venom from "traditionalists" and sedevacantists.  Haters, consider your label officially hijacked! 

As a convert from Protestant Christianity, I fell in love with the Catholic Mass.  I didn't know there was a Tridentine Mass in Latin at all, except for my RCIA director mentioning that someone she knew drove an hour on Sundays to go to one, and she couldn't imagine why.  But I knew nothing about the debates on the subject; I just thought the Mass was beautiful.  I had found the fullness of the Christian religion.  I now knew what had been missing (the Real Presence in the Eucharist), and I was finally home. 

The How-To Book of the Mass by Michael Dubruiel provided the catalyst for creating the Novus Ordo Traditionalists group.  This inspirational guide through the Novus Ordo Mass features where to find the prayers of the Mass in Scripture and shows how the parts of the Mass trace back to practices of the early Church.  I got this book as a Confirmation gift.  I hadn't read it much, because I thought that I already knew all about the Mass.  Alas, there is always more to learn.  Grumblings over various aspects of the Mass were threatening my faith, and this book was the shot in the arm I needed to more deeply understand and be filled with the graces of the Mass. 

I hadn't realized that all of the prayers and responses of the Mass are based on the Bible.  And check out what St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote about receiving the Eucharist in A.D. 350:

"In approaching, therefore, do not come up with your wrists apart or with your fingers spread, but make of your left hand a throne for the right, since you are about to receive into it a King. And having hallowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it the amen. Then, after cautiously sanctifying your eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, partake, being careful lest you lose anything of it."

So in the 4th century Catholic Church, Communion was received in the hand! It is not a less reverent way of receiving than on the tongue, and it certainly isn't less traditional. Here's the thing, peeps. We have big "T" and small "t" traditions in the Church. Tradition with a capital letter refers to the deposit of Faith handed down from the apostles of Jesus, both the oral and the written teachings. In matters of faith and morals, Tradition does not change. Tradition includes belief in the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the transubstantiation of the Eucharist, and the four Marian dogmas. It includes the Church's stance on abortion, artificial birth control, marriage, and the priesthood. The seven sacraments of the Church represent Tradition that is permanent. The canon of the Bible is Tradition. These things will never change.

At the same time, the Church has changeable traditions. Notice the lower case letter there. Receiving the Eucharist either in the hand or on the tongue is a small "t" tradition. The use of Latin in the Mass is a long-standing tradition. A newer tradition is the praying of the Mass in the vernacular (and in fact, it was originally prayed in the local languages). In the Novus Ordo, the priest faces the congregation, whereas in the Traditional Latin Mass, the priest and the congregation face the same direction. Only boys could be altar servers at one time, but now girls can too. Women no longer have to wear head coverings at Mass, though they can if they feel called to this devotion. Gregorian chant is the traditional music used in the Tridentine Mass. Other types of music, such as traditional hymns that the congregation can sing in English, are used in the Novus Ordo. 

Those Catholics who attend the NO Mass can be every bit as traditional as those who attend the TLM. Traditional Catholics are loyal to the Magisterium of the Church. We believe what the Church teaches and trust in her authority. We appreciate traditional practices such as the Rosary, novenas, devotions to saints, the wearing of medals and scapulars, May crownings, processionals, the use of incense and bells, etc...  There is no such thing as the "Vatican II Church" in opposition to the pre-conciliar Church.  The Church is the Church is the Church. That's not to say that there are never liturgical abuses or that everyone receives perfect catechesis.  But let's erase this petty line in the sand.

As we move forward, I advocate for focusing on the continuity of Church Tradition.  The Church isn't perfect.  She never was.  She has from the beginning been full of sinners; she wouldn't exist otherwise.  But she is full of saints too.  We are all joined with God, the Virgin Mary, the communion of saints, and the angels in the Mass, in both the Tridentine and Novus Ordo forms.  Both are valid.  Both are good.  Either way, what we experience is literally a meeting of Heaven and Earth. 

.

Simply Catholic.

I have changed the description of this blog to Simply Catholic. This was inspired by the topic of cafeteria Catholicism written about in the last post. I left a Catholic homeschooling Facebook group recently because of the division and extremism that I witnessed there. Early in my journey to the Catholic Church, I became aware of the controversy around the interpretation and implementation of Vatican II, and the split among Catholics who consider themselves "traditional" or "progressive", or who have adopted the political monikers of "liberal" and "conservative" to describe their brand of Catholicism.

The thing is, Catholicism doesn't come in brands. There are Rites, the major groupings being the Roman, Antiochian, Alexandrian, and Byzantine, each representing an ecclesiastical tradition about how the sacraments are to be celebrated. That's right, not all Catholics are Roman Catholics! And there are various religious orders, such as the Dominicans and the Franciscans. The Mass can be validly celebrated in either Latin or in the vernacular language. There is Sunday Mass and daily Mass, high Mass and low Mass. But it is all one, unified religion. Catholic literally means, universal. "Catholic" refers to the universal Christian Church. Catholic is Catholic.

So why isn't it simple? I suppose it's because the Church is made up of many good but flawed and sinful people. In the cacophony of conflicting opinions, some find it easiest to cling to the rules, laws, and doctrines in the most literal way possible, resulting in a joyless, white-glove-test scrupulousness. Others have decided to just chuck the whole thing and leave the Church. Still others stay and make the best of it, striving to be loyal to Jesus and his Church while keeping their hearts open to the leading of the Spirit and a deeper development of faith that is unique and personal. Among those are advocates for change, which manifests in myriad ways, all wishing for the real Church to please stand up.

A woman in another FB group warned me not to romanticize the Church. "But why not?" I wondered. It all seemed to make so much sense, lovely as a perfect day in May. And I do believe that in Catholicism the fulness of the Christian faith is found. The in-fighting, however, is all too real. I witnessed and participated in a heated FB argument on the before-mentioned Catholic homeschooling forum about whether or not yoga is a permissible practice for Catholics. Come to find out that EWTN, a Catholic TV station, has warned against not only yoga, but aromatherapy, hot stone massage, reiki, and herbal remedies. I also learned that there is even something called a sede vacantist, who is a person that believes that the Chair of Peter is currently empty; in fact, some believe that there hasn't been a valid pope since Vatican II!! But these people still go to Mass. ?????

It's enough to occasionally make me want to run away screaming. But among the thorns I have heard voices of those roses who say, "I am simply Catholic." No divisive labeling, no holier than thou high horse prancing. The hope, for me, lies in determining what about the faith is most important to me and relevant to my life today. I am not suggesting a "take what you like and leave the rest" attitude in terms of Church teaching. I simply want to look at what drew me to the Church in the first place, and what made me decide that it was imperative to become Catholic. Not every doctrine is of equal importance, and not every bit of the Catechism has to be near and dear to my heart.

If you too are a Catholic, or any Christian, who feels disillusioned and discouraged, let's take a few quiet moments to write down what matters to us most. Brew a nice, hot cup of tea, put on some soothing music, light a candle or incense, and meditate upon what the Spirit is trying to tell you. This will not be the same for every person, but for each of us there burns a holy light.