www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology "Universal indult" to replace "Ecclesia Dei?"

Pope will broaden use of Latin Mass

Vatican, Oct. 11 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) is preparing to release a motu proprio extending permission for priests to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass, Vatican sources have confirmed.

The new papal document-- for which a publication date has not yet been set-- would give all priests permission to celebrate the Mass of St. Pius V. This permission, a "universal indult," would replace the existing indult that dates back to 1988, when Ecclesia Dei authorized use of the Tridentine rite until more restricted conditions, requiring the permission of the local bishop.

Originally posted by Jessup B.C. Deacon:
I subscribe to Catholic World News, and think it's a fine publication. But, take notice of the phrase "all priests", as if [b]all Catholic priests were of the Latin Church.

Dn. Robert [/b]

Originally posted by Amadeus:

Quote

Originally posted by Jessup B.C. Deacon:
[b] I subscribe to Catholic World News, and think it's a fine publication. But, take notice of the phrase "all priests", as if [b]all Catholic priests were of the Latin Church.

Dn. Robert [/b]

That should be understood naturally as referring only to all Latin Rite priests as "Ecclesia Dei" was issued and pertains exclusively to the Latin Church.

And the celebration of the TLM is limited only in the Latin Church.

Amado [/b]

Originally posted by Wondering:
Amado,

I have not followed this at all. Are you saying that the point is to give the power to the priests and to remove it from the bishops? I can't square that away with the role of a priest regarding the authority of the bishop. Is there something I'm missing?

Originally posted by Wondering:
[b]Question: This right is being given to the priests instead of the bishops. It has been a point of contention in some areas that the bishop does not want a TLM. This would allow a priest to act against the wishes of the bishop? That doesn't make sense to me.

Also, what of the priest who will insist on its use even though his parishioners do not want it? Will they have any recourse? The church isn't democratic, so they can't take a vote. The obvious answer is to contact the bishop, but will the bishop be able to override the priest's inherent right to say the TLM whenever and wherever he wishes? [/b]

Vatican source says pope to expand use of Tridentine Mass

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI is preparing to expand permission to use the Tridentine Mass, the pre-Vatican II rite favored by traditionalist groups, said an informed Vatican source.

The pope is expected to issue a document "motu proprio," or on his own initiative, which will address the concerns of "various traditionalists," said the source, who asked not to be named.

The source said the new permission, or indult, was a papal decision, but was being done in cooperation with agencies of the Roman Curia. He would not elaborate on the extent of the indult, when it would be established or how it would work.

The Tridentine rite is currently available to groups of Catholics who ask and receive permission for its use from their local bishops. The old rite is celebrated in Latin and follows the Roman Missal of 1962, which was replaced in 1969 with the new Roman Missal.

Among those who have strongly pushed for wider use of the Tridentine rite are the followers of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who was excommunicated in 1988.

Canadian Archbishop James Weisgerber of Winnipeg, Manitoba, told Catholic News Service Oct. 10 that Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, head of the Congregation for Clergy, had spoken briefly to Canadian bishops about the expected step.

"It sounded to me like it was a sort of concession somebody has made," the archbishop said.

Archbishop Weisgerber said the new indult was apparently motivated by a desire to bring comfort to older people who may miss the old rite. But in his archdiocese, he said, the few people asking for it are "young people who never experienced it."

Pope Benedict has made new efforts to reconcile with leaders of the Lefebvrite religious order, the Society of St. Pius X. In a meeting last year with the pope, Bishop Bernard Fellay, head of the society, asked for the restoration of the Tridentine rite as a sign of good will.

Bishop Fellay later told CNS that he thought the Vatican should simply declare that the Tridentine rite can be used freely because it was never really abrogated. Bishop Fellay also said wider use of the Tridentine Mass would not solve all the problems the Lefebvrites have with the Second Vatican Council.

The pope discussed potential reconciliation terms with the Lefebvrites in two meetings earlier this year, one with heads of Vatican curial offices and one with the world's cardinals. In both meetings, sources said, there were mixed views on wider use of the Tridentine Mass.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II first made it possible for groups of the faithful to worship according to the old rite under certain conditions. In 1991, the Vatican established more liberal guidelines, encouraging bishops to grant permission and retaining just one basic condition: that those seeking the old Mass form must also accept the validity of the new rite.

Pope Benedict has long questioned the wisdom of the liturgical changes made after the Second Vatican Council. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was sometimes outspoken about what he considered the dismantling of the church's liturgical tradition.

"I was dismayed by the ban on the old missal, since such a development had never been seen in the history of liturgy. The impression was given that this was completely normal," he wrote in a 1997 book.

In the same book, he said it was important for the faithful to understand that for liturgy and other areas, Vatican II was not a break but a "developing moment."

END