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My dear Brother Bishops,
With great trust and hope,
I am consigning to you as Pastors the text of a new Apostolic Letter
"Motu Proprio data" on the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the
reform of 1970. The document is the fruit of much reflection,
numerous consultations and prayer.
News reports and judgments
made without sufficient information have created no little
confusion. There have been very divergent reactions ranging from
joyful acceptance to harsh opposition, about a plan whose contents
were in reality unknown.
This document was most
directly opposed on account of two fears, which I would like to
address somewhat more closely in this letter.
In the first place, there
is the fear that the document detracts from the authority of the
Second Vatican Council, one of whose essential decisions – the
liturgical reform – is being called into question. This fear is
unfounded. In this regard, it must first be said that the Missal
published by Paul VI and then republished in two subsequent editions
by John Paul II, obviously is and continues to be the normal Form –
the Forma ordinaria – of the Eucharistic Liturgy. The last version
of the Missale Romanum prior to the Council, which was published
with the authority of Pope John XXIII in 1962 and used during the
Council, will now be able to be used as a Forma extraordinaria of
the liturgical celebration. It is not appropriate to speak of these
two versions of the Roman Missal as if they were "two Rites".
Rather, it is a matter of a twofold use of one and the same rite.
As for the use of the 1962
Missal as a Forma extraordinaria of the liturgy of the Mass, I would
like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never
juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always
permitted. At the time of the introduction of the new Missal, it did
not seem necessary to issue specific norms for the possible use of
the earlier Missal. Probably it was thought that it would be a
matter of a few individual cases which would be resolved, case by
case, on the local level. Afterwards, however, it soon became
apparent that a good number of people remained strongly attached to
this usage of the Roman Rite, which had been familiar to them from
childhood. This was especially the case in countries where the
liturgical movement had provided many people with a notable
liturgical formation and a deep, personal familiarity with the
earlier Form of the liturgical celebration. We all know that, in the
movement led by Archbishop Lefebvre, fidelity to the old Missal
became an external mark of identity; the reasons for the break which
arose over this, however, were at a deeper level. Many people who
clearly accepted the binding character of the Second Vatican
Council, and were faithful to the Pope and the Bishops, nonetheless
also desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear
to them. This occurred above all because in many places celebrations
were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the
latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring
creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy
which were hard to bear. I am speaking from experience, since I too
lived through that period with all its hopes and its confusion. And
I have seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused deep
pain to individuals totally rooted in the faith of the Church.
Pope John Paul II thus felt
obliged to provide, in his Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei (2 July 1988),
guidelines for the use of the 1962 Missal; that document, however,
did not contain detailed prescriptions but appealed in a general way
to the generous response of Bishops towards the "legitimate
aspirations" of those members of the faithful who requested this
usage of the Roman Rite. At the time, the Pope primarily wanted to
assist the Society of Saint Pius X to recover full unity with the
Successor of Peter, and sought to heal a wound experienced ever more
painfully. Unfortunately this reconciliation has not yet come about.
Nonetheless, a number of communities have gratefully made use of the
possibilities provided by the Motu Proprio. On the other hand,
difficulties remain concerning the use of the 1962 Missal outside of
these groups, because of the lack of precise juridical norms,
particularly because Bishops, in such cases, frequently feared that
the authority of the Council would be called into question.
Immediately after the Second Vatican Council it was presumed that
requests for the use of the 1962 Missal would be limited to the
older generation which had grown up with it, but in the meantime it
has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered
this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of
encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly
suited to them. Thus the need has arisen for a clearer juridical
regulation which had not been foreseen at the time of the 1988 Motu
Proprio. The present Norms are also meant to free Bishops from
constantly having to evaluate anew how they are to respond to
various situations.
In the second place, the
fear was expressed in discussions about the awaited Motu Proprio,
that the possibility of a wider use of the 1962 Missal would lead to
disarray or even divisions within parish communities. This fear also
strikes me as quite unfounded. The use of the old Missal presupposes
a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the
Latin language; neither of these is found very often. Already from
these concrete presuppositions, it is clearly seen that the new
Missal will certainly remain the ordinary Form of the Roman Rite,
not only on account of the juridical norms, but also because of the
actual situation of the communities of the faithful.
It is true that there have
been exaggerations and at times social aspects unduly linked to the
attitude of the faithful attached to the ancient Latin liturgical
tradition. Your charity and pastoral prudence will be an incentive
and guide for improving these. For that matter, the two Forms of the
usage of the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching: new Saints and
some of the new Prefaces can and should be inserted in the old
Missal. The "Ecclesia Dei" Commission, in contact with various
bodies devoted to the usus antiquior, will study the practical
possibilities in this regard. The celebration of the Mass according
to the Missal of Paul VI will be able to demonstrate, more
powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which
attracts many people to the former usage. The most sure guarantee
that the Missal of Paul VI can unite parish communities and be loved
by them consists in its being celebrated with great reverence in
harmony with the liturgical directives. This will bring out the
spiritual richness and the theological depth of this Missal.
I now come to the positive
reason which motivated my decision to issue this Motu Proprio
updating that of 1988. It is a matter of coming to an interior
reconciliation in the heart of the Church. Looking back over the
past, to the divisions which in the course of the centuries have
rent the Body of Christ, one continually has the impression that, at
critical moments when divisions were coming about, not enough was
done by the Church’s leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation
and unity. One has the impression that omissions on the part of the
Church have had their share of blame for the fact that these
divisions were able to harden. This glance at the past imposes an
obligation on us today: to make every effort to unable for all those
who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew.
I think of a sentence in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, where
Paul writes: "Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians; our heart is
wide. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your
own affections. In return … widen your hearts also!" (2 Cor
6:11-13). Paul was certainly speaking in another context, but his
exhortation can and must touch us too, precisely on this subject.
Let us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that
the faith itself allows.
There is no contradiction
between the two editions of the Roman Missal. In the history of the
liturgy there is growth and progress, but no rupture. What earlier
generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and
it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered
harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have
developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their
proper place. Needless to say, in order to experience full
communion, the priests of the communities adhering to the former
usage cannot, as a matter of principle, exclude celebrating
according to the new books. The total exclusion of the new rite
would not in fact be consistent with the recognition of its value
and holiness.
In conclusion, dear
Brothers, I very much wish to stress that these new norms do not in
any way lessen your own authority and responsibility, either for the
liturgy or for the pastoral care of your faithful. Each Bishop, in
fact, is the moderator of the liturgy in his own Diocese (cf.
Sacrosanctum Concilium, 22: "Sacrae Liturgiae moderatio ab Ecclesiae
auctoritate unice pendet quae quidem est apud Apostolicam Sedem et,
ad normam iuris, apud Episcopum").
Nothing is taken away,
then, from the authority of the Bishop, whose role remains that of
being watchful that all is done in peace and serenity. Should some
problem arise which the parish priest cannot resolve, the local
Ordinary will always be able to intervene, in full harmony, however,
with all that has been laid down by the new norms of the Motu
Proprio.
Furthermore, I invite you,
dear Brothers, to send to the Holy See an account of your
experiences, three years after this Motu Proprio has taken effect.
If truly serious difficulties come to light, ways to remedy them can
be sought.
Dear Brothers, with
gratitude and trust, I entrust to your hearts as Pastors these pages
and the norms of the Motu Proprio. Let us always be mindful of the
words of the Apostle Paul addressed to the presbyters of Ephesus:
"Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God which
he obtained with the blood of his own Son" (Acts 20:28).
I entrust these norms to
the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and I
cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to you, dear Brothers, to the
parish priests of your dioceses, and to all the priests, your
co-workers, as well as to all your faithful.
Given at Saint Peter’s, 7
July 2007
THE DOCUMENT-
"Summorum Pontificum"
(unofficial translation)
It has always been the care
of the supreme pontiffs until the present time that the church of
Christ offer worthy worship to the divine majesty "for the praise
and glory of his name" and "for the good of all his holy church."
As from time immemorial so
in the future the principle shall be respected "according to which
each particular church must be in accord with the universal church
not only regarding the doctrine of the faith and sacramental signs,
but also as to the usages universally handed down by apostolic and
unbroken tradition. These are to be maintained not only so that
errors may be avoided, but also so that the faith may be passed on
in its integrity, since the church's rule of prayer ("lex orandi")
corresponds to her rule of belief ("lex credendi")."(1)
Among pontiffs who have
displayed such care there excels the name of St. Gregory the Great,
who saw to the transmission to the new peoples of Europe both of the
Catholic faith and of the treasures of worship and culture
accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries. He gave
instructions for the form of the sacred liturgy of both the
sacrifice of the Mass and of the Divine Office as was celebrated in
the city. He made the greatest efforts to foster monks and nuns, who
militating under the Rule of St. Benedict, in every place along with
the proclamation of the Gospel by their life likewise exemplified
that most salutary expression of the rule, "Let nothing be given
precedence over the work of God" (ch. 43). In this way the sacred
liturgy according to the Roman manner made fertile not only the
faith and piety but also the culture of many peoples. Moreover it is
evident that the Latin liturgy in its various forms has stimulated
in the spiritual life very many saints in every century of the
Christian age and strengthened in the virtue of religion so many
peoples and made fertile their piety.
However, in order that the
sacred liturgy might more efficaciously absolve its task, several
others among the Roman pontiffs in the course of the centuries have
brought to bear particular concern, among whom St. Pius V is
eminent, who with great pastoral zeal, at the exhortation of the
Council of Trent, renewed the worship of the whole church, ensuring
the publishing of liturgical books amended and "restored according
to the norm of the fathers" and put them into use in the Latin
church.
It is clear that among the
liturgical books of the Roman rite the Roman Missal is eminent. It
grew in the city of Rome and gradually down through the centuries
took on forms which are very similar to those in vigor in recent
generations.
"It was this same goal that
as time passed the Roman pontiffs pursued, adapting or establishing
liturgical rites and books to new ages and then at the start of the
present century undertaking a more ample restoration."(2) It was in
this manner that our predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St. Pius
X,(3) Benedict XV, Pius XII and Blessed John XXIII acted.
In more recent time,
however, the Second Vatican Council expressed the desire that with
due respect and reverence for divine worship it be restored and
adapted to the needs of our age. Prompted by this desire, our
predecessor Pope Paul VI in 1970 approved for the Latin church
liturgical books restored and partly renewed, and that throughout
the world translated into many vernacular languages, have been
welcomed by the bishops and by the priests and faithful. John Paul
II revised the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus the
Roman pontiffs have acted so that "this liturgical edifice, so to
speak, ... might once again appear splendid in its dignity and
harmony."(4)
However, in some regions
not a small number of the faithful have been and remain attached
with such great love and affection to the previous liturgical forms,
which had profoundly imbued their culture and spirit, that Pope John
Paul II, prompted by pastoral concern for these faithful, in 1984 by
means of a special indult "Quattuor abhinc annos," drawn up by the
Congregation for Divine Worship, granted the faculty to use the
Roman Missal published by John XXIII in 1962; while in 1988 John
Paul II once again, by means of the "motu proprio" "Ecclesia Dei,"
exhorted the bishops to make wide and generous use of this faculty
in favor of all the faithful requesting it.
Having pondered at length
the pressing requests of these faithful to our predecessor John Paul
II, having also heard the fathers of the consistory of cardinals
held March 23, 2006, having pondered all things, invoked the Holy
Spirit and placed our confidence in the help of God, by this present
apostolic letter we decree the following.
Art. 1. The Roman Missal
promulgated by Paul VI is to be regarded as the ordinary expression
of the law of prayer ("lex orandi") of the Catholic Church of Latin
rite, while the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and published
again by Blessed John XXIII as the extraordinary expression of the
law of prayer ("lex orandi") and on account of its venerable and
ancient use let it enjoy due honor. These two expressions of the law
of prayer ("lex orandi") of the church in no way lead to a division
in the law of prayer ("lex orandi") of the church, for they are two
uses of the one Roman rite.
Hence it is licit to
celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with the typical
edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in
1962 and never abrogated, as the extraordinary form of the liturgy
of the church. The conditions laid down by the previous documents "Quattuor
abhinc annos" and "Ecclesia Dei" for the use of this missal are
replaced by what follows:
Art. 2. In Masses
celebrated without the people, any priest of Latin rite, whether
secular or religious, can use the Roman Missal published by Pope
Blessed John XXIII in 1962 or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope
Paul VI in 1970, on any day except in the sacred triduum. For
celebration in accordance with one or the other missal, a priest
does not require any permission, neither from the Apostolic See nor
his own ordinary.
Art. 3. If communities or
institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life of
either pontifical or diocesan rite desire to have a celebration of
holy Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal
promulgated in 1962 in the conventual or "community" celebration in
their own oratories, this is allowed. If an individual community or
the entire institute or society wants to have such celebrations
often or habitually or permanently, the matter is to be decided by
the major superiors according to the norm of law and the particular
laws and statutes.
Art. 4. With due observance
of law, even Christ's faithful who spontaneously request it, may be
admitted to celebrations of holy Mass mentioned in Art. 2 above.
Art. 5.1. In parishes where
a group of faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition
exists stably, let the pastor willingly accede to their requests for
the celebration of the holy Mass according to the rite of the Roman
Missal published in 1962. Let him see to it that the good of these
faithful be harmoniously reconciled with ordinary pastoral care of
the parish, under the governance of the bishop according to Canon
392, avoiding discord and fostering the unity of the whole church.
5.2. Celebration according
to the missal of Blessed John XXIII can take place on weekdays,
while on Sundays and on feast days there may be one such
celebration.
5.3. Let the pastor permit
celebrations in this extraordinary form for faithful or priests who
request it, even in particular circumstances such as weddings,
funerals or occasional celebrations, for example pilgrimages.
5.4. Priests using the
missal of Blessed John XXIII must be worthy and not impeded by law.
5.5. In churches that are
neither parochial nor conventual, it is the rector of the church who
grants the above-mentioned permission.
Art. 6. In Masses
celebrated with the people according to the missal of Blessed John
XXIII, the readings can be proclaimed even in the vernacular, using
editions that have received the "recognitio" of the Apostolic See.
Art. 7. Where some group of
lay faithful, mentioned in Art. 5.1 does not obtain what it requests
from the pastor, it should inform the diocesan bishop of the fact.
The bishop is earnestly requested to grant their desire. If he
cannot provide for this kind of celebration, let the matter be
referred to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei."
Art. 8. A bishop who
desires to make provision for requests of lay faithful of this kind,
but is for various reasons prevented from doing so, may refer the
matter to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," which should
give him advice and help.
Art. 9.1. Likewise a pastor
may, all things duly considered, grant permission to use the older
ritual in administering the sacraments of baptism, matrimony,
penance and the anointing of the sick, as the good of souls may
suggest.
9.2. Ordinaries are granted
the faculty to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation using the
former "Roman Pontifical," as the good of souls may suggest.
9.3. It is lawful for
clerics in holy orders to use even the Roman Breviary promulgated by
Blessed John XXIII in 1962.
Art. 10. It is lawful for
the local ordinary, if he judges it opportune, to erect a personal
parish according to the norm of Canon 518 for celebrations according
to the older form of the Roman rite or appoint a rector or chaplain,
with due observance of the requirements of law.
Art. 11. The Pontifical
Commission "Ecclesia Dei," erected in 1988 by John Paul II(5)
continues to carry out its function. This commission is to have the
form, duties and norm for action that the Roman pontiff may wish to
assign to it.
Art. 12. The same
commission, in addition to the faculties it already enjoys, will
exercise the authority of the Holy See by maintaining vigilance over
the observance and application of these dispositions.
Whatever is decreed by us
by means of this "motu proprio," we order to be firm and ratified
and to be observed as of Sept. 14 this year, the feast of the
Exaltation of the Holy Cross, all things to the contrary
notwithstanding.
Given at Rome, at St.
Peter's, July 7, in the year of Our Lord 2007, the third of our
pontificate.
Benedict XVI
Footnotes
1. General Instruction of
the Roman Missal, third edition, 2002, n. 397.
2.
Pope John Paul II, "Vicesimus quintus annus," Dec. 4, 1988, n. 3:
AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.
3. Ibid.
4. Pope St. Pius X, "motu
proprio" "Abhinc duos annos," Oct. 23,1913: AAS 5 (1913) 449-450;
cf. Pope John Paul II, "Vicesimus quintus annus," Dec. 4, 1988, n.
3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.
5. Cf.
Pope John Paul II, "motu proprio" "Ecclesia Dei," July 2, 1988, n.
6: AAS 80 (1988) p. 1498.
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