A GUIDE TO THE
LATIN MASS SOCIETY
its Purpose and Functions
Carol Byrne MA PhD (Dunelm)
INTRODUCTION
The Latin Mass Society, founded in 1965, is an association of Catholic faithful dedicated to the preservation of the traditional Latin Mass as one of the legitimate forms of the Church's liturgy. Whilst it is composed predominantly of lay members drawn from every age group and walk of life, it also includes a number of priests who wish to minister to all who request access to the former sacramental rites of the Church.
UNITY WITHIN THE CHURCH
Legality
The legitimacy of the Latin Mass Society is based on Canon 215 of the New Code of Canon Law (1983) which states clearly the right of the faithful, both clergy and laity, to found associations for religious purposes and to pursue these purposes in common. This fundamental right of association is confirmed by Canon 299.1 which states:
By private agreement among themselves, Christ's faithful have the right to constitute associations for the purposes mentioned in Canon 298.1,namely to strive by common effort to exercise apostolic works including the promotion of public worship. In order to make this collaborative ministry more effective and so achieve their ecclesial aims, the faithful must have a legal basis for their common efforts. Hence the provision of canonical prescriptions to protect and underpin their just prerogatives and provide a legal framework within which the Church can 'serve' their aspirations.Apostolate
The Latin Mass Society treasures the ancient liturgy as a perfect embodiment of the Faith and as the spiritual and cultural heritage of Western Christianity. Imbued with a spirit of obedience to the Vicar of Christ and to the hierarchical Church in communion with him, the Society exercises an important apostolate by making the traditional Roman rite of Mass better known, appreciated and honoured. Because the aims of the Society are primarily spiritual, it is fitting that its apostolate be supported by the ministry of the Church.
Orthodoxy
The Latin Mass Society accepts in a spirit of obedience all the sacramental, teaching and governing authority of the Church. Although the Society is not separated from or in opposition to the rest of the Church, the value of its apostolate is not generally recognised by the liturgical establishment which tends to view its activities as bearing adversely on the status quo. Thus a partisan spirit has developed which automatically opposes, as a matter of policy, the regular and frequent celebration of the former rites.
It was to correct this obstructive pattern of thought that Pope John Paul II wrote:
It is necessary that all the Pastors and the other faithful have a new awareness not only of the lawfulness but also of the richness for the Church of a diversity of charisms, traditions of spirituality and apostolate, which also constitutes the beauty of unity in variety.Common Mission(Ecclesia Dei 5a)
The Latin Mass Society should be seen as an integral part of the Church eloquently described by Vatican II as a communio of the faithful each of whom has "a vocation to the fullness of the Christian life and the perfection of charity" (Lumen Gentium 5). By sharing in this common mission of the Church the Latin Mass Society seeks to provide that 'fullness' of the spiritual life for those who can achieve it only through the provision of the traditional Latin Mass, Divine Office and former sacramental rites.
OUR LITURGICAL INHERITANCE
Respect for Tradition
The principal aim of the Latin Mass Society is to preserve the venerable form of Mass in the Roman rite which has been handed down to us from great antiquity and which has, until recently, remained essentially and substantially unchanged from the time of Pope St Gregory the Great in the sixth century. The principle of conservation in the liturgy was always insisted upon by successive popes who, as heirs and trustees of a divinely guided tradition, did not allow the liturgy to be governed by contemporary trends or the demands of inculturation, so as to safeguard the integrity of the Faith and guarantee the common identity of the Latin Church.
The Latin Mass Society upholds this centuries-old pastoral responsibility not only out of respect for the Church's sacred liturgical traditions but also out of sensitivity for the sensus fidelium, that is the feelings of the ordinary Catholic in the pew whose faith and corporate identity might be disturbed by radical innovations introduced into the Mass.
Sacred Music
Until recent times the Church has guarded her repertoire of sacred music as, in the words of the Council Fathers of Vatican II, "a treasure of inestimable value" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 1963 art. 112), representing centuries of inspired artistry lovingly wrought to celebrate the majesty of God, His glory and His absolute transcendence. By promoting the study, appreciation and use in worship of the traditional music of the Church, the Latin Mass Society plays an important role in the reform of the Church's liturgy which was initiated by Pope St Pius X in 1903, continued by Pius XII in his Instruction De Musica Sacra (1958) and by Vatican II's Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963).
The Latin Mass Society upholds the Vatican II mandate that "the treasury of sacred music is to be preserved and cultivated with great care" (art. 114). The Society supports a range of choral resources from Gregorian chant (described by Pope St Pius X in his motu proprio of 1903 "as the supreme model for sacred music" ) and in whose simpler melodies all can participate, to classical polyphony.
In conformity with the wishes of the Council, "keeping to the norms and precepts of ecclesiastical tradition" (art. 112), the Society is fulfilling the main objectives of the Liturgical Movement as regards sacred music: namely to ensure that the liturgy is performed with the greatest reverence and dignity, using the best means at our disposal, so that all the faithful may be spiritually uplifted and participate actively in the celebration of the sacred mysteries.
Restitution
In striving to restore to our altars more frequent celebrations of the old order of Mass and sacramental rites, the Latin Mass Society represents the views of all the faithful for whom the previous form of liturgy expresses their idea of worship and spirituality. It is their wish that the sacred language, prayers and rituals inherited from past centuries should not be disowned in order to accommodate present-day trends.
Relatively few realise exactly how much of our heritage has been lost in the modern adaptation of the liturgy. It is not generally known, for example, that reforming liturgists discarded the bulk of prayers in the old Missal contained principally in the Proper of the Mass which, throughout the liturgical year, bore witness to central truths of the Faith which are 'constants', that is to say ever-present realities.
These noble orations, some of them in continuous use since the sixth century, were suppressed because they alluded to so-called 'negative' themes such as divine judgement, eternal punishment, human wickedness or frailty, detachment from earthly things, fasting and self-mortification etc., and the perspective of most of the remaining prayers has been altered in order to purge them of any elements considered unpalatable to modern tastes.
However, there are many of the faithful who grieve not only over the loss of these prayers and rituals but also over the removal of others from both the Ordinary and the Proper of the Mass which elucidate specifically Catholic tenets such as that of the Real Presence, the propitiatory nature of the Holy Sacrifice, the merits of the saints, the nature of the ministerial priesthood or suffrages for the souls in purgatory.
It is they who now request their right of widespread access to their full spiritual patrimony, free from the influence of modern trends and ideologies, as it is expressed with full doctrinal integrity in the traditional Latin Mass and preached consistently by the Church from earliest times.
WORKING TOGETHER
Pastoral Care
It is the express will of Pope John Paul II that "respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition" (Ecclesia Dei, 6c) not simply by theoretical assent to the lawfulness of the former rites but by a wide and generous response to requests for their celebration. His Holiness also said : "In this matter I ask for the support of the bishops and all those engaged in the pastoral ministry in the Church." (ibid., 5c)
In this way the Pope was giving particular expression to the Church's teaching on the rights and duties of all the faithful as outlined in Vatican II's Lumen Gentium, 1964). It is clear from this authoritative document that the laity "have the right to receive abundant help from the sacred Pastors from the spiritual benefits of the Church", and that the Pastors "must always be attentive to the good of the children of God and ready to contribute their exertions to the pastoral needs of the whole diocese." But experience shows that, despite the Pope's exhortation and despite often overwhelming demands from the laity, it is by no means uncommon for priests to ignore the wishes of their parishoners and refuse to celebrate the Mass of their ordination,or even to allow their church to be used by a brother priest for that purpose.
A Blind Spot
Changes in the liturgy have proceeded on such a scale and at such a rate that a whole generation has now grown up without knowledge or appreciation of how their own parents and grandparents used to worship. There is a resulting tendency to push traditionally-minded members of the faithful to the margins of Church life by refusing or ignoring their legitimate requests for the old Mass. None of the reasons given is justified, and behind them all is a disturbing phenomenon: the growth of an anti-traditional esprit de corps among the clergy which is inimical to the values of many of the faithful and excludes their interests. It is as if the needs of a sector of the People of God, who also rank among the most devout, loyal and supportive members of the Church, have become 'invisible'.
This generalised lack of empathy with, or understanding of, the needs of today's Catholics has led to a situation unworthy of the Church. For where the rights of any of the faithful are no longer respected, not only is the dignity of each individual member of the Church mutilated, but harm is also done to the whole Body of Christ which suffers with them.
A Bridge of Communication
The Latin Mass Society offers a service to the Church by providing the means whereby the needs and desires of all traditionally-minded Catholics, whether they be its members or not, may be communicated to the hierarchy in a spirit of sincerity, moderation and respect towards their pastors.
A function of the Latin Mass Society is to educate public opinion so as to screen out prejudices or misunderstandings on either side which can lead to entrenched positions and a breakdown in dialogue. It is hoped that by maintaining a two-way channel of communication the Society will make the hierarchy aware of the real and very deep distress experienced by those who are denied access to their preferred form of spirituality, whilst the faithful, for their part, might be assured of the pastoral sensitivity and sympathetic concern of their local bishop.
SOME JURIDICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Perpetual Indult (1570)
The bull, Quo Primum (1570), was the decree by which Pope St Pius V, in faithful adherence to the Council of Trent, codified the immemorial Roman rite with the intention that it should remain unchanged in perpetuity. By the same decree he conferred on all priests a perpetual indult to use the Roman Missal freely and lawfully.
An important point about Quo Primum was not its nature as a papal bull (subsequent popes were not legally bound by the disciplinary measures of their predecessors), but its principal subject-matter, the Roman Mass based on Apostolic Tradition which all popes from then until recent times considered inviolable and, with regard at least to the Ordinary of the Mass, preserved absolutely unchanged. The question, therefore, is not a legal but a moral one: whether it was right to disregard the solemn decree which was an act of the Council of Trent, break with the living tradition of the Church and introduce a New Order of Mass.The effect of Missale Romanum (1969) on the legal status of Quo Primum was one of derogation, i.e. it was modified to include the New Mass, but Pius V's decree and the perpetual indult it contained have never been abrogated in the canonical sense of the term.
The English Indult (1971)
In 1971, on the initiative of the Latin Mass Society, over 50 of the most distinguished scholars, writers, historians and musicians resident in Britain, directed a collective appeal to the Vatican to prevent the extinction of the classical Latin liturgy which had inspired some of the world's finest artistic achievements in music and architecture. The majority of the signatories were, like Yehudi Menuhin, not Catholics, but they felt compelled to remind the Holy See of the "appalling responsibility" it would incur in the history of the human spirit if it were to deprive the world of the Church's ancient heritage which they regarded as the most sublime product of Western civilisation
In response to this appeal, made through Cardinal Heenan and supported by thousands of British Catholics and all who shared their horror at the destruction of the Church's ancient liturgy, Pope Paul VI gave permission for the traditional Latin Mass to be celebrated in England and Wales. The English Indult, therefore, prevented the old Mass from being wiped from the face of the world and secured its continuous official presence in our churches, if nowhere else.
The World-wide Indult (1984)
The danger of grave injustice done to devout Catholics through the attempted suppression of the old Mass was foreseen by the Latin Mass Society which has continued to work to ensure that the traditional Latin Mass as codified in perpetuity by Pope St Pius V in his bull Quo Primum be preserved as one of the forms of liturgical celebration universally recognised in the Church. As a result of international pressure the Congregation for Divine Worship promulgated the 1984 Indult granted by Pope John Paul II by which Catholics throughout the world could be permitted by their bishop to worship once again in the traditional manner.
Bureaucratic Barriers
A close examination of the Indult shows that no mention is made of the number of times a bishop can permit the celebration of the old Mass, whether it be on a weekly, or even a daily basis. It was not, however, until the faithful attempted to make use of the Indult that its limitations as a legal document became apparent, for it contained contradictory clauses which made it notoriously unworkable. Although the will of the Pope to be conciliatory towards requests for the traditional Latin Mass was clearly expressed in the first part of the document, it was rendered largely ineffective by the Congregation for Divine Worship which appended so many restrictions to the latter part as to make the implementation of the Indult difficult in practice.
Obviously such an anomaly in the law called for clarification. It was in response to representations from the International Una Voce Federation, of which the Latin Mass Society is an affiliated member, that His Holiness mandated a revision of the 1984 Indult with a view to removing its limitations.
'Ecclesia Dei'
As a measure of his pastoral concern for those who felt allegiance to the old liturgy, he set up a department of the Roman Curia, the Ecclesia Dei Commission, to carry out his express will to remove all undue restrictions contained in the 1984 Indult attached to the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. The promulgation of Ecclesia Dei given motu proprio on 2nd July 1988 coincided with the sentence of excommunication against Archbishop Lefebvre and was intended to heal the wounds of division within the Church which no one should ever feel tempted to leave in order to have access to the old Mass.
As the care of the whole of Christ's flock is committed to the Supreme Pastor of the Church, the Holy Father offered, in accordance with the demands of his very function, the means of salvation to the entire Church through the provision of the traditional Mass. It follows, therefore, that as the Sacrifice of the Mass is an essential obligation for the faithful and the efficacious means of their salvation, no restrictions can logically be placed on its provision.
Scope of 'Ecclesia Dei'
It is important to note that the 'Ecclesia Dei' Commission, as its first statute makes clear, received the "faculty of granting to all those who ask for it (omnibus id petentibus) the use of the Missale Romanum of 1962". In spite of the crystal-clear intention of the Pope, as expressed in his motu proprio, those unwilling to agree with him propagated misleading information to the effect that the special mission of the Commission was confined exclusively to the reintegration of former followers of Archbishop Lefebvre, and that no concessions could be made to members of the faithful requesting access to the old Mass. Cardinal Mayer, on the orders of Pope John Paul, made an authoritative interpretation of the motu proprio. In a letter of 20 March 1991 addressed to the bishops of the U.S.A. he explained that His Holiness was referring to all of the faithful who were attached to the old rites, "and not just to former adherents of Archbishop Lefebvre".
JUSTICE AND EQUITY
Rights of the Faithful
The faithful have a right to the traditional Latin Mass by virtue of the fundamental law of the Church which protects immemorial custom such as the ancient liturgy of the Roman rite. The old Roman Mass is the subject matter of an ancient and particular customary law that regulated the Roman rite from earliest times. This law of immemorial custom has never been abrogated and is still in force.
Although the rights of the faithful are regulated by the bishop who, as the custodian of the liturgy, exercises personal jurisdiction in his diocese, the exercise of his stewardship is in turn regulated by ecclesiastical norms, both moral and juridical. The bishop is required by the prescriptions of Canon 387 to rule his diocese "in charity and humility" by serving his flock after the example of Christ Who washed His disciples' feet. In the case of 'Ecclesia Dei', for instance, bishops are constrained by the binding nature of the motu proprio to take into consideration the Pope's will when making their decisions about the traditional Latin Mass.
The Bishops' Pastoral Mission
In the current climate of ongoing change when policies devised in the committee room by liturgical experts are universally imposed on the faithful, the spiritual needs of the individual are in danger of being submerged. Those who feel that their personal vocation to holiness is being compromised by unacceptable changes can be assured by the prescriptions of Canon 387 that their bishop is responsible for the spiritual welfare of each individual member of his flock:
The diocesan bishop... must strive to do all in his power to foster the holiness of Christ's faithful, in accordance with the personal vocation of each individual.
With particular regard to 'Ecclesia Dei', whereby the faculty of granting permission for the old Mass was given to the individual bishop, there is absolutely no question of a transfer of decision-making responsibility in this matter from the bishop to other persons or bodies such as diocesan chancellors, episcopal conferences, liturgy committees, or conferences of priests.
The provision of the spiritual needs of the faithful who have made know their request for the traditional Latin Mass is the ultimate responsibility of the local Ordinary. This is a pastoral charge for which the bishop, as "the steward of the grace of the high priesthood" (De Ecclesia 1965), is personally accountable before Almighty God.
An Appeal to the Bishops
The Latin Mass Society addresses this appeal to the bishops on behalf of all Catholics, both practising and lapsed, who find the experimental changes of the last three decades a source of disquiet and a cause of considerable spiritual distress. The Society has in its possession the testimony of thousands of Catholics who are dismayed, confused or alienated by the nature of continuous reforms which have revolutionised their experience of the liturgy; and there are many other members of the faithful outside the Society who share their views.
Clearly there is a problem for a whole section of the Church who find these changes alien to their idea of worship.Their Lordships are asked to consider those who are suffering in spirit, injured in conscience and forced to endure a liturgy in which they cannot fully participate. Their problem is compounded by the fact that the liturgical establishment refuses to accept that their feelings are justified, and so they find themselves marginalised within a community which ignores their needs.
As this is not the way Holy Mother Church responds to her children's needs, one cannot remain indifferent to this situation in which so many of the faithful are involved, and an acceptable solution must, in justice and charity, be found to this pastoral problem.
In the light of the Church's teaching, The Latin Mass Society urges each diocesan bishop to exercise his pastoral care towards traditionally-minded Catholics in the following ways :
by listening to the voice of the laity as they bring their concerns before him;by responding fully to their requests for regular and frequent celebrations of the traditional Mass in a form not later than the 1962 Missal;
by co-operating with lay initiatives to foster the traditional liturgy including the Church's treasury of sacred music;
by celebrating the traditional Latin Mass and encouraging priests to do likewise;
by promoting seminary training for canditates to the priesthood who wish to celebrate the former sacramental rites of the Church.
NEW HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
A Cycle of Rejuvenation
In the last 25 years few would claim that the liturgical reforms have had their hoped- for effect in promoting intelligibility and participation particularly among young people. And yet a remarkable feature of the post-Vatican II era is the spontaneous emergence and blossoming of traditional movements, both clerical and lay, throughout the universal Church, which no one had planned or could even have dreamed possible thirty years ago. An even more remarkable feature is the adherence to tradition shown by increasing numbers of young people with no experience of pre-Conciliar times, who are attracted by the numinous quality of their liturgical heritage.
Where Have all the Young Priests Gone?
Clerical orders throughout the world which enjoin a rigorous traditional discipline on their members and endow them with a distinctive sense of priestly identity have no shortage of vocations, and sometimes even long waiting lists.
The Holy Father has authorised a number of traditional orders, all of which are now full to overflowing, whose priests, most of them born after Vatican II, celebrate exclusively the Sacrifice of the Mass and other Sacraments according to the 1962 Missal. All these traditional seminaries are rapidly expanding and opening new centres in Europe, America, Canada and Africa. Some have attracted candidates from the United Kingdom whose hope is to be welcomed back after ordination to their own country where their numbers could be a valuable pastoral resource.
Traditional Clerical Orders
Among the growing number of Vatican approved clerical congregations dedicated to the provision of the former sacramental rites are:-
The Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, a society of pontifical right, established in 1988 with the encouragement of Pope John Paul II who approved its Constitutions with a view to its particular mission of ministering to all Catholics who desire free access to the Sacraments according to the previous discipline of the Roman Rite. The priests of the Fraternity work in a diocese at the invitation of the local bishop. Its international headquarters and seminary are at Wigratzbad, Germany and it has many centres in France, Switzerland, Austria, Canada and the United States. The Fraternity runs schools which provide a sound traditional catechesis and has established an order of nuns in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the Oblates of Mary Queen of the Apostles who follow the old regime of discipline including the use of traditional habits.Traditional Youth MovementsThe clerical order Servi Jesu et Mariae, based in Augsburg with a centre in Austria, which is also a society of pontifical right, being chartered directly by the Ecclesia Dei Commission. Its apostolate is aimed primarily towards Catholic youth.
The Institute of Christ the King, headquartered near Florence is expanding its apostolate in the United States and in the Gabon where its missionary zeal has been well rewarded with conversions and vocations.
Benedictine monasteries in France, the Abbey of Ste Madeleine at Le Barroux, the Abbey of Notre Dame at Fontgombault, and the abbeys at Randol and Triors.
The Society of St Vincent Ferrer, the smallest of the traditionalist orders but nonetheless facing a barrage of young enthusiastic applicants eager to join its ranks.
The annual pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres is eloquent testimony of the attraction of the traditional Latin Mass to young people. At Pentecost each year Chartres Cathedral is host to more than 15,000 pilgrims from 20 countries, the vast majority of whom are under 25 years of age, who endure the arduous three-day, 70-mile walk from Notre Dame, Paris, to Chartres, sleeping under canvas with only the barest necessities to sustain them. The climax is the Pontifical High Mass sung in Gregorian chant, in which the whole congregation participates. Each year a message is read to them from the Pope conveying his blessing and encouragement.
It was young people, too, who were the inspiration behind the foundation of the International Centre of Liturgical Studies (C.I.E.L.), an organisation which promotes the traditional Latin liturgy. In 1994 six young French students, drawn to the traditional Latin Mass and disillusioned with modern liturgical reforms, took the initiative of setting up an organisation under the patronage of Cardinals Alfons Stickler and Silvio Oddi.
Despite the ambitious scale of the project, the youthful committee succeeded in gaining the consent of academics of the highest repute who are experts in liturgy, canon law and theology to argue the case for the traditional Latin Mass at their annual colloquia held in France. The proceedings are translated, published and distributed among bishops and religious houses all over the world.
C.I.E.L. has been hailed as the third most important liturgical development since the English Indult and 'Ecclesia Dei', being a predominantly clerical forum of scholarly defence of the traditional Mass at the highest level of erudition and objectivity.
The Republication of the 1962 Missal
In response to the world-wide groundswell of demand for the traditional Latin Mass, the 1962 Missale Romanum was republished in 1996 with the permission of Cardinal John O'Connor of New York. This concrete example of the revival of sacred tradition in union with the Holy See is a prophetic sign to the Church that the former liturgy was never meant to be consigned to history. The traditional Latin Mass has a treasured place in the hearts and minds of many Catholics who are living witnesses of its vitality and continued presence among us.
CONCLUSION
It is a sad reflection on our present situation that, despite the Pope's will that access to the traditional liturgy should be available to all who request it, there is little evidence of willingness to serve the Church as the Church wishes to be served.
At this moment in history so many forces are arrayed against the traditonal Latin Mass by those who have a firm grasp on the levers of power that we cannot say that the Church is treating all her members justly by protecting their interests, respecting their rights and safeguarding their freedom of access to the former liturgy.
When we consider the heavy machinery that is brought to bear to ensure the imposition of revolutionary changes in the liturgy, we can see how far we have departed from the mind of the Church as expressed in the norms of Vatican II which required respect not only for the sacred traditions but also for the rights and freedom of the children of God. We are at the mercy of liturgists who have dismantled almost the entire framework of traditional symbolism which highlighted the supernatural and transcendent nature of the liturgy.
But the search for the transcendent cannot be extinguished; it is imperishable, being a charism given by God to man. So, too, the immemorial form of Mass, our glorious heritage which grew under the guidance of the Holy Spirit out of the devotion of the faithful, cannot be willed out of existence. It, too, is of God and cannot be withstood.
The Church stands opposed to all forms of oppression which, whether by design or neglect, have the effect of depriving the faithful of their right of access to the former sacramental rites. The Church's duty to safeguard her own living, unbroken traditions and to care for the spiritual welfare of all her children demands that particular attention be given to the needs of the faithful who have a justified grievance at being denied access to their own liturgical heritage which is theirs by right.
Copyright © 1997 The Latin Mass Society