It is thus foreseeable that Benedict XVI will take a little more time, will listen to the objections from some bishops and cardinals, but in the end – probably by winter – will issue the Motu Proprio that will facilitate the use of the Tridentine rite.
He’s sure that this will do nothing but add to the plurality of rites that have always made the Church multifaceted.
The Council of Trent itself was careful not to unify the rites by force. Next to the “Roman” rite, Pius V confirmed the legitimacy of all the other rites in the Church that had been in existence for at least two centuries. And there were quite a few of these rites at the time. The predominance of the Roman rite asserted itself gradually over the following centuries, but it was never complete. Still today, there are marked differences between the Mass in the Roman rite and the “Ambrosian” rite celebrated in the archdiocese of Milan. To this must be added the great variety of the rites of the Eastern Churches united with Rome.
This is without mentioning the incredible – and often unapproved – variety in styles of celebration that was unleashed by the liturgical reform inaugurated by Vatican Council II and by its new missal, enacted in 1970.
Father Z has more on Magister's article.
While there are many out there who are eagerly awaiting a motu proprio, I am not terribly bothered by the delays. Mass these days is an almost-silent reading experience and the wonders of the Mass of Pius V will be found for me in the beauty of my missal and any outward movements of the priest up front rather than singing, chanting and the like. I was talking to a friend last night about the efficaciousness of going it alone through the missal while everyone else around me was busy singing, responding, etc. in the Novus Ordo. He said it was indeed efficacious and made the astute comment that I was merely doing what the laity had been doing for centuries before recent reforms.
That cheered me considerably.
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