The Liturgy in the Life of the Church

Thoughts and opinions are already flying about in regard to the impending motu proprio document from Pope Benedict XVI that will allow expanded use of the "old Latin Mass," also known as the Tridentine Rite. Without a doubt, more thoughts and opinions will be elicited and proclaimed after the document (along with a letter of explanation) is made public. Thus, this particular column may get lost in the shuffle of all the other ruminations on the subject.

Dr. Robert Moynihan, editor-in-chief of Inside the Vatican Magizine, wrote an excellent article that covers the topic. In the following passage, Moynihan reminded readers of the central issue(s) behind the publication of this document and its obvious effects.

Some would see the Holy Father’s interest in the old Mass as a matter of cultural taste. His desire for a wider use of the old rite in Latin is seen as something comparable to his interest in classical music. For these people, the issue is often reduced to a question of practicality: the old rite, in Latin, is "impractical" in the 21st century, and so, these people say, it would be unwise to expand its use.

But this is a serious misunderstanding of Benedict’s motivation. He is not concerned with Latin in itself. His respect for the "old Mass" is not a nostalgic cultural attachment to an ancient language. No, Benedict is concerned about the essence of the Mass itself.

And what is that essence? The right worship of God.

Certainly there is something to be said, in practical terms, for the use in a worldwide Church of a single liturgical language. And certainly, Latin is in some ways a good candidate to be that universal language. It was the language of the Empire under which Jesus lived and died. It has been used for almost 20 centuries. And translations could make the language "accessible" to all even today -- and even in times to come.

But that is not the point. It isn’t about the Latin. (And the Latin Mass is, in any case, not the Latin Mass at all; that is a misnomer; it is, rather, "the Latin, Greek and Aramaic Mass," with "Kyrie eleison" in Greek and "Amen" and "Alleluia" in Aramaic.) And those who think Latin is at the core of this matter do not see fully what is at stake here.

And what is at stake is not a trivial matter. If it were, the Pope wouldn’t have given two years of attention to it, or 25 years as a cardinal to stating repeatedly that there needs to be a "reform of the reform." Rather, it is an important matter. In fact, the most important one. For the Mass is celebrated for a single reason: for the Eucharist. And the Eucharist is one thing only: Christ with us. And Christ with us is the sole reason for the Church’s being.

So in dealing with the Mass, the Pope is not dealing with a marginal, a peripheral matter. The liturgy is not a "side issue." It is a central one; indeed, the central one. It is the little matter (and the Orthodox rightly stress this) of... the divinization of man! A reality which brought Padre Pio to tears.

Moynihan could not be more correct! Our Church's teaching is phrased in similar words: "The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows" (CCC 1074). Could it be more clear? The Liturgy, especially the Mass, is the apex of all Christian activity--past, present, or future. Therefore, every Catholic ought to have a healthy understanding and appreciation of the Church's primary act of worship.

There is one problem, however, with the idea that people can gain such understanding and appreciation from a broader availability of the Tridentine Mass. People will almost certainly be confused about the proper nature of the Church's worship. Thus, the "reform of the reform" that is (quite obviously) necessry should not be one that could imply a reversion to something "older." Rather, it should be a clear, authoritative teaching about the Vatican II Mass; about its deep roots and its recognition of Christ's presence in various and powerful ways.

These thoughts should not be misconstrued as coming from a man who dislikes the Tridentine Mass. Such is not the case. Instead, they should be read in a light that greatly appreciates the efforts of the Church fathers at the Second Vatican Council to lead the faithful (obviously, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit) into right worship. After all, that is one implication of resourcement and aggiornamento.

God Bless.