Rites and Rights

 

My late mother used to say that one of the advantages of the ‘Old Latin Mass’ was that you could follow it more easily when you were abroad, as she experienced in the 1950s. She was no ‘traditionalist’ in the sense in which the term is used today to describe a small minority of Catholics who have rejected not only what they call the ‘New Mass’, but also some of the key teachings of the Second Vatican Council.

However, my mother had a point. For good historical reasons, Latin was - and in an important sense continues to be - the official language of the Roman Rite. Its clarity, uniformity, and continuity with nearly two thousand years of written theology carry considerable weight. It is vital that, in celebrating the Mass, we are consciously (and actually) in communion with the whole Catholic Church. Language matters. Indeed, some words and ideas are difficult to translate. Consider, for example, ‘consubstantialis’ (‘consubstantial’) in the Nicene Creed.

It seems to me that the intention of the liturgical reformers in the immediate aftermath of Vatican II was not to jettison Latin entirely from the liturgy. Yet, in practice, this is largely what happened - and it happened quite quickly in most places. Apart from a few hymns or certain key elements of the Mass used on special or ‘high’ occasions - such as the Kyrie, the Sanctus, the Pater Noster, and the Agnus Dei - we rarely hear Latin today. That is a pity, in my view, because it conveys a sense of continuity, reverence, and mystery that enhances the celebration. At the same time, we can be grateful for the use of the vernacular (the language commonly used in each country or diocese), as it does help the faithful to participate more fully and consciously in the liturgy.

Others, however, take a different view, and there has been a continuing practice of celebrating Mass entirely in Latin for those who wish to attend it. In my view, this is a good thing, and we should allow some diversity in linguistic expression as well as in liturgical form. Nevertheless, such celebrations have become relatively rare in recent years, especially as the Holy See has placed restrictions on the wider use of the older Rite that expanded during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.

Some important distinctions are in order here.

The language used in the celebration is one thing. It is entirely possible to celebrate the ‘Novus Ordo’ or ‘New Rite’ in Latin, and this is done in many dioceses with the approval of the local bishop and, ultimately, the Holy See.

The Rite used is another matter. The ancient ‘Tridentine Rite’ (also known as the usus antiquior, or ‘more ancient use’) dates in its present form to the 16th century, though its core elements go back at least to the early medieval period, and it was codified after the Council of Trent. This was largely supplanted in 1969 by the ‘New Rite’, which preserves the essential structure of the Mass but presents it in a revised and simplified form.

The rubrics and detailed liturgical guidance govern such matters as the layout of the sanctuary and the church, the manner of receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord, and the orientation of the priest during the Eucharistic Prayer and other parts of the Mass.

In the coming days, I plan to explore further the question of liturgical diversity and, in particular, the claim that Catholics have a ‘right’ to the ancient Rite.