Online Semiology Course from the University of Florida
It's not meant to be easy...
Audio of Archbishop Sample's Talk
Cardinal Burke goes for a stroll with the Canons Regular of St John Cantius
St John Cantius recently announced a new Juventutem Chapter which Jenny Donelson has already posted. A reminder that to celebrate the affiliation of St. John Cantius Quo Vadis Young Adults with Juventutem there will be a Solemn Pontifical High Mass in the Extraordinary Form, celebrated by the Most Rev. Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago on Wednesday, July 24th, at 7:30pm.
A Report of the FOTA VI Conference in Cork Ireland, Day 1
Professor Father D. Vincent Twomey SVD, one of Ireland’s leading theologians, opened the conference in the presence of His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the distinguished clergy, and the various delegates. In his opening remarks, Father Twomey reminded the audience that just prior to his Pope Benedict XVI met with the clergy of the archdiocese of Rome. In his talk the Pope referred to the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and to its 16 documents, telling his priests that there were effectively two Councils, one the “Council of the Fathers” and the other the “Council of the media” and that regretfully many of the Catholics of today, in particular that of the clergy, do not know the Council of the Fathers but remember only what the Council of the media told them. “The Council was the largest Council ever in the history of the Church” said Father Twomey, “but it didn’t produce any defined dogmas, just documents, of which there were 16 … The Council was pastoral” he said, “and the Church was and is trying to witness to the truth in a world of lies and deceit.”
The eminent Professor spoke about the promulgation of Sacrosanctum Concilium on the 4th of December 1963 by Pope Paul VI, a document which gives primacy (in matters pertaining to the liturgy) to God; “The liturgy” he said “is something which we have received from Christ and His Church and is not a construction by man.” Pope Benedict XVI, as part of the liturgical reform movement often called ‘The Reform of the Reform’, “has given us a beautiful liturgy and has allowed for its organic growth.” Fr. Twomey went on to state that the Second Vatican Council was by nature missionary, in that it was to bring salvation to all mankind and that the driving force behind it was the renewal of the liturgy, “because through the liturgy, the faithful are able to express in their lives their encounter with Christ” Adopting the liturgy to local culture influenced by rationalism, secularism, science and technology will drive people to the world of magic and darkness, he said. “Though we are looking at the document on the liturgy, for Cardinal Henri Marie de Lubac, the most important document was ‘Dei Verbum.’ De Lubac (+1991) was one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century, given that his writings and doctrinal research played a key role in the Second Vatican Council.
The second paper, entitled “Per Ritus et Preces and Fideles scienter” was given by Dom Paul Gunter O.S.B., a monk of Douai Abbey, currently a professor at the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy in Rome, and a Consulter of the Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff since 2008. This paper examined these directing characteristics for active participation in the reform and promotion of the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council. “The words ‘Fideles scienter’ from Sacrosanctum Concilium verify the formation needed for a fruitful participation in the liturgical life of the Church,” while “ ‘per ritus et preces’ from paragraph 48 delineates that the ‘participatio actuosa’ is made manifest in rites and prayers that are handed down by the Church for use in her liturgy.” Thus his paper considered these two important phrases of Sacrosanctum Concilium as the means of the ‘participation actuosa’ according to the Council. Quoting from paragraphs 47 and 48, he stressed the urgency of proper liturgical formation of the faithful and the theological meaning of the holy sacrifice of Christ.
Italian Father Serafino Lanzetta F.I. presented his paper “Sacrosanctum Concilium in the Light of the Liturgical Reforms,” stating that “ (it) was the first document approved by the Ecumenical Assembly of bishops. In a very short time this document found almost all the Fathers in accordance with the immutable principles of Liturgy, with some theological highlights for the active participation of all the people of God. Unfortunately the understanding of these principles did not emerge.” He went on to state that “all the principles of the Constitution … have a practical goal. From the general and theoretical principles derive practical norms to renew the Liturgy. … the work of the “Consilium” was to put into practice the entire document on the sacred liturgy. Often too much attention was given to the pastoral care of the liturgy and some of those decisions show how very predominant was that desire to reach some kind of a practical end. The risk therefore was to forget ‘the spirit of liturgy’ and to let praxis be the guideline.
“What can we do today,” asked Professor Serafino, “so that the Liturgy may express the precedence of God in our lives?” He suggests that we should reconsider more accurately three main points: 1) What active participation in the Mass properly means? 2) Is the liturgical assembly the subject of Liturgy, that is, what idea of Church must we have to consider the liturgical assembly? 3) The sacred language of Liturgy in our world in search of a common understanding. Quoting Abp. Anninbale Bugnini, who said that the Missal of Vatican II was a “pastoral” missal, Professor Serafino asked the question “what does ‘pastoral’ really mean? Does it mean continuity or discontinuity?” The word ‘pastoral’ is often treated like a miracle cure, but empty of dogma, thus there is a risk of the liturgy drying up if not celebrated correctly.
The afternoon session of Saturday began with a paper presented by Dr. Mariusz Bilinewicz of Dublin, entitled “Fifty Years of Sacrosanctum Concilium: a Review of the Theological Critique,” examining some of the critical voices which have been raised against the document since the time of its promulgation. He began with the question whether, and to what extent, theological critique of the Council's document is possible on the grounds of Catholic theology, then presented in greater detail the main objections which are raised against some theological aspects of the Constitution and against certain practical policies adopted by its authors. Finally, he attempted to evaluate these critical voices, highlighting the way forward for continuing theological reflection on the document. Dr. Mariusz Bilinewicz later presented his new book entitled “The Liturgical Vision of Pope Benedict XVI – A Theological Inquiry (published by Peter Lang).
The last paper of the day was given by Dr. Carmina Chapp of Saint Joseph’s College in Maine. She spoke about Sacrosanctum Concilium and its idea of the centrality of the liturgy in the Apostolic life of the Church. “As the first document promulgated at the Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium provides a lens through which the entire work of the Council can be viewed. There is an intrinsic relationship between the celebration of the liturgy and the missionary activity of the Church, particularly in the work of the laity in the temporal realm. The liturgy takes a central place in the apostolic life of the Church because it is the place where one is united with Christ and begins to ‘see as Christ sees,’ while also becoming empowered to be the vessel through which ‘Christ is seen’ by the world. The laity gain the fruits of the liturgy by active participation, and go out into the secular realm to ‘see it as Christ sees it’ and to conduct their temporal affairs as Christ would conduct them, being the presence of Christ in the midst of the world. The graces received in the liturgy are to be put to use in all temporal areas, including business, economics, politics, medicine, education, and the arts.” The day concluded with Pontifical Vespers celebrated in the church of Saints Peter and Paul.
In Defense of Preserving Readings in Latin
This article offers reasons to maintain the Latin language for the readings in the usus antiquior. Recently more and more attention has been paid to the nature and role of the readings in the Mass, as an increasing number of Catholics are questioning whether the new Lectionary of the Ordinary Form is, in fact, an improvement over the old, or to what extent or in what respects it is an improvement -- questions that demand far more to be taken into account than the mere quantity of text utilized. One cannot say that more text or a greater diversity of text is superior without first seriously engaging the issue of what the role of Scripture at Mass is supposed to be, and curiously enough, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council do not seem to have discussed this issue at any length. It is only now, in the light of several decades of experience with the new Lectionary, that we are better positioned to see the gains and losses of introducing a much more extensive vernacular lectionary into the Roman Rite.
My article here at NLM is scheduled to coincide with the publication at Rorate Caeli of Dr. Joseph Shaw's related Position Paper on the retention of Latin readings in the Extraordinary Form, which may be found here.
New Anglican Ordinariate Parish Commissioning Chalice and Patten in Traditional English Design
Tweet your requests to the organist of Notre Dame
The rest of the programme includes J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Franck's Prelude, Fugue and Variation, Widor's Allegro vivace from Symphony No.5 and works by Vierne and Saint-Saëns. The restoration of the organ sounds like an incredible labour of love and you can read about it here. Kudos to Joe Vitacco, Chairman of the Organ Committee and Fr. Michael Perry, the Pastor of the Parish for managing to bring this about.
My new favorite "Ave Verum"
An NLM exclusive: Interview about Campion Missal, 2nd Edition
Jeff Ostrowski (CCW): It's totally done. We approved and sent off the entire thing about a month ago. The books will start shipping in approximately fifteen business days.
B. Yanke: Why the changes? Why not just reprint the first edition as-is?
J. Ostrowski: I suppose the best way to find out would be to purchase the Second Edition and see for yourself, but let me attempt to briefly summarize:
- Several typos were corrected
- The Solemn Mass section was completely redone and now has a clearer, more "classic" layout
- A ribbon has been added
- Minor improvements were made throughout the book to things like headers
- The cover has been changed to a more subtle, elegant design. The original cover was lovely, but some priests felt it clashed with the colors/architecture in their churches (ours is a book for the congregation).
B. Yanke: You're sounding a bit like a vacuum salesman who came to my door the other day . . .
J. Ostrowski: Ha! Well, let me be honest: I did not believe the First Edition could be improved upon, but I was wrong. Perhaps I could be permitted to share a comment by one of the proofreaders of the Second Edition?
Contrary to my initial reaction, after looking closely at this Second Edition, I feel the simplification of the layout and the loss of some artwork may have been a blessing in disguise. I think a majority of folks will find the new more clean-cut format more readable. The subdivision and open 2-column formatting of things like the Lavabo is a big improvement, as is the new Crucifixion and more visible display of the Te igitur, making them easier for neophytes to follow. Also, I think the new page footers may be helpful for newcomers to the TLM. In short, as a major devotee and promoter of your Campion missal in its First Edition, I wind up my review of this Second Edition simply liking it better!B. Yanke: As we computer geeks say, is the new edition backwards compatible? In other words, can the first and second editions be used side-by-side?
J. Ostrowski: Oh, absolutely. None of the page numbers have changed, nor any of the music.
B. Yanke: Can we take a look at the inside?
J. Ostrowski: I'd be honored, but please understand how difficult it is for an editor to choose examples. You've heard the phrase: "It's like choosing between children."
B. Yanke: You also talk about the little editorial decisions you made throughout the book to make the second edition better. Can you fill us in on some of those decisions and your thoughts behind them?
J. Ostrowski: Editing a missal or hymnal is all about choices. For instance, all of us would agree that large, legible type is a good thing. On the other hand, extremely heavy books with numerous page turns are bad things. How does one strike a balance? Choices like these keep editors awake at night. In the end, the Campion Missal ended up being a book of moderate size and weight, approximately half the width of the blue CTS missal:
I cannot help but notice their editorial choices: the way they abbreviate the Scriptures, the peculiar text wrap around the initial capital "A," the non-capitalized pronouns for God, the lowercase letters used after drop caps, the thin "see-through" pages, and so forth. Each choice has advantages and disadvantages. The most interesting choice for me is usually how the Latin is "lined up" to the English. In the Burns Oates Missal above, we see they used a larger font for the Latin. Another solution is to place the Latin in a smaller column than the vernacular, as they do in this 1764 Missal printed in Paris:
However, I have a problem with both of these approaches: they look uneven. My eye simply cannot get used to the lack of symmetry. The Roman liturgy is very balanced, so it seemed logical to me that missals should be balanced. Several of the FSSP priests agreed that printing the Latin in a smaller column implied a type of "discrimination." Therefore, we ended up chosing the approach of this 1806 Missal, where the font size and columns are uniform:
One disagreement throughout the creation process had to do with rubrics. Many of the traditional priests who assisted with proofreading are accustomed to liturgical books which describe every rubric in detail. I had decided early on to include only those rubrics which would edify the faithful or help them follow Mass. On this issue, I "stuck to my guns," in spite of pressure. One consulter even wanted me to include all the rubrics in Latin. I was happy to discover the following sentence in the Preface to the Burns Oates 1952 Missal, because it confirmed my decision:
The rubrics are in English throughout, and have been specially prepared to give the reader all necessary information, without entering into minute directions which concern the celebrant alone.Let me emphasize once more that every choice has advantages and disadvantages. Our hope is that the Campion Missal, in spite of its flaws, will allow Catholics to assist at Mass with greater devotion.
B. Yanke: If people could take away just one thing from this interview, what would it be?
J. Ostrowski: I want them to understand our book is designed for the congregation. Ordinary Form priests are accustomed to purchasing hymnals and missalettes for their entire congregation, but this doesn't occur to many Extraordinary Form priests. As a result, members of the congregation who (for whatever reason) don't have a missal with them end up staring into space the whole Mass. How can your congregation sing a hymn together at the end of Mass if everybody has a different book? Perhaps this situation arose because until recently it was almost impossible to purchase a Catholic hymnal that wasn't chock-full of embarrassing texts and goofy tunes.
Renovation/Restoration at St. Patrick's New York
St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Chicago
Here is the altar.
A Report of the FOTA VI Conference in Cork Ireland, (Continued)
“By the 1920’s, sacred architecture in France and Germany had changed profoundly,” he said. “The impetus for a new aesthetics and a specific liturgical disposition of the sacred space came from the functionality of technical construction, and from the Liturgical Movement’s focus on the altar. Sacrosanctum Concilium took these evolutions into consideration. Until the 1980s, these new principles prevailed due to the Liturgical Reform after the Council, together with a preference for raw concrete as a means to renew sacred architecture with contemporary materials and forms, and a radical restriction of images for the purpose of highlighting the importance of the liturgical action.” On the other hand, since the 1990s, new aesthetic ideas have emerged, and there have been innovations concerning the pastoral and artistic promotion of the liturgy as regards liturgical spaces.
Professor van Bühren lamented the fact that during the 1970’s and 80’s, sacred images were removed from churches; such images are catechetical and fully conform to instructions given in Sacrosanctum Concilium 122 and 127 and Lumen Gentium 67, and they should not have been removed. Many sacred images were replaced with abstract designs which had little or no meaning. Architectural styles such as Bauhaus and De Stijl were box-like, rationalist, and not conducive to prayer or acoustics; in fact, they were just for saying Mass like “Mass-factories”. Some 8,000 new churches were built or restored after World War II in Germany alone, many of which might be considered to be “plastic architecture;” churches such as Le Corbusier’s Notre Dame du Haut at Ronchamp and Virilio’s Sainte-Bernadette du Banlay at Nevers in France were similarly devoid of transcendence, and purely rationalistic.
Professor Dr Helmut Hoping gave an excellent paper entitled “What Reform? - The Hermeneutics of Sacrosanctum Concilium and the Liturgical Renewal”, a brief history of the Council, explained the history of the constitution, coupled with its hermeneutic. The document itself was the basis for liturgical reform, but the actual word ‘reform’ was never mentioned in the 1964 motu proprio Sacram Liturgiam, the first act of its implementation. Rather, the word “aggiornamento – bringing up to date” was used, which became one of the key words of the Council. “This ‘aggiornamento’ is precisely what the Council attempted to do, as the Fathers highlighted the liturgy and the primacy of God,” he said. Annibale Bugnini became a peritus of the Council, a radical reformer who prevented the liturgical reforms from going to the Congregation of Rites for approval, going instead directly to the Pope and having them approved by him; thus, there was no scrutiny of Sacrosanctum Concilium by the competent body.
Quoting Cardinal Ratzinger, Hoping said that “liturgy was not the aim of the Council, although Sacrosanctum Concilium became the first text to be discussed by the Fathers, and in that the primacy of God in the liturgy. Secondly the discussion focused on the use of the vernacular, and the modern and pastoral character of the schema.” Its goal was to renew the liturgy by focusing on the Paschal mystery, charity, simplicity, transparency, comprehensibility and the use of the vernacular. In conclusion, Professor Hoping stated that the Council Fathers did not envision a continuous liturgical reform; what is needed today is a new liturgical movement which brings to life the real heritage of Vatican II, something that requires profound liturgical education.
Cardinal Burke presented his talk by reflecting again on the primacy of God in the liturgy and that the importance of prayer should not be diminished in the understanding of the liturgy. The “Sacred liturgy should be rendered purer and the spiritual treasure offered within, be offered to the people of God; therefore let no one disturb it, let no one violate it. We are commanded to obey the Church’s laws and precepts and obliged to love the Church with Christ at its head.” Canon Law is the juridical structure of the Church, if we no longer respect it then we are in trouble; he quoted Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution Sacrae Disciplinae Leges (1983): “the renewal of Christian living was the goal of the new Code of Canon Law, that is holiness of life.” He went on to say that “the nature of Canon Law is derived from the Old Testament, and to keep it allows us the freedom to love God and our neighbor.” Therefore, Canon Law should be observed because it is extremely necessary for the Church, it is the “sacred power” of the Church, the visible manifestation of the norms of the Church in the administration of the sacraments. “(T)he lack of the proper place of Canon Law in the documents of Vatican II, in the general euphoria at that time, gave the sense that we no longer needed Canon Law and we could do what we wanted as we now believed that we no longer suffered from Original sin; this was a very sad day for the Church.”
Cardinal Burke then went on to speak about antinomianism or sense of lawlessness we find in the Church that creates a sense of uncertainty, especially when the euphoria manifested itself in the liturgy, where many changes were abusive and violent. “What happened to sacred music? What happened to other parts of the mass? There emerged a hermeneutic of discontinuity, a hermeneutic of rupture, a betrayal of the liturgy. The rupture was caused by the abandonment of any canonical discipline, the abandonment of catechesis, religious life, Catholic institutions and with it the sacred liturgy.” Explaining the student riots of the late 1960s, the Cardinal said that there was a “new age of freedom and love which had dawned on the Church, a sense of a free-for-all, which seems to have been the general consciousness at that time, and thus there was rebellion against all forms of authority in the world.”
His Eminence continued to stress the Jus Divinum in establishing the “right relationship” with God and knowing the “rights of God”, especially in relation to the proper celebration of the liturgy. The exercise of power in liturgical matters can be distinguished in three periods, the first being the early Church, when there were different rites (and uses) which differed from each other from diocese to diocese you were in. The second period was from the Council of Trent to Vatican II, when the power to intervene on liturgical matters rested with the Supreme Pontiff, and the third period was from Vatican II onwards when power in liturgical matters was returned to local bishops, resulting in the loss of universality in the liturgy. “The whole notion of power is the key question that needs to be addressed” he said, and that that power must go back to the Supreme Pontiff. In concluding his talk, Cardinal Burke reminded the priests that “the priest should lose himself in the holy sacrifice of the mass, he is not the protagonist, Christ is.
Important Prayer Request for a Catholic Blogger
Fortescue, a man of hidden talents
The Liber Organi is an incredibly beautiful hand-written book which Fortescue wrote to provide the organist at his church, St Hugh’s in Letchworth, with everything needed to accompany the liturgies. The inside front cover contains a photograph of the church taken in 1916 and the inside back cover contains the author's dedication 'in perpetuity' to St Hugh's:
The neatness is breathtaking and the overall sense of care which has been taken almost defies belief; the handwriting is beautiful as is the engraving of the music, some of it copied from other sources, but much of it Fortescue’s own harmonisations of the Gregorian Chants. There are also alternative melodies taken from hymnody:
His liturgical sense and attention to detail come across particularly in the short organ interludes he has composed in the Vespers section to modulate seamlessly from the key of one antiphon to the next:
The book is incomplete, filled with many pages of immaculately ruled empty staves which await music. He evidently wrote everything in pencil before inking it in when he was sure it was perfect. In one unfinished pencilled harmonisation he has marked a set of undesirable parallel octaves to remind him to set about an alternative solution. This was a man of apparently limitless talents who toiled in the pursuit of perfection. His manuscript gives a very personal insight, the effect of which is most humbling.
Early on in the book is a four page description of how to accompany the Mass which you can download here. I am most grateful to Fr Nicholas Schofield, the Westminster Diocesan Archivist, for allowing me a rare glimpse of this precious treasure.
A Brilliant Article on "Tragic Worship"
The problem with much Christian worship in the contemporary world, Catholic and Protestant alike, is not that it is too entertaining but that it is not entertaining enough. … It neglects tragedy ... a form of art and of entertainment (which) highlighted death, and death is central to true Christian worship. The most basic liturgical elements of the faith, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, speak of death, of burial, of a covenant made in blood, of a body broken. Even the cry “Jesus is Lord!” assumes an understanding of lordship very different than Caesar’s. Christ’s lordship is established by his sacrifice upon the cross, Caesar’s by power.
Christian worship should immerse people in the reality of the tragedy of the human fall and of all subsequent human life. It should provide us with a language that allows us to praise the God of resurrection while lamenting the suffering and agony that is our lot in a world alienated from its creator, and it should thereby sharpen our longing for the only answer to the one great challenge we must all face sooner or later. Only those who accept that they are going to die can begin to look with any hope to the resurrection.
(Referring to Pascal's critique of 17th century France as a society obsessed with entertainment:) It would not puzzle him that death has been reduced to little more than a comic-book cartoon in countless action movies or into a mere momentary setback in soap operas and sitcoms. Indeed, he would not find it perplexing that the bleak spiritual violence of mortality leaves no lasting mark on the bereaved in the surreal yet seductive world of popular entertainment. But he might well be taken aback that the churches have so enthusiastically endorsed this project of distraction and diversion. This is what much of modern worship amounts to: distraction and diversion. Praise bands and songs of triumph seem designed in form and content to distract worshipers from life’s more difficult realities.
Even funerals, the one religious context where one might have assumed the reality of death would be unavoidable, have become the context for that most ghastly and incoherent of acts: the celebration of a life now ended. It is therefore an irony of the most perverse kind that churches have become places where Pascalian distraction and a notion of entertainment that eschews the tragic seem to dominate just as comprehensively as they do in the wider world. I am sure that the separation of church buildings from graveyards was not the intentional start of this process, but it certainly helped to lessen the presence of death. The present generation does not have the inconvenience of passing by the graves of loved ones as it gathers for worship. Nowadays, death has all but vanished from the inside of churches as well.
The full article can be read at First Things, and is very much worth your time.
Pride of Place in the Roman Rite
A Report of the FOTA VI Conference in Cork Ireland, (Conclusion)
During the Council and its preparation, practical aspects dominated the discussion. Before the beginning of Vatican II, the Congregation of Rites observed that “a new and careful historical and dogmatic investigation on the origin, the nature and the extension of the strictly sacramental concelebration would be necessary”. This problem is very serious because the enlarged practice would be “a notable change in the liturgical discipline of the Latin Church”. The Prefect of the Congregation, Cardinal Larraona, asked two declarations from the Holy Office: 1) about the value of the concelebrated Mass: if one Mass concelebrated by ten priests really has the same value as ten Masses celebrated by ten priests; 2) about the legitimacy of the idea that every concelebrant can receive an offering. These declarations never arrived.
The Professor continued “The final text of the Council on concelebration in SC 57f states that concelebration “remained in use to this day in the Church both in the east and in the west,” an historical affirmation which requires a distinction. The enlargement of concelebration is intended for very special occasions (such as Holy Thursday and conferences) and must be regulated by the Ordinary, who can permit it for other cases in monasteries and in the parishes. Each priest retains his right to celebrate Mass individually (though not at the same time in the same church as a concelebrated Mass nor on Holy Thursday). The preference for communal celebration expressed in SC 27 must be taken together with the note of the Conciliar Commission, that every Mass has in and of itself a public and social nature. This is true also if there cannot be present a number of the faithful (PO 13). PO 7 recommends concelebration “at times” together with the bishop. Vatican II did not resolve the debated question of stipends for concelebrated Masses nor did it go into depth on the topic of the sacramental fruits of concelebration compared with Eucharistic Sacrifices offered up individually.
The “Ritus servandus” of 1965 provided that the number of concelebrants normally should not be over 50. The decree Ecclesiae semper of the Congregation of Rites in the same year mentions that in concelebration the priests operate together “one sacrifice in one sacramental action”, referring to the explanation of St. Thomas Aquinas, abandoning the precedent observation (during the preparation of Vatican II) that the concelebrating priests operate various sacrificial acts in the person of Christ. Concelebration manifests the unity of the priesthood, the sacrifice and the whole people of God. Benedict XVI poses critical questions on the validity of large-scale concelebrations (Sacramentum caritatis, 61; talk of February 7, 2008).
After the Council, various dogmatic problems were discussed: the possibility for a sacramental concelebration without pronouncing the words of Christ at the Last Supper, the significance of the extension of the hands in concelebration (indicative or epiclesis) and the validity of large-scale concelebrations, when the distance from the altar is very great. He went on to describe various positions taken by Karl Rahner and Gisbert Greshake, by the Thomists Joseph de Sainte-Marie and Rudolf Michael Schmitz, and by Paul Tirot and Philippe Gouyaud.
Robert L. Fastiggi, Professor of Systematic Theology at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, gave the following paper entitled “The Mass as the Sacrifice of Christ and the Church according to Sacrosanctum Concilium.” This paper examines how the constitution reaffirms the traditional Catholic dogma of the Mass as an unbloody re-presentation of Christ’s bloody sacrifice at Calvary, in response both to those who claim Vatican II de-emphasized the Mass as sacrifice, and those Catholic theologians who have tried to obscure the sacrificial character of the Mass. “The emphasis of Sacrosanctum Concilium on the ‘Paschal Mystery’ is demonstrated to be intrinsically linked to the sacrificial character of the Eucharistic liturgy, and furthermore, (the) recognition (in paragraph 48) of the participation of the faithful in the offering of Christ’s sacrifice at the Mass is shown to be a teaching previously expressed by both Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII.” As he concluded his paper Fastiggi continued “this participation though, must be properly understood as rooted in the Church as the ‘Mystical Body of Christ’ as taught by Pope Pius XII, and that this participation in the sacrificial offering is a privileged form of active participation,” he said.
The final paper of the Conference was given by Father Sven Leo Conrad of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, entitled “Liturgical Act or Liturgical Celebration? Some Considerations in the Light of Sacrosanctum Concilium and Presbyterorum Ordinis.” Fr. Conrad began by citing a report on an Extraordinary Form Mass celebrated at the German Katholikentag of 2012, characterizing it thus: “The priest stands with his back to the people. The chants and the texts are in Latin. This is not a common celebration of the faithful. It is the Sacrifice of the Mass at which the faithful assist.” Prejudices and misunderstandings towards the Gregorian Mass are today often founded on this idea, that this liturgy is not concerned with common celebration, and the faithful are excluded from the essential action. In order to adequately respond to this we must first clarify the concept of liturgical celebration.
“What the Liturgical Movement strived to do by reaching back to the celebratory character of the Sacred Liturgy was to surmount both rubricism and legalism. We could say that de facto what was sought was a return to the ‘pristina norma Patrum’. The more recent Magisterium in the 20th century has systematically appropriated this concept. Already Pius X in Tra le sollecitudini speaks of the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries. The term then often surfaces in the encyclical of Pius XII Mediator Dei, as also in the constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium. Although the Magisterium with Pius XII had overcome a one-sided external view of the liturgy, there were still pushes in this direction, he said, Continuing he said that “ these initiatives were lastly aimed at preventing a theological qualification of the Sacred Liturgy … seen only as an external aid to the workings of Grace and in no way as a salutary activity in itself. Josef Pieper has made an important contribution to the fundamental understanding of the relationship between worship and celebration. What is decisive for him is the realization that every true feast is finally based on an “affirmation of the world” which must result in the recognition and praise of the Creator. Precisely the Sacrifice of Christ, and thus the centre of Christian worship, takes place “in the middle of Creation, which finds in this Sacrifice of the God-Man its' highest affirmation and fulfilment.”
The full text of all these talks will be published in book format.
Will the Real St Thomas Please Stand Up?
I feel happier just not liking Maritain than I do not liking both him and Aquinas! I always preferred the definition of beauty as 'the radiance of being' or John Paul II's 'the good made visible' anyway (the latter comes from his Letter to Artists). Once we have either of these, then Aquinas's three qualities of beauty: integrity, due proportion and claritas work well..(.he did actually give us these didn't he?).
Any who understand this better than I do, please instruct!