Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Summorum Pontificum and Hermeneutic of Continuity

Disclaimer: I am not an expert, nor do i have credentials to make a scholarly opinion, I just would like to share my views.

The Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum given motu proprio generated mixed reactions from the faithful, some welcomed the motu proprio with great joy while others dismissed it as something unimportant or irrelevant. I see that the opposition to the Missal of Blessed Pope John XXIII will be in existence for many years in much the same way as those who are opposed to the Missal of Pope Paul VI no matter how it is celebrated, may it be in line with tradition or not.

In present Vatican celebrations (with the new Master of Ceremonies, Fr. Guido Marini), we can see a glimpse of what is to come, little by little, slowly but surely...the normative liturgy being celebrated in much the same way as the extraordinary liturgy is celebrated. Those things that makes the extraordinary liturgy beautiful and spiritually edifying carried over to the normative liturgy. After all, this is the dream and vision of the current Vicar of Christ: hermeneutic of continuity.

I see that (again just from my own point of view) the position of the Supreme Pontiff is mainly focused on the deformations of the normative liturgy as it is currently celebrated and he wishes us, all Roman Catholics, to learn and grow through the extraordinary form since he said that liturgy should not be frozen in time but should be allowed to grow. I believe that this is one of the many reasons why the extraordinary form should be generously celebrated all over the world. It is just logical: how can we learn from it if we do not practice or experience it.

In this way we will see the normative liturgy sprouting forth from the extraordinary liturgy. The normative will no longer be described as fabricated but truly a continuity of the extraordinary.

Within the context of the Mass, Catholics with traditional views will see it as the new edition of the Roman Missal of Pope St. Pius V, while ordinary Catholics will see it as a new edition of the Mass of Pope Paul VI celebrated with traditional elements.

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