Chairman's Message - Redeeming the time

Joseph Shaw looks back at the roller-coaster of recent events

It is reasonable for LMS supporters to want to read, in this column, where we have got to on the roller-coaster of recent months, in relation to the place of the Traditional Mass in the life of the Church.

Thus, in March 2020, provision was made for saints canonised since 1962 to be celebrated in Traditional Masses at the discretion of the celebrant. On Christmas Eve 2020 the Institute of Christ Sovereign Priest celebrated its first Traditional Mass in the basilica of Saints Celso & Giuliano in central Rome. Both these events spoke of an attitude on the part of the Holy See that the Traditional Mass should be nurtured and encouraged, and that it was here to stay.

In July 2021 Traditionis custodes was published, and in December the same year the follow-up Instruction, Responsa ad dubia. Both these documents manifested an attitude that the Traditional Mass should be restricted, and in due time should disappear entirely.

In February 2022, Pope Francis issued a Decree concerning the Fraternity of St Peter, confirming that they had the right to use all of the 1962 liturgical books, allowing them to celebrate baptisms, weddings, and arrange confirmations and ordinations. It seems logical that the same privilege belongs to the other priestly institutes and religious communities whose founding charism includes the Traditional Mass. In the meantime, the Dicastery for Clergy, given authority over these ‘Ecclesia Dei groups’ by Traditionis custodes, have issued no instructions and made no visitations. Thus, for these groups, the official attitude seems to be ‘business as usual’: young Catholics may marry and raise their children in the context of the older liturgy, and build up communities around it.

In March 2023, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, Cardinal Arthur Roche, issued a Rescriptum ex Audientia, whose most important provision is that bishops must receive special authorisation to allow the Traditional Mass in parish churches. This reiterates, in a more emphatic fashion, one of the provisions of Traditionis custodes. Its implementation will take time, and depends on both local conditions and the judgement of the Dicastery case by case.

On recent form, however, some new document or event may throw everything up in the air again within the year. To my mind the overarching lesson of these four years is that it is a mug’s game to base too much on discerning an ‘official attitude’. As the Canon lawyers say, of the Holy Father, Quod voluit exprimit, quod noluit tacuit: What he wanted to say, he didn’t stay silent about. It’s as much as we can do to keep abreast of the letter of the law, never mind the spirit behind it, of which one can only say, Spiritus ubi vult spirat (‘the Spirit bloweth where he listeth’: John 3:8).

The Latin Mass Society is committed to the ancient Latin liturgical tradition: its celebration, its appreciation, its music, its language, and all that pertains to it. Readers will find in this edition of Mass of Ages reviews of recent books about it available in our online shop; notices of devotional events, including our major walking pilgrimage from Ely to Walsingham (and from Cambridge to Ely first, for those who want a bit more); sewing retreats and training events organised by the Guild of St Clare; training for servers organised by the Society of St Tarcisius; a Summer School for children; and opportunities onand off-line to learn Latin. As the Latinists will agree, adversus huiusmodi non est lex: against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:23).

Don’t miss out on the opportunities to do something positive and objectively worthwhile in times which seem confusing and dark. The more difficult our circumstances, the more precious the time and resources we can use for good, and the more we need the human contact which these activities involve. In St Paul’s words: redimentes tempus, quoniam dies mali sunt: redeeming the time, for the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).

Topically enough, this edition’s cartoon reminds us of the importance of maintaining Latin as a means of communication with our fellow Catholics, especially when things go wrong.