A Reader's Comment
We received this comment today on one of our first articles- "The Return of the Latin Mass to Vermont". The writer had written all in capital letters to emphasize his point and communicate his zeal. I think you will find his words encouraging and I think they confirm what all Traditional Catholics had hoped. As the Bishop of Vermont, His Excellency Salvatore Matano said at his first Latin Mass in Vermont, "Come home! Come home! This is your home!
To John and any other readers- Welcome back. We missed you.
Comments begin:
The same thing is being repeated in Church after Church, Parish after Parish throughout Canada and the United States, Europe, Mexico, Latin America, Asia and Africa. They are coming and in the millions. Surprisingly most are between 14 and 40 years old. What are they coming to? The Classic Latin Mass (codified at the Council of Trent) Tridentine Liturgy.
With the courageous action of Pope Benedict 16th last summer, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum proclaimed the Latin Mass was never outlawed, never forbidden and it will celebrated worldwide without the permission of "sometimes" hostile bishops and priests.
I was at a Latin Mass in Orange County California after the Papal Pronouncement of it's freedom and it was packed to the street. I have returned to the Church (a lapsed Catholic) with the return of the ancient Mass and more than a few friends also lapsed Catholics and more than a few friends sitting in Evangelical Churches said they are giving it another try and coming home to the Catholic Faith- Shalom.
[emphasis mine]
To John and any other readers- Welcome back. We missed you.
Comments begin:
The same thing is being repeated in Church after Church, Parish after Parish throughout Canada and the United States, Europe, Mexico, Latin America, Asia and Africa. They are coming and in the millions. Surprisingly most are between 14 and 40 years old. What are they coming to? The Classic Latin Mass (codified at the Council of Trent) Tridentine Liturgy.
With the courageous action of Pope Benedict 16th last summer, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum proclaimed the Latin Mass was never outlawed, never forbidden and it will celebrated worldwide without the permission of "sometimes" hostile bishops and priests.
I was at a Latin Mass in Orange County California after the Papal Pronouncement of it's freedom and it was packed to the street. I have returned to the Church (a lapsed Catholic) with the return of the ancient Mass and more than a few friends also lapsed Catholics and more than a few friends sitting in Evangelical Churches said they are giving it another try and coming home to the Catholic Faith- Shalom.
[emphasis mine]
Comments (4)
Truthfully, I did not think along these lines--of fallen away Catholics coming back with the return of the Traditional Mass. Wonderful news indeed!
Posted by Cornelius | November 9, 2007 7:06 PM
Posted on November 9, 2007 19:06
This might be a a prefigurement of the prophecy of Our Lord, "And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened."
Posted by Cyprian
|
November 9, 2007 8:50 PM
Posted on November 9, 2007 20:50
"The same thing is being repeated in Church after Church, Parish after Parish throughout Canada and the United States, Europe, Mexico, Latin America, Asia and Africa. They are coming and in the millions. Surprisingly most are between 14 and 40 years old. What are they coming to? The Classic Latin Mass (codified at the Council of Trent) Tridentine Liturgy"
From what I see on Latin Mass Network and many other websites, probably a hundred or so new "mass sites" have sprung up in the USA (including those not listed on the various sites tracking the spread of the Extraordinary Form) since September 14. While significant and wonderful for all of us Catholics who love the traditional liturgy and have fought for its survival, it is not exactly "millions" and it is not "parish after parish". Even with all the new mass sites, that's still just 300 or so compared to the US's some 20,000 parishes, chapels, etc.
Furthermore, the spread of the EF so far has been limited to the USA and to some parts of continental Europe. However, the same thing has not happened in Asia and Africa. Here in the Philippines, we have a strange problem: we have many priests willing to learn the TLM, but no congregations of faithful to back them up.
Why am I raising all these? I think it is important to realize that Summorum Pontificum is but a beginning. SP has opened the gates of the Church wide to the traditional liturgy, and is the greatest opportunity we've had so far to promote it. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that, compared to the sheer size and number of Catholic congregations worldwide, the Trad movement is still but a tiny seed. Full of potential, but still a seed. We still have a long fight ahead of us in terms of liturgical catechesis. Let's not celebrate prematurely.
Posted by Carlos Antonio Palad | November 12, 2007 11:52 PM
Posted on November 12, 2007 23:52
Dear Carlos,
You make a good point. It is too early for Victory to be declared but on the other hand don't worry about mere numbers. After all Our Lord chose only 12 to change the world. It was enough.
And I have confidence in the beautiful people of the Philippines. They understand respect for authority and respect for the Church. With good priests to lead them they will experience the profoundity of the Traditional Mass and embrace it.
Mary
Posted by staff
|
November 13, 2007 11:33 AM
Posted on November 13, 2007 11:33