Some Thoughts on a Universal Indult

News around Traditional circles is that the long awaited universal indult has been signed and will be made public in a few months. For many Traditionalists this is welcome news because the right to offer the sacrifice of the Mass and receive the sacrament of Holy Communion according to the rite which has been the mainstay of the Catholic Church for centuries has been denied them for the last forty years. Even the indult issued in 1988 by Pope John Paul placed a significant limitation on the Traditional Mass by placing it in the hands of the bishops, many of whom had little experience of what Fr. Faber called 'the greatest thing this side of heaven' or were so caught up in the modernist 'spirit of Vatican II' they vehemently opposed any such return to the old rite. Thus we find many Catholics who desired to retain or return to this treasure of the Catholic Church left in the cold because of their bishop's ignorance or hostility.

However amidst the cries of Dei Gratias, which are no doubt being uttered throughout Traditional communities, there remains a great deal of apprehension and even a little suspicion. For a start the only news that has come out is that a document has been signed but few details as to its contents, or rather conditions. In the aforementioned indult of Pope John Paul II one of the conditions was the recognition of the validity of the Novus Ordo Missae and this caused many Traditionalists some pain because it appeared to be nothing more than the Protestant Service of the Lord's Supper to which were added a few references to Our Lady, the Pope and Purgatory. Despite the Church's attempts to justify the Novus Ordo Missae, the evidence suggests that what is been celebrated is no different to what Cranmer and Luther had created, or rather mutilated, centuries before.

That said let us consider some of the other aspects of a universal indult beginning with its effect on the liturgical landscape. It has already been pointed out that bishops are either ignorant of or hostile to the Traditional Mass, so there is little hope the clergy and laity will be any different. There has been in recent years a desire to correct liturgical abuses in the Novus Ordo Missae by interpreting Sacrosanctum Concillium according to the letter not the spirit, the so called 'reform of the reform', but many Catholics have become so complacent with the present state of the liturgy that any reform will be greeted with a mere shrug of the shoulders. As long as reforms do not involve the elimination of altar girls, guitars or whatever else might take their fancy, the faithful would in principle accept them. In this atmosphere the universalisation of the Traditional Mass will be no more than a blip on the Catholic radar. Certainly there will be those who are curious to see what liturgy was like in the 'good ol days', others who are annoyed with the constant evolution of the parish Mass and even a few who actually want to experience beauty and mystery but it only amounts to placating a minority within the Church, something in which the modern Church is well versed.

A far more important consideration is preparing priests who have only celebrated the Novus Ordo Missae to offer the Traditional Mass, if they so choose. This is not simply a case of learning a new set of rubrics but also the history, spirituality and theology behind those rubrics, so that they are conscious of the significance of every action and word. Only then will they be able to approach the sacred mysteries with due reverence and offer them with the proper intention. Coupled with the priest's preparation will be the faithful's formation in the Church's teaching on the Mass so they will be able to understand the ceremonies and prayers. Only when they are conscious of the great drama which takes place upon the altar will they be able to engage in actual participation.

From the reports which have appeared it would appear priests would be able to revert to the Traditional Mass without consulting the faithful, which could present a pastoral nightmare if those same faithful are reluctant to follow their priest's lead. What then? Canon law states the parish is the property of the parishoners not the bishops nor the priests, so they could request the removal of a priest who imposes the Traditional Mass, though one would hope any such action would come after actually experiencing the rite first and even then, if there was some genuine concern, though what that might be I leave to bishops and canon lawyers.

So much for concerns among Catholics, what about the other 'churches'. The Orthodox for one should view a return to the Traditional Mass as a positive step towards reunion because it presents in a distinctly Latin manner much of what they themselves believe and practice. However there may be fears among some that such a return will be the beginning of a reclamation by the Catholic Church of its glorious past and their being 'schismatics' once more. By far the greatest challenge the Traditional Mass poses is to the 'heretical' Protestants because it represents everything which their forefathers 'protested' against and which they, even subconsciously, have been led to deny. As one author notes, the Protestant Reformation opened the door to the removal of sacrifice, fellowship and ultimately God. Since the Second Vatican Council great efforts have been taken to enter into dialogue but without actually closing that door, instead opening another door for Catholics to embrace a Protestant understanding of everything. If this seems a little harsh, consider how much is done on the Catholic side to open this door by way of organising these dialogues compared with the Protestant side.

From what has been said thus far it is clear a universal indult may not be a God send after all but that is no reason for those who are already assisting and attending the Traditional Mass to give up. On the contrary they must persevere as normal in the hope that through the sacrifice of the Mass humanity may be sanctified and saved. [It might also help if Russia is consecrated to the Immaculate Heart] While others may have itching ears for new doctrines, let them remain faithful to what has come down from Christ and his Apostles over the centuries, let them remain signs of contradiction, living in the world but not of it.