The Long Awaited

“Personally, I was from the beginning in favor of the freedom to continue using the old Missal...it seems indispensable to continue to offer the opportunity to celebrate according to the old Missal, as a sign of the enduring identity of the Church. There is no doubt that a venerable rite such as the Roman rite in use up to 1969 is a rite of the Church, it belongs to the Church, is one of the treasures of the Church, and ought to be preserved in the Church.

“I well know the sensibilities of the faithful who love this liturgy—these are, to some extent, my own sensibilities.…I emphasize this—it would be fatal for the old Liturgy to be, as it were, placed in deep-freeze, left like a national park, a park protected for the sake of a certain kind of people, for whom one leaves available these relics of the past.

“We should be able to understand that this Missal is also a Missal of the Church, and under the authority of the Church, that it is not an object preserved from the past, but a living reality within the Church very much respected in its particular identity and for its historical stature but equally considered as something which is living, and not a dead thing, a relic of the past.” - Looking Again at the Question of the Liturgy with Cardinal Ratzinger (2001)

For Catholics and those interested in the activities of the Catholic church, today was a much anticipated day; our Pope, Benedict XVI has released an official document, a motu proprio, clarifying the freedoms of Catholics to assist at the traditional "Tridentine" Mass. This was the Mass which was known to all Catholics prior to Vatican II. This is the Mass that our family has grown to know and love over the past decade.

Much will be made of the release of this document, and I am afraid that in the mainstream media the message will be misunderstood, taken out of context, and misrepresented. If you would like to know what the Pope has really stated, you can read the documents in-still unofficial-English translation as linked below.

Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum"
Letter from Pope Benedict XVI to the bishops
Explanatory Note on the Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum"

If you prefer a summary, check out Catholic World News. Or some conservative analysis along with the document is provided at New Liturgical Movement (just keep scrolling down for the actual line-by-line).

Much of the response to this document has been positive thus far, but perhaps many have not yet had a chance to read it and articulate their thoughts. The terms of the Motu Proprio do not go into effect until September 14. Prudence dictates, in my opinion, allowing ample time before forming an opinion on the benefits or disappointments of such a document. It will be interesting to observe the size and speed of the response among the faithful and the clergy to this "liberation" of the Tridentine Mass. Most importantly, however, some years must pass before we can fully assess the fruits of this Papal gesture.

May the Holy Ghost fill our Holy Father with continued wisdom and infuse this action with grace that it may bring glory to the God, our Father.