http://www.bloggernews.net/117064 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:55:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://www.bloggernews.net/117064#comment-449483 James Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:55:41 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/117064#comment-449483 The idea of a "reform of the reform", while laudable in its intention to return to a more traditional style of worship, is itself antithetical to tradition. In Catholic tradition, rites organically develop. The Roman Rite developed for many centuries before it was "fixed" pretty much by Quo Primum of St. Pius V and the Council of Trent in reaction to the Protestant Reformation. Development only should occur in the liturgy at times when the Church is in good health; that is a principle of development as well. The sense of the faithful in matters liturgical is perhaps now a little infected with protestant notions to allow for healthy development in this period. And what are you going to develop from? What would this "reform of the reform" be a development in? Well the answer is, it would be a development in a rite that is itself not organic. No matter how much you "develop" from that, you're developing from something that was imposed upon the universal Church. The solution, so it seems to me and I think it may be in the Holy Father's mind as such, is that it is not so much of a "reform of the reform" in the sense of reforming the Novus Ordo. Rather, it is about allowing the ancient rite to grow and develop with modern saints, prayers etc. In this scenario, the Novus Ordo would have some influence on the form of the ancient rite and a sort of development would be the result. This depends, of course, upon a full-scale reintroduction of the ancient rite into the life of the Church. It is this rite, if any, that must organically develop if the development is to be "authentic" in the sense used in the Holy Father's previous writings. The idea of a “reform of the reform”, while laudable in its intention to return to a more traditional style of worship, is itself antithetical to tradition. In Catholic tradition, rites organically develop. The Roman Rite developed for many centuries before it was “fixed” pretty much by Quo Primum of St. Pius V and the Council of Trent in reaction to the Protestant Reformation. Development only should occur in the liturgy at times when the Church is in good health; that is a principle of development as well. The sense of the faithful in matters liturgical is perhaps now a little infected with protestant notions to allow for healthy development in this period. And what are you going to develop from? What would this “reform of the reform” be a development in? Well the answer is, it would be a development in a rite that is itself not organic. No matter how much you “develop” from that, you’re developing from something that was imposed upon the universal Church. The solution, so it seems to me and I think it may be in the Holy Father’s mind as such, is that it is not so much of a “reform of the reform” in the sense of reforming the Novus Ordo. Rather, it is about allowing the ancient rite to grow and develop with modern saints, prayers etc. In this scenario, the Novus Ordo would have some influence on the form of the ancient rite and a sort of development would be the result. This depends, of course, upon a full-scale reintroduction of the ancient rite into the life of the Church. It is this rite, if any, that must organically develop if the development is to be “authentic” in the sense used in the Holy Father’s previous writings.

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