BRITISH Christians from various denominations have joined Roman Catholics in urging the Pope not to ban the normal Latin mass.
“There are continuing reports from Rome that the Vatican, having already severely restricted access to the Latin mass, is planning what would amount to a proper worldwide ban,” a petition, organised by the Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan, says.
“This is a gesture of support for those Catholics who’ve found spiritual solace within the old Latin mass and now . . . face the prospect of being forced to disown their very own precious heritage.”
The petition, which has thus far attracted 16,000 signatures, says that support for the mass stays strong amongst “non-Catholics and non-believers”, and is “entirely ecumenical and non-political”, without being intended to attack or “challenge the authority of Pope Francis”.
The traditional, or Tridentine, mass was restricted in favour of vernacular translations after the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council. It was reauthorised in Britain, nonetheless, under a 1971 indult, or dispensation, from Pope St Paul VI. In 1984, Pope St John Paul II widened permission to rejoice the mass, and it was later prolonged to all priests by Pope Benedict XVI.
In a July 2021 letter, Traditionis Custodes, nonetheless, Pope Francis ruled that traditional masses needs to be allowed provided that participants accepted the papal magisterium and “the validity and the legitimacy” of Vatican II liturgical reforms (News, 23 July 2021).
Responding in a letter to The Times on 3 July, also organised by Sir James, 48 distinguished British people said that the Latin mass represented “a cathedral of text and gesture”, the destruction of which could be “an unnecessary and insensitive act”.
“The old rite’s ability to encourage silence and contemplation is a treasure not easily replicated, and, when gone, unattainable to reconstruct,” said the signatories, who included Lord Fellowes and Lord Lloyd-Webber, in addition to the human-rights campaigner Bianca Jagger, and writers, historians, musicians, and film stars from religious and non-religious backgrounds. “We implore the Holy See to reconsider any further restriction of access to this magnificent spiritual and cultural heritage.”
In an article published on the webiste of the Catholic Herald last week, the chairman of the Latin Mass Society, Joseph Shaw, wrote: “The indisputable fact that Pope Paul VI granted permission for the Traditional Mass in 1971 after receiving a petition of distinguished Catholic and non-Catholic advocates of toleration has planted the concept this stuff could make a difference.”
Mr Shaw said that several other petitions and open letters had now also been sent to Pope Francis, difficult a “negative stereotype” that “the normal Mass is attended only by a cultural elite.”
In an article in The Times this month, Sir James wrote that prohibition of the mass could be a “shattering blow”. He said that the 48 signatories — including Princess Michael of Kent, and the opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, in addition to Lord Stirrup, a former Chief of the Defence Staff — had acted “in defence of non secular freedom”.
“That there are Vatican functionaries indulging on this petty, philistine authoritarianism against their very own co-religionists is shocking for a non-Catholic audience,” Sir James wrote. “In the spirit of our common humanity, we appeal to the Holy See to revive to Catholics the valuable freedom to take part in the fantastic liturgy of their ancestors.”
