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It has
always been
the care of the SUPREME PONTIFFS until the present
time, that the Church of Christ offer worthy worship to the Divine
Majesty “for the praise and glory of his name” and
“for the good of all
his Holy Church.”
As from time immemorial so in the future the
principle shall be respected “according to which each
particular Church
must be in accord with the universal Church not only regarding the
doctrine of the faith and sacramental signs, but also as to the usages
universally handed down by apostolic and unbroken tradition. These are
to be maintained not only so that errors may be avoided, but also so
that the faith may be passed on in its integrity, since the Church's
rule of prayer (lex orandi) corresponds to her rule of belief (lex
credendi).”
Among Pontiffs who have displayed such care there
excels the name of Saint Gregory the Great, who saw to the transmission
to the new peoples of Europe both of the Catholic faith and of the
treasures of worship and culture accumulated by the Romans in preceding
centuries. He gave instructions for the form of the Sacred Liturgy of
both the Sacrifice of the Mass and of the Divine Office as was
celebrated in the City. He made the greatest efforts to foster monks
and nuns, who militating under the Rule of St Benedict, in every place
along with the proclamation of the Gospel by their life likewise
exemplified that most salutary expression of the Rule “let
nothing be
given precedence over the work of God” (ch. 43). In this way
the sacred
liturgy according to the Roman manner made fertile not only the faith
and piety but also the culture of many peoples. Moreover it is evident
that the Latin Liturgy in its various forms has stimulated in the
spiritual life very many Saints in every century of the Christian age
and strengthened in the virtue of religion so many peoples and made
fertile their piety.
However, in order that the Sacred Liturgy
might more efficaciously absolve its task, several others among the
Roman Pontiffs in the course of the centuries have brought to bear
particular concern, among whom Saint Pius V is eminent, who with great
pastoral zeal, at the exhortation of the Council of Trent, renewed the
worship of the whole Church, ensuring the publishing of liturgical
books amended and “restored according to the norm of the
Fathers” and
put them into use in the Latin Church.
It is clear that among
the liturgical books of the Roman Rite the Roman Missal is eminent. It
grew in the city of Rome and gradually down through the centuries took
on forms which are very similar to those in vigor in recent generations.
“It
was this same goal that as time passed the Roman Pontiffs pursued,
adapting or establishing liturgical rites and books to new ages and
then at the start of the present century undertaking a more ample
restoration.” It was in this manner that our Predecessors
Clement VIII,
Urban VIII, St Pius X , Benedict XV, Pius XII and the Blessed John
XXIII acted.
In more recent time, however, the Second Vatican
Council expressed the desire that with due respect and reverence for
divine worship it be restored and adapted to the needs of our age.
Prompted by this desire, our Predecessor the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI in
1970 approved for the Latin Church liturgical books restored and partly
renewed, and that throughout the world translated into many vernacular
languages, have been welcomed by the Bishops and by the priests and
faithful. John Paul II revised the third typical edition of the Roman
Missal. Thus the Roman Pontiffs have acted so that “this
liturgical
edifice, so to speak, …might once again appear splendid in
its dignity
and harmony.”
However in some regions not a small number of the
faithful have been and remain attached with such great love and
affection to the previous liturgical forms, which had profoundly imbued
their culture and spirit, that the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II,
prompted by pastoral concern for these faithful, in 1984 by means of a
special Indult Quattuor abhinc annos, drawn up by the Congregation for
Divine Worship, granted the faculty to use the Roman Missal published
by John XXIII in 1962; while in 1988 John Paul II once again, by means
of the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei, exhorted the Bishops to make wide and
generous use of this faculty in favor of all the faithful requesting it.
Having
pondered at length the pressing requests of
these faithful to
our Predecessor John Paul II, having also heard the Fathers of the
Consistory of Cardinals held on 23 March 2006, having pondered all
things, invoked the Holy Spirit and placed our confidence in the help
of God, by this present Apostolic Letter we DECREE the following:
It
is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the
Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by
Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of
the Liturgy of the Church. The conditions for the use of this Missal as
laid down by earlier documents
Quattuor
abhinc annis and
Ecclesia
Dei,
are substituted as follows:
Art.
2 In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic
priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the Roman
Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the Roman Missal
promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the
exception of the Easter Triduum. For such celebrations, with either one
Missal or the other, the priest has no need for permission from the
Apostolic See or from his Ordinary.
Art.
3 Communities of Institutes of consecrated life and of
Societies of apostolic life, of either pontifical or diocesan right,
wishing to celebrate Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman
Missal promulgated in 1962, for conventual or
“community” celebration
in their oratories, may do so. If an individual community or an entire
Institute or Society wishes to undertake such celebrations often,
habitually or permanently, the decision must be taken by the Superiors
Major, in accordance with the law and following their own specific
decrees and statues.
Art.
4 Celebrations of Mass as mentioned above in art. 2 may
–
observing all the norms of law – also be attended by faithful
who, of
their own free will, ask to be admitted.
Art.
5 § 1 In parishes, where there is a stable group of
faithful
who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should
willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the
rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare
of these faithful harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care of the
parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392,
avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church.
§
2 Celebration in accordance with the Missal of Bl. John
XXIII may
take place on working days; while on Sundays and feast days one such
celebration may also be held.
§
3 For faithful and priests who request it, the pastor should
also
allow celebrations in this extraordinary form for special circumstances
such as marriages, funerals or occasional celebrations, e.g.
pilgrimages.
§
4 Priests who use the Missal of Bl. John XXIII must be
qualified to do so and not juridically impeded.
§
5 In churches that are not parish or conventual churches, it
is
the duty of the Rector of the church to grant the above permission.
Art.
6 In Masses celebrated in the presence of the people in
accordance with the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, the readings may be given
in the vernacular, using editions recognised by the Apostolic See.
Art.
7 If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 § 1,
has
not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they
should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to
satisfy their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take
place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission
“Ecclesia Dei”.
Art.
8 A bishop who, desirous of satisfying such requests, but who
for various reasons is unable to do so, may refer the problem to the
Commission “Ecclesia Dei” to obtain counsel and
assistance.
Art.
9 § 1 The pastor, having attentively examined all
aspects, may
also grant permission to use the earlier ritual for the administration
of the Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, Penance, and the Anointing of
the Sick, if the good of souls would seem to require it.
§
2 Ordinaries are given the right to celebrate the Sacrament
of
Confirmation using the earlier Roman Pontifical, if the good of souls
would seem to require it.
§
2 Clerics ordained “in sacris
constitutis” may use the Roman Breviary promulgated by Bl.
John XXIII in 1962.
Art.
10 The ordinary of a particular place, if he feels it
appropriate, may erect a personal parish in accordance with can. 518
for celebrations following the ancient form of the Roman rite, or
appoint a chaplain, while observing all the norms of law.
Art.
11 The Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”,
erected by John
Paul II in 1988, continues to exercise its function. Said Commission
will have the form, duties and norms that the Roman Pontiff wishes to
assign it.
Art.
12 This Commission, apart from the powers it enjoys, will
exercise the authority of the Holy See, supervising the observance and
application of these dispositions.
We
order that everything We have established with these Apostolic
Letters issued as Motu Proprio be considered as “established
and
decreed”, and to be observed from 14 September of this year,
Feast of
the Exaltation of the Cross, whatever there may be to the contrary.
From
Rome, at St. Peter’s, 7 July 2007, third year of Our
Pontificate.
Benedict XVI
