A rather old but straightforward piece from Fr Zuhlsdorf, it tackles how we as Catholics who dare champion Tradition must approach many of today’s assertions that the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is not in any way “vital to every Christian’s spiritual life, as regarding its antiquated status.” A nice read, indeed.

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1) Rejoice because our liturgical life has been enriched, not because “we win”.  Everyone wins when the Church’s life is enriched.  This is not a “zero sum game”.

2) Do not strut.  Let us be gracious to those who have in the past not been gracious in regard to our “legitimate aspirations”.

3) Show genuine Christian joy.  If you want to attract people to what gives you so much consolation and happiness, be inviting and be joyful.  Avoid the sourness some of the more traditional stamp have sadly worn for so long.

4) Be engaged in the whole life of your parishes, especially in works of mercy organized by the same.  If you want the whole Church to benefit from the use of the older liturgy, then you who are shaped by the older form of Mass should be of benefit to the whole Church in concrete terms.

5) If the document doesn’t say everything we might hope for, don’t bitch about it like a whiner.  Speak less of our rights and what we deserve, or what it ought to have been, as if we were our own little popes, and more about our gratitude, gratitude, gratitude for what God gives us.

A late post on the above matter as I should put it, inasmuch as many of local and international Catholic blogs have already featured another classic in the liturgical aspect of the Philippine Catholic Church. With all the world ever more shedding their qualms against accommodating celebrations of the usus antiquior in their parishes, I do not know as to why the Philippine hierarchy has been staunchly blocking any positive response towards the much celebrated Pope’s paternal solicitudes to the Missal of Bl. John XXIII. We pray that the good Cardinal may eventually realise that winds of change are now sweeping through the Church; and in the name of unity and orthodoxy, acquiesce to a more widespread clamour that the two forms of the Roman Rite may coexist side-by-side towards a more reverent and Christ-centred celebration of the Eucharist.

I now bring you the famous guidelines recently promulgated on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception:

ARCHDIOCESAN GUIDELINES
ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE MASS
ACCORDING TO THE RITE OF THE ROMAN MISSAL
PUBLISHED IN 1962 (TRIDENTINE MASS)

In accordance with the norms laid down by the Apostolic Letter, issued motu propio, of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, Summorum Pontificum, We hereby establish the following guidelines and conditions on the celebration of the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962 (Tridentine Mass) in the Archdiocese of Manila:

1. The regulation of the celebration of this extraordinary form of the Mass belongs to the Archbishop of Manila, through the Minister of the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila.

2. This form of Mass is to be celebrated only at the Christ the King Chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Manila once a month, but not on Sundays and Solemnities.

3. The presider at this form of celebration should be a priest duly appointed by the Archbishop of Manila.

4. To ensure the solemnity and orderliness of the celebration of this form of Mass, the participation of other ministers (i.e., lectors, Master of Ceremonies, servers, choir, etc.) in the liturgy is to be determined and regulated by the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila.

5. The celebration of the extraordinary form of the Mass in this Chapel is open to any individual or group in the Archdiocese of Manila who may have the desire to participate in such celebrations. Further requests from individuals or groups from the parishes of or who belong to the Archdiocese of Manila to celebrate this form of Mass is to be directed to join the monthly celebration at the Manila Cathedral.

6. It is highly encouraged that a missal / booklet of the rite in Latin and English be prepared to help the faithful follow the celebration. It is like wise encouraged that those who will participate in this Mass undergo a catechetical orientation before the celebration.

7. The Archbishop of Manila has jurisdiction over this celebration and, therefore, can decide to limit or discontinue this monthly celebration anytime he judges that this is not consonance with the whole pastoral direction of the Local Church.

Given in Manila, this 8th day of December 2008.

+GAUDENCIO B. CARDINAL ROSALES
Archbishop of Manila

Father Zuhlsdorf of “What Does the Prayer Really Say?” had something in mind, all of which he perfectly rendered in his signature black+red font colour. He shut off the combox on such a post of his though–for prudence’s sake.