By Fr. Thom Hennen
Question Box
Q: What are we to make of the different forms of the liturgy within the Roman Rite?
A: Last week, I covered the Eastern Churches and Rites, but what about the different Rites that seem to exist within the Roman or Latin Rite?
To be clear, there is only one Roman Rite, though it has certainly seen development over the two-thousand-year history of the Church. What you see in most parishes is the “novus ordo,” literally the “new order” of Mass. It is also referred to as the “conciliar liturgy,” or the “Mass of the Council,” in reference to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). This has also been called the “ordinary form” of the Roman Rite. The first typical edition of the novus ordo was promulgated in 1969, with translations in the vernacular published in 1970.
The novus ordo has undergone further revision since its introduction. We are now in the third typical edition of the Roman Missal first promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2002 with amendments in 2008 and the approved English translation issued in 2011.
What Catholics often refer to as the “Traditional Latin Mass” was called the “extraordinary form” of the Roman Rite by Pope Benedict XVI when he first allowed greater usage of this in his letter Summorum Pontificum in 2007. It is now referred to as the preconciliar liturgy, that is, the liturgy as it was celebrated prior to the reforms of Vatican II. The most recent updating of that form of the Mass would be the 1962 Roman Missal, promulgated by Pope John XXIII.
Prior to 2007, priests needed special permission (called an “indult”) to offer this form of the Mass. Pope Benedict XVI relaxed this requirement, removing the need for the indult but still placing some restrictions on it.
Why did he do this? He explained that while it should be clear that this is “extraordinary” (meaning out of the ordinary), the form was never abrogated formally. He also recognizes that many people are still drawn to this older expression of the Church’s central prayer.
I believe Pope Benedict’s primary intention was to foster greater unity within the Church. Whether that has happened is a good question. Along with his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, I think Pope Benedict wanted to do what could be done to reconcile Catholics who had broken communion with the Church over this and other issues, specifically followers of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who founded the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). In other words, “If the form of the liturgy is the thing that is keeping you from full communion with the Catholic Church, we can work with you.”
Did this work? Not really. If anything, it may have further exposed the fissure, which was less about the liturgy and more about the Second Vatican Council as a whole.
A word about the SSPX, which is considered “canonically irregular.” This is owing to the ordination of their own bishops in 1988 in defiance of the Holy See. They are no longer in schism (excommunications were lifted in 2009). They are not sedevacantists (those who believe the chair of Peter to be vacant). The SSPX recognizes Francis as the pope and their sacraments are valid. That said, they are not in good standing or yet in full communion with the Church.
There are other groups in full communion with the Church that are devoted to this form of the Roman Rite, such as the Fraternity of St. Peter, the Institute of Christ the King and the Canons regular of St. John Cantius.
I have some more thoughts on all of this, but maybe for another day.
(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)
