Papal Mass in UK: Latin only in main parts!

From Damian Thompson


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Monsignor Guido Marini, Papal Master of Ceremonies, confirms in an interview with Scotland’s Herald newspaper today that during his visit to Britain Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the Prefaces and Canons of all his Masses in Latin, “to emphasise the universality of the faith and the continuity of the Church”. [HOORAH!!!]

The Canon (Eucharistic Prayer) is the heart of the Mass, during which the priest consecrates and elevates the Host. There can be little doubt that Marini has put his foot down. Having already stopped liturgical philistines from subjecting the Pope to various musical horrors, he is now sending a clear – and, one suspects, deeply unwelcome – message to English, Welsh and Scottish bishops who actively discourage the celebration of Mass in Latin.

There’s particular fury among the diehard modernisers of Scotland, I gather, who have waged a sneaky battle to banish traditional worship from the Bellahouston Mass. [Over here!  The CBCP is doing the same thing!  Yoohoo!!!] They are now reduced to quibbling about the number of candles on the Glasgow altar, protesting at the Pope’s wish for six or seven on the grounds that… actually, I don’t know. Too Popish, perhaps? [I know you would agree Fr. Anscar, right?]

And it seems I was spot on about the call for lay people to distribute Communion at Bellahouston, which will not please Rome at all since the use of non-ordained ministers is unnecessary in the presence of 400 priests. This message just reached me from a respected Scottish priest:

I am in no way surprised about the candles at the Papal Mass as the man in charge of the liturgy taught me liturgy at Scotus Seminary and was against anything Catholic. Indeed we were told we could put nothing on the altar and to have two free standing candles was the most. [Does the photos below look familiar?]

[Look! No candles on the altar!]

I was also sitting at the back of a neighbouring parish last weekend … and the PP who is also a VG came on to make the announcements, one of which was to ask for “Eucharistic Ministers” [sic] to assist in giving out communion at the Mass in Bellahouston – so I would say that rumour is also true!

Maybe I shouldn’t be drawing attention to divisions at this late stage in the proceedings, but the utter disregard for the wishes of Pope Benedict shown by various organisers in England and Scotland has been quite shameful. [Shameful?! They are nothing more than dissenters and schismatics! Popes of their own right!]

Just as the Government had to step in to save the public events of the visit from organisational chaos, the Pope’s Master of Ceremonies has had to intervene to ensure that the worship in Glasgow and Birmingham is suitably dignified. Rome is not impressed.

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Can we not all see how these liturgists, like those here in the Philippines, who even form "Liturgical Research Bruhahas", give you the impression that "Hey!  Shut up, Pinoy Catholic!  I am the one that has the degree in Liturgy!  Not you!  So back off!"

These same people deride the traditional Liturgy because Latin and the gold vestments are so "elitist" yet they themselves are guilty of the charge they bring against those whom they deride!