Can the faithful assist at the traditional Masses celebrated in virtue of the Motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI of July 7, 2007?

[Dawn Marie]

Can the faithful assist at the traditional Masses celebrated in virtue of the Motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI of July 7, 2007?

Fr. Peter Scott: This Motu proprio has taken the place of the Indult of 1984, renewed in 1988, permitting the traditional Mass under certain conditions. Neither the Society of Saint Pius X nor traditional Catholics in general profited by Rome’s Indult, first because of the conditions attached to it, and, in particular, that of acknowledging the "doctrinal and juridical" value of the Novus Ordo Missae, which is impossible; and secondly because such acceptance of the Indult would amount to saying that the Church had lawfully suppressed the traditional Latin Mass.

But other priests did profit by it, some jumping at the chance to say the traditional Latin Mass under the umbrella of legality, others only because requested by their Bishop, but without any love of the traditional Mass or conviction about the doctrinal reasons that make it truly Catholic and obligatory. There were just a few who would have said the traditional Latin Mass anyway but who accepted to do so under the auspices of the Indult for "pastoral reasons".

These are the priests who were particularly happy at the publication of the Motu proprio that declared that the traditional Mass had never been abrogated, and that every priest has the right to celebrate it in private, and under certain conditions in public, namely when a group of the faithful request it, and this without the permission of the bishop. They are also happy that the explicit conditions formerly attached to the Indult Mass no longer apply.

The question then arises as to whether traditional Catholics can assist at the Masses of such priests, presuming that their preaching is traditional, and does not include any of the errors of Vatican II (a big "if" and a condition not usually fulfilled). Clearly if one has to agree with the doctrinal and juridical value of the Novus Ordo, even implicitly, then it is not permissible, for we cannot do evil that good may ensue. That this is still the case with Motu proprio Masses is clear from the requirement of Pope Benedict XVI, stating that traditional priests "cannot, as a matter of principle, exclude celebrating according to the new books. The total exclusion of the new rite would not in fact be consistent with the recognition of its value and holiness", and that they must accept that the ordinary form of the Mass is the new rite. This we can never do.

This condition of acceptance of the New Mass may not be presented explicitly as in the past, but it certainly is by implication, as is evidenced by some of the following practices, that are current with Masses celebrated under the Motu proprio:

- by a priest who celebrates the Novus Ordo on other days of the week or at other times;
- by a priest who sees no doctrinal problem with the Novus Ordo Missae, nor actively opposes its destruction of the Faith;
- by using Hosts consecrated at a Novus Ordo Missae;
- by priests who mix the two rites as if they were one;
- by communion in the hand;
- by new lectionaries, Mass facing the people, etc.;
- by a priest who was ordained in the New Rite and not conditionally ordained, for the certitude of the validity of priestly ordination needs to be obtained, for we have the obligation of following the safest path, "pars tutior" when it concerns the sacraments and of not taking any chances;
- by sermons that are modernist in inspiration (much to be feared if the celebrant habitually says the Novus Ordo Missae); or
- by offering only the modernist rites of the other sacraments, e.g., penance.

This brings up the whole context of the Motu proprio Mass, which is really no different from the Indult Mass. It is:

- a ploy to keep people away from the Society of Saint Pius X (for many parish priests and bishops will encourage it only where there is a Society of Saint Pius X Mass center), and to force them to accept "the binding character of the Second Vatican Council", as required by Pope Benedict XVI’s Motu proprio.
- intended only for those who feel attached to the traditional Latin Mass but nevertheless accept the doctrinal rectitude and juridical right of the Novus Ordo Missae, still considered the "ordinary form" of the Roman rite, as well as Vatican II, and all official orientations corresponding to these.
- an attempt to reconcile the new and old rites, Pope Benedict XVI himself recommending the mixing of both rites, for he stated "the two forms of the usage of the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching".

Therefore, attending it because of the priest’s words or fellow Mass-goers' pressure, or because of the need to pander to the local Bishop just to have it, inevitably pushes one to keep quiet on "divisive issues" and, distance oneself from those who do not keep quiet i.e., it pushes one to join the ranks of those who are destroying the Church. This one cannot do.

The Motu proprio Mass, like the Indult Mass, is therefore not for traditional Catholics. This does not mean, however, that many other Catholics, who are not so familiar with Tradition, will not derive many graces and blessings from the additional Masses celebrated in virtue of the Motu proprio, nor that the priests who celebrate these Masses will not benefit greatly likewise. The Motu proprio is certainly a great blessing for the Church. However, it is not the end of the crisis, nor the answer for traditional Catholics.

However, the bottom line is that such priests, by the very fact that they are a part of a Novus Ordo diocese or community approved by the Novus Ordo, must acknowledge the licitness of the New Mass and of the changes wrought since Vatican II. By the very fact of their dependence on the modernist authorities, they cannot maintain that the New Mass is evil, nor can they deter others from assisting at it. Consequently, even if such priests refuse themselves to celebrate the New Mass, their principles can hardly be solid, but are rather a compromise. To recommend that the faithful attend such Masses would end up being an encouragement to attending the New Mass itself, regardless of the good intentions that many of these priests manifestly demonstrate.

All the more obvious is the case of those conservative or "traditionally minded" priests who celebrate both the traditional Mass and the New Mass. We certainly ought to encourage them to celebrate the traditional Mass as often as possible. However, for as long as they still celebrate the New Mass, and presumably attempt to please God in this way, they are living a contradiction, and we should avoid even their traditional Masses.