Wednesday 7 December 2011

Prophetic ?

I am currently reading 'Pope John's Council' written by Michael Davies.  This is his second book concerning Liturgical Revolution; part 1 being 'Cranmer's Godly Order'.  I was given this copy to pass on to a certain young seminarian who is returning home on St. Stephen's day which means a lot of very late bed-time reading for me.  I came across the following passage which really struck me as somewhat prophetic and, in light of the launch of the 'New Mass', very contemporary.

Chapter XVI - Unearthing the Time-bombs (p 233)

Bishop (now Cardinal) Dino Staffa pointed out the theological consequences of an "adapted liturgy" on 24 October 1962.  He told 2,337 assembled Fathers: 
It is said that the Sacred Liturgy must be adapted to times and circumstances which have changed.  Here also we ought to look at the consequences.  For customs, even the very face of society, change fast and will change even faster.  What seems agreeable to the wishes of the multitude today will appear incongruous after thirty or fifty years.  We must conclude then that after thirty or fifty years all, or almost all the liturgy would have to be changed again.  This seems to be logical according to the premises, this seems logical to me, but hardly fitting (decorum) for the Sacred Liturgy, hardly useful for the dignity of the Church, hardly safe for the integrity and unity of the faith, hardly favouring the unity of discipline.  While the world therefore tends to unity more and more every day, especially in its manner of working and living, are we of the Latin Church going to break the admirable liturgical unity and divide into nations, regions, even provinces?
I shall leave you, dear reader, to ponder upon these words of His Eminence Cardinal Staffa.



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