|
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
Vatican Decree May Bring Back Latin Mass NewsMax.com Wires VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI, in an attempt to heal a schism in Catholicism, is writing a document to bring traditionalists back into the fold and allow greater use of the old Latin mass, Vatican sources said on Wednesday.
The Latin mass went out of use after the 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council ordered the gradual introduction of masses in local languages. That and other changes introduced by the Council, such as dialogue with non-Christian religions, were not accepted by many traditionalists.
Vatican sources said the document would probably take the form of a "motu proprio", a decree initiated personally by a Pope. It would attempt to regularise the re-entry of traditionalists to the Church and the reintroduction of the Latin mass for those who want it.
It would be an "indult", special permission given by the Holy See for a person or groups to deviate from universal Church law under certain conditions. Story Continues Below
The late Pope John Paul II allowed traditionalists to hear the mass with the permission of local bishops, many of whom were reluctant to give it on the grounds that it sowed confusion among the faithful who were hearing mass in local languages.
The traditionalists' major flag-bearer is the Society of Saint Pius (SSPX), founded by the late French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. The Swiss-based SSPX claims about one million followers compared to the 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide.
John Paul II in 1988 sanctioned the excommunication of the traditionalist leaders when Lefebvre defied his warnings and ordained four bishops without papal permission. This created the first schism in the Church in modern times.
Since his election last year, Pope Benedict XVI has been trying to hold out an olive branch to the SSPX, which sees itself as the guardian of true Catholicism.
He resumed direct dialogue with the group when he held a surprise meeting with Bishop Bernard Fellay, who took over its leadership after Lefebvre died in 1991.
The traditionalists who have been separated from Rome have demanded the lifting of the excommunication as a prerequisite for a dialogue aimed at healing the schism.
Last month Benedict allowed the establishment of a new religious institute for a small number of French priests and their followers who are former members of the SSPX.
In exchange, the members of the new institute and those Catholics who chose to follow them, effectively recognised the authority of the Vatican and the Pope.
Last year, a senior SSPX official sparked controversy when he urged the Pope to tell Jews and followers of other religions to covert to Catholicism from their "false systems", a stand contrary to the tolerance the Council introduced.
While the Pope backs the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, he has pleased many Catholics by stressing that they cannot allow their own beliefs and identity to be diluted for the sake of dialogue with other religions.
(c) Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.
Editor's note: Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Print Page 
Forward Page 
|
| All Rights Reserved © 2008 NewsMax.Com |