In the second part of an interview with Crux, Leo XIV spoke to the issue of the Traditional Roman Rite. HERE
Here’s the relevant part (my emphases and comments)
Q: Regarding the study group on liturgy, what is being studied? How much of the reason for establishing this was related to divisions surrounding the Traditional Latin Mass, for example, or issues such as the new Amazonian rite?
My understanding of what the group came out of is primarily from issues that have to do with the inculturation of the liturgy. How to continue the process of making the liturgy more meaningful within a different culture, within a specific culture, in a specific place at any given time. I think that was the primary issue.
There is another issue, which is also another hot-button issue, which I have already received a number of requests and letters [about]: The question about, people always say ‘the Latin Mass.’ Well, you can say Mass in Latin right now. If it’s the Vatican II rite there’s no problem. Obviously, between the Tridentine Mass and the Vatican II Mass, the Mass of Paul VI, I’m not sure where that’s going to go. It’s obviously very complicated. [I don’t understand why it is complicated. There are different Rites celebrated in the Latin Church. Which one is more venerable and, over time, successful than what is now the traditional Roman Rite? There are people all over the place who desire it. Why is this hard?]
I do know that part of that issue, unfortunately, has become – again, part of a process of polarization – people have used the liturgy as an excuse for advancing other topics. It’s become a political tool, and that’s very unfortunate. [If I had a chance to ask a question, I would ask among whom most of the polarization in the Church is coming from. How is the desire for the TLM “political”? In my experience, people desire the TLM not because of some “political” agenda, but rather because of the content of its prayers, the reverence with which it is celebrated as well as, increasingly, the community with others who attend.] I think sometimes the, say, ‘abuse’ of the liturgy from what we call the Vatican II Mass, was not helpful for people who were looking for a deeper experience of prayer, of contact with the mystery of faith that they seemed [?] to find in the celebration of the Tridentine Mass. Again, we’ve become polarized, so that instead of being able to say, well, if we celebrate the Vatican II liturgy in a proper way, do you really find that much difference between this experience and that experience? [The answer is “YES”. Indeed there is quite a dramatic difference. However, this difference must be experienced. You can’t make a decision about this based only on what those who dislike the traditional liturgy have said. In fact, mostly they are the polarizers and ideologues who don’t want to talk things over.]
I have not had the chance to really sit down with a group of people who are advocating for the Tridentine rite. There’s an opportunity coming up soon, and I’m sure there will be occasions for that. But that is an issue that I think also, maybe with synodality, we have to sit down and talk about. It’s become the kind of issue that’s so polarized that people aren’t willing to listen to one another, oftentimes. I’ve heard bishops talk to me, they’ve talked to me about that, where they say, ‘we invited them to this and that and they just won’t even hear it’. They don’t even want to talk about it. [Wait a minute… wouldn’t it depend on what it is to which bishops invited people?] That’s a problem in itself. It means we’re into ideology now, we’re no longer into the experience of church communion. [Let’s turn the sock inside out. What if the people who desire the TLM have invited the bishop and the bishop won’t come?] That’s one of the issues on the agenda. [We shall see what attention it receives.]
We shall have to wait for a while longer, it seems However, there are a few indications in this that Leo sees the issue through a lens of “politics”, how people get along or not. While it is good that people get along, it isn’t the highest goal. Moreover, who says that everyone must be in lockstep?
It’s time for another appeal. Thanks to reader HL for nudging me about this today.
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