Pope Innocent III on Concelebration

Submitted by LocutusOP on Thu, 04/22/2021 - 23:43
Author: 

Cosmos , John F. Kennedy   

Date: 
Thursday, April 22, 2021 - 23:45
Article link: 
Pope Innocent III on Concelebration

Cosmos said...

So long as it scrupulously avoids the kind of egregious acts which would expose it to "legal" complaints, it is very difficult to criticize a legitimate authority which uses its discretionary power in pursuit of improper, ideological goals.

Pope Benedict alluded to this issues when he noted that the malady of the modern liturgical reform was not so-much the changes per se, but the sudden, "inorganic" nature of the changes which created the appearance of an arbitrary, political, and positivist Church.

As a person who sides with the "traditionalist" perspective, I tend to explain the focus on the 1950s with a computer analogy: "When your computer is suffering from a virus, your technician will try to restore it to the most recent time period that you know it didn't have that particular virus. That doesn't mean the computer was 100% healthy at that time. But that is generally the best you can do." Same goes for the liturgy.

 

23 March, 2021... John F. Kennedy said...

"Some modern 'traditionalists' believe that all Concelebration is wrong."

Is this true or just a straw man?

While I don't consider myself as a traditionalist but just plain ol Catholic and have no complaint per se on Concelebrations. But there are some problems with Concelebrations as I've seen them at times.

I typically attend a Dominican parish / Priory (with first year Novices) with typical concelebrated Novus Ordo Masses with the monthly Dominican Rite Mass. I have a problem with a Concelebrated Mass where the Eucharistic Prayer (The Roman Canon) is broken up into parts, in which Priest 1 (the main celebrant) says this part, Priest 2 on this side of the altar says this part, Priest 3 on the opposite side of the altar says that part and Priest 4 (next to priest 2) says the next part then it goes back to Priest 1. It seems like a Mass by committee and NOT a priest acting In Persona Christi. This committee approach doesn't feel right. Please tell me where I'm wrong...

I also have a problem with the prohibition of all Masses in St. Peters at all of the "side" Chapels and only in Italian. It seems that's why they were built and have been used for Mass for many centuries. It makes no sense from a faith point of view (God's eternal and constant sacrifice on the Cross) nor from the practical point of pilgrims attending from all parts of the globe at many times of the day. I think the requirement that ALL Masses MUST BE Concelebrated Masses an abuse.

29 March, 2021 

Own comment: 

I happen to agree with Cosmos that traditionalists wholly opposed to concelebration is a bit of a strawman. Sure, there are not many if anym who approve of it  at regular Masses, but I have never heard of or read anyone who opposes it at an ordination Mass, if done without the NOChurch cringeworthiness.

The rest of Cosmos's comment, in particular his computer analogy, is worth reproducing:

So long as it scrupulously avoids the kind of egregious acts which would expose it to "legal" complaints, it is very difficult to criticize a legitimate authority which uses its discretionary power in pursuit of improper, ideological goals.

Pope Benedict alluded to this issues when he noted that the malady of the modern liturgical reform was not so-much the changes per se, but the sudden, "inorganic" nature of the changes which created the appearance of an arbitrary, political, and positivist Church.

As a person who sides with the "traditionalist" perspective, I tend to explain the focus on the 1950s with a computer analogy: "When your computer is suffering from a virus, your technician will try to restore it to the most recent time period that you know it didn't have that particular virus. That doesn't mean the computer was 100% healthy at that time. But that is generally the best you can do." Same goes for the liturgy.