Jeg har nettopp lest mange kommentarer til et blog-innlegg om at pave Pail VI i 1970 angret på at han hadde tatt bort pinseoktaven. Den ble til 1969 feiret hver dag til og med lørdag akkurat som selveste pinsedagen – som vi fortsatt gjør i påskeoktaven. Jeg har stadig vanskeligere for å forstå at alle forandringene som kom i liturgien i 1969 på noen måte skulle være nødvendige. (Men denne uka skal jeg feire to private TLMer, så da får jeg jo oppleve pinseoktaven i alle fall de to dagene.)
Av de mange kommentarene til det nevnte blog-innlegget, er det én som uthever seg; ved å være positiv og konstruktiv, og ved å vise hva som virkelig skjer av liturgiforandringer mange steder i Kirken:
Our Sunday EF Missa Cantata is in an old traditional looking church with its original high altar. The early morning low Mass is a “private” daily Mass just started in a typical modern in-the-round-church.
A half dozen years ago, our diocese probably had not seen a TLM in 35 years, and the current situation – with a half dozen priests who celebrate the TLM, all but one ordained in the last 10 years – would have seemed impossible to imagine.
Ditto (and perhaps more significantly) with the most recent daily OF Mass I attended last week. The celebrant processed in wearing a beautiful Roman chasuble carrying chalice in veil topped with burse, preceded by a single adult male server in surplice and cassock. No singing, the congregation reciting the day’s Introit. Not a single extemporaneous word preceding the Sign of the Cross (nor anywhere else in the Mass). Straight to the Confiteor, then the Kyrie in Greek after the Absolution. Silent Offertory with the priest visibly whispering his prayers, quietly recited Roman Canon with no saints nor any of the half dozen optional Through Christ Our Lord’s omitted. The Sanctus, Per ipsum ….. per omnia saecula saeculorum, and Agnus Dei in Latin, no hands held or handshakes anywhere, most everyone receiving HC on the tongue, prayer to St. Michael at the end of Mass and “Most sacred heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us” (thrice) as the celebrant and server processed out in silence.
Of course, the other side of the coin is visible hereabouts to those who want it (as many do). But I never see it myself, because I stay away from bad liturgical news, and hence account only the good.