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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Reform of the Reform Wish-List

On the perilous assumption that the Vetus Ordo will soon be freely available I have allowed my mind to wander onto the issue of the 'reform of the reform'. It is implausible and in my view undesirable to expect that the Vetus Ordo will eventually seize control of hearts and minds to such a degree that the Novus Ordo will disappear. While the ideal thing might be to go back to what the Council actually decreed and apply that to the 1962 Missal ignoring and eventually suppressing the 1970 Missal altogether, this is impractical. What the Council ordered it ordered in light of the circumstances as they were in the early 60s these circumstances have now been completely transformed (for the worse) it would not be faithful to the fathers' intentions to implement exactly what the council ordered then now, however disastrous it may have been that Paul VI saw fit to stray (or was conned into straying) so far from them then. Instead I think we should strive to transform the Novus Ordo into a Missa Simplex which can give a fitting place to the vernacular and sit alongside the Ancient Rite. This would require the following reforms...

A) Prohibit the celebration of Mass facing the people (which is contrary to Apostolic Discipline and the immemorial tradition of the Church).
B) Abolish all Eucharistic Prayers other than Eucharistic Prayer 1.
C) Abolish all penitential rites other than the Asperges (restored to its 1962 form) and the Confiteor + Kyrie.
D) Return to the 1962 lectionary adding extra readings to create a lectio continua.
E) Return to the 1962 Calendar adding new feasts on the appropriate dates.
F) Prohibit the use of the unvarying parts of the Mass in the vernacular.
E) Prohibit the use of any musical setting other than those found in the Graduale Romanum, Graduale Simplex and Missa Jubilate Deo. (More elaborate pieces could still be performed and freshly composed in the context of the 1962 Missal).
F) Prescribe the singing of the ordinary of the Mass (using at least the Missa Jubilate Deo) in all Masses with a congregation.
G) Eliminate all collects etc composed since 1962 replacing them with the originals unless they were composed for new feasts.
H) Prescribe the vernacular for the readings and general intercessions.
I) Prohibit serviettes and non-vested and female readers.
J) Prohibit extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion (on pain of death).
K)Return to Communion under one kind (except for the spouses at nuptial masses and all communicants on Corpus Christi).
L) Insist that the Bishops create an appropriate supply of Acolytes and Lectors.
M) Restore the 1962 Good Friday Solemn Intercessions and Pius XI’s version of the formula of consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart for use on Christ the King.

I hope the Holy Father (who tells me he is a regular reader of this blog) will forgive my presumption. Any further suggestions or objections are most welcome.