Letters

The New Mass (letter)

Fr G.H. Duggan SM

Contents - Feb 2005 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Year of the Eucharist: a time to get serious - Michael Gilchrist Appeal: Missionaries' vital role in helping tsunami victims - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World The Church in Australia 2005: can the tide be turned? - Michael Gilchrist Timor Leste: Australia and East Timor: a Timorese Salesian Brother's impressions - Br Marcal Lopes Education: State Aid: answering the critics' arguments - Fr Matthew Kirby Religious Life: Faith and Reason: for a true renewal in religious life and the Church - Sr Mary Augustine OP Events: Thomas More Centre to host US publisher dedicated to Catholic social teachings - Anthony Cappello Marriage: Why gay marriage is a self-contradiction - Peter Reynolds Letters: Religion inquiry (letter) - Jeff Tan Letters: Missal translation (letter) - Norman Wilkinson Letters: Revival of faith (letter) - Errol P. Duke Letters: Fiji example (letter) - Tom King Letters: Catholic youth (letter) - Jim Brown Letters: Society of St Pius X (letter) - Anthony Bono Letters: Eternal destiny (letter) - G. Mahoney Letters: School leavers (letter) - Mrs M.A. Ross Letters: Numbers of priests (letter) - Frank Mobbs Letters: Abortion (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Changes in Liturgy (letter) - Valentine Gallagher Letters: The New Mass (letter) - Fr G.H. Duggan SM Letters: Ten Commandments (letter) - Arthur Negus Letters: Message from India (letter) - Fr S. John Joseph Letters: Books wanted (letter) - Edwin McGrath Letters: Inspiration (letter) - Brian Harris Books: Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way, by John Paul II - Richard Egan (reviewer) Books: Turning Towards the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: A Christian Apocalypse:The Sexual Abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, 1884-2004 - David Williams (reviewer) Books: Books to read in 2005 Reflection: Archbishop Hart: Pope John Paul II and the Year of the Eucharist - Archbishop Denis Hart

In his reply to my earlier letter, Monsignor Elliott mentioned the Roman Missal of 1962. However, the text of this Missal was, except for one phrase, identical with that of the Missals that had preceded it since the time of Pope Pius V in the 16th century. The only change is the insertion of St Joseph in the list of Saints in the Communicantes prayer at the beginning of the Roman Canon.

With the promulgation of the Novus Ordo Missae in 1969, there was a revolutionary change. For one thing, the celebrant, instead of one Canon, now had the choice of one out of four. Many other changes were made with the result that celebrations of the Eucharist could be taken at times for Communion services instead of the offering of a sacrifice of propitiation asking for the forgiveness of the sins of the living and the dead.

The New Mass, it was confidently predicted, would lead to an increase in the number of the faithful assisting at Sunday Mass and the number of converts to the Faith. This forecast has not been fulfilled.

In fact, when the New Mass first appeared, Peter Berger, an eminent sociologist - not a Catholic, but not unfriendly to the Church - commented that if an evil genius was seeking a means of destroying the Catholic Church, this is the kind of thing he would have devised. Recently, Cardinal Ratzinger said that among factors contributing to the Church's crisis has been the implementation of the New Mass.

FR G.H. DUGGAN SM
Silverstream, New Zealand

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 18 No 1 (February 2005), p. 16