Father Kleppner - July 22, 2007
All priests received the following
memorandum from the diocese regarding
the Holy Father’s document on the Latin Mass.
Our Holy Father issued an Apostolic Letter in the
form of a Motu Proprio entitled Summorum
Pontificium on the use of the Roman liturgy prior
to the reform of 1970. The Holy Father states that
the document is the fruit of much reflection,
numerous consultations and prayer. In order that
you might be able to respond to questions that
might arise concerning the specifics of the
document, the following points of information are
presented to assist you.
- The Roman Missal promulgated by Pope
Paul VI is to be regarded as the ordinary
expression of the law of prayer of the
Catholic Church of the Latin Rite. The
Roman Missal promulgated by Saint Pius
V and published again by Pope Blessed
John XXIII in 1962 is to be considered
the extraordinary expression of the law of
prayer. The two expressions of the law of
prayer of the Church in no way leads to a
division in the law of prayer of the
Church, for they are two uses of the one
Roman Rite.
- In Masses celebrated without people, any
priest of the Latin Rite, whether secular of
religious, can use the Roman Missal
published by Pope Blessed John XXIII in
1962 or the Roman Missal promulgated
by the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI in 1970,
on any day, except in the Sacred
Triduum. For celebration in accordance
with one or the other Missal, a priest does
not require permission, neither of the
Apostolic See nor by the Diocesan
Bishop. The faithful, who spontaneously
request it, may be admitted to this
celebration. It is important to note that
the celebration of the Roman Missal of
Pope Blessed John XXIII is not permitted
at regularly scheduled weekday or
Sunday Masses.
- In parishes where a group of faithful
attached to the previous liturgical
tradition exists stably, pastors are
exhorted to willingly allow public Masses
for the people using the Roman Missal of
Pope Blessed John XXIII but no more
than one per Sunday and feast days. The
celebration of baptism, penance,
anointing of the sick, weddings and
funerals in the older rite is permitted in
these parishes. In our diocese, the only
parish that qualifies under this norm is
Holy Wisdom Parish (Saint Boniface
Church) located on the Northside of
Pittsburgh. Since 1989 the Diocese of
Pittsburgh has approved the celebration of
the Roman Missal of Pope Blessed John
XXIII of 1962. This extraordinary
expression of the law of prayer of the
Catholic Church is celebrated on Sundays
and holydays of obligation at Saint
Boniface Church (Holy Wisdom Parish).
In addition, the diocese has permitted at
Saint Boniface Church the celebration of
baptism, penance, weddings, and funerals
according the rites of 1962 and has
granted permission for the celebration of
the Roman Missal of Pope Blessed John
XXIII on other special occasions.
The newly promulgated Motu Proprio becomes
effective on September 14, 2007, the Feast of the
Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Until the effective
date of the Motu Proprio and until there is further
direction from the diocese, there may not be any
change in the present practice regarding the
Roman Missal of Blessed John XXIII.
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