D7

By Carmel Higgins
For The Times & Transcript

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8 Comment(s)

I wish to respond to Sean Tobin's column of Sept. 19 on the return of the traditional Latin Mass.

Having been brought up in the pre-Vatican II Church, I agree to a certain extent in the beauty of such a Mass and share in the feeling of nostalgia expressed by some people. I well recall the feeling of being immersed in an incomprehensible mystery that seems to be at the base of all religions. I still get weepy when I hear the beauty of Gregorian chant or old Latin hymns, especially the hymn 'Ave Marie Stella' which the Acadian people have adopted as their own spiritual and secular anthem. Having said that, I agree to the celebration of the Latin Mass as a compensation for such nostalgia, but question the motive behind this trend. It seems in a time of transition there is always a tendency to want to get back to the good old days. But is it the right direction?

It seems that the traditionalist movement is more than a compensation for nostalgia. It is a worldwide trend toward a more orthodox church and possibly from the top down. One need only Google "Latin Mass" to see how widespread and international this movement (or society) really is.

Pope Benedict XVI, himself, seems to have an affinity for the Latin Mass as he does generally for the church's ancient traditions. By boosting the Latin Mass, it has been said, he hopes to rectify the mistakes made in liturgy in the past 30 years. I question whether trial and error for the sake of progress constitutes actual mistakes.

The pope, recently, has also reached out to the Lefebvrites, a schismatic remnant of the pre-Vatican II Church, and to SSPX. (Society of Saint Pius X) founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970. He has also invited Bishop Richard Williamson of that society back into the fold. One of the obstacles to the bishop's full communion with Rome, and rightly so, is the fact that this bishop is anti-Semitic. A great fuss has been made over this fact. But not so obvious, and one never mentioned by Rome, is the fact that this so called traditionalist bishop is also sexist. What he believes about the role of women in church and society would put the Taliban to shame.

Among many other things, Bishop Williamson believes that girls should not wear trousers because it contributes to the 'unwomaning' of women. He also believes that girls should not go to university because universities are for ideas and ideas are not for 'true' girls. If they become educated and versed in ideas, he believes, they may then want to be priests!

I find it ironic that Rome wishes to re-incorporate Bishop Williamson into the fold while priests and nuns who speak out for the rights of women to full ministry in the church, including to the priesthood, are being excommunicated left and right. Go figure!

I also find it very telling that the present Pope still believes that the Roman Catholic Church is the one and only true church by which humankind can be saved. This so called truth is expressed in one traditional rite with a prayer to God for the conversion of Jews. It asks God to 'enlighten' Jews so they will acknowledge Jesus as the saviour of all men. So in that sense, boosting the trend toward traditional orthodoxy not only has the potential to undermine decades of Catholic-Jewish relations but will roll back the reforms of the second Vatican Council as well as sharpen divisions among the faithful themselves. There is no future in a return to the past.

On a more positive note, the point I wish to make is that it is true the Roman Catholic Church is rich in ritual. What we must do is salvage what is meaningful for modern society and relegate the rest to history. What is most meaningful and sacred in our church, as well as in other Christian churches, is our sacramental system. Here we can expand our understanding of the sacraments beyond the supernatural realm only to include all of creation. In the words of Teilhard de Chardin: "Unless it receives a blood transfusion from matter Christian spirituality may well lose its vigour and become lost in the clouds."

We Catholics are firmly attached to this world by fire, water, wax, incense, bread and wine, flesh and blood. We don't want to be raptured out of our bodies and out of this world. If we are going anywhere we are taking our bodies with us. It stands to reason we would want our bodies to participate in our spiritual worship. We want to clap, stretch, sing, speak, and even dance. Given this propensity, much could be done (and is being done) to revive our liturgies and to enhance our worship.

As we work creatively to improve our liturgies and worship, it is also possible that the best of the old and of the new will evolve into a new liturgy most fitting for our time. A return to a more traditional and passive form of worship will not solve today's problems. It will not solve the problem of priest shortage, the women's issue, or reconcile religion and science. It will not give us the incentive to treat the Earth with reverence, wonder at the night sky, or to heal the planet for future generations.

The work that lies ahead, and while affirming the best of all traditions, will be the work of accommodating in our liturgies a true sense of mystery within a living presence, as well as an appreciation for the spiritual energies of this world.

Let us be open to that end.

* Carmel Higgins is an author and resident of Moncton. She holds a certificate in culture and spirituality from Holy Names University in Oakland, California. She can be reached via e-mail at higginsc@nb.sympatico.ca