Happy Priest: New Translation of the Ordinary Form of the Mass Corrects Objections

By Fr. James Farfaglia
10/18/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

New translation of the Novus Ordo Missae, the Ordinary Form, corrects all of the objections that Traditionalists have

My first article produced a tempest of comments regarding the Extraordinary Form and the Ordinary Form of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite. The purpose of my article was to serve as an introduction to articles about the new translation of the Ordinary Form which will be used starting the First Sunday of Advent 2011.

Fr. James Farfaglia celebrating the Holy Mass.

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CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - My first article produced a tempest of comments regarding the Extraordinary Form and the Ordinary Form of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite. The purpose of my article was to serve as an introduction to articles to come about the new translation of the Ordinary Form which will be used starting the First Sunday of Advent 2011, not to cause a lively debate about liturgy.

The best comment, however, within the debate came from a Catholic blogger and a lawyer who stated, "I am an ardent lover of the Tridentine Mass, but I appreciate the benefits of the Novus Ordo Missae while recognizing its liturgical shortcomings. I am also a stickler for the rubrics, regardless of the form or rite one uses. What one form gives in participation, the other takes away. What the other takes away in sacredness, the other gives.

In the debate between the two, I always try to remember St. Lucian (a third century priest), who after being imprisoned and tortured for days, with broken bones and dislocated joints, had the opportunity to say Mass while in chains, bound to the ground, using his chest as an altar when some Christians brought him some bread and wine. I should think that if Mass on St. Lucian's chest is valid and licit, we ought to be a little less intolerant on the matter of form.

Recall also, that the Church has had dozens of rites or uses, from Sarum, to Ambrosian, Gallican, African, Syrian, and a whole slew of Eastern liturgical rites. Choose your enemies and befriend your allies. For all their personal preferences the conservative, orthodox Novus Ordo priests and the Tridentine priests ought not to be fighting, especially when the new translation is a step in the right direction and our common enemies are legion.

The Tridentine, for all its tradition, is not quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est. Jesus in the Upper Room in the First Mass, for one, or St. Peter or St. Paul or any of the other Apostles, or a whole slew of Saints for centuries, never uttered the Tridentine rite. Aren't we in communion with them?"

My dear friends, the new translation of the Novus Ordo Missae, the Ordinary Form, corrects all of the objections that Traditionalists have regarding the text of the Novus Ordo Missae. We all recognize that the implementation of the liturgical reform of the Council has been a disaster in America.

For example, during the summer of 1988, Bishop Walter Curtis, past Ordinary of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, invited me for a visit to his office. I had grown up in his diocese. Now that I had returned to the United States, having completed my studies for the priesthood in Europe, he wanted to congratulate me on my ordination, which took place on December 24, 1987.

Our visit was cordial and rather informal. He asked me where I had grown up, and I told him in Ridgefield, and that my home parish was St. Mary's. I told him he had confirmed me, and that when my sister Donna was confirmed, I had served the Confirmation Mass and met him in the parish rectory. Our conversation brought back many memories, but my telling Bishop Curtis I was from Ridgefield made him aware that I had experienced first-hand the terrible tribulations our parish had undergone shortly after the close of the Second Vatican Council.

Early into 1968, St. Mary's became a battleground. A very holy and wonderful pastor, Msgr. James McLaughlin, had been transferred, and a new pastor, Fr. Martin J. O'Connor (1968-1974), came onto the scene with a new Assistant Fr. Nicholas Nicodem.

Although Msgr. McLaughlin did little to prepare his parishioners for the liturgical changes of the Council, the first few years of the changes were seemingly well received by the parishioners and there was peace in the parish. All seemed well.

Then the lid came off. It was 1968. Msgr. McLaughlin had left, Fr. O'Connor was in, and all of a sudden, madness struck. Numerous families left the parish and took refuge in other parishes in the neighboring city of Danbury.

As the chaos and polarization continued, ...

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1 - 10 of 13 Comments

Lloydie Baltazar
2 years ago
Obey Rome and its directives under the Holy Father. Vatican II had some positive contributions, but in my opinion, much of it has been misguided, misused which has now led to the modernism of the church, loss for Sacramental things and respect for liturgical value. Restore tradition and restore true Catholicism.
Bob
2 years ago
"Even if Catholics faithful to Tradition are reduced to a handful, they are the ones who are the true Church of Jesus Christ." Saint Athanasius

St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa, I-II question 76,a.3, Whether ignorance can be a cause of sin?

Father, the above are intended as questions and not, as an indictment.
Terrig
2 years ago
Nivov, you couldn't have said it better. I came back in full communion to the Church for which I am very happy but I miss the Catholic Church of my childhood with the reverence because we really believed in the True Presence. Some Sundays, I can't hardly stand to see the irreverence (the talking, immodestry, etc.) even by old people that should know better. Our priests always reads the real short version of the Liturgy just so people can get out fast. He even makes it shorter than the book by not praying for the dead. I thought the departed are always supposed to be mentioned in the Liturgy. Am I wrong on this? His homilies say nothing. This past Sunday, a retired priest said the Mass and all he could talk about was himself at the homily. He didn't explain the gospel and just give sound bits and jokes. There was a lot of laughing from the attendees (except me). I was angry and he was causing me to sin. There are 2 Catholic churches where I live. The Catholic Church I attend is a bit more traditional so you can imagine what I call "the Protestant Catholic Church" is like. It's hard to believe I'm in a Catholic Church - the attack on beauty as Father John Corapi would say. I think all this comes down to the fault of the liberal bishops and a weak cathechism. I can't wait for the changes to come. Maybe it will help.
vance
2 years ago
The articles and comments seem to be saying the same thing. The concensus seem to say in a nut shell that Vat II was and still is "Anything Goes". The writer refers to a late Bishop who participated in Vatican II BUT didn't feel it was his place "TO TELL HIS PARISH PRIESTS WHAT TO DO". The writer addmits chaos ensues when the Bishops do not exercise their duty as leaders. I had a sense that Vat II was a platform for a REVOLT among those Liberals who wanted to change the church to what they thought it should be. I watch EWTN and listen to Catholic Radio. All comments that are crtical of the fallout from Vat II ellude to the same thing. They never say REVOLT but that is what is was. Some may remember that Pope Paul VI often refered to his "CROWN of THORNS". These were the Bishops and clergy who refused to comply with Rome. These "Crowns of Thorns" elected themselves Pope and decided to do their "OWN THING". Does Revolution Theology sound familiar? As Ninov wrote,"It all comes down to obedience." Do the Bishops and priests continue to be "Crowns of Thorns" and "DO THIER OWN THING" or are they team players with Pope Benedict XVI? Where I live and attend church, I see "Crowns of Thorns" ongoing.
Paul
2 years ago
A.M.D.G.
It is still not clear to me - what is the purpose of the article ? The negativity that some of the respondents express is not a rebellion against the Ordinary Form but a reaction against the abuses which many have experienced accompanying the Ordinary Form . Reiterating that the O.F. is fine doesn`t correct these abuses . Is not the " new translation " not a reform of the reform ? All Traditional & Orthodox Faithful are loyal to the Magisterium & thus to Our Lord . So far there doesn`t seem to have been even a single response from anyone in schism with the Church . " Methinks he protests too much "
Pax et Bonum
MC
2 years ago
Dear Father, you said: "I thought that by now these folks would be happy campers. What else do they want?"

I can't speak for every EF adherant, but I would be glad to answer your question "what else do they want". What I want is implementation of the Holy Fathers wishes on the local leavel. Yes, Pope Benedict "opened the doors", but most local dioceses turned around and closed them again (which is obviously against his wishes). The local priests I know are afraid to use the EF for fear of retribution from the chancery.

The EF and OF are not going to peacefully coexist as long as the bishops actively supress the EF. The bishops caused this mess and only the bishops can fix it. If the bishops would have listened to John Paul II in 1988 with a "wide and generous" application of Ecclesia Dei, this rift would be more on its way to being healed. The bishops' obstinate attitude toward the wishes of John Paul II have set a reconciliation back another generation, at the least. The longer this rift goes on the harder it is going to be to fix, as Pope Benedict XVI has stated.

Your original article articulated why you are happy with the Novus Ordo. Being that is the way you feel about it, I'm happy for you! I'm glad you are at peace. As you have discovered, however, there are a significant number of people who are not at peace. The people you hear from are the ones who have tried to keep their faith and hang on. There are many thousands more who have lost the faith and left the Church forever.

I can't help think that after ignoring the wishes of two popes, which has pushed countelss souls out the the Church, the bishops are going to have a lot to answer for in the end.

In closing, I appreciated your reflection about your childhood diocese.
Regina
2 years ago
I always believed that no one, not even the Pope, could change the Liturgy of the Mass. Since Vatican II our Church has become cold and insignificant. It has been Protestantized and Masonized. Since they called it "RENEW", they moved the Blessed Sacrament Tabernacle out of our Chapels into obscurity. The Church is cold like other churches without the Real Prerscence. There is no reference . very little. When Mass is over, everyone jumps up like being in a carnival. Noise and talk, loud and overbearing. We were told not to genuflect receiving Holy Communion. I enjoy watching Mass on EWTN where they do everything right, from beginning to end. Truth will win.
RBrown
2 years ago
Although popes like Pius X and XII are often mentioned in the liturgical movement, it began with Dom Gueranger, founder and abbot of Solesmes. Having said that, I do not think a straight line can be drawn from the abbot through those two popes to some of what is found in Sacrosanctum Concilium. Among which I'll mention the use of the vernacular, the suppression of Prime (contradicts the Rule of Benedict), and the elimination of the weekly Psalter (contradicts not only the Rule but also the tradition but also the tradition of the Church), Further, the recommendation that priests living together say some part of the Office in common contradicts the traditions of almost all clerical orders founded after the Council of Trent.
ninov
2 years ago
At issue for me is obedience. I look forward to the changes to the NO, however, who’s to say folks will follow it. They didn’t follow V2, the docs are all out there, I know the rubrics better than most priests. Many didn’t even implement the subtle but important changes that came in 2002 like no ministers on the altar until the priest consumes. It looks like the lay ministers are concelebrating the mass. Yet I travel and see crowds on the altar. Can they not read? Do they not wish to read, did they read and not agree, are they chicken to set people straight and keep them in their seats? It all comes down to obedience. I have seen and read both, about changes in both the ordinary and extraordinary form over history. We kid ourselves to think people didn’t tinker with the traditional mass. SC clearly states, no priest, deacon or even bishop may change the mass, yet even with bad training 60 years ago, we still have seminaries and priests who don’t wish to worship correctly. I want to worship God the way He wants me to worship Him, not the way my ego wants to worship him or some liturgical committee wants to worship him. Why do we use ministers anyway? Can we not wait 10 more minutes during mass? To that I say “to whom else shall you go?” I would love to have 10 more minutes of silence. I have 4 boys under 10 and they can sit quietly, seems to me the adults are the problem. So, even with these changes coming, who’s to say they will be adopted or followed? Also, obedience is a double-edged sword. It’s about doing what your told, and this is the important part, not doing what you’re not told. IE, not making stuff up. I see liturgy parts made up all the time. So these changes get put through, and priests are not following them, or they follow them to the tee, but add just those 2-3 more elements because well, you know, the Holy See didn’t get it quite right. For example, people shouting out petitions during mass because the priest encourages this. Well, that’s not in the old nor new rubrics coming out. Doesn’t say we can’t do it and well, my congregation is use to is and I think it helps them participate more. By the way, V2 says the people need to participate more right. Well, everyone has their own definition of active participation. Knowing the times in the 60s, and reading various interpretations, it seems participation meant, more prayers in the vernacular and responses and maybe a few readings by the folks in the pews. I do not think they meant 10 lay ministers when there are 100 people in the pews and people dressing in robes, as if they are part of the ministerial priesthood now and have attained some higher class. I also don’t see anything in documentation about tearing out altar rails, unless of course, I choose to read some protestant writings where they talk about getting people off their knees and receiving in the hand to ‘take away’ from the true presence. Sounds rather familiar. Obedience is key, will the priests and more importantly, will the Bishops, pay attention to what is happening. Will someone actually go in and put kneelers into the churches that have no kneelers? That never did change, last I looked, even the Deacon has to kneel at the consecration so why shouldn’t us lay folks? So will they go out and actively make sure priests are following the rubrics? Well, given there are so many abuses now, I doubt it and I will have to pass 15 Catholic Churches and drive 55 minutes from my house so my 4 boys can see a mass that is at least close to what I think it should be.
Douglas L. Turner
2 years ago
I am a journalist and a Catholic, who happily took part in choirs in both the
new order and also with a Trident schola, and I cannot figure out what
this writer is trying to say.
The above is an exercise in a bunch of inside baseball.

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