Here is an excellent interview with Archbishop Burke related to the indult Mass. He makes some great points and I especially found interesting his notion that the generous allowance of the indult Mass can be used to help reform and enrich the new Mass. [Via AMDG]
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For how long do we keep talking about it?
As someone who hears a cacophany of versions of the Pater Noster all around him in church on Sunday–some in English, some in Korean, some in Spanish, and some in Vietnamese–I have to say that, in a multi-ethnic community, recourse to “the” vernacular is dicey, indeed, and I believe that, simply for communication’s sake, a re-adoption of the single language of Latin would be a blessing. But I think it’s also useful to make two other points about this:
As far as ritual goes, it is not at all obvious that trying to make it intellectually plain and straightforward, by recourse to the vernacular, actually helps the members of the congregation connect to the mystery’s most profound aspects. Rather, it may work against their making that connection by seeming to suggest that the mystery is comprehensible by ordinary language. And,
From looking at old newsreels from Vat 2, it became clear to me that the most important reason given for establishing the vernacular as central to the celebration of the Mass (whatever was actually in the documents), was that it would “allow people to pray to God in their own language.” The bogosity of this idea seems so clear now–who exactly was it who was ever prevented from praying to God in their own language, simply because the Mass was in Latin?
How can a language that few understand, speak, or communicate in draw us together? Did Jesus not speak to his disciples in their native tongue?
Because it’s something we share, sister. It’s universal, as is the Catholic Church.
Billy, we keep talking about it until it comes to our home parishes. It will never die, mark my words.
What about the corollary sister? Has worshipping in the vernacular brought us closer together than when the Mass was celebrated in Latin?
Do you get the same sense of inclusion if you attend mass in say, India and everything is in Hindi? Does a non-english speaker get the same sense of inclusion when they attend mass here in the States?
Rather than rushing to beat the historical-critical “do it just like it was done in 33 a.d.” Rahnerian drum, at least hear the arguments others are making for the TLM.