Folia Theologica 20. (2009)
Caban Peter: Features and new impulses of the Pope Benedict XVI in the area of liturgy
52 CABAN, Peter Benedict XVI in his motu proprio allowed freedom in the celebration of the liturgy according to pre-Council liturgical books. Diocesan bishops and parish priests have the task to be prepared to fulfil the requests of the faithful regarding the liturgy according to Missal of the blessed John XXIII. Some of them will have to learn the ancient pre-Council liturgy according to ancient liturgical precepts.26 Motu proprio is accompanied by the papal Letter to bishops where the Pope clarifies the motu proprio and mentions possibilities how to implement Tridentine liturgy in practice.27 He speaks that not only older generation liked the ancient Latin liturgy but in the meantime it has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them. The Pope writes that there is no need to fear and the missal should unite the faithful and not to disarray them. The celebration of Mass according to Missal of blessed John XXIII is the ministry to minor groups of the faithful which results from the real situation where the communities of the faithful are living: use of the old Missal presupposes some liturgical formation and knowledge of Latin language as Benedict XVI emphasizes. According to Benedict XVI the relationship to liturgy is more important than various fears. According to the Pope the relationship to the liturgy is developed and progressed in history but it is never broken. The Pope wrote: "What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful." Both form of the Roman rite may enrich each other. New saint persons and some new prefaces must be inserted into the old Missal so this Missal should be developed.28 As Vatican radio informed Motu proprio means that 26 DUDA, J., Komentár k motu proprio Summorum pontificum, in Tribunal c. 2/2007, http://tribunal.kapitula.sk/2007-2/komentar.htm March 14th 2008. 27 In the letter accompanying motu proprio the Pope mentioned serious deformation of the liturgy which occurred in the past: "In many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear." BENEDICT XVI, Letter of His Holiness Benedict to the bishops on the occasion of the publication of the apostolic letter "Motu proprio data" Summorum Pontificum, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2007, SSV Trnava 2007, edition Papal documents, nr. 70, p. 24-25. 28 http://vaticanradio.org/slo/Articolo.asp?c=144010 March 12lh, 2008.
