In August of last year, I came across a homily from a parish that I used to attend on the topic of "tradition." I was disappointed to hear the pastor repeating various falsehoods about the Second Vatican Council, along with misconceptions about Catholics who feel drawn to the usus antiquior or "traditional Latin Mass." This is a letter that I wrote to the priest and delivered to him personally, which served as a rebuttal to his claims and offered an adequate explanation as to why many Catholics choose to attend the usus antiquior in Saginaw. I also briefly commented on some unorthodox features of other homilies given by him.
While it has been nearly a year since it was authored, I want to share the letter since I know many local readers will appreciate it. What was said by the priest in the homily was a repetition of the same tired narrative that dominated the Saginaw diocese for decades, and thankfully has fallen out of favor with many clergy ordained during the tenure of Bishop Carlson and after.
I do not wish to make publicly known the name of the priest or of his parish. I ask that the readers who already know will not make rash judgements in their criticism, and instead offer their prayers and fasting for him and his parishioners.
Please note that while the meaning of the text is identical, I have improved as a writer since it was originally composed. Some statements have been reworded or added to in order to make greater sense, and some minor errors have been corrected. It is also worth noting that I used terms such as “English Mass”, “old rite” and “Latin Mass” to make sure that father knew what I was referring to. I recognize that in more informed discussions, simply referring to the missals by the language they tend to be celebrated in is inadequate, and would not use the terms in the same way as they are used here. Here is the text of the letter:
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Praised be Jesus Christ!
I want to share some of my concerns regarding a homily that was given on the 27th and 28th of August at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at (name of father’s parish), on the topic of tradition. I listened to the version that was posted to the parish Youtube page, and I couldn’t help but notice what I feel to be misconceptions about “traditionalist” Catholics along with some claims about the Second Vatican Council that I think have been disproven. It seems that you are directing your criticisms toward the local community of Catholics who attend the Latin Mass, and I wish to clear up some misunderstandings that I think are evident. My primary source that I will be quoting from in this letter will be Sacrosanctum Concilium, which is the Vatican II document on the liturgy. I have attached a printed copy of this document, and have highlighted each of my citations.
At two minutes and thirty seconds into the video, you said:
“We have a small group of people in our church, including some clergy, who cling to the old, Latin, 16th century tridentine Mass, and they refuse the teachings of Vatican II, which changed the mass from Latin into the language of the people.”
I obviously can’t speak for all traditionally-minded Catholics, since it is a worldwide movement with many, many people, but at my parish of Holy Family in Saginaw, which serves the faithful who are devoted to the Latin Mass from across the diocese, practically everyone accepts the Second Vatican Council. Out of the great many people I have met and spoken with, I can only name a few who find it difficult to accept the legitimacy of the reforms of Vatican II. This is to be expected, as with any group of people our size (The attendance at our mass ranges from 180-200 people on many Sundays). In any Catholic congregation there are going to be a few people who are out of line. I am planning to speak with the pastor to find a pastoral way to minister to these Catholics. My point is that I think it would be dishonest to paint all Catholics who appreciate the traditions of the church with a broad stroke as “Vatican II refusers”. This does not accurately portray the position held by a near unanimous majority of those who attend the official Latin Mass site for our diocese.
I should also mention that the majority of Catholics who attend this mass also attend the English Mass on a regular basis. They accept its legitimacy, along with the council, and are not opposed to its existence. In regards to your comment about clergy who celebrate the Latin Mass, you must be referring to priests outside of the diocese, since in the April 18th decree on the implementation of Traditionis Custodis in Saginaw, Bishop Gruss said: “The priests appointed are entrusted with these celebrations, and it has been determined that the priests do not deny the validity and legitimacy of the liturgical reform as dictated by Vatican Council II and the Magisterium of the Supreme pontiffs.” Since these priests do not meet the description you gave, I will move on to another point.
I find your terminology in this quote to be potentially misleading. “16th century tridentine Mass” is not an accurate description of what happens at Holy Family. It is true that if one could travel back in time to the 16th century and attend Mass, it would look practically identical to the Mass as it is done at Holy Family, but sometimes looks are deceiving. Much of the traditional Latin Mass actually dates back centuries earlier than the 1500s. Much of the Roman Canon, in which the consecration takes place, dates as far back as the 6th century. It took centuries for the Roman Rite to develop, culminating after the Council of Trent, when various elements of the Mass that were already present in the liturgy of Rome were codified for the whole Latin rite. Over time many changes were made, including from Trent to the present day. To name some notable alterations since the 1500s: New prefaces were added, feasts and propers for newly canonized saints, revised rubrics, a revised holy week in 1955, etc. In the 1962 missal, which is used every week at Holy Family, Pope St. John XXIII added the name of St. Joseph to the canon. All of this reflects organic development, which continues to this day. This might surprise you, but the Church actually continued to make official changes to the Latin Mass, years after the promulgation of the current liturgical form in use at most parishes now. As more priests started celebrating the Latin Mass from the 1980s to the present, Rome has continued to update and make changes to the 1962 missal. A prime example of this was in 2020 when the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome issued regulations allowing new prefaces from the English Mass to be used in the Latin Mass, along with the option to celebrate feast days for saints canonized after 1970, when most priests had adopted the current form of the liturgy. At Holy Family, we received special permission from Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith allowing for a layman to chant the first reading, as have other parishes in the state who offer the Latin Mass. This liturgy is hardly a relic of the 16th century.
You claim that “traditionalist” Catholics “refuse the teachings of Vatican II, which changed the Mass from Latin to the language of the people.” This is another point that needs to be examined. Since the majority of people who attend the Latin Mass at Holy Family accept the legitimacy of Vatican II, then that means we also accept all of its teachings. There is not one doctrinal teaching or disciplinary act of Vatican II that we reject. Your claim that Vatican II “taught” that the mass must be celebrated in the language of the people is false. I cannot find this anywhere in Sacrosanctum Concilium. To the contrary, article 36 states “Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.” Later in that section, the council merely permits Bishops to allow the use of the vernacular language under limited circumstances, with the possibility of going beyond that if there is serious pastoral necessity. Nowhere in this document does the council forbid the celebration of Mass in Latin. Regarding liturgical music, the council said in Sacrosanctum Concilium article 116: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.” It also says in article 54: “steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.” The council most definitely did not abolish the use of Latin in Church liturgies.
Next, you mentioned the 1984 Indult of Pope St. John Paul II, in which he gave permission for Bishops to allow priests to minister to Catholics using the old rite of Mass. What you said was true, but I think an important historical piece of the puzzle is being overlooked. The reason why there are so many Latin Masses around the world today is because there was a massive easing of restrictions in the years following St. John Paul II’s indult. Most notably, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI issued the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum in 2007, which gave every Roman Catholic priest the authorization to celebrate the Latin Mass without having to seek special permission. This Motu Proprio was heavily utilized in some places such as the Archdiocese of Detroit, which hosts 28 Latin Masses, about half of which are weekly. In other dioceses this Motu Proprio went largely unimplemented, as some Bishops were uncomfortable and in many cases insensitive to the pastoral needs of faithful seeking a more traditional liturgy in their diocese. The Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodis issued by Pope Francis last year supersedes the old rules and restores many restrictions. I fully recognize this, but still feel that the history behind this movement needs to be shared so that a greater understanding may come out of it.
At six minutes and thirty seconds into the video, you said:
“If traditionalists really want to go back to the past for Mass, they need to bring a pillow to church, and lie down on the floor facing the altar.”
This is a strawman. I don’t know of any Catholics who attend the old rite of Mass because they want to go back as far as we can, celebrating the liturgy as it was originally done in the upper room. Most people who attend the Latin Mass are fully aware that Jesus wasn't offering Mass in Latin and that the Mass in the upper room was before any sophisticated liturgical rites could be developed. I will cover the real reasons why Catholics are attracted to the Latin Mass later, but first I want to address another point you made about how the disciples were sitting around the table, not all on one side. I assume you mentioned this because the Priest and people are on the same side of the altar in the Latin Mass. The reason why this is done isn’t because we believe “that's how Jesus did it” or because the Priest is “turning his back on the people.” It’s because there is a long theological tradition behind the sacrifice of the Mass being offered this way, going back to the apostles themselves. This was clearly seen in the early church, when altars were built to face East, the direction of the rising sun. This symbolized Christ rising from the dead and the faithful looking forward to his second coming. As time went on churches started to be built facing other directions, which led to some odd altar arrangements (particularly in the Roman basilicas) since the Mass was still offered facing true east. Eventually this practice became “liturgical east”, where common orientation was restored regardless of the direction in which the church was built. All of the people in union with the Priest were together facing God in the liturgy, adoring Christ and reflecting on his future return.
I would also like to note that this attitude of “if it’s older, then it’s better” that traditionally-minded Catholics are often accused of, is precisely what many leaders of the Church believed during the implementation of the council, and still do today. This is where the trend of using simple wooden tables as altars came from. Vatican II never forbade Priests from saying Mass while facing the same direction as the people. This argument against “traditionalism” is unfounded.
I would like to conclude with some explanation as to why so many Catholics like the old rite of Mass, but first, let's look at the fruits. You quoted Pope Francis as saying that the Latin Mass is a “dead tradition.” I can’t give any firsthand experience outside of the Latin Masses I have attended, but for something you might call a “dead liturgy”, it sure has born tremendous fruit. The Latin Mass was first celebrated at Holy Family in December of 2020. In such a short amount of time, this Mass has led to the sprouting of a spiritually rich community, composed of many who are happily registered as parishioners of Holy Family and support the parish financially. There were nine first Holy Communions this year alone. Since our foundation there have been several baptisms, one wedding with two more planned for next year, countless confessions heard, countless rosaries prayed before mass, many relics venerated, many potluck dinners and community gatherings, one funeral mass, and the list could go on. Those who attend are contributing members of the parish organizations such as the worship committee and the music committee. The Knights of the Altar, an organization made up of around 20 altar servers, has been established and is going strong. The pastor of Holy Family can frequently be seen in attendance at our Masses. All of these are signs of a parish being rejuvenated with the spirit of renewal.
If you were to step into Holy Family just before the opening hymn of the Mass, you would see a packed church, full of young people. I can say as a young person: the youth want tradition. So many of the Catholics at Holy Family find themselves there because they don’t feel spiritually nourished at other parishes. This is home for them. It’s home for me. Many people are there because they have been mistreated at their former parishes. Some have been ridiculed for how they express their piety. Some have been denied communion on the tongue by their pastors in conflict with reasonable application of canon law. Some have been shut down by their parish committees because they want a less casual liturgy. Some have been forced to leave by erroneous preaching, since their pastors teach ideas that are condemned by the Church. Some couldn't bear to stay when their pastors started taking liberties with the liturgy such as making up their own prayers, making jokes during mass, omitting parts of the mass, turning homilies into free for all entertainment, ignoring the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, disrespecting the Blessed Sacrament, etc. Young people want beauty. Young people want something timeless. Many Priests fail to keep their interest because in exchange for the “16th century” liturgy, they offer a liturgy that seems to be stuck in the 1970s, especially when the music program of the average parish is taken into account. If you asked the average attendee at one of our masses why they like the Latin Mass, you would probably hear responses such as “because of the music” or “because of the solemnity” or “because of the beautiful prayers” but I think the biggest reason why Catholics love the Latin Mass is because of the reverence shown to the Blessed Sacrament. Every little liturgical action of the Priest, altar servers, and congregation, is oriented towards Jesus in the Eucharist. This principle is expressed even down to the Priest’s fingers, which after having touched the consecrated host, remain touched together, so that even the tiniest particle of Jesus will not be lost. While this and other rubrics are not substantial to the rite, it reflects a truly wonderful tradition. I think this quote from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI sums things up well: “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too.”
I again wish to make clear that the celebration of the Latin Mass in Saginaw is not being done out of any disobedience to the Bishop, Pope, or Magisterium. It would have been licit for one of our priests to begin saying the Latin Mass in his own parish under the rules of that time, with cooperation from the bishop, but we still sought permission to establish an official home for this liturgy. Bishop Gruss responded graciously to our request and even preached at our first mass. Everything we do is with his permission. In article 2 of Traditionis Custodis, Pope Francis says: “It belongs to the diocesan bishop, as moderator, promoter, and guardian of the whole liturgical life of the particular Church entrusted to him, to regulate the liturgical celebrations of his diocese. Therefore, it is his exclusive competence to authorize the use of the 1962 Roman Missal.” When the Bishop issued restrictions that greatly reduced the days on which the Latin Mass could be celebrated, we obeyed. On Pentecost Sunday, the doors of Holy Family were locked when we would normally be celebrating the Latin Mass. There was no disobedience.
The Church has always benefited from a diversity of liturgical rites and traditions. I have attended the Byzantine Rite church in Bay City, and very much appreciate their liturgy. When I first started coming to Holy Family, I didn’t find a group of disgruntled, old Catholics who just couldn’t move on. I found a group of Catholics who have been offered a priceless gem by the Church, and want to use it to help save their souls, so long as they are able. There are many reasons why I personally felt called to find a different parish, as opposed to (name of father’s parish), but that isn’t why I wrote this letter. My only intention is to make the truth about the Latin Mass and Vatican II known. If what I have said here troubles you, and you want to know how (name of father’s parish) can better nourish young Catholics, I have a couple of suggestions: Stop turning calvary into comedy, and stop contradicting what the Church teaches in your homilies. These alone will bear good fruit. I can guarantee it. Lastly, I am extending an invitation. If you want to find out for yourself why so many Catholics like the Latin Mass, then I invite you to visit Holy Family and talk to some of our families. Better yet, I invite you to come and talk to one of the Priests who celebrate the Latin Mass for us, and ask them why they do so. You will most certainly not hear the stereotypical “because we’re all Latin enthusiasts”. You might be surprised by what they say. The Holy Spirit is full of surprises.
Thank you for your Priesthood.
In Christ,
(Author’s name)
If you would like any of my additional sources, more info, or simple clarification, I would be happy to provide it. My email is (personal email).
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Unfortunately, the pastor did not take up my suggestions to visit and talk to the families at our liturgy, though the homily was taken down from Youtube and Facebook, so take that for what you will.
Prayer for priests by Pope Benedict XVI
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal High Priest, you offered yourself to the Father on the altar of the cross and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave your priestly people a share in your redeeming sacrifice. Hear our prayer for the sanctification of our priests. Grant that all who are ordained to the ministerial priesthood may be ever more conformed to you, the Divine Master. May they preach the Gospel with pure heart and clear conscience. Let them be shepherds according to your own heart, single-minded in service to you and to the Church, and shining examples of a holy, simple, and joyful life. Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother and ours, draw all priests and the flocks entrusted to their care to the fullness of eternal life where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
This blog is not affiliated with the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw or any ecclesial organization. The thoughts presented are my own.
Coming Soon: The Lost Sanctuaries of Saginaw: Part 3.
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