Letters

Liturgical choices (letter)

Marguerite Fennell

Contents - Sep 2003 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The future of the Anglican Church - Peter Westmore New auxiliary bishops appointed to the Sydney Archdiocese - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Dissident US group establishing a foothold in Australian parishes - Mary-Ruth Monsour Catholic summer conferences in the United States: signs of hope - Richard Egan Culture: Second 'Carnivale Christi' Catholic arts festival scheduled for Melbourne - Michael Gilchrist Events: Hearts On Fire Vocations Congress for Melbourne Archdiocese - Joanne Grainger Understanding the Catholic Liturgy since Vatican II - Dom Alcuin Reid OSB Pope John Paul II calls for greater use of Latin - Denis Murphy Homosexual conduct: how Gospel teaching can be distorted - Bill Muehlenberg Letters: Not closing ranks (letter) - Alan Gill Letters: Hidden agenda (letter) - Dr Arthur Hartwig Letters: Liturgical choices (letter) - Marguerite Fennell Letters: New Mass (letter) - Philip Robinson Letters: Converts (letter) - Kevin Tighe Letters: Selfhood (letter) - Robert Prinzen-Wood Letters: Prophetic words (letter) - Errol Duke Letters: Freedom to be born (letter) - George F. Simpson Abridged Papal encyclicals available - Fr M. Durham Letters: Correction - Chris Hilder Books: OLD THUNDER: A Life of Hilaire Belloc, by Joseph Pearce - Scott J. Bloch (reviewer) Books: Some Fell On Rock, by Fr John O'Neill - Fr Peter Joseph (reviewer) Books: The Practical Preacher: Handy Hints for hesitant homilists, by Paul Edwards SJ - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: Great books at the best prices! Reflection: A Christian response to bereavement: Jesus' ministry to the sick and dying - Fr Dennis Byrnes

Replying to Peter Westmore (April) and Philip Robinson (May), I propose that it is time both Catholic reformists, who refuse to acknowledge the value of the classical Latin Mass, and traditionalists, who view with suspicion the Novus Ordo, re-examined their positions.

The communal focus of the new Mass and the transcendent sacredness of the old(er) rite complement each other, at least to the point of offering clergy and laity legitimate options of worship. Would that our Catholic children be given exposure to both liturgies, so they (and their families) may know the existence of these choices.

In the classical rite, Holy Communion is reverently received kneeling (for those who can). Although almost disappeared, this practice, or at least pious genuflection, remains legitimate in the new rite, too. Likewise, our Blessed Lord may be received on the tongue as an option to receiving Him via the hand.

May the availability of both classical and new liturgies become the norm in our parishes! In the new Mass, the priest could serve those in line and then those who choose to kneel.

A good start would be to educate both laity and clergy that the Latin Mass is not a retrograde step, but an ongoing, enriching option which the faithful may choose to explore or not - once they know that this rite is still officially available within the magisterial Catholic Church, along with the new one.

MARGUERITE FENNELL (MRS)
Bentleigh, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 16 No 8 (September 2003), p. 15