An Old Rite Priest and Msgr. Charles Pope on the Old and New Forms of the Roman Rite

[Michie]

Celebration of Mass in the traditional form of the Roman Rite in St. Peter’s Basilica, Oct. 30, 2021 (Photo: Edward Pentin)

In writing this recent article on the restrictions imposed by the Diocese of Rome on celebration of the sacraments in the traditional form of the Roman Rite (it has banned six out of seven of them, allowing just the Eucharist), I included some of the comments below but, as usual, due to space constraints, it wasn’t possible to use them in their entirety.

Please therefore see below their comments in full, the first by a traditional priest who, due to the current climate of suppression preferred not to be named, and the second by Msgr. Charles Pope, dean and pastor in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC:



Old Rite Priest

What is the general difference between the two forms of the Roman Rite?

In general one finds with the other Sacraments in the usus antiquior (UA) [also known as the extraordinary form, or the Tridentine rite] the same key differences as one finds in the different forms of the Mass. Namely, the new rite of the Mass (NO) presents much less clearly the truths of the faith and lacks in a substantial way the pedagogical helps that are constantly presented to us through the UA.

This difference is critical because souls desperately need today to be strengthened in their faith. As we see in the Gospel, faith is the key that unlocks the door to God’s action. There is a great difference between 1) being taught the truth about the sacrificial nature of the Mass and about Our Lord’s Real Presence but experiencing those mysteries daily or weekly in the NO versus 2) being taught these two truths and living them daily or weekly in a rite which has you on your knees to begin the Mass, fosters sacred silence, and has all the gestures and helps that you are well aware of.

To give a personal example: When I first began celebrating the UA I was struck by the effect on children. I was the same priest with the same sermons — with whatever strengths and weaknesses those had — whether I was celebrating the Mass in Spanish, English, or in the UA (and in the former I was normally celebrating ad orientem and using the Communion rail for distribution). The families attending had, for the most part, never experienced the UA before. But when they came for a couple of months I was really struck by the additional good fruits in the children and young people, as well as adults. This is one sign of the pedagogical strength of the UA.

Continued below.
An Old Rite Priest and Msgr. Charles Pope on the Old and New Forms of the Roman Rite