Apostolic
Letter
In the form of “Motu
Proprio”
SUMMORUM
PONTIFICUM
BENEDICT
XVI
It has always been the care of the Supreme Pontiffs
until the present time, that the Church of Christ offer worthy worship to the
Divine Majesty “for the praise and glory of his name” and “for the good of all
his Holy Church.”
As from time immemorial so in the future the principle
shall be respected “according to which each particular Church must be in accord
with the universal Church not only regarding the doctrine of the faith and
sacramental signs, but also as to the usages universally handed down by
apostolic and unbroken tradition. These are to be maintained not only so that
errors may be avoided, but also so that the faith may be passed on in its
integrity, since the Church's rule of prayer (lex orandi) corresponds to her
rule of belief (lex credendi).”
Among Pontiffs who have displayed such
care there excels the name of Saint Gregory the Great, who saw to the
transmission to the new peoples of Europe both of the Catholic faith and of the
treasures of worship and culture accumulated by the Romans in preceding
centuries. He gave instructions for the form of the Sacred Liturgy of both the
Sacrifice of the Mass and of the Divine Office as was celebrated in the City. He
made the greatest efforts to foster monks and nuns, who militating under the
Rule of St Benedict, in every place along with the proclamation of the Gospel by
their life likewise exemplified that most salutary expression of the Rule “let
nothing be given precedence over the work of God” (ch. 43). In this way the
sacred liturgy according to the Roman manner made fertile not only the faith and
piety but also the culture of many peoples. Moreover it is evident that the
Latin Liturgy in its various forms has stimulated in the spiritual life very
many Saints in every century of the Christian age and strengthened in the virtue
of religion so many peoples and made fertile their piety.
However, in
order that the Sacred Liturgy might more efficaciously absolve its task, several
others among the Roman Pontiffs in the course of the centuries have brought to
bear particular concern, among whom Saint Pius V is eminent, who with great
pastoral zeal, at the exhortation of the Council of Trent, renewed the worship
of the whole Church, ensuring the publishing of liturgical books amended and
“restored according to the norm of the Fathers” and put them into use in the
Latin Church.
It is clear that among the liturgical books of the Roman
Rite the Roman Missal is eminent. It grew in the city of Rome and gradually down
through the centuries took on forms which are very similar to those in vigor in
recent generations.
“It was this same goal that as time passed the Roman
Pontiffs pursued, adapting or establishing liturgical rites and books to new
ages and then at the start of the present century undertaking a more ample
restoration.” It was in this manner that our Predecessors Clement VIII, Urban
VIII, St Pius X , Benedict XV, Pius XII and the Blessed John XXIII
acted.
In more recent time, however, the Second Vatican Council expressed
the desire that with due respect and reverence for divine worship it be restored
and adapted to the needs of our age. Prompted by this desire, our Predecessor
the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI in 1970 approved for the Latin Church liturgical
books restored and partly renewed, and that throughout the world translated into
many vernacular languages, have been welcomed by the Bishops and by the priests
and faithful. John Paul II revised the third typical edition of the Roman
Missal. Thus the Roman Pontiffs have acted so that “this liturgical edifice, so
to speak, …might once again appear splendid in its dignity and
harmony.”
However in some regions not a small number of the faithful have
been and remain attached with such great love and affection to the previous
liturgical forms, which had profoundly imbued their culture and spirit, that the
Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, prompted by pastoral concern for these faithful,
in 1984 by means of a special Indult Quattuor abhinc annos, drawn up by the
Congregation for Divine Worship, granted the faculty to use the Roman Missal
published by John XXIII in 1962; while in 1988 John Paul II once again, by means
of the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei, exhorted the Bishops to make wide and generous
use of this faculty in favor of all the faithful requesting it.
Having
pondered at length the pressing requests of these faithful to our Predecessor
John Paul II, having also heard the Fathers of the Consistory of Cardinals held
on 23 March 2006, having pondered all things, invoked the Holy Spirit and placed
our confidence in the help of God, by this present Apostolic Letter we DECREE
the following.
Art. 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is to be
regarded as the ordinary expression of the law of prayer (lex orandi) of the
Catholic Church of Latin Rite, while the Roman Missal promulgated by St Pius V
and published again by Blessed John XXIII as the extraordinary expression of the
law of prayer (lex orandi) and on account of its venerable and ancient use let
it enjoy due honor. These two expressions of the law of prayer (lex orandi) of
the Church in no way lead to a division in the law of prayer (lex orandi) of the
Church, for they are two uses of the one Roman Rite.
Hence it is licit to
celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with the typical edition of
the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated,
as the extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church. The conditions laid down
by the previous documents Quattuor abhinc annos and Ecclesia Dei for the use of
this Missal are replaced by what follows:
Art. 2. In Masses celebrated
without the people, any priest of Latin rite, whether secular or religious, can
use the Roman Missal published by Pope Blessed John XXIII in 1962 or the Roman
Missal promulgated by the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI in 1970, on any day except in
the Sacred Triduum. For celebration in accordance with one or the other Missal,
a priest does not require any permission, neither from the Apostolic See nor his
own Ordinary.
Art. 3. If Communities or Institutes of Consecrated Life or
Societies of Apostolic Life of either pontifical or diocesan rite desire to have
a celebration of Holy Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal
promulgated in 1962 in the conventual or “community” celebration in their own
oratories, this is allowed. If an individual community or the entire Institute
or Society wants to have such celebrations often or habitually or permanently,
the matter is to be decided by the Major Superiors according to the norm of law
and the particular laws and statutes.
Art. 4. With due observance of law,
even Christ’s faithful who spontaneously request it, may be admitted to
celebrations of Holy Mass mentioned in art. 2 above.
Art. 5, § 1. In
parishes where a group of faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition
exists stably, let the pastor willingly accede to their requests for the
celebration of the Holy Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published
in 1962. Let him see to it that the good of these faithful be harmoniously
reconciled with ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of
the Bishop according to canon 392, avoiding discord and fostering the unity of
the whole Church.
§ 2. Celebration according to the Missal of Blessed
John XXIII can take place on weekdays, while on Sundays and on feast days there
may be one such celebration.
§ 3. Let the pastor permit celebrations in
this extraordinary form for faithful or priests who request it, even in
particular circumstances such as weddings, funerals or occasional celebrations,
for example pilgrimages.
§ 4. Priests using the Missal of Blessed John
XXIII must be worthy and not impeded by law.
§ 5. In churches, which are
neither parochial nor conventual, it is the Rector of the church who grants the
above-mentioned permission.
Art. 6. In Masses celebrated with the people
according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII, the Readings can be proclaimed
even in the vernacular, using editions that have received the recognitio of the
Apostolic See.
Art. 7. Where some group of lay faithful, mentioned in
art. 5§1 does not obtain what it requests from the pastor, it should inform the
diocesan Bishop of the fact. The Bishop is earnestly requested to grant their
desire. If he cannot provide for this kind of celebration, let the matter be
referred to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.
Art. 8. A Bishop who
desires to make provision for requests of lay faithful of this kind, but is for
various reasons prevented from doing so, may refer the matter to the Pontifical
Commission “Ecclesia Dei”, which should give him advice and help.
Art. 9,
§ 1. Likewise a pastor may, all things duly considered, grant permission to use
the older ritual in administering the Sacraments of Baptism, Matrimony, Penance
and the Anointing of the Sick, as the good of souls may suggest.
§ 2.
Ordinaries are granted the faculty to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation
using the former Roman Pontifical, as the good of souls may suggest.
§ 3.
It is lawful for clerics in holy orders to use even the Roman Breviary
promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962.
Art 10. It is lawful for the
local Ordinary, if he judges it opportune, to erect a personal parish according
to the norm of canon 518 for celebrations according to the older form of the
Roman rite or appoint a rector or chaplain, with due observance of the
requirements of law.
Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei,
erected in 1988 by John Paul II, continues to carry out its function. This
Commission is to have the form, duties and norm for action that the Roman
Pontiff may wish to assign to it.
Art. 12. The same Commission, in
addition to the faculties it already enjoys, will exercise the authority of the
Holy See by maintaining vigilance over the observance and application of these
dispositions.
Whatever is decreed by Us by means of this Motu Proprio, we
order to be firm and ratified and to be observed as of 14 September this year,
the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, all things to the contrary
notwithstanding.
Given at Rome, at St Peter’s, on 7 July in the Year of
Our Lord 2007, the Third of Our Pontificate.
BENEDICT
XVI
____________________
1. General Instruction of the Roman
Missal, third edition, 2002, n. 397
2. Pope John Paul II, Ap. Letter
Vicesimus quintus annus, 4 December 1988, n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.
3.
Ibidem.
4. Pope St Pius X, Motu Proprio Abhinc duos annos, 23 October
1913: AAS 5 (1913) 449-450; cf. Pope John Paul II, Ap. Letter Vicesimus quintus
annus, 4 December 1988, n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899
5. Cf. Pope John Paul
II, Motu proprio Ecclesia Dei adflicta, 2 July 1988, n. 6: AAS 80 (1988) p.
1498.
(This unofficial translation has been prepared by the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for the Liturgy. Only the
Latin original of the Apostolic Letter may be considered the official text.)
Latin-Englsih at http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2007/07/litterae-apostolicae-motu-proprio-datae_07.html
Links:
Pope
Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio
on the Tridentine Mass
Pope
Benedict XVI's Letter to Bishops on Motu Proprio
Bishop
Fellay's Comment on the Motu Proprio
Associated
Press on the Motu Proprio
J.
Vennari's Evening
Bulletin piece
on Motu Proprio
(dated July 6)
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