Italy: it “expresses fidelity to the Council”

“The significance of the Motu Proprio on the use of the Roman liturgy anterior to the reform conducted in 1970, signed by the Pope on 7 July, may be grasped from what Benedict XVI himself writes in the Letter sent to all bishops, accompanying the text of the document, and from what he himself indicates as its positive reason, namely, to achieve an internal reconciliation within the Church”, commented Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, in an interview with SIR (on old.agensir.it), in which he explains the sense and significance of “Summorum Pontificum”, whose norms will come into force on 14 September. “The Pope – explains Mons. Semeraro – explicitly cites, in his Letter, the movement led by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, recognizes that “fidelity to the ancient Missal had become an external sign” of a separation whose causes are far deeper and also knows very well that the attempts of reconciliation so far made have failed. Benedict XVI also takes into consideration all those who for various reasons would like to “rediscover the form, to them beloved, of the sacred Liturgy. These – concludes the bishop – are the circumstances that, in his Letter, the Pope indicates as the origin of his initiative”. For his part Bishop Arrigo Miglio of Ivrea urges that the field be cleared of every false interpretation and hearsay about the Motu Proprio : “it is not a question of another Rite, but of a form, now permitted to be used in extraordinary circumstances, of the one Roman Rite”. Indeed, there exist other Rites in the Latin Church: “in Milan there is the Ambrosian Rite, in Toledo the Mozarabian Rite”. “The use of the most ancient Missal is permitted not to satisfy curiosity or other personal needs but for the spiritual good of the faithful, as Benedict XVI explains in various points. It does not therefore wish to be, nor must it become, a disavowal of Vatican Council II and of the liturgical reforms approved by Paul VI”. “This is the occasion for a serious examination of conscience of how we express out fidelity to the liturgical reform, overcoming personal approximations, laziness, habits or views of the liturgy. I therefore invite Catholics to get to know directly the texts both of the Council, and successive indications, and this document of Benedict XVI. Let us not be satisfied with headlines in the paper or mere hearsay.