Jan's Blog: Modernism or Traditionalism in the Catholic Church

A person can either be modern or has the preference toward traditional ways of doing things. During the time of Pope Paul VI, he promulgated the revised rite of Mass with his Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum on 3 April 1969, after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). However, the revised Missal itself was not published until the following year and full vernacular translations appeared much later, and changes made from the previous edition of the Roman Missal. The so called 'Mass of Paul VI' or 'Pauline Mass' is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite declared and the present ordinary or normal form of the Roman Rite of the Mass.

However, prior to these, there was Pascendi dominici gregis ("Feeding the Lord's Flock") a Papal encyclical letter promulgated by Pope Pius X on 8 September 1907, condemning 'Modernism', and a whole range of other principles described as "evolutionary", which allowed 'change' to Roman Catholic dogma. And Pope Pius X instituted commissions to cleanse the clergy of theologians promoting Modernism and some of its (liturgical) consequences, saying that modernism embraces every heresy. Traditionalist Catholics point to this document 'as evidence that pre-Vatican II popes were highly concerned about enemies of Christendom infiltrating the human element of the Catholic Church.'

The tradition of the Catholic Church, on the other hand, considers dogmas as in part supernatural and mysterious, proposed to the faith by a Divinely instituted authority on the ground that they are part of the general revelation which the Apostles preached in the name of Jesus Christ.

Comparing these notions, we shall see that modernism alters the source, the manner of promulgation, the object, the stability, and the truth of dogma. For the modernist, the only and the necessary source is the private consciousness. Whereas, traditionalism retains the continuity and progress of society principled in tradition.

But, there is so called 'the primacy of the present Bishop of Rome' an ecclesiastical doctrine concerning the respect and authority that is due to the present Pope!? Differences in interpretation of this doctrine have been and remain the primary causes of schism between the Western and Eastern Orthodox churches (that include 'Modernist' and 'Traditionalist').

Now the question is / was, although this is not new in the catholic sphere, which do Catholics (including myself) believe in with these two ['seemingly'] contradicting decree/authority!? Which is the acceptable one, the so called 'Traditionalism' which believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings that prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), or the so called 'Modernism' which refers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influenced by Protestant theologians and clergy, and the influence reaching into the 21st century, that characterized by a break with the past, promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) (?).

Pope Emiritus Benedict XVI issued the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum in July 2007. The Pope ruled that priests of the Latin Rite can freely choose between the 1962 Roman Missal and the later edition "in Masses celebrated without the people". 'In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum. For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the other, the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary. Celebrations of Mass - observing all the norms of law - also be attended by faithful who, of their own free will, ask to be admitted.' Priests in charge of churches can permit stable groups of laypeople attached to the earlier form to have Mass celebrated for them in that form, provided that the celebrating priest is "qualified to [celebrate] and not juridically impeded".

Now, What's the side of the present pope - Pope Francis regarding the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Emiritus Benedict XVI? Fr. Tim Finigan in his Hermeneutic of Continuity stated:

"The Bishops of the region of Tavoliere met recently with Pope Francis on an ad limina visit. On their return home, one has given a fascinating glimpse of the attitude of Pope Francis to those who are seeking to use the opportunity of his papacy to attack the traditional Mass. This is reported in the Italian paper Il Foglio, in the article: La messa antica non si tocca, il Papa gesuita spiazza ancora tutti ("The old mass is not to be touched, the Jesuit Pope wrong-foots everyone")

Here is my translation of the relevant part of the article which tells of other bishops raising concerns with the Holy Father and goes on to speak of the intervention concerning the old Mass:

"Then it was the turn of the bishop of Conversano and Monopoli, Domenico Padovano, who recounted to the clergy of his diocese how the priority of the bishops of the region of Tavoliere had been that of explaining to the Pope that the mass in the old rite was creating great divisions within the Church. The underlying message: Summorum Pontificum should be cancelled, or at least strongly limited. But Francis said no.

"Mgr Padovano explained that Francis replied to them saying that they should be vigilant over the extremism of certain traditionalist groups but also suggesting that they should treasure tradition and create the necessary conditions so that tradition might be able to live alongside innovation."

This is not really a surprise (did anyone expect that Pope Francis would somehow "repeal" Summorum Pontificum?) but it is a welcome confirmation of what we would all expect."

In the end, the mind has the ability to come up with a conclusion, and as always, we refer to what is 'unseen' or 'mysterious' - that is - 'faith'.

References:
http://www.sanctamissa.org/en/resources/summorum-pontificum.html]
http://books.google.ie/books?id=3mxbj99yRaQC&pg=PA188&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primacy_of_the_Bishop_of_Rome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_of_Paul_VI#cite_note-2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Constitution
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10415a.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15013a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_of_Paul_VI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council