Rite or Wrong?

Pope Benedict XVI recently granted parish priests the authority to decide to celebrate the old Tridentine Mass, should a sufficient number of their parishoners demand it. Previously, if priests wanted to celebrate the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass, they needed permission from their bishop, and that permission was rarely granted.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Good Friday liturgy of the Latin Mass includes a prayer to convert the Jews, I welcome the news (and apologies in advance if I unwittingly fudge Catholic theology). There's just something special about praying in a sacred language. I know that the miracle of transubstantiation takes place whether the the priest says "Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus" or "Holy, holy, holy," but the latter just lacks panache. I believe that G-d understands many languages, but when you address Him in His own tongue, I feel that it's more respectful and that He's more apt to listen closely.

Furthermore, there's something very unifying about a common language of prayer employed worldwide. I've attended Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat services on three different continents, and on each one, "Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad" sounds exactly the same. It's pretty special to walk into a synagogue halfway around the world and not miss a beat. The Latin Mass would be celebrated across the globe in a nearly identical manner. (Plus, centuries of classical music were written with the Latin Mass in mind. And also, it sounds really cool.)

One particularly commendable aspect of Benedict's proclamation is that it allows the readings that compose the Liturgy of the Word (which can be read by laypeople) to be given in the vernacular. It makes perfect sense. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the parishoners (through the priest) speak to G-d and praise him. In the Liturgy of the Word, G-d speaks to the parishoners, presenting them with life lessons as recorded in the Bible. The people must be able to listen, so the readings should be in a language they understand.

While some condemn the reauthorization of the Latin Mass as a return to the insular, xenophobic, pre-1960's Church, I emphasize that the celebration of the Latin Mass is purely voluntary, taking place at the request of parishoners. In a big step for the usually autocratic Catholic Church, the pope is allowing each individual parish to decide how it wishes to express its faith. What a novel concept.