From the Editor
There are times when controversy must be taken up. Keeping in mind St. Paul’s exhortation “in all things charity,” we pursue a question recently put forward by another English language journal of Catholic Tradition. As The Angelus was designated by Archbishop Lefebvre early on as the English voice of the Society of St. Pius X we feel it necessary to take a stand on the question of the faithful’s participation at Mass. We can only open the discussion in this editorial; an article will appear in a forthcoming issue.
One of the first arguments alleged against congregational participation at Mass in English-speaking countries is its proximity to the introduction of the New Mass. This is done, one would hope, in ignorance of the actual date when this was first authorized -- 1922 during the pontificate of Pius XI. The argument “post hoc propter hoc” is fallacious. It is not possible to reason that one thing, simply as following another, is caused by the former. In fact, the responses have been made for the last few generations in schools, convents, and seminaries, and is the actual practice in the Sociy’s houses and chapels in Europe. It is further a practice in some countries to pray the “Domine, non sum dignus” before Communion in German. This is all to say that, fundamentally the combat of Tradition in the Liturgy is doctrinal, not linguistic. Thus the New Mass in Latin is still not acceptable, nor a solution to the present crisis.
A study could be done analyzing the influence of nominalism on the participation of the faithful at the Holy Sacrifice. Nominalism is a false philosophy originating in Oxford, an English institution, during the 14th century. It taught the ignorance of a thing’s essence, a neglect of the true knowledge of an object. Hence this leads to a superficial knowledge. Would it be completely absurd to see the increase of this superficiality as rendering a parallel influence on the faithful, neglecting the essence as the Worship of the Church, reducing them to passive spectators at the Sublime Sacrifice.
Significant also is the malignant cancer of individualism. It is the Mystical Body of Christ that worships in the Eucharist, its Head and its members. The magnificent encyclical of Pius XIII in 1947, Mediator Dei, puts it most succinctly, “. . . the sacred Liturgy is the public worship where our Redeemer, the Head of the Church, renders to the Heavenly Father, and which the society of Christ’s faithful renders to its Founder and through Him, to the Eternal Father.” The reconstruction of the parishes and dioceses of our beloved Religion will require that we combat modern individualism. It will not be sufficient to repeat past generations of Catholicism. We are in 1992. Nostalgicism is not the remedy ; in this case it would even be a detriment. We must use the principles enunciated by the Popes, and the experience from the travesty of modernism, to go forward into the 21st century of Redemption. May liberalistic individualism at the Church’s public worship perish with this generation.
The underlying reason for complaints against the faithful’s participation is not only in-dividualistic but an insult to Mother Church. Those who claim that it disturbs their prayer at Mass do not understand the Church’s mind. Granted, a community must be well instructed in making the responses, for even here those who lag behind or speed the answers demonstrate their individualism. But even as the Rosary is recited publicly in our chapels, so the same people can learn to respond in unison. The Liturgical Prayer is the highest prayer as it is the official prayer of the Spouse of Christ. The individualistic refusal would signify that the Church’s prayer is an obstacle to union with God. An evident absurdity! Those who have read Archbishop Lefebvre’s last testimony in his Spiritual Journey, know the mind of this great defender of Roman Liturgy on the matter:
“Vocal prayer, which includes all liturgical prayer, instituted by God Himself, and by God Incarnate, and fashioned by the Holy Ghost, especially in the Roman Liturgy, is the most sublime source and expression of mental and spiritual prayer.”
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