Cardinal Sarah: Return to Summorum Pontificum

Cardinal Sarah sees the main problem in the liturgical question as the abuse occurring within the Novus Ordo

On August 1, the daily newspaper Il Foglio published an extensive interview with Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect Emeritus of the Roman Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The interview was conducted by Editor-in-Chief Matteo Matzuzzi. In it, the Cardinal from Africa describes the liturgical dispute as a serious evil. No one can dispose of the liturgy at will. The Cardinal pleads for a return to the line of Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum. The liturgy is not a field for personal or ideological conflicts, but a sacred treasure of the Church that must be preserved and celebrated reverently, faithfully, and in a spirit of unity. We document several key passages from the interview.

Excerpt from the article: "A World in Which God is Irrelevant":

Talking about unity when it comes to the liturgy seems difficult. It is a divisive issue in which two opposing camps face each other. On one side are those who defend the use of the Vetus Ordo as an achievement; on the other side, there is an ideologically driven stance that views these Catholics almost as a "sect" that must disappear. The Pope has stated that he wants to thoroughly understand the situation, as well as meet and engage in dialogue with everyone.

In the view of Cardinal Robert Sarah, "it is a tragedy, indeed a real sin, that there is a kind of war over a topic as essential as the liturgy. The liturgy is the source of ecclesial communion, and it is unimaginable that liturgical or more precisely, ritual questions should lead to such sharp confrontation and bitter opposition. No one has power over the rites that have emerged from the centuries-old history of the Church. Rites cannot be arbitrarily abolished, and no one can declare from one day to the next that a particular rite no longer exists.

I am convinced that this question must be addressed seriously by returning to the balanced, pastorally prudent, and theologically sound position of Benedict XVI. He made it possible for both forms of the Latin Rite to coexist, enrich each other, and become known to the holy people of God, so that over time they could decide which form better suits their need for faith, silence, and spirituality.

Some overreactions by those who adhere to the Extraordinary Form can be explained, at least in part, by the serious and widespread abuses in the celebration of the Ordinary Form. To this day, it is often celebrated neither as the Council intended nor as the liturgical reform itself envisions. The liturgy is not the property of the celebrant regardless of whether he is a priest, bishop, or cardinal. The liturgy belongs to God. One enters into it, and no one is its master."

Perhaps, however, the problem lies even deeper. Consider the quality of many homilies, which are often inadequately prepared and rarely touch the hearts and minds of the faithful in a lasting way. Not to mention services in which the reference to the transcendent is frequently just a marginal detail. What should be done?

"I have already partially answered this question. The key lies in liturgical formation: formation, formation, and more formation for bishops, priests, and laity alike. Regaining the sense of the sacred in a secularized society that has pushed God out of its life can only succeed through the proclamation of the truth, through convinced and steadfast catechesis, and through concrete experiences of silence and spirituality within the liturgical celebration.

The reverence due to God and the humility of man himself are fundamental prerequisites for regaining a sense of the sacred and fidelity to the liturgy as the Church intends it to be celebrated. After all, no one would think of entering the Sistine Chapel and correcting Michelangelo's The Last Judgment. The Missal is far more significant, far older, and far more binding than Michelangelo's The Last Judgment. Therefore, no one may correct, delete, add to, or alter anything in the rite as presented by the Church to the faithful. And the faithful have an inalienable right to participate in Holy Masses celebrated according to the will of the Churc and not according to the personal whims of an individual priest."

Introduction/Translation: Giuseppe Nardi Image: Il Foglio (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG