All Seminarians: Order And Diocesisan: Traditional Latin Mass, A Requirement

Revolution in the seminaries
Posted by Damian Thompson

16 Feb 2008
Terrible news for English bishops trying to block the use of the ancient Latin liturgy liberated by Pope Benedict: a Vatican letter leaked today confirms that

all seminaries will be instructed to teach students how to celebrate what used to be known as the Tridentine Mass.

The contents of the leaked letter augurue well for the Roman Rite The letter, published on Fr Z’s magnificent blog, is from the pontifical commission Ecclesia Dei. It is signed by the secretary of the commission, Mgr Camille Perl, and reveals that

the forthcoming clarification of the Pope’s Motu Proprio will require seminaries to teach both the ancient and revised forms of the Roman Rite.

Cue gnashing of teeth from the doddery trendies who run most seminaries in the English-speaking world. I can’t wait to see how the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and its unofficial publishing arm, the Tablet, respond to this news.

Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic letter liberating the traditional Latin liturgy was sufficiently loosely worded to allow several bishops – including Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor – to issue highly questionable guidelines and commentaries on the subject of the Holy Father’s intentions.

But it looks as if there will be no wiggle room in the forthcoming document. I hope the Venerable English College, the Beda, Allen Hall, Wonersh, Oscott and Ushaw are well stocked up with copies of the Latin Missal of Blessed Pope John XXIII. They’ll be needing them!

Link (here)