Friday, December 29, 2006

Motu Proprio and Post-Synodal Exhortation

As its a quiet news day so far, let it at least be mentioned what Rorate Caeli has recently reported that the Monastery of Le Barroux's newsletter mentioned that Msgr. Camille Perl, of the Ecclesia Dei commission, while visiting their monastery "confirm[ed] the will of the Holy Father to make something soon to ease the access to the ancient form of the Roman Rite".

One might also speculate (purely speculate mind you) about the post-synodal exhortation that is thought to explicitly encourage a continuity approach to liturgics in the modern Roman liturgy (i.e. more traditional expression of it).

The delay in the latter causes me to pause and wonder whether the Holy Father purposely intends to release these documents at the same time (generally speaking), and if so, what that suggests about his possible understanding of how these two initiatives relate as two faces of the same coin.

It is interesting how the purported release dates of these two documents had been fairly proximate to one another in the most informed speculation. As well, with the one seemingly delayed, we have also seen the other (seemingly) delayed as well.

This could be mere happenstance. There may be no co-relation whatseover. All of these dates may have been more speculative than we are aware. Nonetheless, it is interesting to consider.

I, for one, hope there is an intentional co-relation here, only because it bodes well for both the modern and classical rites and could represent the significant turning point and real advent of the reform of the reform on the one hand, the restoration of our ancient liturgy on the other.

One thing that I have yet to see discussed, here at least, is my own hope that somehow, the Motu Proprio might include and make clear that the restoration of the ancient uses of the religious orders and primatial sees are also to be encouraged, and not simply the ancient Roman liturgy. Perhaps too much to hope for all at once, but one never knows with Benedict reigning gloriously.

We shall see.

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