Our friend under the Golden Dome, the Sober Sophomore, has pointed out to me a fine article published in the National Catholic Register on the return of the Tridentine Mass to many campuses across the country, particularly Notre Dame and Thomas Aquinas College. One soundbite stands out particularly:
“For a Catholic university, it’s almost imperative to preserve these treasures of civilization,” said Notre Dame sophomore John Gerardi, who was part of a group of students who asked for the traditional Mass, parts of which date back more than 1,000 years to Pope Gregory the Great.I was pleasantly surprised to see the article also is careful to not simply chalk up the resurgence of the Tridentine Mass to nostalgia, citing Father Fessio, incidentally:
Pope Benedict’s desire is to heal the polarizing divisions of liturgy that resulted from the almost wholesale discarding of the 1962 Missal, Father Fessio said. In his July statements, the Holy Father stressed his goal was to make room for those who feel closer to the older Mass and to continue the organic development of the liturgy of the Roman Rite, particularly the Mass.Also worthy of note in the article is a reference to Fordham University's monthly Tridentine mass, an effort which has unfortunately largely escaped notice in the blogosphere and the Catholic media.***In other news, for those wanting to see the lighter side of Ministeria quædam, the Shrine of the Holy Whapping's latest post may be of interest.
