Thursday, March 13, 2008

Cardinal Medina Estévez interviewed by Petrus

I ran into this interesting interview by way first of Rinascimento Sacro but ultimately from Bruno Volpe on Petrus.

This translation is as yet very rough and includes only excerpts. The NLM will see if it can't bring you a more refined translation.

by Bruno Volpe

VATICAN CITY - [...] Amongst the most ardent supporters of the Pope [and Summorum Pontificum] is Chilean Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 1998 to 2002, the prelate who announced to the faithful in St Peter's Square and the entire world, on 19 April 2005, the election of Benedict XVI. 'Petrus' has located him in Chile and gained an exclusive interview.

Eminence, some inside of the Church continue to oppose the Motu Proprio 'Summorum Pontificum…

"Unfortunately it is true, but it is also necessary to remember that the Mass according to the rite of St. Pius V has never been abolished and though it is currently considered 'extraordinary', it has the same right to citizenship in the Church and the same dignity as the 'Novus Ordo' of Paul VI. It should be remembered that the bishops who were opposed to Motu Proprio of Benedict XVI are perfectly free to express their opinions civilly, but, ultimately, are required to be obedient and respect for the Pope, who is the only universal pastor of the Holy Roman Church..."

Some, such as Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, referring to the ancient rite, spoke of it in 'the sense of obsolete [chiuso]' ...

"Personally, I have always celebrated Mass with the liturgical books of St. Pius V - of which I am particularly fond - and this sense of obsolete [chiuso] I have never felt. Indeed, I will say it has been good company since my ordination."

It is said that the Tridentine rite guarantees solemnity, simplicity, mystery.

"That is undeniable. The Mass must be sober and elegant, in search of the transcendent, because it represents excellence for the sacrifice of Christ, who died and rose for us."

With Mass in the vernacular language, it certainly does not have the same solemnity as in that of St. Pius V in Latin, and with it we are witnessing significant liturgical abuses.

"The liturgy must maintain decorum and rigour without [svolazzi] or inventions, avoiding shows and inventions that, unfortunately, you are absolutely right, are today increasingly frequent. To resolve this problem, it would require a realization that the true protagonist of the Mass is always and only ever Christ and the priest."

Many accuse the Second Vatican Council, that it had not dictated a clear relation to liturgy.

"The fault is not Vatican II itself, but some of its too exuberant interpreters who believe that we should draw a line in the sand."

Eminence, what do you appreciate most about the Latin Mass of St. Pius V?

"I would say its sobriety, its elegant refinement. Certainly it has high level of transcendence, the constant search for God. But this, let me be clear, does not mean that I am against the 'Novus Ordo'. To tell the truth, consider the lectionary of the 'Novus Ordo' even richer in content than the rite of St. Pius V...".

"[Perhaps] we could find a middle ground, an agreement halfway, allowing the Eucharistic celebration with the Ordinary of the Mass according to the books of St. Pius V while using the 'Novus Ordo' lectionary..."

Cardinal, the Mass of St. Pius V also means, not only Mass in Latin: inevitably also Gregorian [chant]…

"Gregorian [chant] is the true music of the Church..."

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