Vatican to narrow chasm in 'Church's great divide'

This week, FTM looks at a number of related liturgical issues, starting with a news report that the Holy See is about to expand the indult for the Tridentine Mass.

On Sunday June 18, the U.K.'s Catholic Herald reported that the Holy See is about to "relax the rules" on the Tridentine Mass because bishops have not been "generous" in allowing its use.

According to the report by Freddy Gray, "Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos. prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, told The Latin Mass, America's leading traditionalist magazine, that the Vatican was preparing to issue a 'juridical guarantee' in favor of the Tridentine rite, which was the Church's official rite from the 16th century until 1962.

"Cardinal Hoyos' remarks are a clear indication that Rome wants to embrace traditionalists by ensuring that they can attend old rite Masses if they so wish. The cardinal praised the Tridentine rite, and acknowledged the growing numbers of traditionalist Catholics, before giving cause to hope that restrictions on the old rite might be lifted....

"Cardinal Hoyos said: 'The idea is constantly growing that it has become necessary to provide for the concession of the indult in a broader fashion that would correspond more with the reality of the situation. It is thought that the times are mature for a new and clearer form of juridical guarantee of that right, which has already been recognized by the Holy Father with the 1988 indult.'

"He explained that the cardinals, and the bishops of Ecclesia Dei, a pontifical commission set up to oversee the implementation of the indult, have all studied the matter carefully, and are trying to thrash out the best possible solution.

John Medlin, development manager for the Latin Mass Society, said he was excited by the cardinal's comments. 'Rome is signaling that it is prepared to use the transcendent nature of the traditional Mass as a standard to rein in the abuse in the new rite,' he said. 'We are beginning to hear the death knell of liberalism in the Church and not before time'....."

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Full article ar Cruxnews.