Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Did Anyone See the EWTN Special Last Nite?

It was pretty good although there seemed to be a few problems with communication delays in New York. Fr Kenneth Baker, SJ, was quite good as was Bishop Bruskewitz.

Quite interesting were some of the questions, such as the one from a Novus Ordo "guitar player" who wondered what his "role" would be at a Latin Mass. Fr Baker said that he should get a Missal and participate and leave his guitar at home - there is no room for guitars in a Latin Mass. There was another caller (a woman) who is an "extraordinary minister of Holy Communion" who was concerned about her participation in the Latin Mass. It's shocking, in a way, how some people have no reference with the celebration of the Mass of history, prior to the Mass of Paul VI.

Some of those calls clearly demonstrated the problems that not a few have with a proper understanding of what the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is all about - many seem to think that participation means "performing" some external function/ministry during Mass such as those mentioned, while failing to develop a proper interior attitude and disposition for Holy Mass.

There was also a call about EWTN possibly airing the "extraordinary" form of the Mass periodically, to which Raymond Arroyo responded that it was being investigated. Msgr. James Moroney, Executive Director of the USCCB Secretariat for the Liturgy, also said that that would be up to the diocesan bishop, based on USCCB "guidelines".

The "guidelines" for televising Mass are at the USCCB website here. It is clear that the "guidelines" were intended for the Novus Ordo and may need to be revised to properly address the Extraordinary Form.

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