Little enthusiasm for old rite Mass

Whereas in Malta there is little mention of Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic letter Summorum Pontificium which 'liberated' the former old rite Mass, in some countries there is an open conflict between those in favour of its return and those against.

Those who favour the old rite Mass are convinced that it provides a more reverent experience than the present rite Mass which came into being following Vatican Council II 40 years ago. Whether one agrees with this assessment or not, every effort must be made regularly to ensure that Catholics who attend Mass really know what it represents and hence participate more convincingly in the Eucharist which contains the Church's entire spiritual wealth, that is Christ himself, our Passover and living bread.

In the UK, a considerable number of prominent Catholics recently appealed to the UK bishops to provide more Masses in the Tridentine rite.

The signatories "humbly" requested the bishops "to make traditional Masses widely available to the faithful, some of whom have to travel many miles in order to attend the older form of Mass".

The petitioners also expressed their concern about the "lack of official enthusiasm for the Pope's apostolic letter, which was published last year, in which the Pope decreed that the old rite Mass be made available in every parish.

Although the petition was supported by 750 people from all walks of life, most of whom were well-known personalities, the petition apparently did not represent the feelings of the majority of UK Catholics.

A Liverpool bishop had to abandon plans to dedicate a church exclusively to the celebration of the traditional Mass.

Archbishop Patrick Kelly had proposed that an "ailing" church in the city centre be reserved for the celebration of the Mass in the extraordinary form.

His proposal was, however, turned down by the archdiocese council of priests who in their vast majority (18 out of 20) voted against the proposal. The archbishop had no option but to bow to the will of the majority.

In a statement issued following the strong disapproval, the bishop declared he had decided not to go ahead with the change that he had proposed. The general manager of the UK Latin Mass Society expressed his regret at the decision and said that those "who are attached to the extraordinary form will feel excluded and discriminated against by this decision".