The faithful, after Vatican II, had to learn participating religiously with the new form of the Mass said in the vernacular. From organ-only musical instrument allowed or recommended for Church services, guitar (acoustic or electric), flute, clarinet, piano and even drums now give accompaniment to vernacular songs.
However, the Catholic Church did not prohibit the saying of the Mass in its official language, Latin. Vatican II as an ecclesia semper reformanda (The Church eternally reforms and adapts.) brought the Church closer to the believers by adapting herself with the era. One of these is the use of a language the faithful understands.
I remember the years when as a boy, I used to serve Mass in Latin. I must admit that I memorized the responses sans understanding what they mean until I found an Ordo Missae with English translations.
I missed the Latin Mass because of its "solemnity" and "uniformity". By "solemnity", I mean that the faithful show reverence to the proceedings. In those years, people go to Church with modest clothing plus a veil for women. I remember that on Saturday afternoons, I used to wash and iron my attire for the Sunday Mass.
In "uniformity" I mean the actions of the priest and the faithful from the first sign of the cross to the final blessing were exactly the same not only in our archdiocese and in the Philippines but throughout the world.
These days, the word solemn has lost some of its grace. It bothers me to see people in the Church talking uselessly, exchanging hellos, kisses and showing other distractions. Sometimes during summer or at their convenience we see both sexes during liturgical services in shorts or in short shorts. Ladies wear spaghetti-strapped shirts, some body fit; others in low neckline showing their cleavage, bra outline or the strap. Said otherwise, the attire is improper and irreverent inside a house of worship. It’s not that one should wear signature clothes in the Church. They must be modest, neat and fit the nature of the place.
The priest now can say anything not included in the Lectionary. He can also change the words of the Eucharistic Prayers or add something. He can ad lib if he wants to. The faithful now imitate some of the gestures of the priest while offering the Mass. Songs such as the pop My Sweet Lord, Let It Be, Morning Has Broken and Today to name a few are now sung in the Church instead of those lovely Gregorian Chants. I am not saying that the pop genre has no place in the Church but if I remember it right, the last Vatican Council defines what songs are to be sung during the liturgy.
Vatican II introduced lectern instead of the pulpit for delivering the homily, today, the priest can go anywhere in the Church to deliver a sermon or homily sometimes without merit. While offering the Mass, some priests act as if they are appearing before a movie camera that they have to pose and act.
For some Catholic Traditionalists, they claim that a lot are leaving the Catholic Church because of the Mass which is no longer said in Latin. Personally, I see no scientific basis for that claim. A true believer and member of a particular faith must be obedient and respectful to his/her Church. In the case of Vatican II which has caused a lot of stir and controversies to some, it was promulgated by the Blessed Pope John XXIII and culminated by Pope Paul VI. As the Supreme Pontiff, the Pope as a successor of Peter has the authority in convening the Council.
Whether the Mass is in Latin or in any language, believers must show respect and reverence when going to Church especially when participating in a Mass. It is a Catholic belief that Christ is in-fact physically and spiritually present during Mass. Although Latin and vernacular Masses have the same substance, the former, personally, is more solemn.
How I wish that the solemnities I witnessed and experienced during Mass and other Church services before Vatican II will also be experienced by the present generation ad maiorem Dei gloriam.-30-
However, the Catholic Church did not prohibit the saying of the Mass in its official language, Latin. Vatican II as an ecclesia semper reformanda (The Church eternally reforms and adapts.) brought the Church closer to the believers by adapting herself with the era. One of these is the use of a language the faithful understands.
I remember the years when as a boy, I used to serve Mass in Latin. I must admit that I memorized the responses sans understanding what they mean until I found an Ordo Missae with English translations.
I missed the Latin Mass because of its "solemnity" and "uniformity". By "solemnity", I mean that the faithful show reverence to the proceedings. In those years, people go to Church with modest clothing plus a veil for women. I remember that on Saturday afternoons, I used to wash and iron my attire for the Sunday Mass.
In "uniformity" I mean the actions of the priest and the faithful from the first sign of the cross to the final blessing were exactly the same not only in our archdiocese and in the Philippines but throughout the world.
These days, the word solemn has lost some of its grace. It bothers me to see people in the Church talking uselessly, exchanging hellos, kisses and showing other distractions. Sometimes during summer or at their convenience we see both sexes during liturgical services in shorts or in short shorts. Ladies wear spaghetti-strapped shirts, some body fit; others in low neckline showing their cleavage, bra outline or the strap. Said otherwise, the attire is improper and irreverent inside a house of worship. It’s not that one should wear signature clothes in the Church. They must be modest, neat and fit the nature of the place.
The priest now can say anything not included in the Lectionary. He can also change the words of the Eucharistic Prayers or add something. He can ad lib if he wants to. The faithful now imitate some of the gestures of the priest while offering the Mass. Songs such as the pop My Sweet Lord, Let It Be, Morning Has Broken and Today to name a few are now sung in the Church instead of those lovely Gregorian Chants. I am not saying that the pop genre has no place in the Church but if I remember it right, the last Vatican Council defines what songs are to be sung during the liturgy.
Vatican II introduced lectern instead of the pulpit for delivering the homily, today, the priest can go anywhere in the Church to deliver a sermon or homily sometimes without merit. While offering the Mass, some priests act as if they are appearing before a movie camera that they have to pose and act.
For some Catholic Traditionalists, they claim that a lot are leaving the Catholic Church because of the Mass which is no longer said in Latin. Personally, I see no scientific basis for that claim. A true believer and member of a particular faith must be obedient and respectful to his/her Church. In the case of Vatican II which has caused a lot of stir and controversies to some, it was promulgated by the Blessed Pope John XXIII and culminated by Pope Paul VI. As the Supreme Pontiff, the Pope as a successor of Peter has the authority in convening the Council.
Whether the Mass is in Latin or in any language, believers must show respect and reverence when going to Church especially when participating in a Mass. It is a Catholic belief that Christ is in-fact physically and spiritually present during Mass. Although Latin and vernacular Masses have the same substance, the former, personally, is more solemn.
How I wish that the solemnities I witnessed and experienced during Mass and other Church services before Vatican II will also be experienced by the present generation ad maiorem Dei gloriam.-30-
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