Thursday, August 23, 2007

Ecumenical Latin


Though the Holy Father does not mention this issue [in Summorum Pontificum], it seems clear that the self-separation into different language groups has in effect broken down community, not opened it up. If you have a parish in which the 9:00 a.m. Mass is in Spanish, the 10:30 a.m. in English, and the 12:30 p.m. in Lithuanian, you really have not one community but three using the same church. If it is quite clear today that one has to hunt for a Mass in one’s own language, it is a sign of division even though valid. Not even English is a common language of worship in this country. If we all used Latin with a tradition of seeing it related to our own language, we would in many ways have a more unified Church. Even today, a hymn like the Salve Regina, sung in Latin, is often one with which every one in all language groups is familiar.
— Fr. James V. Schall, S.J, On Saying the Tridentine Mass, Ignatius Insight, August 16, 2007


Schall on Sermon versus Homily:

The replacement of the sermon [by] the homily on scripture has yet to prove its superiority. The faithful are in dire need of systematic teaching on doctrine. The neglect of doctrine has left generations bereft of familiarity with orthodox teaching in the Church, this all in the name of Scripture. It is not that one cannot find doctrine in Scripture — that is its origin — but the discipline of clear teaching is not merely or fully satisfied by scriptural commentary or reading. Catholicism includes the direct addressing of reason.
Ibid.

Indeed, too often the homily turns out to be merely hominy.