Reports reach the Forest now and again about bishops and vocations directors quizzing seminarians about their interest in the Extraordinary Form. This could be a good thing: they might be ensuring that seminarians are at one with the mind of the Church about the Extraordinary Form regarding which Universae Ecclesiae told us a few months ago:6. The Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI and the last edition prepared under Pope John XXIII, are two forms of the Roman Liturgy, defined respectively as ordinaria and extraordinaria: they are two usages of the one Roman Rite, one alongside the other. Both are the expression of the same lex orandi of the Church. On account of its venerable and ancient use, the forma extraordinaria is to be maintained with appropriate honour.
Thus if bishops and vocations directors are expressing any concern regarding the Extraordinary Form and seminarians it would, one would think, be to ensure that all seminarians are at home in both forms of the Roman Rite and most importantly are taught how to celebrate and to love the EF.
Sadly this is not what one hears. Instead seminarians are quizzed about their interest in the Extraordinary Form in such a way as to make clear to them that any interest would be considered a problem and as they used to say in my time, `a formation issue`. This is outrageous given developments in recent years. Eventually this will change but until then it is sad that people who are only following the directives of the Holy See are made to suffer.
Does the practice outlined above exist in the Dallas Diocese? Some anecdotal stories suggest that the answer is yes. In spite of the recent addition of a Novus Ordo Latin Mass in the Diocese (a sadly problematic Mass), I have been told by certain individuals with definite roles in the Diocese that there is a kind of concern, or perhaps even antipathy, directed at those who have a strong attraction to Tradition and especially the Traditional Latin Mass. Those who have this interest are aware that they must keep it carefully concealed, and in at least one case it appears that efforts have been made, subtly, quietly, to discourage that interest.
It is of course wonderful that a Novus Ordo Latin Mass was added in the north deanery of the Diocese, a generous gesture on the part of both Bishop Farrell and the staff and clergy of St. Mark. But there remains the issue of both Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae, which plainly state that the faithful have a right to request the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass at a particular parish, and that both the parish clergy and Diocese should do all in their power to meet that request. I, and many others, believe that is the Holy Father’s intent with both SP and UE – to allow for the liberal celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass where it is requested. It appears that in some locales there are still efforts to block that intent – not necessarily the Dallas Diocese, but certainly in some Diocese that is the case.
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