LITTERAE
APOSTOLICAE
MOTU PROPRIO DATAE
BENEDICTUS XVI
SUMMORUM
PONTIFICUM
Up to our own times, it has been the constant concern of supreme
pontiffs to ensure that the Church of Christ offers a worthy
ritual to the Divine Majesty, 'to the praise and glory of His
name,' and 'to the benefit of all His Holy Church.'
Since
time immemorial it has been necessary - as it is also for the
future - to maintain the principle according to which 'each
particular Church must concur with the universal Church, not
only as regards the doctrine of the faith and the sacramental
signs, but also as regards the usages universally accepted by
uninterrupted apostolic tradition, which must be observed not
only to avoid errors but also to transmit the integrity of the
faith, because the Church's law of prayer corresponds to her
law of faith.' (1)
Among
the pontiffs who showed that requisite concern, particularly
outstanding is the name of St. Gregory the Great, who made every
effort to ensure that the new peoples of Europe received both
the Catholic faith and the treasures of worship and culture
that had been accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries.
He commanded that the form of the sacred liturgy as celebrated
in Rome (concerning both the Sacrifice of Mass and the Divine
Office) be conserved. He took great concern to ensure the dissemination
of monks and nuns who, following the Rule of St. Benedict, together
with the announcement of the Gospel illustrated with their lives
the wise provision of their Rule that 'nothing should be placed
before the work of God.' In this way the sacred liturgy, celebrated
according to the Roman use, enriched not only the faith and
piety but also the culture of many peoples. It is known, in
fact, that the Latin liturgy of the Church in its various forms,
in each century of the Christian era, has been a spur to the
spiritual life of many saints, has reinforced many peoples in
the virtue of religion and fecundated their piety.
Many
other Roman pontiffs, in the course of the centuries, showed
particular solicitude in ensuring that the sacred liturgy accomplished
this task more effectively. Outstanding among them is St. Pius
V who, sustained by great pastoral zeal and following the exhortations
of the Council of Trent, renewed the entire liturgy of the Church,
oversaw the publication of liturgical books amended and 'renewed
in accordance with the norms of the Fathers,' and provided them
for the use of the Latin Church.
One
of the liturgical books of the Roman rite is the Roman Missal,
which developed in the city of Rome and, with the passing of
the centuries, little by little took forms very similar to that
it has had in recent times.
"It
was towards this same goal that succeeding Roman Pontiffs directed
their energies during the subsequent centuries in order to ensure
that the rites and liturgical books were brought up to date
and when necessary clarified. From the beginning of this century
they undertook a more general reform.' (2) Thus our predecessors
Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St. Pius X (3), Benedict XV, Pius
XII and Blessed John XXIII all played a part.
In
more recent times, Vatican Council II expressed a desire that
the respectful reverence due to divine worship should be renewed
and adapted to the needs of our time. Moved by this desire our
predecessor, the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI, approved, in 1970,
reformed and partly renewed liturgical books for the Latin Church.
These, translated into the various languages of the world, were
willingly accepted by bishops, priests and faithful. John Paul
II amended the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus
Roman pontiffs have operated to ensure that 'this kind of liturgical
edifice ... should again appear resplendent for its dignity
and harmony.' (4)
But
in some regions, no small numbers of faithful adhered and continue
to adhere with great love and affection to the earlier liturgical
forms. These had so deeply marked their culture and their spirit
that in 1984 the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, moved by a concern
for the pastoral care of these faithful, with the special indult
'Quattuor abhinc anno," issued by the Congregation for
Divine Worship, granted permission to use the Roman Missal published
by Blessed John XXIII in the year 1962. Later, in the year 1988,
John Paul II with the Apostolic Letter given as Motu Proprio,
'Ecclesia Dei,' exhorted bishops to make generous use of this
power in favor of all the faithful who so desired.
Following
the insistent prayers of these faithful, long deliberated upon
by our predecessor John Paul II, and after having listened to
the views of the Cardinal Fathers of the Consistory of 22 March
2006, having reflected deeply upon all aspects of the question,
invoked the Holy Spirit and trusting in the help of God, with
these Apostolic Letters we establish the following:
Art 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul
VI is the ordinary expression of the 'Lex orandi' (Law of prayer)
of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite. Nonetheless, the Roman
Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John XXIII
is to be considered as an extraordinary expression of that same
'Lex orandi,' and must be given due honour for its venerable
and ancient usage. These two expressions of the Church's Lex
orandi will in no any way lead to a division in the Church's
'Lex credendi' (Law of belief). They are, in fact two usages
of the one Roman rite.
It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate
the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the
Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never
abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church.
The conditions for the use of this Missal as laid down by earlier
documents 'Quattuor abhinc annis' and 'Ecclesia Dei,' are substituted
as follows:
Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people,
each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular,
may use the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in
1962, or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970,
and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum.
For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the other,
the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See
or from his Ordinary.
Art. 3. Communities of Institutes of consecrated
life and of Societies of apostolic life, of either pontifical
or diocesan right, wishing to celebrate Mass in accordance with
the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962, for conventual
or "community" celebration in their oratories, may
do so. If an individual community or an entire Institute or
Society wishes to undertake such celebrations often, habitually
or permanently, the decision must be taken by the Superiors
Major, in accordance with the law and following their own specific
decrees and statues.
Art. 4. Celebrations of Mass as mentioned above
in art. 2 may - observing all the norms of law - also be attended
by faithful who, of their own free will, ask to be admitted.
Art. 5. § 1 In parishes, where there is
a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical
tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests
to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal
published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful
harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under
the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding
discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church.
§ 2 Celebration in accordance with the
Missal of Bl. John XXIII may take place on working days; while
on Sundays and feast days one such celebration may also be held.
§ 3 For faithful and priests who request
it, the pastor should also allow celebrations in this extraordinary
form for special circumstances such as marriages, funerals or
occasional celebrations, e.g. pilgrimages.
§ 4 Priests who use the Missal of Bl.
John XXIII must be qualified to do so and not juridically impeded.
§ 5 In churches that are not parish or
conventual churches, it is the duty of the Rector of the church
to grant the above permission.
Art. 6. In Masses celebrated in the presence
of the people in accordance with the Missal of Bl. John XXIII,
the readings may be given in the vernacular, using editions
recognised by the Apostolic See.
Art. 7. If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned
in art. 5 õ 1, has not obtained satisfaction to their
requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop.
The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If
he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter
should be referred to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia
Dei".
Art. 8. A bishop who, desirous of satisfying
such requests, but who for various reasons is unable to do so,
may refer the problem to the Commission "Ecclesia Dei"
to obtain counsel and assistance.
Art. 9. § 1 The pastor, having attentively
examined all aspects, may also grant permission to use the earlier
ritual for the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism,
Marriage, Penance, and the Anointing of the Sick, if the good
of souls would seem to require it.
§ 2 Ordinaries are given the right to
celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation using the earlier Roman
Pontifical, if the good of souls would seem to require it.
§ 3 Clerics ordained "in sacris constitutis"
may use the Roman Breviary promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in
1962.
Art. 10. The ordinary of a particular place,
if he feels it appropriate, may erect a personal parish in accordance
with can. 518 for celebrations following the ancient form of
the Roman rite, or appoint a chaplain, while observing all the
norms of law.
Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia
Dei", erected by John Paul II in 1988 (5), continues to
exercise its function. Said Commission will have the form, duties
and norms that the Roman Pontiff wishes to assign it.
Art. 12. This Commission, apart from the powers
it enjoys, will exercise the authority of the Holy See, supervising
the observance and application of these dispositions.
We order that everything We have established
with these Apostolic Letters issued as Motu Proprio be considered
as "established and decreed", and to be observed from
14 September of this year, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross,
whatever there may be to the contrary.
From Rome, at St. Peter's, 7 July 2007, third
year of Our Pontificate.
Pope Benedict XVI
________________________________________
(1) General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 3rd ed., 2002,
no. 397.
(2) John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Vicesimus quintus annus,"
4 December 1988, 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899.
(3) Ibid.
(4) St. Pius X, Apostolic Letter Motu propio data, "Abhinc
duos annos," 23 October 1913: AAS 5 (1913), 449-450; cf
John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Vicesimus quintus annus,"
no. 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899.
(5) Cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Motu proprio data "Ecclesia
Dei," 2 July 1988, 6: AAS 80 (1988), 1498.