J.M.J.
Apostolic Letter
In the form of "Motu Proprio"
SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM
BENEDICT XVI
It has always been the care of the Supreme Pontiffs until the present time,
that the Church of Christ offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty "for
the praise and glory of his name" and "for the good of all his Holy Church."
As from time immemorial so in the future the principle shall be respected
"according to which each particular Church must be in accord with the
universal Church not only regarding the doctrine of the faith and
sacramental signs, but also as to the usages universally handed down by
apostolic and unbroken tradition. These are to be maintained not only so
that errors may be avoided, but also so that the faith may be passed on in
its integrity, since the Church's rule of prayer (lex orandi) corresponds to
her rule of belief (lex credendi)."
Among Pontiffs who have displayed such care there excels the name of Saint
Gregory the Great, who saw to the transmission to the new peoples of Europe
both of the Catholic faith and of the treasures of worship and culture
accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries. He gave instructions for
the form of the Sacred Liturgy of both the Sacrifice of the Mass and of the
Divine Office as was celebrated in the City. He made the greatest efforts to
foster monks and nuns, who militating under the Rule of St Benedict, in
every place along with the proclamation of the Gospel by their life likewise
exemplified that most salutary expression of the Rule "let nothing be given
precedence over the work of God" (ch. 43). In this way the sacred liturgy
according to the Roman manner made fertile not only the faith and piety but
also the culture of many peoples. Moreover it is evident that the Latin
Liturgy in its various forms has stimulated in the spiritual life very many
Saints in every century of the Christian age and strengthened in the virtue
of religion so many peoples and made fertile their piety.
However, in order that the Sacred Liturgy might more efficaciously absolve
its task, several others among the Roman Pontiffs in the course of the
centuries have brought to bear particular concern, among whom Saint Pius V
is eminent, who with great pastoral zeal, at the exhortation of the Council
of Trent, renewed the worship of the whole Church, ensuring the publishing
of liturgical books amended and "restored according to the norm of the
Fathers" and put them into use in the Latin Church.
It is clear that among the liturgical books of the Roman Rite the Roman
Missal is eminent. It grew in the city of Rome and gradually down through
the centuries took on forms which are very similar to those in vigor in
recent generations.
"It was this same goal that as time passed the Roman Pontiffs pursued,
adapting or establishing liturgical rites and books to new ages and then at
the start of the present century undertaking a more ample restoration." It
was in this manner that our Predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St Pius X
, Benedict XV, Pius XII and the Blessed John XXIII acted.
In more recent time, however, the Second Vatican Council expressed the
desire that with due respect and reverence for divine worship it be restored
and adapted to the needs of our age. Prompted by this desire, our
Predecessor the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI in 1970 approved for the Latin
Church liturgical books restored and partly renewed, and that throughout the
world translated into many vernacular languages, have been welcomed by the
Bishops and by the priests and faithful. John Paul II revised the third
typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus the Roman Pontiffs have acted so
that "this liturgical edifice, so to speak, .might once again appear
splendid in its dignity and harmony."
However in some regions not a small number of the faithful have been and
remain attached with such great love and affection to the previous
liturgical forms, which had profoundly imbued their culture and spirit, that
the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, prompted by pastoral concern for these
faithful, in 1984 by means of a special Indult Quattuor abhinc annos, drawn
up by the Congregation for Divine Worship, granted the faculty to use the
Roman Missal published by John XXIII in 1962; while in 1988 John Paul II
once again, by means of the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei, exhorted the Bishops
to make wide and generous use of this faculty in favor of all the faithful
requesting it.
Having pondered at length the pressing requests of these faithful to our
Predecessor John Paul II, having also heard the Fathers of the Consistory of
Cardinals held on 23 March 2006, having pondered all things, invoked the
Holy Spirit and placed our confidence in the help of God, by this present
Apostolic Letter we DECREE the following.
Art. 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is to be regarded as the
ordinary expression of the law of prayer (lex orandi) of the Catholic Church
of Latin Rite, while the Roman Missal promulgated by St Pius V and published
again by Blessed John XXIII as the extraordinary expression of the law of
prayer (lex orandi) and on account of its venerable and ancient use let it
enjoy due honor. These two expressions of the law of prayer (lex orandi) of
the Church in no way lead to a division in the law of prayer (lex orandi) of
the Church, for they are two uses of the one Roman Rite.
Hence it is licit to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with
the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in
1962 and never abrogated, as the extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the
Church. The conditions laid down by the previous documents Quattuor abhinc
annos and Ecclesia Dei for the use of this Missal are replaced by what
follows:
Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people, any priest of Latin rite,
whether secular or religious, can use the Roman Missal published by Pope
Blessed John XXIII in 1962 or the Roman Missal promulgated by the Supreme
Pontiff Paul VI in 1970, on any day except in the Sacred Triduum. For
celebration in accordance with one or the other Missal, a priest does not
require any permission, neither from the Apostolic See nor his own Ordinary.
Art. 3. If Communities or Institutes of Consecrated Life or Societies of
Apostolic Life of either pontifical or diocesan rite desire to have a
celebration of Holy Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal
promulgated in 1962 in the conventual or "community" celebration in their
own oratories, this is allowed. If an individual community or the entire
Institute or Society wants to have such celebrations often or habitually or
permanently, the matter is to be decided by the Major Superiors according to
the norm of law and the particular laws and statutes.
Art. 4. With due observance of law, even Christ's faithful who spontaneously
request it, may be admitted to celebrations of Holy Mass mentioned in art. 2
above.
Art. 5, ^1. In parishes where a group of faithful attached to the previous
liturgical tradition exists stably, let the pastor willingly accede to their
requests for the celebration of the Holy Mass according to the rite of the
Roman Missal published in 1962. Let him see to it that the good of these
faithful be harmoniously reconciled with ordinary pastoral care of the
parish, under the governance of the Bishop according to canon 392, avoiding
discord and fostering the unity of the whole Church.
^ 2. Celebration according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII can take
place on weekdays, while on Sundays and on feast days there may be one such
celebration.
^ 3. Let the pastor permit celebrations in this extraordinary form for
faithful or priests who request it, even in particular circumstances such as
weddings, funerals or occasional celebrations, for example pilgrimages.
^ 4. Priests using the Missal of Blessed John XXIII must be worthy and not
impeded by law.
^ 5. In churches, which are neither parochial nor conventual, it is the
Rector of the church who grants the above-mentioned permission.
Art. 6. In Masses celebrated with the people according to the Missal of
Blessed John XXIII, the Readings can be proclaimed even in the vernacular,
using editions that have received the recognitio of the Apostolic See.
Art. 7. Where some group of lay faithful, mentioned in art. 5^1 does not
obtain what it requests from the pastor, it should inform the diocesan
Bishop of the fact. The Bishop is earnestly requested to grant their desire.
If he cannot provide for this kind of celebration, let the matter be
referred to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.
Art. 8. A Bishop who desires to make provision for requests of lay faithful
of this kind, but is for various reasons prevented from doing so, may refer
the matter to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", which should give
him advice and help.
Art. 9, ^ 1. Likewise a pastor may, all things duly considered, grant
permission to use the older ritual in administering the Sacraments of
Baptism, Matrimony, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick, as the good of
souls may suggest.
^ 2. Ordinaries are granted the faculty to celebrate the sacrament of
Confirmation using the former Roman Pontifical, as the good of souls may
suggest.
^ 3. It is lawful for clerics in holy orders to use even the Roman Breviary
promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962.
Art 10. It is lawful for the local Ordinary, if he judges it opportune, to
erect a personal parish according to the norm of canon 518 for celebrations
according to the older form of the Roman rite or appoint a rector or
chaplain, with due observance of the requirements of law.
Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, erected in 1988 by John
Paul II, continues to carry out its function. This Commission is to have the
form, duties and norm for action that the Roman Pontiff may wish to assign
to it.
Art. 12. The same Commission, in addition to the faculties it already
enjoys, will exercise the authority of the Holy See by maintaining vigilance
over the observance and application of these dispositions.
Whatever is decreed by Us by means of this Motu Proprio, we order to be firm
and ratified and to be observed as of 14 September this year, the feast of
the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, all things to the contrary
notwithstanding.
Given at Rome, at St Peter's, on 7 July in the Year of Our Lord 2007, the
Third of Our Pontificate.
BENEDICT XVI
____________________
1. General Instruction of the Roman Missal, third edition, 2002, n. 397
2. Pope John Paul II, Ap. Letter Vicesimus quintus annus, 4 December 1988,
n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.
3. Ibidem.
4. Pope St Pius X, Motu Proprio Abhinc duos annos, 23 October 1913: AAS 5
(1913) 449-450; cf. Pope John Paul II, Ap. Letter Vicesimus quintus annus, 4
December 1988, n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899
5. Cf. Pope John Paul II, Motu proprio Ecclesia Dei adflicta, 2 July 1988,
n. 6: AAS 80 (1988) p. 1498.
(This unofficial translation has been prepared by the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for the Liturgy. Only the Latin
original of the Apostolic Letter may be considered the official text.)
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Visit http://www.cfnews.org/cfn.htm for the accompanying letter from Pope
Benedict XVI and more information on the "Motu Proprio."
-----------------------------------
Motu proprio is the name given to a certain type of Papal rescript, where
the clause motu proprio (of his own accord) is used, signifying that the
provisions of the rescript were decided by the pope personally and not by a
cardinal or other advisors. It is normally in the form of a decree,
resembling a Papal brief except that it is not sealed and countersigned. The
first motu proprio was issued by Pope Innocent VIII in 1484.
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"BECAUSE OUT OF REVERENCE towards this sacrament,
nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the
corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise
the priest's hands, for touching this sacrament."
-ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, Summa Theologica
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