Holy Smoke!

For Catholics the years since Vatican II have been conflicting. Especially for those among us who lean toward the old "high Church" liturgy versus the guitar strumming tambourine thumpers accustomed to folk Mass and the like. This is likely to rock some folks, particularly those who decided that the last few Popes did not really embrace the dictates of the Second Vatican Council.

Found over at Rorate Caeli I found the following to be very interesting.


ROME The document was delivered to the hands of Benedict XVI in the morning of last April 4 by Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

The Cardinals and Bishops members of the Congregation voted almost unanimously in favor of a greater sacrality of the rite, of the recovery of the sense of eucharistic worship, of the recovery of the Latin language in the celebration, and of the remaking of the introductory parts of the Missal in order to put a stop to abuses, wild experimentations, and inappropriate creativity. They have also declared themselves favorable to reaffirm that the usual way of receiving Communion according to the norms is not on the hand, but in the mouth.

Cañizares, is also having studies made on the possibility to recover the orientation towards the Orient of the celebrant, at least at the moment of the eucharistic consecration, as it happened in practice before the reform, when both the faithful and the priest faced towards the Cross and the priest therefore turned his back to the assembly.


Good news indeed! Grateful thanks to the learned and informed folks at Rorate Caeli. They are a dependable source for news like this and they are worth a visit.