From a reader:
Recently, our apostolate targeted priests to say the Ordinary Form properly as well, and even encourage the use of the rubrics of the Extraordinary Form, in the Novus Ordo. Nonetheless, one of our priest consultants (who is very, very supportive of Summorum Pontificum, and the proper celebration of the Liturgy) told me that according to Canon Law (and some of his Canon Lawyer friends) that it is forbidden to do so. And that the priest celebrant must only do exactly what is written in the rubrics of the Ordinary Form. I guess my question was, is this is indeed the case? And would you consider the Ordinary Form celebrated in the rubrics of the Extraordinary a liturgical abuse?
Technically, there is not to be a mixing of the rites or forms. I would consider the Novus Ordo celebrated more like the TLM to be an improvement. BUT!… BUT… there is at this point to be no mixing of the forms.
On the other hand, the Pope says that there should be a mutual enrichment.
Mutual enrichment will certainly be easier to figure out in the case of a priest’s ars celebrandi and with music, and with perhaps issues of the calendar and the addition of new feasts, etc.
Mutual enrichment will eventually have to occur with rubrics as well. That is the point of “organic growth” over time. I don’t know how that will work out or when. I suspect it will take a long time. First, use the older Mass is increasing. Also, younger priests are celebrating the newer form of Mass with fewer abuses than their older brethren. There are also those priests who say the Novus Ordo having learned also the older form. Then there will be the factor of the shrinking of congregations attending the Novus Ordo and the slow increase of those going to the older Mass.
For now I would say that the older form of Mass should be celebrated as it is in the book.
I think the Novus Ordo should be celebrated as the book says, just saying the black and doing the red… but in close continuity with our many centuries of tradition, and under the clear influence of the older Mass. In some ways the Novus Ordo hasn’t had a chance yet, since it has been so abused by so many for so long. Yes, we must admit that the very structure of it and the use of vernacular and the dreadful table altars have opened the Novus Ordo up to far more abuse. But the Novus Ordo has to be given a chance.
Lastly, it is said by some (by me) that the more the Novus Ordo is celebrated like the older form, the better it is. If that is the case… if the older form is truly the paradigm, doesn’t that raise a question?
