Martin Luther is quoted saying that the withdrawal of mass would herald the end of the church. Departure from the traditional catholic mass appears to have had similar effect. Debate has been simmering over the decades since Vatican II instituted drastic changes. It has pitted conservatives against modernists with evident cracks among the congregation. The debate revolves around what benefits the changes brought.
Trouble seems to have begun with the implementation of proposals of Vatican II. Conservatives suggest that it led to ecumenism which is equated to false faith. Proponents of this old model suggest that the latest version was a disaster to the Vatican based church. They suggest that it should revert to its old model.
The call for modernization is not a preserve of the current generation. In the fourth century, St. Athanasius entered the debate in his letter to a congregation that was facing similar challenges. The urge by the saint was for Catholics to defend their faith other than allow the bug of modernism to devour their church.
Supporters of Trindentine, as it is referred to, resist the changes introduced by the new version. Their argument is that years of building a tradition should not be washed away in one declaration. The reasons for this change remain a mystery among conservatives. They consider the regard of the pope as Extraordinary Magisterium and the obligation to obey him blindly as the sources of trouble.
It should be noted that the new version was not meant to replace the old order. It is still being used and approved by Vatican. The changes affected order at the altar, flow of liturgy and other activities during mass. Some areas witnessed drastic changes.
Before the Eucharistic celebration begins, the priest would perform the rite of consecrating water for sprinkling to the faithful. It was mixed with salt and a defined psalm sung as the priest sprinkled the water on the congregants. There was a different dress code for the main celebrant from that of co-celebrants.
Distinctive departure from the traditional order saw priests leading the celebrations facing the congregants as opposed to the altar as was the tradition. This also applied to co-celebrants, deacons and altar servers. An antiphon is recited before the celebrant leads in the sign of the cross. The order of words has changed slightly.
Vatican II allowed the communion to be received using hands. This is a major departure from tradition where priests placed the communion on the tongue. Only the priest was allowed to administer it and the receiver knelt while receiving the communion. The tabernacle has also been moved from the center of many churches to the side.
It is uncertain if the new version has saved the church or led to its fall. An example is the decline in vocations as the number of nuns, brothers and priests reduce. Conservatives argue that there was no crisis that necessitated the change. Statistics indicate a dangerous decline in congregations as well as vocations. The debate now is whether things would improve if the traditional version is reintroduced.
Trouble seems to have begun with the implementation of proposals of Vatican II. Conservatives suggest that it led to ecumenism which is equated to false faith. Proponents of this old model suggest that the latest version was a disaster to the Vatican based church. They suggest that it should revert to its old model.
The call for modernization is not a preserve of the current generation. In the fourth century, St. Athanasius entered the debate in his letter to a congregation that was facing similar challenges. The urge by the saint was for Catholics to defend their faith other than allow the bug of modernism to devour their church.
Supporters of Trindentine, as it is referred to, resist the changes introduced by the new version. Their argument is that years of building a tradition should not be washed away in one declaration. The reasons for this change remain a mystery among conservatives. They consider the regard of the pope as Extraordinary Magisterium and the obligation to obey him blindly as the sources of trouble.
It should be noted that the new version was not meant to replace the old order. It is still being used and approved by Vatican. The changes affected order at the altar, flow of liturgy and other activities during mass. Some areas witnessed drastic changes.
Before the Eucharistic celebration begins, the priest would perform the rite of consecrating water for sprinkling to the faithful. It was mixed with salt and a defined psalm sung as the priest sprinkled the water on the congregants. There was a different dress code for the main celebrant from that of co-celebrants.
Distinctive departure from the traditional order saw priests leading the celebrations facing the congregants as opposed to the altar as was the tradition. This also applied to co-celebrants, deacons and altar servers. An antiphon is recited before the celebrant leads in the sign of the cross. The order of words has changed slightly.
Vatican II allowed the communion to be received using hands. This is a major departure from tradition where priests placed the communion on the tongue. Only the priest was allowed to administer it and the receiver knelt while receiving the communion. The tabernacle has also been moved from the center of many churches to the side.
It is uncertain if the new version has saved the church or led to its fall. An example is the decline in vocations as the number of nuns, brothers and priests reduce. Conservatives argue that there was no crisis that necessitated the change. Statistics indicate a dangerous decline in congregations as well as vocations. The debate now is whether things would improve if the traditional version is reintroduced.
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