Dear Editor, It was refreshing to read the thoughtful comments of Fr Hugh Kennedy and the Latin Mass Society’s Michael O’Donovan in response to Cardinal Robert Sarah’s call for priests to celebrate the Mass facing East (‘Back to the Future?’ IC 14/07/2016).
Too often debate on these matters has a kneejerk character that’s dogmatic in the worst sense, either rejecting ideas out of hand or cheerleading for them. It’s hardly surprising some people talk of ‘liturgy wars’.
Instead, though, Fr Kennedy made the sensible point that even regardless of the merits or otherwise of the cardinal’s proposal, it could prove a distraction. Rearranging our churches so priests could face us across the altar was a distraction in its time and the recent changes in the translation were distracting too – or at least the rumpus some priests kicked up about the changes was. It’s good to hear somebody pointing out that we could do with settling into our Mass.
Meanwhile, Mr O’Donovan, who might have been expected to champion the cardinal’s idea seemed to have a good grasp of reality when he said that it was unlikely to be widely embraced any time soon, and showed an impressive humility when he said he thought the restoration of older practice would happen over time, but that this would only happen organically.
Gently does it, as they say!
Yours etc.,
Bernadette Doyle,
Coventry, UK.