He will return with his immense heart, with his heart of fire, his poor man's soul
and his smile. He will return! And the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph!

THE RESTORATION OF THE MASS,
A WORK OF COUNTER-REFORMATION

BY BROTHER BRUNO OF JESUS

« The question now arises: is this post-Conciliar Liturgical Reform the doing of the hierarchical Church, teaching and^-guarding in uninterrupted continuity the true Roman Catholic Faith through the liturgy, which thus remains our rule of belief – a holy and sacred work, or is it an inversion of the ancient order, so that the liturgy is left to the creative inventiveness and initiative of each individual or each group, or even of the present generation in accordance with its own inspiration, personal faith and immanent religious experience? » (Georges de Nantes, The Reform of the Mass, Idle Dream or Reality? CCR n° 80, November 1976)

The answer to this question, which has been in suspense for thirty years, today comes in the extremely firm reply made by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI: « This Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation seeks to take up the richness and variety of the reflections and proposals that emerged from the recent Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops […] and to offer some basic directions aimed at a renewed commitment to Eucharistic enthusiasm and fervour in the Church » (n^o 5) in continuity with the richness of past times:

« If we consider the bimillenary history of God’s Church, guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we can gratefully admire the orderly development of the ritual forms in which we commemorate the event of our salvation. From the varied forms of the early centuries, still resplendent in the rites of the Ancient Churches of the East, up to the spread of the Roman rite; from the clear indications of the Council of Trent and the Missal of Saint Pius V to the liturgical renewal called for by the Second Vatican Council: in every age of the Church’s history the Eucharistic celebration, as the source and summit of her life and mission, shines forth in the liturgical rite in all its richness and variety.  » (n^o 3)

The Pope’s answer to the question that has been raised is clear: there is no rupture between the bimillenary tradition of the Church and the « liturgical renewal called for by the Second Vatican Council ».

Let us suppose so. But we can pose a second question: was the will of the Council respected, or was it the pretext for an inversion, an overthrowing of the ancient order that handed the liturgy over to the invention of each individual?

Here is the answer: « The Synod of Bishops was able to evaluate the reception of the renewal in the years following the Council. There were many expressions of appreciation. The difficulties and even the occasional abuses that were noted, it was affirmed, cannot overshadow the benefits and the validity of the liturgical renewal, whose riches are yet to be fully explored. Concretely, the changes that the Council called for need to be understood within the overall unity of the historical development of the rite itself, without the introduction of artificial discontinuities.  » (n^o 3)

We recognise here “the hermeneutic of continuity” dear to Benedict XVI, which in such a case is not unfounded, since the liturgical reform « called for by the Council » fell within the scope of a renewal that St. Pius X himself willed, and even before him, Bl. Pius IX. In his study of the conciliar constitution, Sacrosanctum Concilium, which produced reform of the liturgy, the Abbé de Nantes showed that the Second Vatican Council had decreed grand, perfectly traditional principles.

Yet he foresaw that they would remain without any practical effects, because a single key word had been added through which the revolution would rush in: « participation ». For the post-Conciliar revolution is today undeniable. It is not « introducing artificial discontinuities » to point it out! Moreover, Cardinal Ratzinger himself deplored it many times.

What form did this revolution take?

before the Council, the liturgy was a priestly work of preaching, sacramental sacrifice, and divine praise that was celebrated for the spiritual good of the faithful, but not without their pious involvement. After the Council, it would become a dialogue and a communitarian celebration... the latter abolishing the former.

From then on, the only question to ask ourselves now, the people of Counter-Reformation, is whether the Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis remedies the current devastation of the Sanctuary.

The first work of the “Third Vatican Council”, for which the Abbé de Nantes outlined the programme of restoration ten years after the Second Vatican Council, will be to lay down the Faith on which liturgy will be based. This really seems to be Benedict XVI’s preoccupation, since the first part of the Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis is dedicated to “The Eucharist, a Mystery to be Believed”. Part Two, “The Eucharist, a Mystery to be Celebrated” aims at restoring the beauty of the liturgy, and Part Three, “The Eucharist, a Mystery to be Lived”, at restoring Christian life, which is the fruit of the Holy Eucharist.

I. THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY OF FAITH

« The Eucharist is a “mystery of faith” par excellence. » (n^o 6) First because it puts us in the presence of the « very mystery of God, the Trinitarian love ». By giving His Body and shedding His Blood, Jesus revealed Himself to be « the eternal Son, who was given to us by the Father » (n^o 7). By giving us His Body to eat under the appearances of bread, and His Blood to drink under the appearances of wine, « the whole divine life is communicated to us » in the effusion of the Holy Spirit.

« God is a perfect communion of love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit ». « We are called by grace to participate » (n^o 8) in this mystery of Trinitarian love. Let us notice in passing how much these theological views are illustrated by the Trinitarian and Eucharistic theophany of Tuy. We will come back to it.

A MYSTERY OF COVENANT

In the Eucharist, this mystery of Trinitarian love becomes a mystery of redemption in which a “covenant” is concluded « to restore men continually from the fact of human malice and perfect them, and for the generations to come, to ratify and honour it until the consummation of time. » (Georges de Nantes, New Theology of the Eucharist, CCR n° 96, April 1977, p. 17)

As for the Pope, he explains:

« The mission for which Jesus came among us was accomplished in the Paschal Mystery. On the Cross from which He draws all people to Himself, just before “giving up the Spirit”, He utters the words: “It is accomplished”. In the mystery of Christ’s obedience unto death, even death on a Cross, the new and eternal Covenant was brought about. In His crucified flesh, God’s freedom and our human freedom met definitively in an inviolable, eternally valid pact. Human sin was also redeemed once and for all by God’s Son (cf. Heb 7:27; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10). » (n^o 9)

It is necessary to specify though that, far from being static and legal, the « inviolable, eternally valid pact » is continually being realised by the acts that new generations constantly perform while celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of Mass and entering into communion with the Holy Victim, i.e., eating His Body and drinking His Precious Blood, the bearers of divine Life and graces.

When the Pope writes about Jesus on the Cross and says that « in His crucified flesh, God’s freedom and our human freedom met definitively in an inviolable, eternally valid pact » he speaks of « the freedom of the man » – God, Jesus Christ Himself, God made man, in whose Person the « man » Jesus renders to God His Father the homage of perfect obedience. This is in fact the mystery of the Redemption that is renewed every day by the Eucharist, which « contains in itself this radical novelty, which is offered to us anew at every celebration » (n^o 10).

However, after having written that « human sin was also redeemed once for all by God’s Son », the Pope no longer makes the slightest allusion to the state of sinners who remain in slavery: « Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin » (Jn 8.34), the slave of the Devil (Jn 8.44). Benedict XVI never speaks of the Devil or of Hell in this “exhortation”, as though he does not believe in them. Or, to be more exact, it is as though God, having put His entire Wisdom and Power in service to His Love, thus service to us, law and justice no longer count. Thus, there is no more Hell...

It is precisely to protect us from this error that the Blessed Virgin showed Hell to Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta on 13 July 1917. Unfortunately, not the slightest allusion to the Message of Fatima can be found in this “Apostolic Exhortation”.

The Pope then affirms that the remembrance of this « perfect offering » of Christ « consists not in the mere repetition of the Last Supper, but in the Eucharist itself, that is, in the radical newness of Christian worship ». (n^o 11)

Saying this, the pope rejects in veiled terms the Protestants’ theory according to which their “Lord’s Supper” is the memorial of the Last Supper, and therefore, « the mere repetition of the Last Supper ». This means that in order to receive Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation sincerely, one has to be a member of the Counter-Reformation... most especially because he calls the « Eucharistic banquet » the « new [and definitive] worship » that the Church, the Bride, dedicates to her Bridegroom, inasmuch as she has been « called to celebrate the Eucharistic banquet daily in His memory. » (n^o 12) To speak of a Eucharistic banquet rather than the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass” is the effect of an obvious “ecumenical” concern, but here is what is purely and simply Catholic:

« This is why Christian antiquity used the same words, Corpus Christi, to designate Christ’s Body born of the Virgin Mary, His Eucharistic Body and His ecclesial Body. This clear datum of the tradition helps us to appreciate the inseparability of Christ and the Church. The Lord Jesus, by offering Himself in sacrifice for us, in His gift effectively pointed to the mystery of the Church. » (n^o 15)

The Abbé de Nantes explains: « It is the Church that is called the Body of Christ, it being Christ’s visible, tangible Body and physically human presence, whereas the Eucharist, His real but sacramental Presence under the sign of bread and wine, was known as His Mystical Body or Mystery of Faith. That view in no way harms the full reality and truth of the Sacrament but it places it in true perspective and gives the Sacrament its proper finality as Sacrament of the Church and for the Church. » (CCR n° 102, September 1978, p. 18)

The Church of which our Father is speaking is of course the Catholic Church, and so does our Holy Father the Pope, it goes without saying. But it is even better when one does say it:

She is catholic: « From this Eucharistic perspective, adequately understood, ecclesial communion is seen to be Catholic by its very nature. » (n^o 15)

She is one: « To quote Saint Cyprian, as “a people made one by the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, (44) she is the sacrament of Trinitarian communion. » (n^o 16)

She is holy, constantly made so by the sacraments, sacraments whose relationship with the Eucharistic Mystery the Pope endeavours to show (n^os 16-29).

THE SEVEN SOURCES OF LIFE

The Holy Father begins by recalling that the Eucharist is the « fullness of Christian initiation ». In his tract on Sacraments, the Abbé de Nantes also emphasises this: « fullness of Christian initiation »:

« By baptism and confirmation man is made a member of the Church and then strengthened with Her defensive and offensive arms to use the language of St. Paul (2 Co 6.7). He is a creature .renewed in the Blood of Christ and by virtue of His Spirit he is reborn to a life other than that of the world and sin; to a life of justice and of holiness, which is that of the Church Herself. Having attained this new state of being risen with Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, the “son of God” is called to Communion in the Holy Mysteries. As he leaves the Baptistery with the other catechumens, he enters in procession into the sanctuary where he will take part in the liturgy of the Assembly. There he chants the Pater Noster before finally approaching the altar to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord in company with his brethren. » (CCR n° 96, March 1978, p. 4)

PENANCE.

The Abbé de Nantes adds that although PENANCE comes later and at every stage of life, it nevertheless deserves to be dealt with before the Eucharist because it is at the level of Baptism and Confirmation, giving grace to restore and reawaken the Christian fallen by his sins into “a state worse than the first” according to Our Lord’s warning. (Mt 12.45). So true is it, that from the IV^th to IX^th centuries, before the sacramentary discipline had been well fixed, Penance was only administered in very grave cases of apostasy and heresy and then under the form of a bath in water and a laying on of hands, similar to the sacramental rites of the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. »

The Pope’s exhortation also recalls it: « Reconciliation, as the Fathers of the Church would say, is laboriosus quidam baptismus; they thus emphasised that the outcome of the process of conversion is also the restoration of full ecclesial communion, expressed in a return to the Eucharist. » (n^o 20)

The Pope lays stress on going to confession. Will he be obeyed? By us, the people of the Counter-Reformation, yes, with all our heart, especially since it is a duty ensuing from our reparatory devotion of the First Saturdays. When the demands of the Pope and the Blessed Virgin converge, what happiness it is to obey! But we do not always have the possibility of doing so, since we are subject to the whims of our pastors who do not take the Pope’s instructions into account, even though they are formal:

« All priests should dedicate themselves with generosity, commitment and competency to administering the sacrament of Reconciliation. In this regard, it is important that the confessionals in our churches should be clearly visible expressions of the importance of this Sacrament. » (n^o 21)

In France, they have removed them, Most Holy Father! What should we do? Go to their insipid and hypocritical “penitential celebrations” in opposition to your clear instructions?

« I ask Pastors to be vigilant with regard to the celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and to limit the practice of general absolution exclusively to the cases permitted, since individual absolution is the only form intended for ordinary use. » (n^o 21)

There follows an exhortation to « a balanced and sound practice of gaining indulgences, whether for oneself or for the dead ».

The Holy Father has already generously dispensed to us the fruits of this treasure of which he holds the keys. Here is the explanation of the indulgence, a devotion of Counter-Reformation par excellence:

« By means of indulgences the faithful obtain “remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.” The use of indulgences helps us to understand that by our efforts alone we would be incapable of making reparation for the wrong we have done, and that the sins of each individual harm the whole community. Furthermore, the practice of indulgences, which involves not only the doctrine of Christ’s infinite merits, but also that of the communion of the saints, reminds us “how closely we are united to each other in Christ ... and how the supernatural life of each can help others”. » (n^o 21)

There follows magnificent developments in which the Pope relates each of the sacraments to the Eucharist: the “Anointing of the Sick”, the sacraments of Holy Orders and Marriage.

EXTREME UNCTION.

« If the Eucharist shows how Christ’s sufferings and death have been transformed into love, the Anointing of the Sick, for its part, unites the sick with Christ’s self-offering for the salvation of all, so that they too, within the mystery of the communion of saints, can participate in the redemption of the world. The relationship between these two sacraments becomes clear in situations of serious illness: In addition to the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to leave this life the Eucharist as viaticum. On their journey to the Father, communion in the Body and Blood of Christ appears as the seed of eternal life and the power of resurrection: “Anyone who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day” (Jn 6.54). » (n^o 22)

HOLY ORDERS.

« On the night before He died, Jesus instituted the Eucharist and at the same time established the priesthood of the New Covenant. He is priest, victim and altar: the mediator between God the Father and His people (cf. Heb 5.5-10), the victim of atonement (cf. 1 Jn 2.2, 4.10) who offers Himself on the altar of the Cross. » (n^o 23)

That the Pope feels obliged to recall, undoubtedly for his friend Hans Küng, that « the Church teaches that priestly ordination is the indispensable condition for the valid celebration of the Eucharist. » reveals what state of disorientation we have reached! But he does not merely content himself with recalling “the regulation”:

« Indeed, he explains quoting the catechism (ccc) “in the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ Himself who is present to His Church as Head of His Body, Shepherd of His flock, High Priest of the redemptive sacrifice.” Certainly the ordained minister “also acts in the name of the whole Church, when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice.” » (n^o 23)

The Mass is Christ acting in His Church. But it is also the Church acting in the bosom of the Father, united to Christ in the bosom of the Father as in a liturgy of celestial advent. This is so because she is animated by the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is her soul. Here is the practical consequence:

« As a result, priests should be conscious of the fact that in their ministry they must never put themselves or their personal opinions in first place, but Jesus Christ. Any attempt to make themselves the centre of the liturgical action contradicts their very identity as priests. The priest is above all a servant of others, and he must continually work at being a sign pointing to Christ, a docile instrument in the Lord’s hands. This is seen particularly in his humility in leading the liturgical assembly, in obedience to the rite, uniting himself to it in mind and heart, and avoiding anything that might give the impression of an inordinate emphasis on his own personality. I encourage the clergy always to see their Eucharistic ministry as a humble service offered to Christ and His Church. The priesthood, as Saint Augustine said, is amoris officium, the office of the good shepherd, who offers his life for his sheep (cf. Jn 10.14-15). » (n^o 23)

By virtue of this Benedict XVI makes a show of authority: « I reaffirm the beauty and the importance of a priestly life lived in celibacy as a sign expressing total and exclusive devotion to Christ, to the Church and to the Kingdom of God, and I therefore confirm that it remains obligatory in the Latin tradition. Priestly celibacy lived with maturity, joy and dedication is an immense blessing for the Church and for society itself. » (n^o 24)

The Abbé de Nantes dedicated two admirable Letters to My Friends to priestly celibacy shortly after the Council: the first one dates from 25 August 1966, the day when Mgr Le Couëdic struck him with an a divinis suspension. The second one dates from 14-15 September, the feasts of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Compassion of Mary. It happens that his thought follows the same course as that of the Pope. The first letter especially aims at « disabusing those who believe that the marriage of priests is a solution to the tragic shortage of vocations ». This was the great idea of Hans Küng. Our Father very prosaically answers that « the young woman chosen under such conditions, shortly after she enters into their common life would demand the whole place and want to be a full-fledged wife. She will lose no time, I wager, in persuading her fiancé to be effectively and affectively dedicated to her and her future family, to have no fervent love other than for her alone and, later on, unlimited devotion only for their children. Who could blame her for this? She will merely be defending her love better than Christ will have dared, through the mouth of the bishop, to defend His. She will have triumphed in this struggle for the conquest of a heart in which, in advance, love for God accepted a compromise, allowed itself to be shared. In our modern societies, lifting the law of celibacy would mean the swift disappearance of the secular clergy and, undoubtedly, the dwindling of the regular clergy. » (Letter n^o 232, p. 3)

On this point « a person so elevated in grace that I cannot defer to answer his entreaty, has deplored the fact that in my Letter on priestly celibacy I limited myself to its prosaic aspect. He wanted me to speak better of the greatness and beauty of Christian virginity and the chastity of souls vowed to their Lord by love. » This is what he did forthwith. (Letter n^o 234).

Well! This Letter to My Friends is, as it were, summarised by the Pope in his Apostolic Exhortation:

« The Synod Fathers wished to emphasise that the ministerial priesthood, through ordination, calls for complete configuration to Christ. While respecting the different practice and tradition of the Eastern Churches, there is a need to reaffirm the profound meaning of priestly celibacy, which is rightly considered a priceless treasure, and is also confirmed by the Eastern practice of choosing Bishops only from the ranks of the celibate. These Churches also greatly esteem the decision of many priests to embrace celibacy. This choice on the part of the priest expresses in a special way the dedication which conforms him to Christ and his exclusive offering of himself for the Kingdom of God. The fact that Christ Himself, the eternal priest, lived His mission even to the sacrifice of the Cross in the state of virginity constitutes the sure point of reference for understanding the meaning of the tradition of the Latin Church. It is not sufficient to understand priestly celibacy in purely functional terms. Celibacy is really a special way of conforming oneself to Christ’s own way of life. This choice has first and foremost a nuptial meaning; it is a profound identification with the Heart of Christ the Bridegroom who gives His life for His Bride. » (n^o 24)

The Pope links these considerations to « the difficult situation that has arisen in various Dioceses which face a shortage of priests » that strikes « not only in some areas of first evangelisation, but also in many countries of long-standing Christian tradition. » (n^o 25).

How is this possible? The Pope contents himself with noting the fact as one would analyse a weather report, undoubtedly so as not to arrive at the explanation that forces itself on one. Yet he knows that the statistical curves of priests lost to the active priesthood and of priestly vocations drying up started their breathtaking fall just after the Council: « The crisis goes back to the year 1965 », dixit Cardinal Bertone (Le Figaro Magazine, 31 March 2007).

The explanation is simple, and the Abbé de Nantes unceasingly repeated it: the priority given to the “mission” over the “mass” diverted priests from the cult of God, to which they were devoted, and turned them toward the cult of man. The “promotion of Laity”, the major preoccupation of the Council after the “episcopate”, led to “desacerdotalisation” and “declergification”.

The Council considered the Laity as « before all else, “People of God” endowed with a triple prophetic, priestly and royal charism by virtue of its baptism, and exercising its Priesthood in the world by means of a veritable cult and an irreplaceable mission » (CRC n^o 54, March 1972, p. 7).

« Then, in the midst of this “people of priests”, what will be left for (real) priests to do? The answer is: Mission work. What does this mean? “The evangelisation of pagans”, regarding which we were told it was a sacred service, a liturgy, that must lead them to “the spiritual oblation” of their entire life to the Lord. The priest’s whole classic ministry is thus totally overlooked. He evangelises the eternal pagans in order to make them capable of fulfilling their priestly mission of lay cult and evangelisation. It is the world turned upside down! Even if some rhetorical tricks were to reintroduce the Mass and Sacraments into the presbyteral ministry, life would show that it was artificial. They were really driven out of it when this ministry was subordinated to a secular priesthood. This is desacerdotalisation, and at the Council itself! » (ibid., p. 9)

The consequence of this was the “declergification”: « No sooner were they subordinated to laymen, than priests were invited and even forced by the Council to change their life entirely in order to mix with the world. »

Since then, “obedience to the Council” has wrought its devastation: « The ministry of priests has changed. It is word instead of worship, dialogue with the infidels instead of preaching and distribution of the sacraments to the faithful. Consequently, the life of priests must change. Instead of being separated, preserved from the world, and completely occupied with their holy functions, they are thrown into the world and delivered up to its temptations and tyranny. » (ibid.)

Forty years have passed. The disastrous result is there, as the Pope has noted: « shortage of priests ». What is the remedy? « Certainly a more equitable distribution of clergy would help to solve the problem. » (n^o 25)

Will we therefore have to wait for the total extinction of the priesthood for the Pope to open his eyes to the error committed by the Second Vatican Council?

Yet, it is still true that « we must never lose confidence that Christ continues to inspire men to leave everything behind and to dedicate themselves totally to celebrating the sacred mysteries, preaching the Gospel and ministering to the flock » (n^o 26). Then, how is it that the conciliar reform resulted, at least in France, in the complete disorganisation and disappearance of seminaries?

Here is the Abbé de Nantes’ answer, which we will never cease to repeat until we have been heard: « Yes, yes, yes, it is the Council that is fundamentally guilty of this major crime: the decadence of the clergy. The priesthood was great, strong, and prosperous as long as it was defined by its intimate relationship to God through worship and the apostolate connected to it. And I add: priests were happy with that. The priesthood deteriorated, was weakened and diminished from the day it wanted to be missionary first and turned towards men in order to occupy them with the things of this world and no longer with Heaven. This is the crime against the Priestly Order. » (CRC n^o 54, p. 10)

MARRIAGE.

The Pope dedicates a very beautiful development to marriage, comparing the union of love procured by the Eucharist, « sacrament of love », to the union of love between man and woman. He often quotes John Paul II. He could just as well have quoted the Abbé de Nantes, so unjustly accused of “heresy” on this matter:

« The Eucharist inexhaustibly strengthens the indissoluble unity and love of every Christian marriage. By the power of the sacrament, the marriage bond is intrinsically linked to the Eucharistic unity of Christ the Bridegroom and His Bride, the Church (cf. Ep 5.31-32). The mutual consent that husband and wife exchange in Christ, which establishes them as a community of life and love, also has a Eucharistic dimension. Indeed, in the theology of St. Paul, conjugal love is a sacramental sign of Christ’s love for His Church, a love culminating in the Cross, the expression of His “marriage” with humanity and at the same time the origin and heart of the Eucharist. » (n^o 27)

This is why « the Synod of Bishops confirmed the Church’s practice, based on Sacred Scripture (cf. Mk 10.2-12), of not admitting the divorced and remarried to the sacraments, since their state and their condition of life objectively contradict the loving union of Christ and the Church signified and made present in the Eucharist. » (n^o 29)

What is lacking here is the decision to take vigorous action against political and social authorities, accompanied with threats of excommunication, to put an end to the rapid and lucrative! expansion of eroticism world-wide with all its vices. But no: our bishops have not undertaken anything in our Catholic countries to make the State guarantee the commitments of Catholic marriage, signed on the parochial registers, to the same extent that it guarantees, under threat of the heaviest of sentences, a sales contract for a house or a herd of pigs signed before a notary. It has been more than one hundred years that the republican State, to which Leo XIII rallied us by force, has made itself an avowed and active accomplice of citizens who violate their matrimonial commitments!

Far from declaring war on the republican, secular and anticlerical sect that, under the mask of a democratic regime, is the main force of the corruption and decomposition of our families, the Pope merely gives advice marked by paternal solicitude, advice that the Abbé de Nantes himself has often given as spiritual direction, but in the confessional or in his office. But the Pope seems to lay down his arms and proclaim urbi et orbi a sort of privileged status:

« Yet the divorced and remarried continue to belong to the Church, which accompanies them with special concern and encourages them to live as fully as possible the Christian life through regular participation at Mass, albeit without receiving communion, listening to the word of God, Eucharistic adoration, prayer, participation in the life of the community, honest dialogue with a priest or spiritual director, dedication to the life of charity, works of penance, and commitment to the education of their children. » (n^o 29)

Without forgetting the recourse to ecclesiastical courts for a possible annulment of the marriage « in full respect for canon law ».

« Marriage and the family are institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society itself. » (n^o 29)

What is lacking here is the mention of « a wound » made to the Heart of God, Creator and Father of man and woman, for His Glory and that of His Word. Pope Benedict XVI has obviously not heard Our Lady of Fatima’s supplication: « Do not offend the Lord Our God any more, for He is already too greatly offended! » (13 October 1917) Yet, our eternal salvation is at stake.

The Pope comes to evoking this ultimate end:

« If it is true that the sacraments are part of the Church’s pilgrimage through history towards the full manifestation of the victory of the risen Christ, it is also true that, especially in the liturgy of the Eucharist, they give us a real foretaste of the eschatological fulfilment for which every human being and all creation are destined (cf. Rm 8.19ff.). Man is created for that true and eternal happiness that only God’s love can give. But our wounded freedom would go astray were it not already able to experience something of that future fulfilment. Moreover, to move forward in the right direction, we all need to be guided towards our final goal. »

Otherwise? If he does not take « the right direction » but the wrong one, where does he go? He falls into Hell. But the word “Hell” does not appear one single time in this exhortation. Pope Benedict XVI does not take into account the vision of Hell, which was opened before the eyes of Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta on 13 July 1917 by a reflection of light emanating from the hands of Our Lady of Fatima.

« That goal is Christ Himself, the Lord who conquered sin and death, and who makes Himself present to us in a special way in the Eucharistic celebration. Even though we remain “aliens and exiles” in this world (1 Pt 2.11), through faith we already share in the fullness of risen life. The Eucharistic banquet, by disclosing its powerful eschatological dimension, comes to the aid of our freedom as we continue our journey. » (n^o 30)

The Pope does not even evoke the possibility that our liberty persists in deviating from « the right direction ». It seems that everyone must finally take part in the « eschatological banquet » (n^o 31). Benedict XVI does not mention at any moment the necessity of saving souls from Hell; he merely recommends prayer for the souls of Purgatory:

« In this context, I wish, together with the Synod Fathers, to remind all the faithful of the importance of prayers for the dead, especially the offering of Mass for them, so that, once purified, they can come to the beatific vision of God. A rediscovery of the eschatological dimension inherent in the Eucharist, celebrated and adored, will help sustain us on our journey and comfort us in the hope of glory (cf. Rm 5.2; Tt 2.13). » (n^o 32)

The Virgin Mary comes at the end of this first part, as in the Second Vatican Council at the last chapter of Lumen Gentium:

« She is the Immaculata, who receives God’s gift unconditionally and is thus associated with His work of salvation. Mary of Nazareth, icon of the nascent Church, is the model for each of us, called to receive the gift that Jesus makes of Himself in the Eucharist. » (n^o 33)

Benedict XVI walks along the paths of the Second Vatican Council: « In Mary, the Church holds up and admires the most excellent fruit of the redemption, and joyfully contemplates, as in a faultless image, that which she herself desires and hopes wholly to be. » (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, n^o 103)

We are far, very far from the clear will of God revealed at Fatima: to establish in the world the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. How? By the daily recitation of the Rosary.

What is the link with the Eucharist? A very close one, if we link the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in 1917 to those of the “Guardian Angel” in 1916, which ended with the communion of the shepherds, receiving the Holy Host and the Precious Blood from the hands of the Angel. To understand this, however, it is necessary to consider “the Eucharist, a mystery to be celebrated”. This is the subject of the second part of the Apostolic Exhortation.

II. THE EUCHARIST: A MYSTERY TO BE CELEBRATED

Like St. Pius X, Benedict XVI wants to see his people pray by means of a beautiful liturgy. After recalling the adage according to which the law of prayer is the law of belief, lex orandi, lex credendi (n^o 34), the Pope affirms « the rich theological and liturgical category of beauty. Like the rest of Christian Revelation, the liturgy is inherently linked to beauty: it is veritatis splendor. »

It is through beauty that « the truth of God’s love in Christ encounters us, attracts us and delights us, enabling us to emerge from ourselves and drawing us towards our true vocation, which is love. God allows Himself to be glimpsed first in creation, in the beauty and harmony of the cosmos (cf. Ws 13.5; Rm 1.19-20). »

It is true happiness to discover coming from the pen of the Pope a summary, as it were, of our Father’s Mystical Aestheticism, which makes beauty the way for going to God. « We pass from grace to grace, that is to say, from the gracious beauty of created beings to the all gracious and gratuitous goodness of God, of which created beauty is the sign, the proof and the image. » (CCR n° 105, December 1978, p. 2)

« In the Old Testament we see many signs of the grandeur of God’s power as he manifests his glory in his wondrous deeds among the Chosen People (cf. Ex 14; 16:10; 24:12-18; Num 14:20- 23). »

« In the New Testament this epiphany of beauty reaches definitive fulfilment in God’s revelation in Jesus Christ: He is the full manifestation of the glory of God. In the glorification of the Son, the Father’s glory shines forth and is communicated (cf. Jn 1.14; 8.54; 12.28; 17.1). »

The very title of the first chapter of the Abbé de Nantes’ Mystical Aestheticism, Jesus Christ, Splendour of the Father (CCR n° 105), expresses the same thought: « That on this way (of beauty) we shall encounter Christ, the Word of God in flesh, the human beauty and splendour of the Father, the bodily face of the Godhead. »

Here, however, is the Aesthetic dramatic, expounded by our Father under the title “The Affliction of God”, in two chapters: “The History of a Humiliated and Crucified God”, and the “Divine Tragedy” of a love offended by the irremissible sin that is sanctioned by eternal damnation. The Pope only retains the “Christian drama”:

« Yet this beauty is not simply a harmony of proportion and form; “the fairest of the sons of men” (Ps 45 / 44.3) is also, mysteriously, the one “who had no form or comeliness that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him” (Is 53.2). »

Once again, it is not without surprise mingled with acute disappointment that we discover this impasse on the tragedy of the definitive sin, the sin without remission, the sin without a trace of mercy, the sin, finally, that was raised up against God, impeded Him, offended Him, and eternally defied Him, which appeared in the person of Judas. The Pope passes directly to the Hyperbolical Aesthetic, as the Abbé de Nantes called it, « because every figure of created beauty raises the soul to the vision of God’s splendour, but the splendour of God in turn bends to the contours of created figures to reveal itself still more and to have us enter really into the mystery of His own figure… » (CCR n° 116, November1979, p. 16)

Let us read what the Pope writes:

« Jesus Christ shows us how the truth of love can transform even the dark mystery of death into the radiant light of the resurrection. Here the splendour of God’s glory surpasses all worldly beauty. The truest beauty is the love of God, who definitively revealed Himself to us in the paschal mystery. »

« The beauty of the liturgy is part of this mystery; it is a sublime expression of God’s glory and, in a certain sense, a glimpse of Heaven on earth. The memorial of Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice contains something of that beauty which Peter, James and John beheld when the Master, making His way to Jerusalem, was transfigured before their eyes (cf. Mk 9.2). Beauty, then, is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God Himself and His revelation. These considerations should make us realise the care that is needed, if the liturgical action is to reflect its innate splendour. » (n^o 35)

The Pope quotes St. Augustine, who explains that Christ assimilates us to Himself by giving us His Body to eat and His Blood to drink: « If you have received them properly, you yourselves are what you have received. » (n^o 36)

The “Counter-Reformation” practical application:

« Since the Eucharistic liturgy is essentially an actio Dei that draws us into Christ through the Holy Spirit, its basic structure is not something within our power to change, nor can it be held hostage by the latest trends. » The Pope recalls that « the Apostle of the Gentiles assures us that, with regard to the Eucharist, he is presenting not his own teaching but what he himself has received (cf. 1 Co 11.23). » (n^o 37)

The Holy Mass is an action, the actors of which are Christ Jesus, our Redeemer, the mediator between God the Father and men, the assembly of the faithful formed into a community of the redeemed, and the priest celebrant who holds the place of Christ as regards performing the prescribed rite.

From this follows « the need to avoid any antithesis between the ars celebrandi, the art of proper celebration, and the full, active and fruitful participation of all the faithful. The primary way to foster the participation of the People of God in the sacred rite is the proper celebration of the rite itself. The ars celebrandi […] is the fruit of faithful adherence to the liturgical norms in all their richness; indeed, for two thousand years this way of celebrating has sustained the faith life of all believers, called to take part in the celebration as the People of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (cf. 1 Pt 2.4-5, 9). » (n^o 38)

The Abbé de Nantes had been demanding this return to the Truth of the divine work, the only necessary one, for more than thirty years:

« The pastoral and didactic concern, without being excluded, must be subordinated, always relative and never indiscrete. A sacred Work, the liturgy will always and necessarily be mysterious, a “mystery of faith”, and thus inaccessible to the people, priests, and experts! This explains and already justifies using sacred places, sacred language, music, vestments and signs, hieratic rites and unchanging prayers. » (Georges de Nantes, The Holy Liturgy, CRC n^o 53, February 1972, p. 10)

Each of these points is the object of the Pope’s recommendations that he addressed first and foremost to the bishops « in order that every effort be made to ensure that the liturgies that the Bishop celebrates in his Cathedral are carried out with complete respect for the ars celebrandi, so that they can be considered an example for the entire Diocese » (n^o 39).

The manner of celebrating « should foster a sense of the sacred and the use of outward signs that help to cultivate this sense, such as, for example, the harmony of the rite, the liturgical vestments, the furnishings and the sacred space » (n^o 40).

Will Benedict XVI be heard and obeyed? He must be, if we want to restore the magnificent edifice of the holy liturgy without breaking with the present liturgy, which was always the wish of the Abbé de Nantes, in order to avoid causing a new rupture from which the Church would be unable to recover.

« Equally important for a correct ars celebrandi is an attentiveness to the various kinds of language that the liturgy employs: words and music, gestures and silence, movement, the liturgical colours of the vestments. By its very nature the liturgy operates on different levels of communication, which enable it to engage the whole human person. The simplicity of its gestures and the sobriety of its orderly sequence of signs communicate and inspire more than any contrived and inappropriate additions. Attentiveness and fidelity to the specific structure of the rite express both a recognition of the nature of Eucharist as a gift and, on the part of the minister, a docile openness to receiving this ineffable gift. » (n^o 40)

This does not inhibit “creativity”, in all fields: architecture, painting, sculpture… « Everything related to the Eucharist should be marked by beauty. Special respect and care must also be given to the vestments, the furnishings and the sacred vessels, so that by their harmonious and orderly arrangement they will foster awe for the mystery of God, manifest the unity of the Faith and strengthen devotion. » (n^o 41)

Above all liturgical chant: « In the course of her two-thousand-year history, the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs that represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must not be lost. » Have we reached the point where we fear “losing” this patrimony? I am afraid so! This is the most obvious result of the “conciliar renewal”… Ah, if only we could send the Holy Father an oratorio by Brother Henry…

« I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy. » (n^o 42)

Amen! Because for the time being, it is truly all too depreciated. And yet, the Council made the same recommendation forty years ago!

OLD AND NEW ORDO, THE ORDO OF ALL TIMES…

The Holy Father then explains the structure of the Mass. First of all, he reminds us that the two liturgies, the liturgy “of the word” and “of the Eucharist” – a nomenclature that they harp on since Vatican II – along with “the two tables of the word and the Bread” form but one single act of worship:

« There is an intrinsic bond between the word of God and the Eucharist. From listening to the word of God, faith is born or strengthened (cf. Rm 10.17); in the Eucharist the Word made flesh gives Himself to us as our spiritual food. Thus, “from the two tables of the Word of God and the Body of Christ, the Church receives and gives to the faithful the Bread of Life”. Consequently it must constantly be kept in mind that the word of God, read and proclaimed by the Church in the liturgy, leads to the Eucharist as to its own connatural end. » (n^o 44)

It is likewise for the Protestants!

The first part of the Mass – the instruction – is intended to make the assembly of the People of God capable of understanding the way of salvation that is opened to them. The ministers, then the priest, or the bishop, instruct them by the figures and prophecies of the Old Testament, the dogmatic and moral teachings of the Apostles, then by the solemn chant of the Gospel; this series of readings intermingled with chants and prayers, unsurpassably highlights the Gospel, Christ’s word.

Thus the Pope’s recommendations on the manner

1^o of proclaiming the Word that is none other than the Word made flesh whom we are preparing to receive in Communion (n^o 45),

2^o « of improving the quality of the homily » by preparing it carefully. « I ask the ministers to preach in such a way that the homily closely relates the proclamation of the word of God to the sacramental celebration and the life of the community, so that the word of God truly becomes the Church’s vital nourishment and support. The catechetical and paraenetic aim of the homily should not be forgotten » (n^o 46). Countless recordings of the Abbé de Nantes are available to serve as a model for those who ask us for them.

3^o of presenting the gifts without « the need for undue emphasis or complexity » (n^o 47). The offering of the bread and wine that will be the object of the consecration and, for the rest, the gifts in kind or in cash for the Church, for her ministers and for her poor, is the required prelude to the Eucharistic sacrifice, for each attendant must indicate his devotedness to God and his desire of purification and salvation; failing which, the Lord will grant nothing to him who offers Him nothing: « He will have nothing in common with Him »…

Our Father celebrated the offertory rite of the ancient Roman Mass, and explained it in the light of Catholic theology in such a way as to make its restoration ardently desired: « Our offertory rite is of great sumptuousness in the multiplication of its blessings, elevations of the offerings, incensations, the essential of which is aimed at the precise matter of the sacrifice that they herald: the bread and wine. »

What does the Pope mean when he says, « without the need for undue emphasis or complexity »? There is, there was in the ancient Roman Mass a charming interweave of actions that prepared the sacrifice, which were not « undue », with a minimum of explanations that our Father often gave to us, in particular in his two retreats on the Mass:

« The Church considers with great humility these earthly goods that she presents to God Almighty, although very poor and unworthy of Him; and she considers herself incapable of giving them any worth by her prayer. The priest in particular recalls repeatedly his feelings of unworthiness and invokes the Almighty’s clemency.

« At the same time, however, the thought that these oblations are going to become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ stirs the priest and the assembly. Then, no longer able to contain their joy, they bless and incense not only this host and this chalice destined for such a fate but also the altar, the minister of this admirable Mystery, and the people in their totality, once the catechumens and the public sinners have been excluded. For everyone must be holy at this solemn hour.

« These are admirable moments that must on no account be shortened or abolished! »

4^o The Eucharistic Prayer, « the centre and summit of the entire celebration », can assume various forms, which have been set forth for us in the Church’s inexhaustible treasure (n^o 48). The Pope lists their « basic elements »: « thanksgiving, acclamation, epiclesis, institution narrative and consecration, anamnesis, offering, intercessions and final doxology. »

The Eucharistic prayer begins by the grandiose chant of the Preface to worship God and remind Him of His blessings and His Will to save all, in order to render Him favourable to us. After the acclamation of the Sanctus, the entire Church is spiritually summoned to the sacrifice, even in the most humble village.

The Canon placed before the eyes of the priest dictates to him the very words of Jesus at the Last Supper, as taken from the Gospel account of the institution of this mystery. But the words of the consecration are said in an affirmative or imperative mode that produces by the virtue of the priesthood the effect that they announce:

« This is My Body… »

« This is the chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the New and eternal Covenant – mystery of faith –, which shall be shed for you and for many unto the remission of sins. »

« Hæc quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis », « As often as you do these things, you shall do them in remembrance of Me », Jesus says. To carry out this order the priest says the « Anamnesis »: « Wherefore, O Lord, calling to mind the blessed Passion of the same Christ, Your Son our Lord… » The Passion of Christ is indeed « blessed », since it procures us salvation.

5^o The « sign of peace » should avoid « being expressed in a way that can be exaggerated and cause a certain distraction in the assembly just before the reception of Communion. » (n^o 49)

6^o Distribution and reception of Communion must be followed by a « precious time of thanksgiving » (n^o 50). What does Jesus want from us after having given us His Body and His Blood? He wants us to be happy. I only have to contemplate the work of Jesus and Mary in me, and rejoice for being penetrated by their presence.

7^o After recalling the meaning of « the dismissal: Ite, missa est, which is a sending off on mission (n^o 51), the Holy Father returns to the question of « the full, active and fruitful participation of the entire People of God in the Eucharistic celebration » willed by the Second Vatican Council.

If one looks carefully at this presentation, he is troubled by the absence of an essential element: before the “liturgy of the Word”, the congregation gathers in procession, enters within the Church and participates in prayers of worship, petition, and purification to which the ancient Roman Mass gives emphasis. On the one hand, the priest directs the prayer by the aspersion. While the congregation sings the Kyrie eleison, he himself asks mercy for his own unworthiness, absolves the people, and goes to the altar for the first incensation.

This entire corpus of prayers of adoration, contrition and supplication to God perfectly reflects the need to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice in order to receive the grace that flows from the “capital grace” that Our Lord Jesus Christ – He who was without sin – acquired on the Cross for the salvation of all.

The profound cause of this omission and its consequences will appear to us in the third part of the Apostolic Exhortation.

The Pope comes to the « participation » required from the « People of God. »

« PARTICIPATION »

The expression “active participation” had already been used, first by Pius X, then by Pius XII, to mean precisely the necessity of being in a state of grace in order to receive communion.

Since the Council, however, whether one is in a state of grace or not, he must “participate”. What does this mean? That the people must speak, move, sing and dance, as we have seen the practice spread? The Holy Father finally recognises that « some misunderstanding has occasionally arisen concerning the precise meaning of this participation […]. In fact, the active participation called for by the Council must be understood in more substantial terms, on the basis of a greater awareness of the mystery being celebrated and its relationship to daily life. »

Nevertheless, everyone must remain at his place:

« The active participation of the laity does not benefit from the confusion arising from an inability to distinguish, within the Church’s communion, the different functions proper to each one. » Will this timid reminder that there exists a priestly hierarchy suffice to put an end to the omnipotence of laymen?

« Associated with these ministries linked to the Sacrament of Holy Orders, there are also other ministries of liturgical service that can be carried out in a praiseworthy manner by religious and properly trained laity. » (n^o 53)

The Abbé de Nantes suggests linking these subordinate ministries to the Sacrament of Confirmation rather than to that of Holy Orders.

« During the last forty years there has been such ill-considered talk about the common priesthood of the people of God and of the laity’s participation in the hierarchical apostolate in the form of specialised Catholic Action. It is time to set all that in order.

« In my opinion this should be done by approaching it either from the baptismal vocation or from the sacerdotal ministry but always as an extension of Confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit over the entire people of God. Each function exercised by a layman within the community would need to be recognised by the bishops as a charism developing the Sacrament of Confirmation’s grace of active militancy

« What were called the minor orders could be restored not as inferior degrees of the priesthood but as superior developments of Confirmation. For them to have a practical value, it would suffice that they be held as a function conferred by the Bishop locally and temporarily, thus putting the power of Confirmation into effect, accompanied by a sacramental rite of official recognition and simple blessing. »

« These inferior ministers would make up the ranks of the Church’s non commissioned officers. Thus re-established, these charisms would visibly flourish, as is generally hoped today, in the form of catechists, infirmarians, almoners, alms-collectors, sacristans, teachers, bellringers – and why not gravediggers – and so on, as various as all the different subordinate functions of a great city, of our Holy City, the New Jerusalem. (The Christian Mysteries: The Catholic Priesthood, CCR n° 97, April 1978, p. 19)

« INCULTURATION »

« For a more effective participation of the faithful in the holy mysteries », the Pope then recommends « continued inculturation » (n^o 54)

What does this mean? This:

« Sent by his bishop, the man of God arrives at a place; he builds his cabin or his igloo and right beside it his chapel, where he calls the Pygmies or the Eskimos, his new parishioners, for instruction and prayer… The Church thus finds herself implanted as soon as the parish is established. » (A Church Utopia, CCR n° 103, October 1978, p. 21) All the rest is literature.

Civilisation results from this implantation of the Church: « Christians have been models and pioneers of human civilisation because instead of being rebels like their father Adam, they have been submissive and obedient like their Saviour Jesus Christ whose example they still have preached and represented each day at Mass. Instead of being sold to sin and of being slave to their own flesh and all its desires, as St. Paul says, Christians have learnt from Christ Crucified and from His Virgin Mother at the foot of the Cross, mortification of the flesh and purity of heart. They have broken with all scepticism and religious syncretism, with all idolatry and collective fanaticism in order to embrace the revealed truth till death, till martyrdom. » (At the Heart of the Church, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, CCR n° 52, July 1974, p. 10)

The Pope continues restoring order: « Active participation in the Eucharistic liturgy can hardly be expected if one approaches it superficially, without an examination of his life. This inner disposition can be fostered, for example, by recollection and silence for at least a few moments before the beginning of the liturgy, by fasting and, when necessary, by sacramental Confession. »

Nevertheless, we will not find in this Apostolic Exhortation, any mention of “obligatory” confession, not even once a year to prepare for one’s Easter communion. Furthermore, one reads no mention of the obligation to make one’s Easter duty. Yet:

« Clearly, full participation in the Eucharist takes place when the faithful approach the altar in person to receive Communion. » (n^o 55)

This was precisely the reason for the “commandment of the Church”: « to receive the Blessed Sacrament at least once a year and that at Easter or thereabouts. »

« The Communion is the necessary conclusion to the celebration of the Covenant between God and His people […]. It is the Church, the Spouse of Christ, who causes the sacrament to be for the sake of her own nourishment; the Church gives her Spouse to herself and implores Him to wash away her sins ever and again through the sacrifice of His Body and Blood, in which She communes in order to find herself in Him, the Spouse without spot or wrinkle, for Christ to present to His Father in all honour and glory in anticipation of the banquet of our eternal wedding feast. » (G. de Nantes, CCR n° 102, p. 18)

« The Eucharist in fact not only manifests our personal communion with Jesus Christ, but also implies full communio with the Church. » (n^o 56)

This is why non-Catholic Christians cannot approach it. On the other hand, the Pope recommends the ill and the mentally handicapped to the solicitude of the community in order that they may frequently approach sacramental Communion. « In this way they can strengthen their relationship with Christ, crucified and risen, and feel fully involved in the Church’s life and mission by the offering of their sufferings in union with our Lord’s sacrifice. » (n^o 58)

The same recommendations are made concerning (n^o 59) and migrants (n^o 60).

The Pope then recalls that concelebrations retain an exceptional and limited character (n^o 61). In these circumstances « in order to express more clearly the unity and universality of the Church, I wish to endorse the proposal made by the Synod of Bishops, in harmony with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, that, with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, it is fitting that such liturgies be celebrated in Latin. Similarly, the better-known prayers of the Church’s tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung. Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant. » (n^o 62)

Concretely, how can these directives be applied?

By the “pedagogical bilingualism” advocated by the Abbé de Nantes in order to restore Latin not only as an international language, but also as a doctrinally more reliable language. After having recited the Divine Office in French, in order to make the texts of Holy Scripture understood, return to the Latin text for an active, intelligent and conscious “participation.” Yes, you can count us in, Most Holy Father!

It does not suffice to learn Latin.

MYSTAGOGY

The Holy Father in fact recommends a “mystagogical catechesis”. It is not a question of a scientific or dogmatic study, but an exercise, a training in piously living the Thanksgiving that the Eucharist is, by entering into its mystery by means of:

a) the interpretation of the rites in the light of the events of sacred history: « In Christ crucified and risen, we truly celebrate the one who has united all things in himself (cf. Ep 1.10) »;

b) the explanation of the symbolism of the rites and the words that accompany them. They are veils under which God descends towards His creature in order to bring it back to Him.

c) « Finally, a mystagogical catechesis must be concerned with bringing out the significance of the rites for the Christian life in all its dimensions. » (n^o 64)

The Abbé de Nantes – who preached to us a retreat on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass under the title of “Eucharistic Mystagogy” – especially prepared us to respond to the will of Benedict XVI. Therefore these lines of the Pope fill us with joy because they express our own experience.

« In our times as well, the Holy Spirit generously spreads His gifts in order to support the Apostolic mission of the Church, to whom it belongs to diffuse the Faith and educate her until her full maturity. »

The soul’s disposition, proportioned to this participation in the « mystery of God present among us », is not only the respect that expresses itself by « gestures and posture, such as kneeling during the central moments of the Eucharistic Prayer » (n^o 65), but also « adoration » of the Blessed Sacrament. The Holy Father does not conceal that at the time when the reform desired by the Council « was in its early phases, the inherent relationship between Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was not always perceived with sufficient clarity. For example, an objection that was widespread at the time argued that the Eucharistic bread was given to us not to be looked at, but to be eaten. In the light of the Church’s experience of prayer, however, this was seen to be a false dichotomy. As Saint Augustine put it: “Nemo autem illam carnem manducat, nisi prius adoraverit; peccemus non adorando – no one eats that Flesh without first adoring It; we should sin were we not to adore It.”

« In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; Eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the Eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church’s supreme act of adoration. Receiving the Eucharist means adoring Him whom we receive. Only in this way do we become one with Him, and are given, as it were, a foretaste of the beauty of the heavenly liturgy.

« The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself. Indeed, only in adoration can a profound and genuine reception mature. And it is precisely this personal encounter with the Lord that then strengthens the social mission contained in the Eucharist, which seeks to break down not only the walls that separate the Lord and ourselves, but also and especially the walls that separate us from one another. » (n^o 66)

Before showing so in the third part, the Pope recommends, in order to practise personal or communitarian Eucharistic adoration (n^os 67-68), to confer dignity on the tabernacle by letting it be enthroned on the high altar, « taking care not to place the celebrant’s chair in front of it » (n^o 69).

Someone is missing in this second part: the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her blessed Name does not appear once in the these considerations on “The Eucharist, a Mystery to be Celebrated”. It is a serious defici