"New" Tridentine Mass not Anti-Semitic

 Whatever media outlets have been saying, there will be no prayer for the conversion of the “perfidious Jews“.

Letter on 1962 Missal Not Anti-Semitic

Document to Be Released Saturday VATICAN CITY, JULY 6, 2007 (Zenit.org).-

Benedict XVI’s apostolic letter concerning the Roman Missal promulgated by John XXIII in 1962, will not reinstate a prayer for the conversion of “perfidious Jews.”

 The Vatican press office announced today the Pope’s letter issued “motu proprio,” on his own initiative, is titled “Summorum Pontificum,” and will be released Saturday at noon, accompanied by an explanatory letter.

Several media reports erroneously contend that the letter could in effect reinstate a prayer offensive to Jews from the Good Friday liturgy of the Tridentine Mass, which dates back to 1570. The prayer stated: “Oremus et pro perfidies Judaeis” (Let us pray for the perfidious Jews).

On the first Good Friday after his election to the papacy in 1959, Pope John XXIII eliminated the adjective “perfidious” from the prayer. Since then the expression “Let us pray for the Jews” has been used.

That same year, he also eliminated from the rite of baptism the phrase used for Jewish catechumens: “Horresce Jusaicam perfidiam, respue Hebraicam superstitionem” (Disavow Jewish unbelieving, deny Hebrew superstition).

Also eliminated were similar formulas for those converting from idolatry, Islam or a heretical sect.

The 1962 missal was promulgated with an apostolic letter issued “motu proprio” by John XXIII “Rubricarum Instructum.” The missal does not make reference to “perfidious Jews.” On Good Friday in 1963, John XXIII underlined the importance of this decision when the old formulation of the prayer for the Jews was read. The Pope interrupted the liturgy and asked that that the liturgical invocations begin again from the beginning, following the new text.

The Roman Missal adopted by Pope Paul VI in 1969, and put into effect in 1970, reformulated the prayer. It reads: “Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God, that they may continue to grow in the love of his name and in faithfulness to his covenant. “Almighty and eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption.

The World Seen From Rome

And also this Mass, as Benedict XVI has said in his own letter presenting it, will not be compulsaory. But as the Pope explains regarding “Summorum Pontificum”:

The use of the old Missal presupposes a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language; neither of these is found very often. Already from these concrete presuppositions, it is clearly seen that the new Missal will certainly remain the ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, not only on account of the juridical norms, but also because of the actual situation of the communities of the faithful.

Jews have to consider they are not the only ones mistreated by the MSM (I know you know it, Chaim, but it is really necessary given the reactions of these past days of your fellow Jewish bloggers). Catholics also are. MSM tend not to consider us as normal citizens but as remnants of a violent and unjust past, without even considering those violent and unjust deeds were (and are if done now) in fact, a transgression of the greater mandate Christ gave us: love thy enemy.

One of the most important examples of that is the Spanish Inquisition. I’m not going to defend it as an institution which was headed to condemn people based in their creed or beliefs. But we have to consider it, not comparing it with our ideas now, but with the religious persecution which took place alongside Europe during the XVIth and XVIIth century.

 

The main thing to take into consideration here is simply that, while politics are only of this world, religion is for the other world. So the power it yields for the people in charge of religious structures is great. And it’s a very modern debate, watching what is happening with Islam.

It’s curious that the Inquisition was not born in Spain. In fact, it is a Middle Ages’ creation, in a moment where the Pope and the Sacred German-Roman Empire were combatting each other about power. At that momment it was itinerant, it went to the place where the heretics lived.

When Ferdinand the Catholic was crowned King of Aragon, he began to realise that the control over the people, if it was only chastised by today’s punishment, will always find some kind of opposition. But if he succeeded in uniting the Church to its own pursue of absolute power, then unity was assured. And his own power.

At the moment, the ideological situation of Spain was very rich. Humanists like Luis Vives or Beatriz Galindo -yeah, a woman!- were famous and began an important line of thought throughout Spain. The problem was that Spain had been fighting during 700 with the very peaceful people of the Religion of Peace and then in very hard wars to secure power. Both in Aragón and in Castille the rising to power of the Catholic kings, meant another civil war.

With a very concrete feeling of what-was-to-be-Castillian/Aragonese, who had been created along all the Reconquest, the final years of the Middle Ages, made very clear to Ferdinand that any other religion should be banned from State, but the Catholic one. The Toledo’s Archbishop showed some proofs in an exhibition I had the pleasure to see in Toledo’s Cathedral, in which it’s very clear that Ferdinand had that thought, while Isabel, as had a Jewish doctor as her Court doctor, was not accepting it. Though in the end, and considering other benefits his husband has given Castille, she accepted.

Thus came the Inquisition to Spain -specifically to Castille, which had rarely had the pleasure of the Tribunal del Santo Oficio, the real name- and the Jews were expelled. But not only Jews were persecuted by the Inquisition. In fact, it was more against Protestants, or, more accurately, to people considered Protestants, as considered subjects of another States and ergo, traitors to the Throne. People from other religions normally forget that important Saints were also targeted by Inquisition. St. Theresa of Jesus was twice targeted -the first because of being of Jewish ancestry and the second because of her visions, though it is widely believed it was the doing of Princess of Eboli, who really hated her for her compromise with a saint, poor and simple way of live-. St. Juan de la Cruz, one of the best mystical figures in the whole history, of a very frail complexion, was also targeted and held in prison for nearly a year.

Anyway, as I said before, the persecution was a total movement in all Europe, a very hard and unjust consequence of the “One King, One Religion” principle, which created lots of expatriates and killed thousands, in a continous war which had as the only real basis the search for absolute power (Something which was not only a Catholic sin but also from other denominations). AND which went totally against the Christ’s saying “Give to God what’s God’s and to the Caesar’s what’s of the Caesar” -I have always read it in Spanish, so just forgive me if the translation is not accurate-. And for Spain, a very bad move: we spent thousands of momey, to defend a Pope, who, with very few exceptions, were French or Italian-born, with French linkage.

Is this post a defense of the Inquisition? No, I really think it was very bad for Spain: it killed people -though less than actual MSM and intelectuals tend to say- but it killed other thing: ideas. People were afraid to think differently just in case they were considered traitors to the State.

And by the way, the expression “give your other cheek” does not mean exactly, we have stupidly to put it. It is more that, whatever the social cost of being a Christian/Catholic in this case/, you must maintain your faith. Even if the people mock you or laugh at you. Even if it’s not socially well-considered, you have to remain true to your beliefs.

Legitimate defense is totally accepted. If it’s legitimate and against an agression.