Bishop R. Walker Nickless

Summer, Sunday Mass and apostolic letter
July 12, 2007
My Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

SUMMER VACATION

In the last few days, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, left his residence at the Vatican to begin his summer vacation in the mountains of northern Italy. I know that all of us pray for him as he seeks some rest and relaxation after a year of extraordinary ministry to the Church and the world. For some reason, I have a feeling that our Holy Father will not just quietly relax and do nothing. I am sure he will do many things that he just couldn't get to do in the everyday duties as Chief Shepherd of the Church. The Holy Father's example of taking a vacation is a good one for us to follow. We all need rest and a short time away from all our routine and daily activities. Even God himself "rested" on the seventh day after the creation of the world! I hope that many of you have a chance to take a vacation this summer. I encourage our priests, not only to be faithful about taking their day off each week, but also to take a vacation and to make an annual retreat. Our Lord himself, often "went away to a deserted place" to be alone and to pray to the Father. Let us also remember to pray for those who, for various reasons, cannot take a vacation break. That is why it is important for all of us to respect the rest that Sunday, the Lord's Day, gives most of us. Sunday should always be a special day of rest. It should be a day devoted to the worship of God and time spent relaxing with family and friends. Let us continue to do all we can to keep the Lord's Day holy.

SUNDAY MASS

Unfortunately, sometimes on vacation, Sunday Mass is not always a priority. Let's not fall into that trap and make sure that wherever we

are on a particular weekend, we check the location of churches and Mass times. Nothing should stand in the way of giving God the time that is His.

Speaking of Sunday Mass, I'd like each one of us to examine how we dress when we attend the holy Eucharistic Celebration. Even in the casual and relaxed days of summer, we should always be attentive to how we dress at Mass. The Mass, as you know, is the most important thing we do each week. Does our dress reflect that? This is a gentle reminder to respect the Lord and to respect each other and be modest and careful about what we choose to wear to this most holy time of prayer.

"MOTU PROPRIO"

This leads me to some brief comments on our Holy Father's latest document on the Mass. On Saturday, July 7, 2007, the Pope issued an Apostolic Letter entitled "Summorum Pontificam (The care of the Supreme Potitiffs for Divine Worship): On the use of Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970. It has gained some media attention. First, don't let the words "motu propiro" scare you. The Pope, as Supreme Shepherd of the Church, is simply writing us a letter on something important to him and to all of us as members of the Church. It explains two forms of celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the Holy Mass: an ordinary form, as contained in Roman Missal (Sacramentary) of Pope Paul VI, which is now commonly celebrated in our churches and extraordinary form which is contained in the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Saint Pius V and published again by Blessed Pope John XXIII and which is the Latin Mass celebrated before the reform of 1970. Pope Benedict points out that these two forms make up the Liturgy of the one Roman Rite.

The Holy Father has asked Diocesan Bishops throughout the world, since each is the moderator of the Liturgy in his own Diocese, to make the extraordinary form available to the faithful where there is "a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language." Its important to note that the Pope tells us that the present celebrations of the Sacred Liturgy in various languages (English, Spanish, Vietnamese) continues to be the normal form -the Forma Ordinaria- of the Eucharistic Liturgy.

In making the extraordinary form available (1962 Roman Missal), Pope Benedict XVI said, "many people who clearly accepted the character of the Second Vatican Council, and were faithful to the Pope and the Bishops, nonetheless also desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them. This occurred above all because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently lead to deformations of the Liturgy which were hard to bear."

The Holy Father is responding to those who felt the Mass as celebrated before the reform was meaningful to them and they did not want to lose it. He refers as well to the manner in which some priests began to be creative and change words or parts of the Mass to suit their own tastes and preferences. This is a gentle reminder that the Mass (both forms) belongs to the Church and no priest or lay person has the right to change what the Church asks us to do as we celebrate the Mass.

There are two other reasons the Pope now gives broader permission to celebrate the extraordinary form. The first is that young people are attracted to it. The Latin Mass (1962) can be a meaningful "encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist" and many youth are drawn to the beauty of this form of celebration. Secondly, the Holy Father wanted to reach out to those, especially the followers of Archbishop Lefebvre, who have left the Church over disagreements regarding how the Mass should be celebrated. He desires unity in our Church, not division.

With this Apostolic Letter, the Pope is calling for a renewed solemn and reverential celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Whether celebrated in the ordinary form or the extraordinary form, the Eucharist is for us the real presence of Jesus Christ in our midst, His very body, blood, soul and divinity. As one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church, Pope Benedict, Vicar of Christ, is asking "that the Church of Christ offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty for the praise and glory of his name and for the good of all his Holy Church."

I will consult with our Presbyteral Council (Council of Priests) and others in our diocese to determine the most suitable manner for making the extraordinary form of the Sacred Liturgy available to those who request it.

We must be careful to note the need for " a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language". I ask for patience on the part of all. To celebrate the extraordinary form of the Mass, careful preparation is needed. Pastors able to celebrate the extraordinary form must reacquaint themselves with its rubrics. Also, servers must be properly trained, as well as choirs and cantors. We must also respect the fact that the first duty of the Bishop and the pastors is to make the Eucharistic Sacrifice available to as many people as possible, using the rite that is understood by the majority of the faithful in attendance. When this fundamental need is met, attention can be give to significant numbers of the faithful who seek celebration of the extraordinary form of the Eucharistic Liturgy.

However, at this very moment it is possible for parts of the Mass to be sung in Latin, such as the Gloria, Creed, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, as well as appropriate Latin hymns from the Church's vast treasury of liturgical music and Gregorian Chant. This use of the Latin language in the Sacred Liturgy can provide an appropriate bridge between the ordinary and extraordinary forms of celebrating the Divine Mysteries of our Redemption in Christ.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Father Al McCoy (and those who assist him) for celebrating the Latin Mass at the Cathedral each Sunday at 7:00 a.m. I appreciate the respect that the faithful in attendance give to this Mass, established in response to the request of Pope John Paul II, in his Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei". (July 2, 1988) We will build on this foundation for further implementation of this new letter of Pope Benedict.

In closing, let us continue to give the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass all the reverence and devotion it requires. Let's remember to prepare well with the Eucharistic fast and proper dress. In the Mass itself, let us strive for good music, good preaching and focus on Christ (not performance or creativity). Let us not forget that the Eucharist is intended to unite us in faith and in love for one another. Let us approach the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter in this spirit.

May God bless you all. See you in Church! May these summer days be restful for all of us.

Your brother in Christ,

Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless
Bishop of Sioux City