The task force convened to study Pope Francis’ recent directive about celebrating what until just recently the Church had called the “extraordinary form” of the Mass — commonly called “the traditional Latin Mass” — is getting close to making recommendations, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said.
In a Sept. 10 radio interview for “Practicing Catholic,” the archbishop said the work of the task force, led by Bishop Andrew Cozzens, will give him a broad perspective and the insight of others. The task force, which includes two priests who celebrate the traditional Latin Mass, gathered information on where the Mass is being celebrated in the archdiocese, and it is assessing how those communities that have formed around the Mass “are being nourished and kept within the unity of the Church,” the archbishop said.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda
“So, if the Holy Father’s major concern is one of unity, one of our priorities was to see how it is that our Latin Mass communities are integrated into the broader Church, and whether that they’re pockets of resistance to Pope Francis or to Church thinking, or to the Second Vatican Council,” Archbishop Hebda said.
“I was aware, certainly, of how that liturgy is really nourishing families and individuals,” he said, “but I needed to have a broader assessment of that, as well.”
Maria Wiering, editor-in-chief of The Catholic Spirit, recently interviewed Archbishop Hebda about the pope’s directive for an upcoming episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show.
Pope Francis issued a legislative text in the form of “motu proprio,” a personally issued legislative directive, calling for greater control under local bishops over celebration of the traditional Latin form of the Mass.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda, a canon lawyer, once worked at the Vatican office that helps popes if they want to make a change in the code of canon law, or issue “a very formal document and usually with great consultation,” the archbishop said. The moto proprio means “the pope is acting on his own,” Archbishop Hebda said.
“He always has that opportunity to act on his own accord,” the archbishop said, but it is interesting because Pope Francis said the “motu proprio” would take effect immediately. “The Holy Father must have thought there was some urgency,” he said.
The letter reflected the pope’s desire for unity in the Church, Archbishop Hebda said, calling it one of the bishop of Rome’s major roles as the successor of St. Peter, to be the real source of unity in the Church. The Holy Father said that, as he looked out around the world, greater unity is needed in the way Catholics worship, the archbishop said.
“There has to be a connection between how we pray and what we believe,” the archbishop said. “So, there’s this idea that the two inform each other. So, our prayer reflects what it is that we believe, and what we believe has an impact on the way that we worship.”
Whereas Pope Benedict gave any priest the ability to choose how it is he desires to offer the Mass, Pope Francis’ directive places a greater emphasis on the role of the bishop or archbishop to regulate these things.
“It’s going to be more by permission than by the right of the priest,” Archbishop Hebda said. “And I think, going forward, that would make sure that the bishop in the diocese or, in our case, archdiocese, have a better sense for what’s going on liturgically in the diocese.”
To hear more of Wiering’s conversation with the archbishop, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show. It airs at 9 p.m. Sept. 10, 1 p.m. Sept 11 and 2 p.m. Sept. 12 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Jules Nolan, operating partner at Minneapolis-based Phoenix School Consulting, and Brian Ragatz, president of the Edina-based Catholic Schools’ Center of Excellence, about how CSCOE teams with Nolan’s organization to offer support to students, teachers, principals and parents; and retired priest Father Kevin Clinton, and Fe Mahler, board chair of Rachel’s Vineyard Twin Cities, who describe retreats offered by Rachel’s Vineyard that offer healing for those affected by abortion.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at:
soundcloud.com/PracticingCatholic
tinyurl.com/PracticingCatholic (Spotify)
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