A Proposition

26/09/2021

A Proposition

Concerning the Local and Diocesan Use

Of the Lorrha or Stowe Missal

Of the Celtic Rite 

Made to

The Most Rev. David L. Ricken 

Of the Diocese of Green Bay

Your Excellency,

In our present age of the Church, among the varying topography of liturgical and ritual practices, each with the pious intent of adherence to the infallible and orthodox decrees of the Magisterium, there has been felt an increasing intrigue among both the laity and clergy concerning the early ecclesiastical traditions which led to the genesis of both the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms of the Mass. 

These traditions, exhibited by the patristic heritage found within both the East and West, were the product of the wisdom of those Church Fathers who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit presiding within the Apostolic succession, brought forth liturgies and rituals which were found pleasing to God and wholly necessary for the spiritual wellbeing of the faithful. Such liturgies were the succor of the martyrs, the haven of the saints, and the spiritual food of the militant believers in the early years of the Church. 

These liturgies, their fruits being both piety and devotion, are to this day enjoying esteem and vitality within the East, as seen in the Maronite, Chaldean, and Ruthenian rites of the Catholic Church, rich diversities which exist simultaneously within the one faith. While these rites are ancient in nature, they have not lost their effectiveness to antiquity; rather, they continue to be a means by which the faithful increase their devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. 

The same, however, cannot be said of the ancient and venerable rites of the Celtic West. These liturgies, progenitors of the Tridentine Rite, and subsequently of the Ordinary Form of the Mass, have fallen by the wayside, not due to some inherent defect within their rubrics, but rather because of the uniformity by which the Latin church encouraged. These ancient Western rites, subjected to this uniformity, fell into disuse, local customs being replaced by formal Roman liturgies. 

The intention of this uniformity which the Church, in her infinite wisdom, promulgated, was to ensure among these Celtic regions a unity of doctrine, an exactitude of Holy Days, and an adherence to authority, disciplines which, on account of the vaste distance and primitive means of communication between the Celts and Rome, could fall easily into disuse. As the liturgy was the primary means by which uniformity was expressed in these early ages, and given the aforementioned obstacles working to their disadvantage, missionaries to the Celts from Rome enforced this unity with the intent of ensuring the pious submission of these foreign lands. 

However, in circumspect consideration of contemporary means, electronic and otherwise, by which communication and outreach are accomplished, we have been allowed the blessing of doctrinal unity, along with submission to proper authority, in a widespread, universal, and immediate manner which the Church has not yet experienced. Because of this blessing, the wise but circumstantial decisions to enforce liturgical unity do not experience the same necessity which they once enjoyed. Then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, on the 10th anniversary of Ecclesia Dei adflicta, impressed upon us the fact that differing liturgical practices are not obstacles to dogmatic unity, but rather testaments to the coexistence of varying traditions. Concerning the Dominican Rite, the Cardinal attested that “No one was ever scandalized that the Dominicans, often present in our parishes, did not celebrate like diocesan priests but had their own rite. We did not have any doubt that their rite was as Catholic as the Roman rite, and we were proud of the richness inherent in these various traditions.” (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Ten Years of the Motu Proprio “Ecclesia Dei”). 

In light of these liturgical norms evident in the first centuries of Catholicism, there has been a growing interest among the aforementioned laity and clergy who, inspired by the faith of the Western Fathers, desire to partake in the ancient devotions by which so many did grow in holiness and piety, not in a spirit of opposition to the Roman form, but with the intent to deepen our understanding of its progenitors, providing it greater context and significance in consideration of the broader context of the Church.

It is in response to this ordered appreciation of the Church Fathers, and in light of the Year of St. Joseph, our Savior’s Father, that we who represent this unique liturgical interest, in consideration of the historical and ecclesiastical significance of those liturgies which are of incalculable importance to our Western heritage, propose the local use of the Celtic rite, to be offered at the discernment of individual priests, in consideration of the demand by the faithful who would be compelled to make an appeal for its celebration. 

The rite itself, though defunct within the realm of Roman Catholicism, is alive and vital within the larger context of Christianity. At present, the rite has been the focus of newfound interest among the Western Orthodox, the Old Catholics, and their offshoot, the Liberal Catholics, who have followed its rubrics with zeal and fidelity to its requirements, drawing to itself those who share our unique liturgical interests. The importance of its use outside the communion of Roman Catholicism is twofold. Firstly, it is a testament to its potential as an extant and functional rite should it be resumed within the Roman communion. Secondly, it attests that, much like the Anglican Ordinariate proposed by Pope Benedict XVI, it may provide providential avenues by which many are gathered into the flock of the Church, by which we mean full communion. 

Should it be considered for private or particular use within the diocese, it should be well to mention here that the Lorrha or Stowe missal, the ordinary sacramentary of the Celtic Rite, exists in sufficient translations of both the vernacular and Latin. Without going into unnecessary detail, it pertains to itself many similarities to the Extraordinary and Ordinary forms, and thus would not require extensive formation from the priest interested in familiarizing himself with the missal. As previously mentioned, loyal and conservative translations are in wide use among Christians today. Guided study by individual priests is assuredly sufficient for a mastery of this Celtic form of the holy mass.

The movement for the incorporation of now-defunct rites is not unknown to the Church. The Use of Sarum, a Western liturgical rite which was used following the late eleventh-century, has experienced growing interest from groups of those whose appreciation of the English inheritance has driven them to seek means by which the Sarum Use could be incorporated. It has seen success, and is a possible avenue by which Anglo-Catholics may find common ground with the Roman Catholic faith, again bringing our separated brethren closer to full communion. 

We make this proposition not in a spirit of irreverent fascination towards liturgical novelty, of which His Holiness Pope St. Pius XII warned us in his encyclical Mediator Dei; nor with a disordered desire to depart from the ritual norms of the modern day. Rather, we respectfully propose the granting of a local indult for the private celebration of this time-honored rite; given to individual priests for circumspect deliberation to the spiritual needs and desires of those persons who would benefit from such an indult. 

We firmly believe that the local admission of this rite will be greatly beneficial, not only to the Roman Catholics within the Green Bay Diocese but in the larger context of Christianity as well. For the numerous reasons we have given within this appeal, we are steadfast in our belief that the local celebration of this rite will be supremely advantageous to those who so desire it. We place our belief in the firm trust that Our Lord will draw souls to His Church by the varied means by which He sees fit.

We, in pious and reverent intent, beseech your Excellency to place our appeal in your consideration, that guided by the Holy Spirit, you may make a wise and fruitful decision by which the salvific mission of the Church may be accomplished. We trust not in our poor powers to decide such a weighty matter, but rather in the hands of Our Lord, and the authority of His Apostolic succession which is vested in you. We present this liturgical appeal in the name of He who founded the Liturgy, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.