TLM at Cathedral featured in Archdiocesan News

The Johannesburg Archdiocesan news carried a short report on the TLM at the Cathedral in its February edition.

You can help promote the TLM by getting a few copies (they are free after all) and spreading this information to friends and family.

One regular TL Mass attendee told me that a friend would not believe that the TLM was being said again unless she saw it in print. So here it is!

Una Voce SA is grateful to Judy Stockill of the Archdiocesan News for placing the article.

Space constraints meant that the full article wasn't placed. You can read it below.

TLM at the Cathedral
Ever since Pope Benedict XVI promulgated the Motu Proprio ‘Summorum Pontificum’ South African Catholics have been asking, ‘when will the traditional Latin Mass (TLM) be celebrated; when will the Motu Proprio come into effect? When will we see the TLM officially celebrated?’

That question was answered on the 2nd December 2008 at the Cathedral of Christ the King when Fr Shaun Mary von Lillienfeld (Cathedral administrator) celebrated the ancient Roman liturgy.

This was the first time in over forty years that the TLM had been celebrated at the Cathedral. The Lady Chapel of the Cathedral was filled to overflowing as a large number of the faithful gathered to celebrate this historic event.

Ever since the Motu Proprio made it clear that the TLM had never been abrogated, Fr Shaun has wanted to say the traditional Mass. The challenge of a very busy parish, however, left little time to study the complex rubrics of the traditional rite. However, with the assistance of a small group of faithful dedicated to the older form of the Mass, these challenges were overcome. This provides a good example of how the laity can become involved in preparing for the celebration of the TLM. Parish liturgy committees would find this a worthwhile and rewarding challenge.

The TLM has received an overwhelmingly positive response from the Cathedral faithful who enthusiastically participate in the celebration of the mass and eagerly say the Latin responses. The use of Latin/English missallettes makes it possible for the faithful to prayerfully follow the age-old prayers and rubrics.

A number of men and boys are keen to act as altar servers in the traditional liturgy. Training for this demanding but beautiful task has begun.

In addition to the Cathedral faithful, Catholics are coming to the Cathedral from every part of the archdiocese, and even beyond, to attend the Mass. Visitors regularly come from as far afield as Roodepoort and Boksburg. A few of the faithful come from Pretoria and Fr Shaun reports that he has even had one query from Durban!

This underscores the importance of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg within the country as a whole. To date, the Johannesburg Cathedral is the only Cathedral in South Africa where the TLM has been celebrated under the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

News of the TLM at the Cathedral has appeared on a number of leading international Catholic websites and messages of support have been received from Catholics across the world. One Kenyan lady, writing from America, sent this message;
“Praised be Jesus Christ! This is excellent news indeed. I am originally from Kenya and I certainly hope this is the beginning of similar news throughout the continent particularly in my beloved homeland. Our Lady mother of the Church, pray for us”.
Close ties are being forged with international organizations dedicated to supporting the traditional liturgy. In particular, a local chapter of the international federation, Una Voce, has been re-founded in South Africa.

Una Voce is a lay-led association that works for the restoration of traditional Catholic practice through traditional liturgy, music and architecture.

For those interested in attending, the TLM is celebrated three times a week:
On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 17h30 and on Saturdays at 07h30. On the first and fifth Sundays of each month Mass is celebrated at 11h30.

Further information can be obtained at the Cathedral (011-402-6342) or from Una Voce SA (074-730-6935) or via the Una Voce SA webblog www.unavocesa.blogspot.com

Info box:
The TLM is the form of the Mass celebrated in accordance with the 1962 Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII.

The Mass is more commonly called the Tridentine Mass because it was codified by Pope St Pius V following the Council of Trent. This form of the Roman rite, however, took shape in the period between the 2nd and 6th centuries.

During that time, the Greek style liturgy that was initially used in Rome was replaced by a distinctively Roman Rite. In the 6th century, Pope St Gregory the Great gave the TLM the basic form that it still retains today.

For this reason Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, Head of the Pontifical Commission, Ecclesia Dei, has said that it is more appropriate that this form of the Roman Rite be called the Gregorian Rite.

It has often been said that someone familiar with the traditional Latin rite would not find themselves out of place if they were taken back to 6th century Rome.