ITHOUT A DOUBT, Hannibal Bugnini would have been infuriated by the mind-boggling growth of the MISSALE VETUSTUM over the last 25 years. Indeed, Bugnini revealed his true thoughts in a 29-Jan-1969 letter, having become enraged by an article in L’Osservatore Romano by Hubert Jedin defending traditional worship. In that letter, Bugnini claimed that until the liturgical reforms of the 1960s (!) “millions and hundreds of millions of the faithful” had failed to “achieve worship in spirit and truth.” Bugnini said that the great saints—such as Isaac Jogues, John Vianney, John Bosco, Ignatius of Loyola, Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assisi, and so forth—had celebrated Mass using “meaningless sounds.” Bugnini then insisted that the venerable Roman Rite (which produced so many saints for 1,500 years) was characterized by:
“a lack of understanding, ignorance, and
the ‘dark night’ of a worship that lacks a face
and light, at least for those out in the nave.”
His brazen letter made explicit what clever people had known all along: viz. Bugnini considered the Catholic saints over the last 1,500 years to be imbeciles. But Hannibal Bugnini did not consider himself unenlightened like the great saints (in his view) were. With his superior intellect, Bugnini believed he’d rescued Catholic congregations from the “dark night”—his term—which had lasted centuries.
Banished By Popes • Having been ‘found out’ by Pope Saint John XXIII, in October of 1962 Bugnini was removed from his teaching position at the Pontifical Lateran University, but was ‘rehabilitated’ when John XXIII died. After about ten years, Pope Saint Paul VI ‘found out’ about Bugnini’s true self and attempted to banish him to Uruguay—but Bugnini refused (in disobedience). Then Paul VI ordered him to Tehran (Iran). Alfons Cardinal Stickler summarized the matter as follows: “For all the work that Bugnini did on the liturgical reform he should have been at least a cardinal. Instead he was removed.”
Amazing Growth • In spite of all the actions taken by the notoriously duplicitous Bugnini, the Traditional Latin Mass has grown exponentially since the 1990s. Moreover, I don’t know a single serious Catholic willing to defend the idea that Bugnini was “enlightened” about the sacred liturgy while the great heroes of the Catholic Faith were liturgical imbeciles. Over the last four years, some clerics in Rome—in anguish over the popularity of the TLM—have attempted to strangle its growth … but it’s difficult to see their efforts being successful in the long run. If the TLM could survive the 1980s, it will surely weather this current storm.
Our Parishioner • A young man who grew up in our parish—Father Michael Caughey—was ordained a few days ago for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. I have been helping to provide music for his Solemn Masses (offered in the Extraordinary Form). On Monday night, Father Caughey offered Solemn Mass at Saint Mary’s in Muskegon. Our volunteer choir sang so beautifully for the Mass:
More Photographs:
Below are some splendid
photographs from that Mass,
taken by my wife, Cynthia:
And here’s an excerpt from the POSTLUDE:
Here’s the direct URL link.
