6 February 2009

Organic

It has suddenly occurred to me what the 'Tridentine' Mass should be called.

Actually, Tridentine is not a bad term. The revision was mandated by Trent. I don't suppose many of us really like 'Extraordinary Form'; we see the Holy Father's skill at work here, reassuring his timorous Venerable Brethren - but we wish it were not quite so Extra. Cardinal Castrillon's 'Gregorian Mass' is well-meant; but it doesn't distinguish this usage from other forms of Gregorian Mass, such as Dominican or Sarum. Usus Antiquior is quite nice, but some people aren't natural Latinists, poor things.

Vatican II said that changes in the Mass should be 'organic', and the old Mass certainly has evolved organically. And the word 'organic' is a good-vibes word in our society, pointing to what is wholesome and natural and would have been recognised by earlier generations. 'The Organic Mass'.

No? Ah well. Nobody ever takes anything I say seriously.

7 comments:

Independent said...

Organic sound rather like something from a supermarket.Certainly the EF is organic having evolved by a process of accretion since the time of St Gregory. In any case why be so concerned about the name so long as it is accurate.Tridentine does quite nicely.

What are we going to call the Mass in the Book of Divine Worship if an English (as opposed to an American) one is sanctioned for England?

johnf said...

"Ah well. Nobody ever takes anything I say seriously".

Really Father; feeling a little fragile this morning? Us 'virtual communicants' look to your good sense.

Anyway, to cheer you up, here is an Italian tongue twister on a 'Trent' theme:

'Trentatre Trentini entrarano dento Trento, tutti i trentatre trotteralando'

Thirty three people from Trent will enter Trent, everyone at the trot.

Pax!

Little Black Sambo said...

It's also Real Ale, like the language of the BCP.

Unknown said...

"Sustainably Developed Mass"

Fr.Ogs said...

... Latin Mass?
- or Old Mass?

Fr.Ogs said...

... as an afterthought, 'Organic Mass' for Sung Masses, 'Green Mass' for 'after Trinity' & 'Epiphany to Lent'...

Andrew Teather said...

In a particularly involved part of my thesis, I spent some time debating this with myself as I wrote about the local Ordinary of a certain Diocese and the Ordinary form of Mass as well as the ordinary objections from Ordinaries to the Extraordinary form and their preference for the Ordinary form.