Purify Your Bride

I just have to write a post to say how impressed I am with what he is doing. Lots of people taking shots at him right now. He knew that would happen. When you mess with matters of liturgy you are going to get some strong reactions. Still the document that came out was more about listening than making any decree. First of all he delayed the document for many months so that he could hear out all the objections. He has consistently been patient in making decisions. He knows there is no hurry. A few months won’t make much difference in the long run and might give him a chance to bring some more people on board. That does not mean he will wait forever. There comes a time where nothing new is being said in the discussion and a decision must be made. This shows he is not afraid to make it even if it means making a lot of very vocal people very upset. You need to have some real courage as pope and Benedict has it.

The second way this is about listening is the actual content of the document. He is trying to reform the mass to reduce abuses, to create a greater reverence, and to center the liturgy more on God and less on the celebrant or the assembly. Rather than simply make changes he thinks are good he lifts up the old mass and tries to create a dialogue around it. He wants the changes to come from the people. He wants us to see what is missing in the present mass and to desire changes similar to what he desires. He is initiating a conversation rather than just giving us the answer. In fact, he has said the way the post VII changes were made, that is suddenly and from the top, is the worst way to do it. He does not want to make the same mistake again. So he is going the slow route. The direction is clear but exactly where we end up won’t be determined for many years. He might not be around to see it. He understands that it is not about him. He is leading God’s church.