Last Sunday 2 August, H.E. Most Rev. Czeslaw Kozon, bishop of Copenhagen, Denmark, celebrated Mass according to the usus antiquior, in Copenhagen's church of the Sacred Heart. As the Sankt Karl Borromæus Gruppen, the lay group organising the celebration of Mass in the Extraordinary Form in Copenhagen, reports, when they had difficulties finding priests to celebrate the Mass during the summer time, bishop Kozon generously offered to celebrate the Mass himself this Sunday. At this time, it was not possible to gather the necessary ministers for a Pontifical Mass, hence the Mass was celebrated as a sung Mass; it is hoped that eventually a proper Pontifical Mass will be possible. Nevertheless, this was apparently the first public celebration of the Mass according to the usus antiquior by a bishop in the Nordic countries since the liturgical reforms. There is a video available:
NB: The NLM is aware that the rubrics do not strictly foresee the celebration of a missa cantata by a bishop, and this post is not intended to promote it. However, while the question of the general desirability of such a form may certainly be discussed, I would just like to remind you that the organisers themselves saw this as a less-than-ideal solution, and that whatever your opinion on this is, it should not overshadow the joyousness of this occasion and its importance for Catholics in Scandinavia.
