DECLARATION SUPPORTING ANY PAPAL INITIATIVE
TO ALLOW THE FREER USE OF THE 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM
We, Catholic laity and clergy, predominantly of various English-speaking lands, express our hope and desire to see the form of liturgy used prior to and during the Second Vatican Council given, again, greater freedom of use in the life of the Catholic Church and we express our enthusiastic support for any papal initiative to the same end.
We join in spirit as well with those figures of yesteryear who, in 1971, successfully petitioned the Holy See for the continued use of the classical Roman liturgy, deemed by them and by us as a spiritual and cultural treasure of inestimable value. Today in a similar spirit of love for the Church and her rich liturgical tradition, we unite our own voices with those heard in the recent past: with those of Agatha Christie, Cyril Connolly, Kenneth Clark, Graham Greene, Cecil Day Lewis, Malcolm Muggeridge and Iris Murdoch. Moreover, we join with the likes of such esteemed individuals as Evelyn Waugh in expressing our profound attachment to this liturgical treasure of Church.
As such, we wish to voice our support for the possible initiative of the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, which is thought to allow for the wider usage of the classical Roman liturgy in the hope that:
1. Pastorally, the "rightful aspirations" (cf. Ecclesia Dei adflicta) of Catholics attached to the classical form of the Roman liturgy might be more freely and readily realized in the Latin rite;
2. The ancient liturgical usages of the West might be fostered as living forms of worship in the Church, enjoying full right of citizenship in the same – the classical Roman rite as well as the ancient liturgical rites and uses of the religious orders and primatial sees which formed a part of the living, organic and legitimate liturgical diversity of the Church until recent times.
Finally, we believe that the presence of the classical form of the Roman liturgy in broader ecclesial and parish life will positively contribute to the ongoing efforts to implement the liturgical reforms promulgated by the Second Vatican Council as delineated in Sacrosanctum Concilium, and as envisioned by the Fathers of the aforesaid Council.
Saturday, January 6th
Feast of the Epiphany
Signed:
Matthew Alderman, Intern Architect and Liturgical Artist (USA)
Dr. Deri Balázs, Head of the department of Latin (Eötvös Loránd University), Director of the Institute for Ancient Studies, Editor-in-chief of the Hungarian Church Music Review (Budapest)
James Bogle, Esq., Barrister (London, UK)
Daniel J. Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief, Crisis in Education (USA)
Christian Champion, Department of History (McGill University, Canada)
Fr. Richard G. Cipolla, Ph.D., D. Phil.(Oxon), Chairman, Classics Department. (Brunswick School, Greenwich, CT, USA)
Stephen M. Collins, Musician (USA)
László Dobszay, Writer, Professor (Liszt Ferenc Music Academy, Budapest)
Colin B. Donovan, STL (USA)
Fr. Lawrence Donnelly (Canada)
Jane Errera, M.A., Musician and Speaker (USA)
Fr. Timothy Finigan, MA, STL, Lecturer, Founder of the Association of Priests for the Gospel of Life (UK)
Fr. Gregoire J. Fluet, Ph.D, K.H.S, V.F., Vice-President, Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, Connecticut, Pastor (St. Bridget of Kildare Church, Moodus, CT, USA)
Dr. Michael P. Foley, Assistant Professor of Patristics (Baylor University, USA)
Michael Gilchrist, Editor, AD2000 (Australia)
J. Richard Haefer, Professor of Music (Arizona State University, USA)
Rev. Dr. Laurence Paul Hemming (Heythrop College, University of London, UK)
Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, Author and Speaker (USA)
Fr. Thomas Kocik, Author (USA)
Fr. Matthew L. Lamb, Professor of Theology (Ave Maria University, USA)
Philip Lawler, Editor, Catholic World News (USA)
Michael Lawrence, Musician and Writer (USA)
Joseph Mansfield, M.Ed, President of TennSoft LLC (Retired) (USA)
Roger McCaffrey, Catholic publisher (USA)
Dr. Dennis Q. McInerney, Professor (Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, USA)
Dr. Stephen McInerney, Lecturer/English Literature (Campion College, Australia)
Fr. Aidan Nichols, OP, John Paul II Lecturer in Roman Catholic Theology (Oxford University, UK)
Dr. Susan Frank Parsons, President, Society for the Study of Christian Ethics (UK), Co-Founder of the Society of St Catherine of Siena (UK)
Joseph Pearce, Writer, Professor of Literature (Ave Maria University, USA)
Michael Procter, MA LRAM ARCM FRSA, Editor and publisher of Sacred Polyphony, Director of the International Academy of Sacred Music (Venice)
Dr. John C. Rao (D.Phil., Oxford), Associate Professor of History (St. John's University); Chairman, The Roman Forum (USA)
Dr. Alcuin Reid, Liturgical Scholar and Author (UK)
Michael Sirilla, Assistant Professor of Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville, USA)
Daniel W. Sexton, Attorney at law (USA)
Dr. Joseph Shaw, Fellow in Philosophy (St Benet's Hall, Oxford University, UK)
Dr. Barry Spurr, Senior Lecturer in English (University of Sydney, Australia)
Thomas A. Szyszkiewicz, Freelance writer in the Catholic media (USA)
Shawn R. Tribe, Writer (Canada)
Edward S. Turner III, CIO IVES Group (USA)
Paul M. Weber, Assistant Professor of Music (Franciscan University of Steubenville, USA)
Fr. Samuel F. Weber, O.S.B., (Wake Forest University Divinity School, USA)
Amy Welborn, Catholic Author (USA)
David Williams, Professor of Literature (McGill University, Canada)
Fr. Joseph Wilson (USA)
Kieron Wood, Barrister-at-Law (Dublin, Ireland)
Dr. Thomas E. Woods, Jr., Historian and Author (USA)
Fr. John T. Zuhlsdorf, Columnist, The Wanderer (USA/Italy)
