The media and the MP

A couple of quick references on the ongoing Motu Proprio story. The first from Fr. Zuhldorf, Editorial in Latin in Libero, praise of Mass in Latin, the MP, and Italian politics where Father contextualizes some of the issues in the Italian landscape.

Less gratifying is the French article in the secular paper, Le Monde (quoted on Rorate Caeli) which criticizes the Pope generally and this intiative specifically. Of course, it is filled with "questionable" ideological statements, but what was particularly interesting was the "factual" statement that was irresponsibly thrown out:

"A papal decree will liberalize, in May, the ancient rite of the Church (Mass in Latin, with the back turned to the people). It is a measure dreaded by a majority of French Catholics..."

Dreaded by the majority of French Catholics? That's a pretty big and bold claim.

Not that that this, or any other ecclesial matter, is ultimately one of democratic vote, but where is the data to back up this claim? Certainly some previous polls I recall wouldn't lead one to make such an assumption.

I believe however, that when we analyze the opposition here, we can yet again see that this is beyond a simple liturgical question, and as I wrote yesterday, The opposition and disunity rather falls into broader categories which pit Christendom against secularism, orthodoxy vs. liberalism, and continuity vs. rupture (whether ecclesiologically, doctrinally and liturgically, or more broadly, on the cultural level which seeks to divorce Western society from its Christian foundations and roots).