This past Saturday, His Excellency Alexander Sample, Archbishop of Portland, Oregon, celebrated a Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Several people I know were present and have commented on how beautiful the ceremony was, with fine music and a well-executed ceremony. The church was, not at all surprisingly, quite full, and the members of the congregation were predominantly young. The Mass was broadcast live on EWTN, and can now be viewed on the Youtube channel of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (embedded below). It is accompanied by a commentary by Monsignor Charles Pope, who describes it at the very beginning as “one of the most beautiful liturgies you will ever see”, and Mons. Andrew Wadsworth of the Washington DC Oratory. This commentary will certainly be useful to those who are not familiar with the traditional Mass, and especially the Pontifical Mass.
For our reader’s convenience, here is a video with just the sermon. I strongly encourage you to listen to the whole of it, but would like to highlight a particularly wise thing which His Excellency says, starting at 5:18.
“Over the years, since the release of Summorum Pontificum, I have heard many in the Church ... express puzzlement, and dismay, over why so many young people are attracted to this venerable form of the Roman Rite. They say things like, ‘I just don’t understand it. How could they be so attracted to a form of the liturgy that they did not grow up with, or ever experience before?’ If the comment has been directed to me, I have often responded ‘That is exactly the question you should be asking. Why are they attracted to this liturgy?’ Or perhaps more pointedly: ‘What is it that this form of the Roman Rite provides for them that their own experience growing up with the Ordinary Form did not provide?’ For this will give us an insight into what future liturgical development might look like. ”
Our sincerest thanks to Archbishop Sample for all that he has done, and continues to do, to encourage reverent celebration of the liturgy in both Forms, and his pastoral generosity in helping all Catholics, but especially the young, to live and love their rightful liturgical inheritance.
Here is the video of the complete ceremony, with commentary. (There is about 4:35 of dead air at the beginning, and, weirdly, a cough can be heard at 2:35.)
For our reader’s convenience, here is a video with just the sermon. I strongly encourage you to listen to the whole of it, but would like to highlight a particularly wise thing which His Excellency says, starting at 5:18.
“Over the years, since the release of Summorum Pontificum, I have heard many in the Church ... express puzzlement, and dismay, over why so many young people are attracted to this venerable form of the Roman Rite. They say things like, ‘I just don’t understand it. How could they be so attracted to a form of the liturgy that they did not grow up with, or ever experience before?’ If the comment has been directed to me, I have often responded ‘That is exactly the question you should be asking. Why are they attracted to this liturgy?’ Or perhaps more pointedly: ‘What is it that this form of the Roman Rite provides for them that their own experience growing up with the Ordinary Form did not provide?’ For this will give us an insight into what future liturgical development might look like. ”
Our sincerest thanks to Archbishop Sample for all that he has done, and continues to do, to encourage reverent celebration of the liturgy in both Forms, and his pastoral generosity in helping all Catholics, but especially the young, to live and love their rightful liturgical inheritance.
Here is the video of the complete ceremony, with commentary. (There is about 4:35 of dead air at the beginning, and, weirdly, a cough can be heard at 2:35.)
