THE INTERNATIONAL UNA VOCE FEDERATION
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The International Una Voce Federation has affiliated associations in twenty-four countries. It is a lay movement, and its principal aims as stated in Article 2 of its statutes are:
The first initiative to preserve the Latin heritage of the Church came not from a predominantly Catholic country but from a lady in Norway, a nation with one of Europe's smallest Catholic populations. In the summer of 1964, Dr Borghild Krane, an eminent psychologist in Oslo, sent out an appeal to concerned Catholics to group together in defence of the Church's liturgical heritage. As a result of that appeal a number of national associations came into being in 1964/65, starting with France, where, by a most happy inspiration, it was named UNA VOCE. The official date of its foundation is 19th December 1964. Dr Krane, our foundress, died upon 14 October 1997. Realising the need for coordinating their efforts, delegates from six European associations met in Rome in early 1965 and agreed to create an appropriate supra-national structure. This was the beginning of the FEDERATIO INTERNATIONALIS UNA VOCE (FIUV).It was formally erected in Zurich on January 8th, 1967, when delegates from by then twenty associations approved the draft statutes and elected the first Council. At that meeting Dr Eric de Saventhem was unanimously elected as President. He was re-elected, again unanimously, at every subsequent General Assembly and would still be President today but for his decision to step down prematurely for personal reasons in January 1995. Michael Davies from Great Britain was elected to succeed him. The principal objective of the FIUV, i.e. to ensure that the traditional Roman Mass is retained and honoured in universal liturgical life, was moved a decisive step forward with the promulgation of the Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei" by His Holiness Pope John Paul II on 2nd July 1988. Since then, member- associations of the FIUV worldwide are experiencing an influx of enthusiastic new members many of whom were not born when the Federation was founded. Thanks to their presence in its ranks the FIUV will remain an effective force within the Church in the coming Millennium. The Federation is recognized by the Holy See, its views are received with courtesy and respect by the relevant Roman Congregations, and its representatives are received by them in the same manner. Making known our spiritual needs and desires to our spiritual shepherds is a right granted to us in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium - of the Second Vatican Council (no, 37), and repeated in the Code of Canon Law (Canon 212):
The laity have the right, as do all Christians, to receive in abundance from their sacred pastors the spiritual goods of the Church, especially the assistance of the Word of God and the Sacraments. Every layman should openly reveal to them his needs and desires with that freedom and confidence that befits a son of God and brother in Christ. An individual layman, by reason of the knowledge, competence, or outstanding ability which he may enjoy, is permitted and sometimes even obliged to express his opinion on things which concern the good of the Church.
Quattuor abhinc annos - The 1984 Indult Even before the publication of Ecclesia Dei, every bishop in the world had been authorized to permit the celebration of the Tridentine Mass by the indult Quattuor abhinc annos of 3 October 1984, but this document contained extremely restrictive conditions. The Federation, while welcoming the document as a positive step forward, made clear to the Holy See that it considered these conditions to be incompatible with the indult's intent. far too restrictive. As a result of these representations, Cardinal Mayer, then Prefect of the Worship Congregation, asked Dr. de Saventhem to conduct a world-wide investigation into the practical implementation of the indult. This took several months and the resulting report was so convincing that Cardinal Mayer obtained the Pope's permission to convoke a special Commission of Cardinals to evaluate the Indult and suggest amendments. Dr. de Saventhem was then asked to submit proposals for new rules to govern the use of the 1962 Missal, which he did after consulting the Council of the FIUV. These suggestions were reflected to no small extent in the norms elaborated in 1986 by the Commission of Cardinals, which concluded unanimously, as Cardinal Mayer pointed out in a letter to the American bishops dated 20 March 1991 (Protocol No, 500/90), that "the conditions laid down in Quattuor abhinc annos were too restrictive and should be relaxed".
The Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei" 2 July 1988
On 2nd July 1988 His Holiness Pope John Paul II promulgated his Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei" in which he expressed his will to guarantee respect for the rightful aspirations of those attached to the Latin liturgical tradition, and in order to achieve this aim he established the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. On 18th October 1988, Pope John Paul II granted to Cardinal Mayer special faculties to facilitate the working of the Commission, the first of which reads:
The faculty of granting to all who seek it (omnibus id petentibus) the use of the Roman Missal according to the 1962 edition, and according to the norms proposed in December 1986, by the Commission of Cardinals constituted for this very purpose, the diocesan bishop having been informed. It is important to note that this faculty refers to all who seek the 1962 Missal. as President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, Cardinal Mayer provided an authoritative interpretation of the Motu proprio. In a letter to the Bishops of the USA dated 20 March 1991. In this letter he explained that the Holy Father:
...addressing himself "to all those Catholic faithful who feel attached to some previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition", and not just to former adherents of Archbishop Lefebvre, he expressed his will to "guarantee respect for their rightful aspirations" (no. 5. c). In order to provide for these legitimate desires of the faithful he established this Pontifical Commission and indicated his mind with regard to its primary task by stating:
It will be noted that Cardinal Mayer, quoting directly from Ecclesia Dei, refers to "rightful aspirations" and "legitimate desires", and adds that "it would seem unnecessary, even unduly painful, to impose further restrictions upon those who wish to attend such celebrations". Many bishops have responded to this admonition in a very positive manner, and in most dioceses where this has been the case there are no longer any restrictions attached to the celebration of the Tridentine Mass. Hundreds of such Masses are now celebrated in parish churches, in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and throughout the USA They are scheduled public Masses fulfilling the Sunday obligation which any member of the faithful is welcome to attend.
There is no Age Limit
Suggestions have been made that the 1962 Missal should be made available only to those who had become used to it before the promulgation of the New Missal in 1970. In a letter to Michael Davies, President of the International Una Voce Federation, dated 31 January 1997, His Eminence Augustin Cardinal Mayer, O.S.B. authorized him to communicate the following statement to members of the Federation:
In recent times it has been affirmed that the allowances given for the celebration of the "Tridentine Mass" have been granted with the provision that only those who were familiar with the preceding forms of the Roman liturgy would be allowed to benefit from those concessions. During my time as President of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" such limitation was never mentioned by the authorities involved. In this regard it should be mentioned that the Commission has used the faculty of erecting religious institutes which would benefit from the use of the Roman Missal of 1962 and the other liturgical books in force at that time. Evidently it was understood that young recruits would be admitted to such communities and would benefit from all the concessions made to them. Hence one cannot speak of an age limit.
A Right to the Traditional Mass
In a letter to the Ecclesia Dei Society of Australia dated 11 May 1990, Cardinal Mayer stated that the faithful now have a right to the Traditional Mass:
Certainly, no one has the right to the acquisition of a privilege, but once a privilege is duly granted the subject indeed has the right to benefit from it (cf. CIC #77). In Quattuor abhinc annos (3 October 1984) The celebration of the 1962 Order Of Mass was presented as a privilege which might be requested from the competent authority (b). In Ecclesia Dei, however, the Roman Pontiff spoke of the 1962 Order of Mass in terms of its "lawfulness" (auctoritas) and "richness" (thesauras cf. 5, a) and qualified the desire both to celebrate and assist at this Mass as a "legitimate aspiration" (appetitio cf. 5, c). Hence a privilege in the canonical sense of the term was granted to the faithful by the Supreme Legislator of the Church (cf. CIC #76.1).
Traditional Parishes
On a practical level, some bishops are now moving beyond simply granting permission for a regular Sunday Mass, and in Europe and the United States they have established flourishing parishes where only the Traditional Mass is celebrated, and where all the sacraments are administered according to the Liturgical Books in use in 1962. This is particularly the case in parishes under the auspices of the Fraternity of St. Peter or the Institute of Christ the King, and will also be the case with the Society of St. John and the Opus Mariæ Mediatrix both of which received recognition in 1998. There are now at least ten priestly societies approved by the Holy See, and attracting many vocations, in which the young, enthusiastic seminarians will celebrate only the Traditional Mass after their ordination, thus guaranteeing its ever-increasing use well into the next millennium. Many students in diocesan seminaries are being taught, or are teaching themselves, to celebrate the Traditional Mass and intend to do so as often as possible after their ordination. In October 1998 a highly successful pilgrimage to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei" took place in Rome. In an address to an audience of almost 3000 traditional Catholics on Saturday 24th October 1998 Cardinal Ratzinger made special mention of all the priestly vocations inspired by the Traditional Mass:
Ten years after the publication of the Motu proprio "Ecclesia Dei", what sort of evaluation can one make? I think this is above all an occasion to show our gratitude and to give thanks. The various communities that were born thanks to this pontifical text have given the Church a great number of priestly and religious vocations who, zealously, joyfully and deeply united with the Pope, give their service to the Gospel in our present era of history. Through them, many of the faithful have been confirmed in the joy of being able to live the liturgy, and confirmed in their love for the Church, or perhaps they have rediscovered both. In many dioceses - and their number is not so small! - they serve the Church in collaboration with the Bishops and in fraternal union with those faithful who do feel at home with the renewed form of the new liturgy. All this cannot but move us to gratitude today! The Holy Father has also authorized the two most flourishing Benedictine monasteries in France, at Fontgombault and Le Barroux, to use the 1962 Liturgical Books exclusively. These monasteries are also attracting many vocations. There are also monastic communities of women in which only the 1962 liturgical books are used. In September 1990 the Holy Father received in audience the Abbot of Le Barroux, together with a number of his monks, and praised the work that they are doing. In September 1995 Cardinal Ratzinger, accompanied by Monsignor Camille Perl, Secretary of the Pope's Ecclesia Dei Commission, visited the monastery and celebrated a Pontifical Mass in the traditional rite for the monks. This can only be interpreted as an endorsement of their apostolate from the very highest level in the Church. Information on most of the traditional priestly societies and religious orders can be found on the excellent web site of Una Voce America: www.unavoce.org On Pentecost each year Chartres Cathedral has an overflow congregation of about 15,000 fervent Catholics with an average age of twenty, who sing the Traditional Mass in Gregorian Chant, mandated by the Second Vatican Council to be the norm for sung Masses, and manifesting to the highest possible degree that active participation called for by the Council. These young pilgrims march for three days, sleeping out at night. Each year they receive a message conveying the blessing and encouragement of His Holiness Pope John Paul II. The youthfulness of the congregations is a striking characteristic of many Tridentine Masses. A final but important point is that some bishops who were at first apprehensive about permitting the Traditional Mass in their dioceses, fearing that it might cause division, have been much encouraged by the fact that the opposite has occurred, and that permission for this Mass, particularly within the context of a parish in which all the sacraments are celebrated in the pre- Vatican II rites, heals divisions and builds up a community of devout Catholics loyal to their bishop and to Rome. In the letter from Cardinal Mayer to the American Bishops, His Eminence states specifically that the very fact that Catholics wish "to come to celebrations authorized by the Bishop of the diocese may be considered a sign of good will and desire of full ecclesial communion."
The Ecclesia Dei Anniversary - October 1998
The four days from Friday 23 October to Monday 26 October must certainly be the most encouraging for traditional Catholics since the indult of 1984 giving Vatican approval for the use of the 1962 Missal throughout the world, a permission which had previously been confined to England and Wales. The four days were those of a pilgrimage to Rome to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei" and the establishment of the Fraternity of St. Peter. There was no question of celebrating the excommunications announced in the Motu Proprio which must remain a cause of profound sorrow for every traditional Catholic. Our most urgent and profound prayer must be that when the twentieth anniversary of the Motu Proprio is celebrated in 2008 there will have been a complete reconciliation between the Society of St. Pius X and the Holy See.
Mass in the American College
For English-speaking pilgrims the weekend began with Mass in the American College celebrated by Mgr. Timlin. Who could have imagined even a year or two ago that this could happen? The New York Times recently ran an article on the conservatism of the students at the American College, many of whom were present at the Mass, and a not insignificant number are teaching themselves to celebrate the Traditional Mass by using Father Fortescue's celebrated Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described. This is equally true of the English College and the Scots' College. After the Mass Mgr Timlin greeted every member of the congregation. His graciousness and friendliness throughout the entire pilgrimage was a source of inspiration and encouragement to everyone present.
Cardinal Ratzinger's Lecture
It would not be possible to exaggerate the importance of the lecture given by Cardinal Ratzinger in the Ergife Palace hotel on the morning of Saturday 24 October. A hall seating 600 people with simultaneous translation had been booked, but it became obvious that this would be totally inadequate and the new location seating 2000 people was booked, even this was inadequate and hundreds of pilgrims crammed every inch of standing space. Who could have imagined the day would come when a prince of the Church, second only in importance to the pope, would in a public lecture praise the beauty of the Tridentine Mass, give thanks for the number of vocations inspired by traditionalist communities, criticise in severe terms the manner in which the New Mass is so often celebrated, insist that while the Council had ordered a reform of the liturgical books it had not prohibited those already in existence, and urge the faithful not to lose their patience, and to keep their confidence in their efforts to obtain the celebration of the Traditional Mass. Later that day Monsignor Timlin sang a Pontifical Mass in the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Scala in Trastevere. One can only say that it seemed that heaven had come down to earth. The church was completely packed and some of the congregation had to remain on the steps outside. After the Mass Monsignor Timlin and the priests and seminarians present processed into the square outside the church, and the bishop received in a most gracious manner all who wish to speak to him.
San Ignacio
The principal Mass of the pilgrimage was celebrated by Cardinal Stickler in the church of San Ignacio on Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King. It had been planned that Cardinal Felici, the President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, should say the Mass, but he had broken his arm several weeks before and despite his wish to offer the Mass, come what may, it was simply impracticable. A homily which the Cardinal had written on the Kingship of Christ was read by Monsignor Perl of the Ecclesia Dei Commission. It began with extremely cordial words of welcome to the pilgrims, making it clear that Rome regards traditional Catholics as full and valued members of the Church:
My dear brothers in Christ, welcome to this venerable church of St Ignatius, welcome to Rome, the eternal city, the city of the popes, welcome to the house of your Father. You have come from several countries, indeed, from several continents, you speak several different languages, but you are all inspired by the same spirit, which is the spirit of the Catholic Church. Together you have come to Rome to give thanks for the great gift which the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has given to you by publishing his Motu proprio "Ecclesia Dei", which has given you once more the rights of citizens of the Church by allowing you to continue celebrating the ancient Latin liturgy of the Church. For many among you, this papal act was a liberation for which you had long waited, and for other it made it possible to enjoy in peace the right to assist at liturgies celebrated according to the venerable Roman rite, celebrated in the form during long centuries, that form which you prefer today. The three-thousand worshippers packed into the church certainly felt, as did Father Frederick Faber, that the Tridentine Mass is "the most beautiful thing this side of heaven." This was the Mass that the churches of Rome had been built to enshrine, and it was clear that many of those present were completely overwhelmed. The music was shared between the monks of Le Barroux, their plainchant evoked an atmosphere of heaven come down to earth, and the choir of Notre Dame des Armées from Versailles and the choir of the Château itself, with its orchestra. The most striking characteristic of the congregation was its youth, with a clear preponderance of under thirties. Many young men from the Roman seminaries were present, a good number of whom in soutanes and cottas took part in the procession before and after the Mass. When the procession left the church the three hundred and fifty priests and seminarians, together with Cardinal Stickler, Bishop Timlin, and other prelates, must have given passers-by the impression that the new Pentecost, which it had been predicted that Vatican II would initiate, had taken place at last.
The Papal Audience
The climax of the pilgrimage was the papal audience on Monday 26 October, a memorable day in the history of the traditionalist movement. The most important aspect of the audience was that it took place. It was not certain that it would be accorded until a few days before this date. The Holy Father made it clear to the three thousand traditionalist pilgrims, who manifested their love and devotion to him with such enthusiasm, that he considered them to be as fully Catholic as those attached to the New Mass. He referred to legitimate diversity and sensibilities worthy of respect, urged all Catholic to proclaim the Gospel together, and asked the bishops to have "renewed attention to the faithful who are attached to the old rite." After his address the Holy Father received individually the superiors of the priestly societies and religious communities dedicated to the Traditional Mass, and a representative of the International Una Voce Federation, Mr. Jan Filip Libicki from Poland. It was presumed that after doing this the Pope would return to his apartments, but instead he left his chair and walked spontaneously to the fifty priests and seminarians standing on the steps of St. Peter's, representing the four hundred and fifty plus priests and seminarians present for the audience. Pilgrims had been advised to be in the enclosure reserved for them by 11.30 am, but by 11 a.m. every place was taken and the monks from Le Barroux, about fifty in number, together with many other priests and seminarians, were unable to gain entrance. The Holy Father was evidently moved by the youth, devotion, and immaculate clerical attire of the seminarians that he met. He spent several minutes talking to them and agreed willingly to be photographed with them. We know from a totally reliable source that after returning to his apartments, the Pope spoke enthusiastically to members of the Curia of the positive impression that the seminarians had made upon him. It would be impossible to lay too much stress on the fact that where the internal politics of the Vatican are concerned, the fact that the audience took place, and that the Holy Father reacted to his meeting with traditionalist clerics in such a positive manner, must be a cause of joy and hope to every traditionalist Catholic.
The Final Benediction
It might have been thought that after the papal audience any further event would be an anticlimax, but this certainly did not prove to be the case. At 3.45 p.m. His Eminence Augustin Cardinal Mayer closed the pilgrimage with a solemn Benediction. This was a truly gracious gesture as His Eminence had just suffered the loss of his beloved sister, but returned directly from her funeral to keep his promise to celebrate Benediction in the church of Santo Spirito in Sassio, only a minute or two from St. Peter's where a congregation of traditionally minded Polish sisters promote devotion to the Divine Mercy. This was the first event, apart from the papal audience, at which priests and seminarians of the Institute of Christ the King were present— they had needed to remain in their seminary at Gricigliano near Florence on Sunday to celebrate their patronal Mass of Christ the King. Words cannot describe the beauty of the celebration. Many present, most perhaps, had tear filled eyes. At the conclusion of this sublime ceremony of adoration of Christ, our Eucharistic King over four hundred priests and seminarians processed from the Church in a seemingly endless procession. As they did so there occurred one of the most moving and most significant moments of the entire pilgrimage. Cardinal Mayer had, earlier in the celebration, offered a most gracious welcome to those who had come to Rome from over the world, speaking in faultless Italian, French, German and English, and with the dignity that always characterizes this great Prince of the Church. Before joining the procession himself, His Eminence returned to the microphone and with evident emotion told all present that they should give thanks to God that in contrast to the decline in vocations throughout the west the traditional movement had inspired so many vocations. The Cardinal urged all present to pray that the hundreds of young men should persevere to ordination to the priesthood. When the Cardinal emerged from the church he was applauded enthusiastically, much to his embarrassment, by hundreds of young French traditionalists who were immediately joined in it by those of all ages present from many countries.
The Impact of the Pilgrimage
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this pilgrimage. The celebration of traditional Masses for overflow congregations has made a tremendous impact in the Holy City itself, above all among students of the Roman seminaries, many of whom were present and took part in the processions. This impact has certainly been noted in the Curia. The fact that the Pope agreed to grant an audience to the pilgrims, that he once more urged bishops to make the traditional Mass available to those who request it, and the fact that the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith gave a public lecture in favour of the Traditional Mass, have a significance that will not be fully appreciated for several years. Above all, in view of the dearth of vocations in the west, the presence in Rome of more than four hundred priests and seminarians dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Mass, will have had an impact that cannot possibly be overestimated.
Founding a National Association
Catholics wishing to found a new national association of the International Una Voce Federation should first contact the FOEDERATIO INTERNATIONALIS UNA VOCE, 24 Cromwell Avenue, Bromley Br2 9aq, England
PHONE: 44 181 402 2248 FAX: 44 181 289 6377
They will be provided with a copy of the Federation Statutes, and if they find them acceptable they must then draw up national statutes of their own, examples of such statutes can be provided. One their national statutes have been approved a formal application for membership can be made, and a vote upon admission will be made at the bi-annual general Assembly of the Federation in Rome. Those wishing to establish a chapter in a country where a national association already exists should contact their national association and not the International Federation.
The Importance of Local Initiative
The FIUV is not an organization run from above by a central committee. Each associate is an autonomous body which is encouraged to do all that it can to achieve the objectives of the Federation at the local level. In any one country, up to three national associations can be admitted as members of the Federation. The ideal is for any such national association to build up a network of regional chapters in the country concerned to further its work at the local level. As members of the Federation, national associations are able to work together through receiving the Federation Newsletter, by exchanging national newsletters, and by appointing delegates to the Federation's bi-annual General Assembly in Rome and jointly elect the President of the Federation and its Council. Over a period of several days, each association then reports on its progress and initiatives and learns, above all, by personal contacts, of ways in which their own defence of tradition can be made more effective. When national associations wish to contact the Vatican Congregations on their own behalf, and with specific reference to the problems that they encounter on a national level, the Federation can offer advice and assistance from its 30 years' experience of dealing with the Church's central authorities. Above all it can represent the common concerns of traditional Catholics world-wide at the highest level of Church government. This is its primary statutory purpose and despite all the progress made since 1967 it remains an indispensable function in furthering the cause of Tradition throughout the world.
A Message from Cardinal Ratzinger
On 25 July 1996 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, addressed the following message to the Federation:
The International Una Voce Federation has played an important role in supporting the use of the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal in obedience to the directives of the Holy See. For this valuable service I express my gratitude to the members of the Federation and extend my blessing. |