Dear Linda:

These people are among the most frustrating people to deal with. It is like trying to reason with an insane person.

In the first place, as I have tried to explain to people like this about a billion times, is that the liturgy is not eligible for infallibility status because for something to be declared infallible it must apply to the whole Church. The Tridentine Mass only applies to the Latin Rite. Thus, by definition it is not infallible, no pope can make it infallible anymore than a pope can make pigs fly no matter how much he may want to.

Secondly, although the liturgy of the Mass contains elements of dogmatic doctrine, the rubrics of any liturgy is not only "not" dogma, it is not doctrine either. It is a disciplinary issue and disciplinary issues can be changed by the drop of a hat.

Thirdly, the words of the Council of Trent and the Pope back did in fact sound definitive, but that was a rhetorical devise inspired by the attack on the Church by Protestants and the resistance of some Catholics to the new innovation called the Tridentine Mass.

We all used that rhetorical device. For example, after the nth time the teenage son comes home late, the parent might say, "Son, this is that last time. You will never be allowed to stay out again."

The "never" is an exaggeration to make a point. It was a common language convention in the that era of history to make such exaggerated statements to make a point. The Pope was saying, look, enough fighting, this is the way it will be PERIOD.

We must remember that the Tridentine Mass was not universally accepted throughout the Latin Rite. The Church was trying to centralize and unified the Mass in the Latin Rite since there were many different liturgies in practice at the time. The Tridentine Mass was the result. Many parts of the Church resisted this change in the Mass (sounds familiar, uh). The Ultra-traditionalist of the time did not want the Tridentine Mass. The Pope, as a frustrated father, said enough bickering. This is the way it is period.

Bottomline, is that no Pope, even if he wants to, can make something infallible and unchangeable that is not eligible by definition to be made infallible.

The dunderhead Ultra-traditionalists can never get this through their think skulls. Their scrupulosity (a form of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder) has replaced their faith. They lack faith in the Christ's Church and they, in essence, call Christ a liar when Christ promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. In essence, they call Christ a fool when He gave the Pope and the Magisterium the authority of the keys to make decisions like what our liturgy will be.

I do not think our Lord is a liar or a fool. The Pope and Magisterium has the authority. PERIOD. If the Pope and Magisterium legislated that the rubrics of the Mass would be changed that during the Sign of Peace we are all to do jumping jacks, I would not like it, but I would obey it and NOT go around dissenting (which is a sin, by the way) or acting with the spirit of dissent.

The Ultra-traditionalist (which is different than the "Traditionalists") are immature babies who have not gotten their way and so they disobey and rebel like the children they are.

I am sorry to sound so harsh, but a spade is a spade, and these people are a danger to the Faithful as they recruit people into their scrupulosity, immaturity, and rebelliousness.

The great doctor of the Church, St. Francis deSales, was once asked if it was proper to treat so harshly those who are a danger to the Faith. He said yes, but be sure that you are right on the issues.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius