Council of Trent Canon VII

Quote

CANON VII.--If any one saith, that the ceremonies, vestments, and outward signs, which the Catholic Church makes use of in the celebration of masses, are incentives to impiety, rather than offices of piety; let him be anathema.

This canon has, by some, been used as a basis to accuse traditional Catholics of error or in some cases heresy, due to their criticism and resistance to accepting the Novus Ordo Missae etc.

Quote

CHAPTER V.
On the solemn ceremonies of the Sacrifice of the Mass.
And whereas such is the nature of man, that, without external helps, he cannot easily be raised to the meditation of divine things; therefore has holy Mother Church instituted certain rites, to wit that certain things be pronounced in the mass in a low, and others in a louder, tone. She has likewise employed ceremonies, such as mystic benedictions, lights, incense, vestments, and many other things of this kind, derived from an apostolical discipline and tradition, whereby both the majesty of so great a sacrifice might be recommended, and the minds of the faithful be excited, by those visible signs of religion and piety, to the contemplation of those most sublime things which are hidden in this sacrifice. Source; Council of Trent - 22nd Session

I think, in the context of Traditionalism, we are rejecting the Novus Ordo primarily not because of what they have inserted, but what they (Bugnini et al) have removed from the Mass. Specifically, all of the items listed in the Chapter 5.

Notes:
1. I am speaking about the Novus Ordo as promulgated, not necessarily practiced throughout the world (read: abuses etc)
2. The Church is protected by indefectibility from promulgating a rite/discipline that is directly against the faith. Ambiguities abound but the Novus Ordo does not explicitly deny any dogma of the Faith.

Keeping in mind that the synod of bishops rejected the normative mass that was presented to them.

My conclusion is that:

1. Trads do not incur the censure since they are resisting that exclusion of the rites etc mentioned in Chapter 5.
2. The Church is protected from implementing a rite/discipline that is positively bad - meaning against the faith. Taking the cue from Cardinal Ottaviani when he wrote that the NOM removes barriers to heresy. This is not the same thing as being explicitly heretical.

P^3

Comments

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