Friday, September 14, 2007, marks the implementation of Pope Benedict XVI's July 7 motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, restoring the Traditional Latin Mass as one of the two approved forms of the Mass in the Latin Rite. But why did the Holy Father choose a Friday? After all, most parishes that choose to celebrate a Traditional Latin Mass will probably celebrate there first one on a Sunday. So why not make the motu proprio effective on, say, Sunday, September 16?
The answer is that Pope Benedict choose September 14, not because it is a Friday, but because it is the feast of the Triumph of the Cross--or, as it is known in the calendar for the Traditional Latin Mass, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and, for the Eastern rites, the Elevation of the Holy Cross. Not celebrated with much fanfare in the ordinary form of the Latin Rite today, it is still an important feast in the traditional calendar and for Eastern Christians, whether Catholic and Orthodox. The liturgy is often accompanied by a procession, in which a large cross or crucifix is taken out the doors of the church, and the congregation walks around the church, stopping at various points to offer prayers and to sing hymns.
As with so much else in his pontificate, Pope Benedict harnessed the power of symbols. On this day, the Traditional Latin Mass has been lifted up, exalted, returned to its place as equal to the current Mass of Pope Paul VI. And, in doing so, Pope Benedict has signaled to the Orthodox that the Catholic Church is serious about maintaining Her liturgical traditions. And that, more than years of ecumenical dialogue, may do much to foster unity with the Christians of the East.
Prayer for the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross:
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