Alison Girone
CV NEWS FEED // The Traditional Latin Mass has the power to evangelize and unite through its beauty, wrote Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in a July 9 op-ed for the National Catholic Register.
The archbishop recalled that in 2019, when the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris caught fire, “the whole world came together to mourn the loss of great, ancient, sacred beauty that moved hearts and souls even beyond the Catholics who worship there and Catholics all around the world.”
Similarly, he continued, non-Catholics and Catholics alike recently came together in response to rumors of a document at the Vatican, that has not been published, that would heavily restrict the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass around the world.
On July 2, almost 50 Catholic and non-Catholic British artists, nobility, writers, musicians, and others signed a letter urging the Vatican to not ban the Traditional Latin Mass, explaining that it is beloved by many young Catholics and is a “magnificent spiritual and cultural heritage.”
Archbishop Cordileone wrote in his op-ed: “As this petition, and previous petitions, demonstrate, the Latin Mass has a curiously inclusive appeal.”
“That one of the signers is the noted human-rights activist Bianca Jagger underscores the apolitical and non-ideological nature of the request,” he wrote. “Surely ‘rigidity’ cannot explain such an extraordinary and diverse outpouring of love for this liturgical form.”
He expressed concern that “due to a few extremists on the internet,” there may be a distorted impression of those who love the Latin Mass.
The majority of those who attend Latin Mass also attend the Mass in the new rite (Novus Ordo), and that they understand the importance of remaining in communion with the Pope, the archbishop wrote.
“They know that to be Catholic means we must remain inside the barque of Peter, however stormy the seas,” he continued. He added that they advocate not against the Novus Ordo, but for the Latin Mass that has provided them much inspiration and spiritual nourishment.
The archbishop highlighted that the Latin Mass has been beloved by many artists for years due to its beauty, and wrote that those who attend “constitute a visible proportion of those who go on to become creators of new art and beauty in which the world shares and celebrates.”
“This is why the Latin Mass has attracted the support of nonbelievers who understand its crucial role in the creation of Western civilization,” he continued, later writing:
The Second Vatican Council taught us to read the signs of the times. One sign staring at us right now in large block letters is: Beauty evangelizes.
…Sacred beauty lifts us out of the world of time and gives us a glimpse of that which transcends time, of what ultimately lasts, of what our goal and our final home is: the reality of God.
For those who are far away from the Lord, the Latin Mass has been “one, among others, successful means” for drawing them into communion with Him, Archbishop Cordileone wrote.
“In an age of anxiety and unreason, beauty is thus a largely untapped resource for reaching people, especially young people, with the Gospel message of hope,” he wrote. “There is much work to do, but honoring and encouraging the special calling of artists is a key part of this labor.”
