Much ado about nothing
Here are just some of the headlines.
- ADL Calls Vatican Prayer for Conversion of Jews 'A Theological Setback' and 'A Body Blow to Catholic-Jewish Relations'
- Church split feared as Pope backs return of 'anti-Semitic' Latin Mass
- Latin Mass May Damage Catholic-Jewish Relations
- Will pope reintroduce anti-Semitic mass?
- Pope to revive 'anti-Semitic' Mass
- Concerns rise about anti-Semitic mass
Via Fr. Jay Toborowsky is this Zenit Story (emphasis added).
Several media reports erroneously contend that the letter could in effect reinstate a prayer offensive to Jews from the Good Friday liturgy of the Tridentine Mass, which dates back to 1570. The prayer stated: "Oremus et pro perfidies Judaeis" (Let us pray for the perfidious Jews).
On the first Good Friday after his election to the papacy in 1959, Pope John XXIII eliminated the adjective "perfidious" from the prayer. Since then the expression "Let us pray for the Jews" has been used. That same year, he also eliminated from the rite of baptism the phrase used for Jewish catechumens:
"Horresce Jusaicam perfidiam, respue Hebraicam superstitionem" (Disavow Jewish unbelieving, deny Hebrew superstition). Also eliminated were similar formulas for those converting from idolatry, Islam or a heretical sect.
The 1962 missal was promulgated with an apostolic letter issued "motu proprio" by John XXIII "Rubricarum Instructum."
The missal does not make reference to "perfidious Jews." On Good Friday in 1963, John XXIII underlined the importance of this decision when the old formulation of the prayer for the Jews was read. The Pope interrupted the liturgy and asked that that the liturgical invocations begin again from the beginning, following the new text.
The Roman Missal adopted by Pope Paul VI in 1969, and put into effect in 1970, reformulated the prayer. It reads: "Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God, that they may continue to grow in the love of his name and in faithfulness to his covenant."Almighty and eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption."
For the media once again it is much ado about nothing. Especially since the 1962 missal is not to be used during the Easter Triduum anyway.
As Fr. Z. notes about this:
4. The issue the Triduum and this reasonable restriction has nothing to do with the prayer about the Jews on Good Friday. This is simply a matter of what the Church’s logical practice is based on the sacred nature of those Triduum liturgies. The Jews were not part of the equation. Remember also that the 1962 Missale Romanum is used for the Triduum in those places where it will be permitted to use the older form at that time. The 1962 edition and not some earlier edition before the changes to those Good Friday petitions.
Known as 
The headlines are fun to watch: "concerned, worried, crisis" At least the press isn't connecting this to global warming. Yet. :)
""Almighty and eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption."
That's beautiful. It's worth the flak if this is used as a response to it. I'd be overjoyed if people were praying for...Lithuania, for instance, with as much charity.
The TLM may cause problems in relations between the Catholic Church and the anti-Christian ADL? Horrors.
How can anybody who actually cares about Judaism hear what we're saying over the screams and rants for genocide coming from most of the Arab middle east???
And yet the muslims get a pass. How does this work exactly????
This should provide enough cannon fodder in returning the flak of those headlines that would be funny if weren't the real ones. "Crisis"?! I think these journalists need to get their heads out of the sand...
Your post should be forwarded to the ADL, Jewish group, journalist organization, paper, government, and whoever else decided that this was a "crisis" in the first place. Live and let be, people! Let us Catholics BE Catholic!!!
Well said, Jeff.
Actually the 1962 missal cannot be used WITHOUT PERMISSION only during PRIVATE masses. It CAN be used during PUBLIC MASSES with the pastor's consent. See Jimmy Akin's column - or just read the MP.
First they'll have to find a priest willing to celebrate the Extraordinary Rite. If that's not the pastor (and in most small parishes he's all there is) then they have to find a retired priest (or I suppose they could petition the FSSP for one of their members) who wants to take that on and approach the pastor asking for that permission.
I doubt that any pastor would deny the petitioners if they have a priest willing to celebrate this, but not too many priests I know are anxious to use the 1962 Missal. The younger priests may have never seen a Mass celebrated that way and they don't know Latin.
I don't think this will have much impact on North American Catholics.