Indult Catholic

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Indult Catholics is a term used to denote Roman Catholics who prefer to attend the Latin-language Tridentine rite of Mass as used prior to 1969 rather than the ordinary present-day form of the liturgy, the Mass of Paul VI. Unlike some other Catholics who share this preference, they attend only celebrations of the Tridentine rite which have the approval of the Church authorities.

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[edit] The Quattuor abhinc annos Indult and Ecclesia Dei

Ever since the Mass of Paul VI replaced the Tridentine Mass in 1969-1970, some priests have been granted permission by the Holy See to celebrate the old liturgy. For example, elderly priests were not required to adopt the new form when it was introduced, and in 1971 Pope Paul VI granted the "Agatha Christie indult" allowing occasional celebrations of the former rite in England and Wales. Paul VI chose not to liberalise further the celebration of the Tridentine liturgy on the grounds that it had become a politically-charged symbol of dissent associated with Traditionalist Catholics who opposed his policies.

In 1984, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments sent the circular letter Quattuor abhinc annos[1] to the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences, granting diocesan bishops an "indult" (permission) to authorize, under certain conditions, celebrations of the Tridentine Mass as contained in the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal by priests and laypeople who request it.

Following the canonically illegal consecration of four bishops by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Pope John Paul II issued on 2 July 1988 a motu proprio entitled Ecclesia Dei recommending a "wide and generous application of the directives of the 1984 indult. Pope Benedict XVI extended John Paul's indult, and further reduced restrictions against the usus antiquior in the highly anticipated motu proprio of July 7 2007, Summorum Pontificum.[2][3]

[edit] Indult Catholics within traditionalist Catholicism

The main condition on which diocesan bishops can grant authorization under the Quattuor abhinc annos indult is: "That it be made publicly clear beyond all ambiguity that such priests and their respective faithful in no way share the positions of those who call in question the legitimacy and doctrinal exactitude of the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970."

Many diocesan bishops have decided not to grant permission to use the old rite to certain priests or laypeople, In many cases this is because, in the opinion of the bishops in question, they do not meet this condition. Other refusals of permission are arguably more difficult to explain or justify.

Those traditionalist Catholics who, like the supporters of the Society of St. Pius X, do question the legitimacy and doctrinal exactitude of the revised rite, and are thus in a state of separation from the Holy See, claim that no authorization is required for celebrating Mass in the older form. They decry those who accept the conditions attached to the Quattuor abhinc annos indult - indeed, it was in this context that the term "Indult Catholics" originated - and frequently do not recognise them as fellow traditionalists.

[edit] Groups of indult Catholics

Groups of indult Catholics include priestly societies such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, the Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney, and other clerical and lay groups.

[edit] References

  1. ^ text at the Adoremus website
  2. ^ Letter to the Bishops that accompanied the motu proprio
  3. ^ Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum

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