Dr. Hemmings on Summorum Pontificum [
thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com]
The New Liturgical Movement website has the following interesting article on the Summorum Pontificum. Although it covers the usual ground about the Letter's content, the author makes some rather interesting points which help one to a bit of perspective on its importance. One such is:
In this sense the motu proprio has not freed up the liturgical books at all, it has simply defined and clarified a freedom they already possessed in their own right. The importance of this cannot be understated: a future motu proprio could not therefore revoke the freedom of the traditional liturgical books -- or put another way, strictly speaking the motu proprio has only defined the character of the freedom of the former liturgical books, it has not been the act whereby they are freed. (emphasis added)
Best,
Michael
