Reason 10

10. Because “The pastoral reasons adduced to support such a grave break with tradition . . . do not seem to us sufficient.”* (Same citation as #3).


This objection also suffers what is perhaps the greatest flaw in this pamphlet: a lack of information. Not only are we not offered what the ‘pastoral reasons’ are, we are given no understanding why they are not sufficient.

It is worth nothing at this point that the letter cited in most of these objections was written by two Cardinals to Pope Paul VI in 1969. The important thing here is the number: two. The remainder of the Cardinals, not to mention other archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, and religious were not involved with this letter. I cannot say they did not support the letter, I do not know. But one must likewise acknowledge that at the very least, they did not actively and clearly support that sentiment. Thus were it says “seems to us” the speakers are only two (albeit high ranking) churchmen.

There were many and numerous reasons offered for the break with the traditional form of the Mass and it is far beyond the scope of this project to go into them. I would wager that many of them are, in my opinion, insufficient for certain changes, but I also think many of them would be legitimate reasons to seek a revision of the Liturgy.

In the end, I simply find it almost impossible to answer this with the amount of information given.