Those who are so critical of the reforms of Pope Pius XII, do they avail themselves the mitigation of the ancient Eucharistic fast promulgated by the Apostolic Constitution Christus Dominus [6 January 1953] and the Motu Proprio Sacram Communionem [19 March 1957]? As Rev. Fr. Vaillancourt has observed, the mitigation of the Eucharistic Mass and the permission for evening Masses were concomitant with the Restored Order of Holy Week, and the Restored Order of the Paschal Vigil previously promulgated ad experimentum in 1951 and 1952 (if memory serves aright).

The majority of the European clergy also strongly disfavors the Eucharistic fasting laws as well as the permission of evening Masses.
If this is now a more consistent position, I do not know. Others again do the old Holy Saturday, but in the evening, as was permitted by Pius XII.

The American clergy following the earlier rubrics seem to be more receptive to those reforms.  

Quote from: Pyrrhos

The majority of the European clergy also strongly disfavors the Eucharistic fasting laws as well as the permission of evening Masses.

Really? Warum? (why?)

Oh, just the old argumentation "it´s not how it was done".
But actually Pius XII. himself says that it would still be better to follow the old law - which is actually quite ancient, I think. And I also believe that the evening Masses should not be seen as the normal time for the celebration of Mass, too.

As I was told, one of them is Fr. Ricossa himself and he does that for "pastoral reasons" also... :)

Really? I remember seeing bright daylight in one of the pictures of his Holy Saturday in Turin. But maybe I am wrong.

Quote from: Cristian

Quote from: Pyrrhos

The majority of the European clergy also strongly disfavors the Eucharistic fasting laws as well as the permission of evening Masses.

Really? Warum? (why?)

Oh, just the old argumentation "it´s not how it was done".

LOL

But actually Pius XII himself says that it would still be better to follow the old law - which is actually quite ancient, I think. And I also believe that the evening Masses should not be seen as the normal time for the celebration of Mass, too.

It is true about that of Pius XII, but I think the situation in our days makes sometimes (even "many times") impossible to say Mass in the morning, as we all know.

But actually Pius XII. himself says that it would still be better to follow the old law - which is actually quite ancient, I think.

In the Motu Proprio Sacram Communionem [19 March 1957; A.A.S., vol. xlix., pp. 177-178] Pope Pius XII wrote:

But we earnestly exhort priests and faithful who are able to do so, to preserve the venerable and ancient form of the Eucharistic fast before Mass or Holy Communion.

Finally, all who enjoy these concessions are to endeavor seriously to compensate for the benefits received by becoming illustrious examples of the Christian life, especially by works of penance and charity (Omnes denique, qui his facultatibus perfruentur, collatum beneficium pro viribus rependere satagant fulgentioribus christianae vitae exemplis, praesertim poenitentiae et caritatis operibus).

This latter point seems to be forgotten nowadays. Perhaps it is because some Catholics neglect this grave obligation that they do not seem to derive much fruit from their Communions, and deliver themselves over to tepidity and laxity. This may be evinced by the paucity of the faithful who remain in their pews after Holy Mass for an appropriate thanksgiving for having received Holy Communion: something which was a problems long before the 1960's, as Rev. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange noted in a chapter in his celebrated work The Three Ages of the Interior Life. Perhaps this may be the explanation for the unnervingly high tolerance [or, perhaps, preference] for mediocrity in some traditional Catholics (whether sedevacantists, non-sedevacantists, none of the above, etc.); and perhaps why the whole mess in the 1960's and beyond happened.

The English translation of the Motu Proprio was taken from The Pope Speaks: Addresses and Publications of the Holy Father (Vol. 4, no. 1, Summer 1957, pp. 7-8).

A quote from Benedict´ XV. Encyclical, "Spiritus Paraclitus"

32. His unceasing reading of the Bible and his painstaking study of each book - nay, of every phrase and word - gave him a knowledge of the text such as no other ecclesiastical writer of old possessed. It is due to this familiarity with the text and to his own acute judgment that the Vulgate version Jerome made is, in the judgment of all capable men, preferable to any other ancient version, since it appears to give us the sense of the original more accurately and with greater elegance than they. The said Vulgate, "approved by so many centuries of use in the Church" was pronounced by the Council of Trent "authentic," and the same Council insisted that it was to be used in teaching and in the liturgy. If God in His mercy grants us life, we sincerely hope to see an amended and faithfully restored edition. We have no doubt that when this arduous task - entrusted by our predecessor, Pius X, to the Benedictine Order - has been completed it will prove of great assistance in the study of the Bible.

Hopefully, the next Supreme Pontiff will also restore the ancient hymns back into the Roman Breviary, where they rightfully belong. For now, I´ll have to take up the monastic breviaries to find them.

Sadly, the increase of liturgical life and devotion was abruptly stopped with the false council. I wish that one day this task, started by St. Pius X., will be continued.