Necessary Roughness

Pope Benedict XVI is expected to bring back the Latin mass as an option with the Novus Ordo, the common vernacular mass that has been in use since Vatican II (1962-1965).

FT.com reports that liberal Roman Catholics are concerned that it would split the church between Latin and New masses. They are also concerned that the Latin mass is anti-Jewish:

In the UK, bishops have pointed out that apart from the mass itself, the old Latin rite includes prayers that are openly anti-Jewish. A prayer for Good Friday speaks of the perfidis Iudaeis, the perfidious Jews; another is entitled “Prayer for the conversion of the Jews” and calls on God to “free them from blindness”.

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Mr Siffi also points out that most of the allegedly anti-Semitic phrases had already been removed before Vatican II, and that the phrase “perfidious Jews” in Latin is not offensive, since perfidis means “anti-faith”.

Praying for the conversion of non-Christian people is not a bad thing. We should want to do it, so that more people believe the Gospel and are saved. We are blessed with the notion that faith in Christ saves us rather membership in a people or citizenship in a nation-state.

We do not pray for the demise of non-Christians; fulfillment of that prayer sends people to Hell. We do pray (and have sung) that their swords be curbed so that they do not harm us. Praying for people’s conversion is asking that they join us in the new heaven and new earth that is to come.

Sometimes it is necessary to condemn false teachings. We have to condemn the idea that Christians share the same god as Jews, Muslims, and all others that reject the death and resurrection of Jesus, the son of God. We have to condemn the idea that we are saved through our fulfillment of God’s law. We have to condemn the idea that there are additional texts which in effect show that God changes his mind about his plan of salvation. This is not racism. This is making a defense for the hope that is in you.