CLARITY of thought is often 'hindered by the emotions. '4-4 I believe this has happened to Hugh. Ross Williamson, whose dislike (March 13) of the New Rite of Mass has led him to doubt its validity.
I hope that he and anyone else tempted to follow him, will accept from me an assurance that the New Rite is certainly valid, provided the celebrant is validly ordained and has a valid intention.
The doubters will perhaps accept this assurance from me, since 1 share their sadness over many features of the New Rite. They appear to reject such assurances from the Pope and bishops, since these latter are committed to supporting the New Rite.
(Fr.) Petroc Howell Cheadle. Staffs.
IAM so tired of Hugh Ross Williamson. Some weeks ago he was suggesting that the New Rite of Mass might be invalid. Now (March 13), apparently, he has convinced himself that it is invalid. What monstrous presumption on his part!
The New Rite has been ordered by the Church for use throughout the world, with the. express and active authority of Pope Paul. If it is invalid then it must follow that the Holy Spirit has deserted the Church.
Hugh W. Paine London, E.C.2.
HUGH ROSS WILLIAMSON seems to have gone a little rusty on his Anglican lore. The phrase "this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving" in the Anglican rite is no more than a rendering of the ancient sacrificium laudis of the Missal.
In its original context in Cranmer's first Prayer Book (1549) it refers back to "the memoryall whyche thy Sonne hath wylled us to make . . . befort thy divine Majestic, with these thy holy giftes." Does anyone in the Church desire to do more than celebrate the memorial which Christ himself has willed us to make?
Recent commentators on the New Mass have rejoiced that the words quod pro vohis tradetur have been added to the hoc err enim corpus meurn, thereby signifying more plainly the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist.
(Rev.) S. John Forrest (Anglican Chaplain) Boscombe, Hants.