Rome
The Latin Mass is back. Pope Benedict XVI decreed last week that Catholic priests no longer have to get permission from a bishop to conduct Mass in Latin, as long as a “stable group of faithful” requests it. The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith called the decision a “theological setback” because the Latin version of the Good Friday Mass contains a prayer that calls for the conversion of the Jews. That prayer was dropped from the service in the 1960s, when the Second Vatican Council overhauled Catholic practices and ordered Mass to be celebrated in local languages. At that time, a group of traditionalists broke off and formed the Society of St. Pius X. Religious scholars say that relaxing restrictions on Latin may be an attempt to lure the group back to the church.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The tiny Caribbean island sitting on a digital 'goldmine'Under The Radar Anguilla's country-code domain name is raking in millions from a surprise windfall
-
September 7 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include stressing about Powerball, and a busy FBI schedule
-
Nvidia: unstoppable force, or powering down?Talking Point Sales of firm's AI-powering chips have surged above market expectations –but China is the elephant in the room
