ARCHDIOCESE OF ZAGREB

ARCHDIOCESAN CHANCERY

No. *** Zagreb, 26 February 2009

Mr.
***
***
10 000 Zagreb

Dear Mister ***,

I have received your inquiry, sent by electronic mail on 17 February 2009, received by us
on 19 February 2009 and so I gladly answer it.
The essence of your inquiry is, as you state, “the execution of the Motu Proprio Summorum
Pontificum in the Archdiocese of Zagreb” and you write “about the Traditional Latin Mass, also
known as Tridentine Mass”.
You also write literally: “I would very much like to hear the Mass according to the Missal
of Bl. John XXIII or, as it is called in the Motu Proprio, the Extraordinary Form of the Roman
Rite. Although such Masses are available for the faithful in numerous places in the world, in
Croatia we unfortunately still do not have that opportunity.”
The main question you are interested is “how the Pope’s Motu Proprio is going to be
implemented in our Archdiocese of Zagreb?”
Responding to your main question let me remark that it’s about Pope’s document in force
which allows something, therefore, there is no need to talk about implementation, since it is
honored and executed in the Archdiocese of Zagreb, and by that ‘implemented’. It is another
question how much the faithful are asking for use of such possibility and how well-founded those
requests are, i.e. are the required conditions satisfied for the usage of a provided possibility. I
emphasize right away that the Archdiocese of Zagreb is acting in complete accordance with the
Pope’s Motu Proprio and will honor it strictly in the future as well.
You ask us about fulfilling specific conditions, presuming that “there would be more than
enough people in Zagreb interested in a regular Sunday and Holiday celebrations of the
Traditional Holy Mass in one of the churches of our city.”
In your letter you say that you address us “completely independently”. Such a request can
not be answered affirmatively. Namely, in the document (which from this year also exists as an
official translation published by Kršćanska sadašnjost: Benedikt XVI., Motu proprio Summorum
Pontificum and Pismo pape Benedikta XVI. Prigodom njegova objavljivanja, Documents 152,
Zagreb 2009) – in twelve articles – the necessary elements and conditions are indicated under
which such celebrations are permitted.
The Motu Proprio talks about permitting the celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass “as an
extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church” (cf. Art. 1) Although no permission is required
for the priest, in Art. 5 §1 the Holy Father says the following: “In parishes, where there is
continuously present a group of the faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition, the pastor
1
should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman
Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonises with the
ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon
392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church.”
It is appropriate to adjoin with that part also the text of Art. 7: “If a group of lay faithful, as
mentioned in art. 5 §1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should
inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he cannot
arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical
Commission Ecclesia Dei.”
Therefore, it's always about a group of faithful defined by their attachment to an earlier
liturgical tradition. We have no knowledge about the existence of such a group in your parish. It
is important to notice also the other elements with regard to ordinariness of pastoral care and to
interrelationships in the parish community, as well as the extraordinarity Summorum Pontificum
talks about. You personally contacted the priests in your parish, but your appeal did not fulfill the
wanted requirements. It is clear that the “attachment” the Motu Proprio talks about is not a simple
curiosity, but implies a certain rootedness in the entire spirituality from which the good of the
faithful results, as well as knowledge of the rite and its language (Latin).
It is good that you notice notional nuances that the Pope uses, that you adopt them and
correct the colloquial terminology which can lead to confusion, since this matter is not about
“Traditional Latin Mass”, nor does the Benedict XVI talk about some “Tridentine Mass”, much
less about “hearing the Mass”, as you – talking about your own experience – wrote.
Summarizing what has been said, I emphasize that the Archdiocese of Zagreb will treat
every request in accordance with the regulations of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.
However, it is important to mention that the assertion from your letter which says “in
Croatia we unfortunately still do not have that opportunity” (meaning the celebration of such
liturgy) is not correct. There is a possibility also in Croatia, but to actualize this possibility no
valid requests were exhibited so this possibility has not been used.
Up to now the need to use this possibility has not arisen in the Archdiocese of Zagreb which
is extremely indicative. As far as we know, in the area of Archdiocese of Zagreb such groups
have to date not been present and it is questionable how much the future generations can be
attached to an earlier liturgical tradition. Since at present there are no [such groups] in our
Archdiocese or in Croatia, there is only a question of those that would come from other countries.
We cannot answer such hypothetical questions, but we will, I repeat, abide strictly by the
regulations of the Motu Proprio.
It should be noted here that in the Archdiocese, in places where the need arises and on
occasions when the conditions for it are fulfilled, the liturgy is celebrated in Latin language
according to the Roman Missal, i.e. its edition currently in force, based on the guidelines of the
Second Vatican Council.
Connected to you in the mystical communion of Church, I sincerely salute you in Christ.

Vicar general and

president of the Commission for liturgy of the Archdiocese of Zagreb,

✠Ivan Šaško, auxiliary bishop of Zagreb