The novelties in the Roman Catholic Paul VI Mass drive traditionalists wild. Trads try to make liberals see reason.
What traditionalists don’t realise is that the New Mass is considered a celebration, focussing on “The Lord’s Banquet”. The performer faces the audience. The audience join in and seem to be integral, as it’s called “The People’s Mass”. The are constantly told to be joyous.
Thus, it is not commonly said solemnly, as the old rite is. For who is solemn and quiet at a banquet? Who kneels down to be fed at a banquet? Who tells the congregation to be quiet at a supper? No one! That would be mad.
What liberals don’t understand is that you cannot then expect the congregation at such an event to treat it with awe. No one is awed at a supper. No one is awed when they see people like themselves in street clothes on stage. None one is awed when the sacred object is passed into their hands, like at a food queue. No one is awed by bland hymns. They can’t be!
If you do it one way (solemn, exclusive and mysterious) or another (populist) you can’t then reasonably expect the same behaviour from the congregation.
“I wish the people were more involved” we imagine an pre-1962 priest thinking.
“I wish the people were more solemn and respectful” we imagine a post-1970 priest thinking.
Well …!