Letter from the Ecclesia Dei Commission

An article from the Latin Mass Society newsletter (February, 1996):
Pontificia Commissio Ecclesia Dei
N. 106/95 Rome, 5 September 1995

Dear Mr X

Thank you for your letter of 14th June 1995 addressed to His Eminence Cardinal Innocenti regarding the correct understanding of the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei. We would do our best to respond to your queries in the order in which you raised them.

1. The Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei recognised that in itself the desire to celebrate and participate in the traditional liturgy of the Catholic Church as embodied in the liturgical books in force 1962 represents a legitimate desire on the part of the faithful.

2. The Motu Proprio does not speak of any restrictions, including age limits, on those who aspire to worship according to the liturgical books of 1962. Neither does it state that only those who had previous experience of the Latin liturgical tradition could have such an aspiration.