QUESTION and ANSWER

Conducted by Fr. JOHN SYMON Answer—The letter from which I have culled this week's question is representative of quite a number received from readers. and it seems to me that they are giving altogether too much weight to the celebrated Bull of St. Pius V which for 400 years has prefaced our Roman Missal.
This week I would like to try to place that Pope and his liturgical work in proper perspective, and next week I hope to show that Pope Leo's pronouncement on Anglican Orders must he regarded in a rather different light.
St. Pius was dealing with a matter of discipline: Leo was ruling on a question where doctrine and discipline are embarrassingly intertwined.
In 1562 the 22nd session of the Council of Trent had solemnly proclaimed the Mass as a sacrifice and, when he issued his Missal eight years later, St. Pius had nothing to add.
The main purpose of his reform was to bring about greater uniformity in the Western Catholic Church and, seeing no need, to revise the central prayer of the Mass, the Pope contented himself with enforcing the Roman Canon which had already been in use for many centuries.