AFORTNIGHT ago we suggested that it might be of interest if our lay readers sent us their views on a post-card about English in the Mass.
We did not expect a heavy response. but in fad 865 replies have been received.
of this number 197 were "against any English in the Mass "; 99 were "for the Epistle and Gospel in English ": and 569 were " for more than the Epistle and Gospel in English ".
It is not easy to assess the significance of this rather surprising result. Presumably the provernacularists would have been more interested in replying, but allowing for this, it looks as though this proportion of three in four for some English in the Mass indicates a lay support that is greater than the clerical support of roughly fifty-fifty in the Portsmouth diocese " poll ".
The Church, of course, is not a democracy and its liturgical changes derive from the most careful and consciencious prayer and study, guided by the Holy Spirit. But the sincere and thoughtful views of its people, both priests and lay-folk, are necessarily a factor in the making of changes and reforms.
Against this background. we— whatever our views—can pray and labour for what we believe to be conducive to the intensification of the spirituality and apostolicity of the members of Christ's Mystical Body, while always humbly awaiting such decisions as the Church may make In the future. M.B.