"... in his report to the Holy See in the diocesan newspaper Vie diocésaine de Natitingou ..."

"The Roman Canon and the liturgical gestures in the old rite are closer to our African religiosity and sensibility..."

Ladies & Gentlemen!

"The Most Rev. Pascal N'Koué, bishop of Natitingou, Benin (Africa) ..."

.. opines on the Old Latin Mass!

As the February 2011 Catholic World Report tells us, in Michael J. Miller's excellent article, "Three Years After Summorum Pontificum."

Here's some snippets:

"Traditional Catholic websites observed the third anniversary of Summorum Pontificum with news about progress in unexpected places.

"The Most Rev. Pascal N'Koué, bishop of Natitingou, Benin (Africa), published his report to the Holy See in the diocesan newspaper, Vie diocésaine de Natitingou, in June 2010.

"Long convinced that the two forms of the Roman rite can coexist peacefully and enrich each other, Bishop N'Koué introduced the extraordinary form in his diocese in October 2003, even before the motu proprio.

"He attributes conflicts over the liturgy to our sick and intoxicated hearts, or our narrow - minded ideologies, and our formation courses which are too set in their own ways.

"He regards ..."


And now, as Bishop N'Koué goes on to tell us:


" ... celebration in the old [Latin] form is an opportunity for my young clergy and the entire diocese ...

" Several of my priests, without any pressure from me, have spontaneously begun to learn to celebrate the Mass of St. Pius V, or more exactly the Mass of Pope John XXIII ... The Roman Canon and the liturgical gestures in the old rite are closer to our African religiosity and sensibility..

"Give a little more room to Latin in our celebrations ... in our liturgies let us avoid the din of musical instruments, the banality of lyrics, and the shallowness of excessively profane rhythms..."

Way, to go, Your Excellency!! :)