Pope Francis's remarks on the "rigidity" of some attendees of the Extraordinary Form have sparked a great deal of comment. While much of this has been lighthearted - I have Facebook friends for whom "rigid" is now a proud self-ascription - it is undoubtedly true that many traditionally-minded Catholics, not surprisingly, feel genuinely affronted.
The thing is, the Holy Father is perfectly correct. As someone who attends the EF on a regular basis - two or three times a month, maybe - I reckon I know exactly whom our Pope must have in mind. Not, of course, all those "who are too young to have lived the pre-Conciliar liturgy, who want it nonetheless". That criterion would apply to any EF-goer under 50 or so, which, at our little village church at least, means a clear majority of them. But the small-but-vocal minority of them who are "too rigid", who have indeed " an attitude of rigidity"? Oh yes, I know them very well.
