It’s not often that academic conferences make headlines, but when the Vatican’s liturgy chief, Cardinal Robert Sarah, invited priests last week at the Sacra Liturgia conference in London to return to a centuries-old tradition and begin celebrating Mass facing east (ad orientem) from Advent this year, his words were instantly reported worldwide.
Those listening to the cardinal gave him long and rapturous applause – which is not surprising given the traditional leanings of his audience. Sarah’s intervention was less well received in other circles. One blog wondered “how much confusion this will cause, before it’s clarified that this is only the private opinion of the cardinal”.
