What Vatican II Did Not Say

The following article caught my eye because we often here about the "Spirit of Vatican II" or in other words, how the more liberal people in the Church misinterpreted the Vatican II documents. Fr. Joseph Fessio is the author of this article. This to me adds credibility to it. And, Nicholas, if you read this, I would like to have the original source. Mahalo.

Another reason I found it interesting is because in reading Raymond Arroyo's book on Mother Angelica, I recall that Mother had a hard time having the priest (or bishop...sorry I don't remember the details) celebrate the Mass with his back to the nuns. Mother apparently, knew what was permitted and she was within her rights to request to have the Mass celebrated in that particular way.

...Let me tell you what it did not say. The Council did not say that tabernacles should be moved from their central location to some other location. In fact, it specifically said we should be concerned about the worthy and dignified placing of the tabernacle. The Council did not say that Mass should be celebrated facing the people. That is not in Vatican II; it is not mentioned. It is not even raised in the documents that record the formation of the Constitution on the Liturgy; it didn't come up. Mass facing the people is a not requirement of Vatican II; it is not in the spirit of Vatican II; it is definitely not in the letter of Vatican II. It is something introduced in 1969.

And, by the way, never in the history of the Church, East or West, was there a tradition of celebrating Mass facing the people. Never, ever, until 1969. It happened occasionally in Germany, in between the wars; it was done sometimes at the castle where Romano Guardini would have his group of students meet; it was done in Austria near Vienna by Pius Parsch in a special church, in what he called a "liturgical Mass." That's an odd expression, a "liturgical Mass." The Mass is the liturgy.