Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht and Primate of the Netherlands, has publicly valued his first celebration of the Mass in the Tridentine Rite as an “impressive and unforgettable experience”, also emphasizing his desire to continue celebrating it in the future.
In an interview granted to Messa in Latino, the Dutch cardinal explained that he learned to celebrate the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite at the beginning of this year and highlighted the spiritual fruits he has been able to observe.
“The church was full of young people and families”
One of the aspects most highlighted by the cardinal was the response of the faithful. “The church was full of people who prayed with devotion. The majority were young people and there were also many families”, he noted.
Eijk also emphasized the frequency with which the attendees resorted to the sacrament of confession, an element he considered particularly significant in the current context.
As he explained, the celebration brought together not only regular faithful of the Traditional Mass, but also Catholics who normally participate in the Novus Ordo, which evidences —in his opinion— a broader spiritual interest.
“The priest does not turn his back on the people, he turns toward Christ”
The cardinal also wanted to clarify one of the common criticisms of the traditional liturgy. “The priest does not celebrate ‘turning his back on the people’, but oriented toward the altar and, therefore, toward Christ”, he stated.
In his view, this orientation helps the faithful to also direct their attention toward the Lord, fostering a more conscious participation in the Eucharistic mystery.
Likewise, he highlighted the value of silence in the traditional liturgy, which offers “ample opportunities for personal prayer”.
A growing interest among young people
Eijk also referred to a phenomenon that, as he indicated, has been observed in recent years: the growing number of young people who approach the Catholic faith, in some cases through the traditional liturgy.
“It is surprising that a not insignificant number of them find the way to Christ and his Church through the Tridentine Mass”, he affirmed.
Willing to celebrate it again
The celebration is framed in a broader context, marked by the recent welcome in the Archdiocese of Utrecht of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, which has acquired a church previously closed due to lack of faithful and resources.
Eijk positively valued the presence of this community and also confirmed his willingness to continue celebrating the Traditional Mass.
His statements come at a time when the liturgical issue continues to be a subject of debate in the Church, and just a few months before a consistory in which this issue could be addressed again.