Some Confusion

There seems to be some confusion regarding article 6 of the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum and I would like to clear it up here.

Before I explain, I would like to inform anybody who reads this that this is not just my opinion but also the opinion of a canon lawyer.

Here is the article in question:

Art. 6
In Masses celebrated with the people according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII, the
Readings can be proclaimed even in the vernacular, using editions that have received the recognitio of
the Apostolic See.

Now, some are stating that this article gives permission to alter the missal of John XXIII to replace the latin readings with that of the vernacular. This is not so. Why? Because the article says "in Masses celebrated... according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII." In the Missal of Bl. John XXIII the only vernacular allowed were the readings being repeated in the vernacular, not innitially proclaimed in such. If the readings were to be replaced with the vernacular, it would not be according to the missal of Bl. John XXIII.

Here's a simple syllogism to illustrate it.

The Missal of John XXIII allowed for vernacular readings only as repeats of the already proclaimed latin.

Pope Benedict stated that vernacular readings can be used according to the Missal of John XXIII

Therefore, the vernacular readings that Pope Benedict is making a statement about are those that are repeats of the already proclaimed latin.

Simple, p->q, q->r = p->r . It's simple logic.

That being said, the point is almost entirely moot in the fact that article 6 says that they CAN be used, not that they must. This further proves my point, however, because this was exactly the option in the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, the vernacular COULD be used in repeating the readings, but it was not necessary.

To further prove my point, it should be noted that the rest of Summorum Pontificum points out to the fact that the Missal of Bl. John XXIII is not to have elements of the Missal of Paul VI mixed in. (See Art. 2) This is given exception, however, with intoductions of new saints into the older calender, but it should be noted that the pope DOES NOT DO THAT WITH THIS DOCUMENT!!! He says that this task will only be undertaken after consulting not only
Ecclesia Dei, but also "various bodies devoted to the usus antiquior," in other words, the heads of orders that exclusively use the traditional rite (FSSP, ICRSS, etc.)

I hope that clears up any confusion that some may put out there is a simply and logical way.


[Edit: I should also mention that this is only an opinion of mine and many others and that I feel that this matter needs to be clarified by the Eccelisia Dei commission.]

-Zach