Vatican City, Aug 24, 2017 / 12:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Thursday Pope Francis told a group of Italian liturgists that while the process of implementing the liturgical reform following Vatican II has been a long and at times bumpy task, the reform is “irreversible.”
“After this magisterium, after this long journey we can affirm with certainty and with magisterial authority that the liturgical reform is irreversible,” the Pope said Aug. 24 at the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall to participants in the Italian National Liturgical Week.
The week, which this year is exploring the theme “A living liturgy for a living Church”, is organized by the Center for Liturgical Action.
Pope Francis noted that the center has existed for 70 years, and recalled the history of the 20th century liturgical movement, saying that “in the history of the liturgy, events have occurred which are substantial and not superficial.”
“There are two directly related events, the Council and the reform, which did not blossom suddenly, but after long preparation,” Francis said.
He referenced steps taken both by St. Pius X, who aimed to restore Gregorian chant with his 1903 motu proprio Tra le sollecitudini and who formed a commission on liturgical renewal ten years later; and by Venerable Pius XII, who introduced a revised psalter, attenuated the Eucharistic fast, allowed some use of the vernacular in ritual, and reformed Holy Week.
Francis also referred to Ven. Pius XII’s 1947 encyclical on the sacred liturgy, Mediator Dei. In that document the late Pope had said, among other things, that “one would be straying from the straight path were he to wish the altar restored to its primitive tableform” and that the assertion that priests cannot offer Mass at different altars at the same time is among “certain exaggerations and over-statements which are not in agreement with the true teaching of the Church.”
These culminated, Francis argued, in Vatican II’s constitution on the sacred liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, “whose lines of general reform respond to real needs and to the concrete hope of a renewal; it desired a living liturgy for a Church completely vivified by the mysteries celebrated.”
He asserted that the direction traced by the Second Vatican Council “took form according to the principle of respect for sound tradition and legitimate progress in the liturgical books promulgated by Blessed Paul VI.”
The application of these changes is a lengthy process and is still ongoing, he said, noting that this is in part because “it is not enough to reform the liturgical books; the mentality of the people must be reformed as well.”
The reformation of liturgical texts “introduced a process that demands time, faithful reception, practical obedience, and wise implementation” not only from ordained ministers, but from all who participate in the liturgy, he said. “In truth, we know, the liturgical education of pastors and the faithful is a challenge to be faced ever anew.”
Seeming to acknowledge the varied reception of the liturgical reforms which followed Vatican II, he quoted from a 1977 address of Bl. Paul VI to a consistory of cardinals declaring that “The time has now come definitely to leave aside divisive ferments.”
“And today, there is still work to do in this direction, in particular rediscovering the reasons for the decisions made with the liturgical reform, overcoming unfounded and superficial readings, partial receptions, and practices that disfigure it,” he declared.
“It is not a matter of rethinking the reform by reviewing its choices, but of knowing better the underlying reasons, even through historical documentation, of internalizing its inspirational principles and of observing the discipline that governs it.”
This comes as Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, has in recent years called a “reform of the reform” a “spiritual necessity”, saying its possibility or desirability cannot be dismissed and that “that there has been an increasing amount of critical study by faithful sons and daughters of the Church asking whether what was in fact produced truly implemented the aims of [Sacrosanctum Concilium], or whether in reality they went beyond them.”
Having iterated the irreversibility of the liturgical reform, Pope Francis then turned to the theme of the liturgical week, “ A living liturgy for a living Church”.
The Church sought a liturgy that was “alive” and helped the Church to become “fully enlivened by the celebrated mysteries,” he said.
Quoting Sacrosanctum Concilium, he said faithful shouldn’t go to the liturgy “as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration.”
Pope Francis then outlined three key points to living the liturgy, which he said is centered on Christ, involves the entire people of God, and serves as a school of Christian life.
The liturgy “is alive” thanks to the sacrifice of Christ, who through his death and resurrection gave us new life, the Pope said, explaining that without “the real presence of the mystery of Christ, there is no liturgical vitality.”
“As without a heartbeat there is no human life, so without the beating heart of Christ no liturgical action exists,” he said.
Going on, Francis said the liturgy is also a source of life “for the entire people of the Church,” and because of this, her nature is in fact “popular” and not “clerical,” since it’s ultimately an action “for the people, but also by the people.”
Even in her many liturgical prayers the Church recalls that the liturgy itself is an action of God for the good of the people, but it’s also an action from the people, “who listen to God” and praise him through the various signs they perform.
The Church, he said, gathers together all those whose heart is open to hearing the Gospel, including “the small and the great, the rich and the poor, children and elderly, healthy and sick, the just and sinners.” Thus, in Christ the liturgical assembly surpasses “every boundary of age, race, language and nation.”
In fact, the Pope said the “popular” scope of the liturgy “reminds us that it is inclusive and not exclusive, advocating communion with all but without being homologous.”
Finally, Francis said the liturgy serves as a “school of Christian life,” which initiates a process of “transforming the way of thinking and acting, and not filling a bag of it’s own ideas about God.”
“The liturgy is life and not an idea to understand,” he said. Nor is it “a doctrine to understand or a rite to complete.”
“It’s naturally also this but in another way, it’s essentially different: it’s a source of life and light for our journey of faith.”
Pope Francis closed his address by telling attendees that the Church is only truly alive if she “brings life, is mother and is missionary, going out to meet the other, urging to service without pursuing worldly powers that make it sterile.”
He also noted that the “richness” of the liturgy extends beyond the Roman Rite, and pointed to the liturgical “harmony” the Catholic Church shares with Eastern rites.
“The harmony of the ritual traditions, from East to West, by the breath of the same Spirit gives voice to the one prayer for Christ, with Christ and in Christ, for the glory of the Father and for the salvation of the world,” he said.
Francis closes his speech noting that in the effort to promote liturgical reform, “fatigue is not lacking, but neither is joy!” and asked participants to help not only pastors, but all who participate in the liturgy, “to cooperate so that the liturgy is the source and culmination of the vitality of the Church.”
Elise Harris contributed to this report.
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With respect to migrants, given that the majority are Muslim, why don’t they go to those countries where their faith members live in great wealth : Saudi Arabia, UAE?
I assume this is a rhetorical question?
They don’t go because their Muslim “faith members” don’t want them and because Saudi Arabia and UAE are sand kingdoms run by psychopathic thugs.
Impressionistic wisdom of the moment, regardless if it contradicts what he said last week or yesterday or one hour ago. Never any coherent thought or understanding of anything about civilizational and economic interdependence or how improved efficiencies are dependent on economic productivity and independence from central planning. The only thing he needs to care about, his narcissism will not allow him to care about, a morally guided soul that only the Catholic truth he ridicules can provide.
But never a mention of Humanae Vitae.
Then maybe Pope Francis shouldn’t make off the cuff comments about how we’re not meant to breed like rabbits. What’s next? Pope Francis expresses concern for priestly vocations among the young? This guy went from the Vicar of Christ to quasi leader of an NGO to the head of the the mean girls cliche in high school after his treatment of Bishops Strickland and Burke. How much longer will God chastise us for Benedict’s weakness?
As much of the industrialized world is at zero population growth. Not good. I’ve got my video games and a couple pets good enough?
Elon Musk recently was analyzed on this site; I believe he recently said to the effect that the USA will end up being a nation of old folks in diapers
Perhaps refraining from giving the Eucharist to abortion-promoting world leaders would go a long way toward giving us some confidence in his statement about concern for the lack of population growth.
First of all, it is absolutely nobody’s place to make demands of how unrelated people spend their time and money. If they don’t want to have children that is THEIR business. Not YOURS.
Don’t people have free will? I find it entirely despicable when other people think it is their place to start making demands of couples in the realm of marriage and children. You are concerned about the falling birthrate? Fine. YOU have children if that’s what you want to do.You don’t get to make demands on how other people live. You don’t get to spend the money that other people work for. And you definitely have no right to lay claim to any of their time.
Maybe all of the busybodies who spend all of their time disparaging young people for the same old tropes of owning pets and playing video games needto get a real hobby and stop trying to subject innocent people to their very evil and disturbing control issues.
Says the embittered poster who is telling everyone what to think 🤔. A little self-awareness goes a long way.
OK, I get the sarcasm! You are being satirical? Right? Unless you are one of the “new Catholics” who never had a shred of exposure to actual Catholicism, so bankrupt in thought, that there is not even a capacity for sufficient imagination to conceive of a social ethos and all the factors that affect a social ethos, which would include, obviously, the effects of personal commitments of living a self-sacrificing life of virtue, as Our Lord asks of us.
This, obviously, would not involve a life committed to such things like an adolescent misinterpretation of freedom as personal willfulness rather than the opportunity to do what is right.
The government tells us more and more what to spend our money on.
Who will support older folks?
My comments are actually mostly facts and not judgment one way or another.
Who are you to say whether or not you procreate? Don’t you want human life to continue after you’re gone?
First of all, it is absolutely nobody’s place to make demands of how unrelated people spend their time and money. If they don’t want to have children that is THEIR business. Not YOURS.
Don’t people have free will? I find it entirely despicable when other people think it is their place to start making demands of couples in the realm of marriage and children. You are concerned about the falling birthrate? Fine. YOU have children if that’s what you want to do.You don’t get to make demands on how other people live. You don’t get to spend the money that other people work for. And you definitely have no right to lay claim to any of their time.
Maybe all of the busybodies who spend all of their time disparaging young people for the same old tropes of owning pets and playing video games need to get a real job and stop trying to subject innocent people to their very evil and disturbing control issues.
As usual pope Francis is not a leader on this issue but an observer only.
It sounds like this Pope wants to have his cake and eat it too. He thrashes the US for attempting to stem the flow of migrants ( who commit crime and bring in drugs. The jury is still out on terrorism but label it probable). Italy is now full of Muslims who are changing the culture and other things in a way Italians dont like. Possibly there are changes to the degree that young Italians dont see a future with children there?? Its probably why Italian young people do not want babies. I dont think it will prevent Francis from adovcating for open borders.
Italy is a beautiful country blessed with industrious people, awesome architecture, marvelous singers, high culinary culture renowned for delicious pizzas, and pastas. May Italy, the land and her people, be blessed.