Better Liturgy

The Synod on Synodality called for better liturgy. Will anyone listen? (American Magazine)

One of the surprises to come out of the Synod on Synodality was a call for better-written liturgies. The final report of the October 2023 session of the synod referred to “the widely reported need to make liturgical language more accessible to the faithful and more embodied in the diversity of cultures.” The English-speaking church has an easy response to this request: the 1998 translation of the Roman missal done by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, known as ICEL. Its work was rejected by the man who would become Benedict XVI, but the time has come to put it forward again. Implementing liturgical translations has often been controversial, both recently and in the long ago past...

There is some appalling liturgy around and something needs to be done. Where I differ with some other posters is on the solution. Self-labelled "traditionalists" believe we need to go back to the old antecedent rite and celebrate mass in Latin. I believe that we need to improve the liturgy through education and catechesis.

Pope Francis: ‘Without liturgical reform there is no reform of the Church’ (CNA)

Pope Francis met with members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on Thursday morning to discuss the importance of liturgical reform as a core feature of the broader “renewal of the Church”. The address comes as the dicastery is meeting for its annual plenary assembly, which is addressing the “liturgical formation from Sacrosanctum Concilium to Desiderio Desideravi” for ordained ministers as well as “liturgical training courses for the people of God.” The meeting will also seek to “provide bishops with practical suggestions for developing pastoral projects in their dioceses with the aim of putting into practice the reflections of the papal document,” a Feb. 5 press release from the dicastery stated. Recalling that it has been 60 years since the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council’s seminal document on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, the pope stressed in his Feb. 8 address that liturgical reform underscored the council fathers’ objective of renewing the Church’s “fundamental dimensions” such as “spiritual, pastoral, ecumenical, and missionary” work...

Charlotte Diocese reveals liturgical norms still under discussion as TLM limits proceed (NCR)

"We tend to preface our decision making with phrases such as, 'If only our Church went back to …,' or 'If only the Church would adapt to …,'" {Charlotte Bishop Michael} Martin wrote. "Far from delivering us from the anxiety we wish to escape, it only reinforces its own necessity to cling to this or that, further drawing us away from a real encounter with the true life of Jesus that is exemplified in his Incarnation and communicated to us through the faithful celebration of the liturgy"...

Tanzania: Bishops issue liturgical guidelines to curb possible abuses and call for a day of national prayer (Vatican News)

the Bishops have since highlighted key liturgical guidelines and instructions that the Catholic faithful and liturgical ministers would do well to abide by... the Bishops call for a reduction in unnecessary, long announcements and speeches during worship. This is because these have the potential to diminish the reverence due in the liturgy. They draw attention, for example, to festive Masses where sometimes elaborate and detailed announcements about food arrangements and entertainment are made towards the end of Holy Mass. Announcements, the Bishops say, should be very brief and serve only to inform the congregation of what they really need to know. The Tanzanian prelates have criticised a tendency towards prolonged introductory remarks and explanations at the start of the Mass or before readings... The celebration itself should follow the proper liturgical order and rites as prescribed by the Church. In particular, the Bishops request parish priests to limit speeches or greetings by visiting politicians or dignitaries after Holy Communion. A brief acknowledgement of the presence of a visiting dignitary or political figure by the presider should suffice. On occasions of ordinations, religious professions, personal jubilees and so forth, the Bishops have also decided to curtain on elaborate speech-making. “A brief word of thanks may be given only by the ordained, the professed religious, or the one celebrating a jubilee,” the guidelines indicate. In all, they recommend that after the Communion Prayer, the final Blessing be given immediately...

Creative Workshops Focus On Composition And Artwork To Inspire “New Style Of Being Church” (AMECEA)

Following a comprehensive two-day workshop for Liturgical Music Composers Committee and artists at Kurasini Centre in Dar es Salaam, participants have committed to a unified mission: inspiring choirs and artists to utilize their talents in promoting synodality messages while leading by example in their own creative work... As creators of music for liturgical celebrations, participants emphasized that their compositions must carry messages that inspire the people of God during worship, to embrace what the Synod on Synodality described as “a new style of being Church”...

At Annual Liturgy Convention in Kenya, Catholic Bishop Emphasizes Sacredness, Cautions against “excesses” (ACI Africa)

“I hope more people will embrace liturgy, as something sacred; not something to modify at will, but something to follow as prescribed by God,” Bishop Wainaina said... “While we must ensure all liturgical elements are meaningful, we should also be mindful of excesses, such as overdone liturgical dances”... the Kenyan Catholic Bishop expressed hope that liturgical celebrations in the East African nation will manifest people’s deep faith in God. He said, “I believe that with time, we will see the Church move toward more acceptable and balanced expressions of worship.” “In the next five years, I hope we will find expressions of liturgy that are both solemn and deeply meaningful, rooted in true inculturation,” he said, and added, “Liturgy must reflect the society, and society must, in turn, become a worshipping community.” Bishop Wainaina also reflected on the role of liturgy in the society which he said goes a long way in fostering evangelization. He said, “Liturgy serves as a vital source of evangelization, especially in Kenya, where many people participate in Church celebrations”...

I was recently introduced to a young woman who is a serious enquirer or convert at Mass. it has sharpened my awareness of what is actually happening, to my enrichment. I will be pulling some texts on Eucharist and community, as I recall the amazing actual Presence and how it should be growing and changing us.

Kenyan Chaplain Urges Inclusivity to Accommodate Youths Perceiving Liturgical Celebrations “as rigid” (ACI Africa)

The Chaplain of youths in Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa has emphasized the need to involve the young people in the planning of Church activities to address the perception some of them have that liturgy is “rigid and unwelcoming”... Fr. Gregory Wachenje Mwakio said that youths are creative and the church should find a way to accommodate them... He explained “But as Pope Francis said, we need saints in jeans, sneakers, even caps. It’s not about the clothes. For unity and clarity, we do guide them. Working with youths requires wisdom and humility.” “You walk with them; you dance with them—but you also show them the right path when the time comes"...

“Do Not be an Annoying Priest,” Prelate Cautions Newly Ordained Kenyan-born Mill Hill Priest (AMECEA)

At a priestly ordination of a member of St. Joseph’s Missionary Society of Mill Hill in Kenya’s Kisumu Archdiocese at Our Lady of Fatima Ukwala Parish, the Local Ordinary cautioned the newly ordained Kenyan-born cleric, Fr. Julius Oketch Agunda, against becoming what he termed as “an annoying priest,” calling instead for a ministry that is marked by holiness, availability, and joyful service. Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba, in his preaching during the ordination Mass on Thursday, August 7, defined what he meant by an “annoying priest,” and cautioned against behavior that undermines the sacred mission of the priesthood. “An annoying priest is one who is not available for Mass, not available for confessions, and visiting communities,” the Archbishop said and narrated, “The priest rushes through the celebration of sacraments, comes late to functions, never smiles, and does not make the youth and children feel welcome in Church.” Instead, Archbishop Muhatia, who doubles as the Chairman for the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), called priests to be the kind of servants who reflect the love and mercy of God through their very presence. “We must be attractive priests, punctual, committed, available, prayerful, and holy. These are the priests to whom the Father points and says, ‘This is my son, listen to him,’ he emphasized... “There are no impossible places in the world when it comes to the life of a priest. Go and minister to the people. The rest, leave to God. Don’t be an annoying priest. Be a good priest. Do your work”...

Kenyan Catholic Priest Calls for “culturally sensitive” Approach in Addressing Modernity in Liturgy (ACI Africa)

The biggest challenge in Catholic liturgy today is balancing “tradition and modernity”, a Kenyan Catholic Priest has said, and called for a contextualized approach in handling emerging liturgical issues. Of significance, Fr. Chrispine Ouma said in an interview with ACI Africa, is the growing perception, especially among youths in Africa, that that the Church is “too traditional.” “One of our key challenges…is balancing tradition with modernity”... “Young people seek innovation, yet the Catholic Church is often seen as too traditional. We need a dynamic and culturally sensitive approach”... Fr. Chrispine said that every member of the Church including the Clergy, women and men Religious and the Laity should focus on their part of liturgy cautioning against what he termed as “competing priorities.” “The Laity should participate fully and faithfully in the roles proper to their vocation. Everyone should do all and only what pertains to their ministry,” the lecturer at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), told ACI Africa. He continued, “As a Priest, I should remain focused on my priestly duties. I should not leave the altar to conduct the choir or play instruments.” “The same applies to the Laity. If someone is a lector, they should proclaim the Word of God with care and preparation. Choir members should sing with dedication”... For the liturgy to be effective, he said, “Preparation is essential, but sadly, many lack the time due to competing priorities”...

“The Laity should participate fully and faithfully"
Have I told this story before? Here in Austria it is not unusual for the laity to just sit there, perhaps occasionally standing or kneeling, but not speaking the responses. My husband and I were at a special mass in Stephansdom once. We struggled to make the responses, trying to follow in an unfamiliar book. Luckily there was one man right behind us who was speaking out, and we leaned on his example. When the mass was over, we turned to thank him; He was a priest, and he thanked us instead, saying how much it had meant to him to be saying the responses with other worshippers. The liturgy really does need to be carried by the whole congregation.

I just wish that the term “solemnity of the Mass” could more often be replaced with “the celebration of the Mass” in real life here in the provinces of the US.
I’ve experienced true celebration at only two parishes. An inner city church in Philadelphia and at the college Masses at Steubenville, Ohio.

>12 2wonderY:

I'm luckier than you in that I have experienced real celebrations of the Mass in many places, but I hear what you are saying, and sadly they are not the norm in many parts of the world.

Pope: Altar servers help lead faithful into sacred Mystery of Mass (Vatican News)

Meeting with altar servers from France, Pope Leo XIV laments the country’s lack of priests and upholds the ministry of young people at the altar, saying the dignity of their service helps lead people into the sacred greatness of the Mystery...

Nice to see many female altar servers in the photos in this article.

Cardinal Parolin: Liturgy is a 'place' of closeness, hope, sign of peace (Vatican News)

At the opening of the 75th National Liturgical Week in Naples, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin reflects on how the liturgy embodies the Jubilee Year’s central theme of hope, interwoven with faith and charity...

It's time for a better English translation of the liturgy (NCR)

Reading the news and social media might lead you to think the only liturgical issue Catholics are concerned about is the Latin Mass. But there is another language problem in the Catholic liturgy that affects many more Catholics: The current liturgy in English is terrible... As the church's doctrinal arbiter, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger insisted on a word-for-word translation of the Latin, rather than one that conveyed the meaning of the text but was understandable when spoken aloud to contemporary Americans... While some non-English-speaking bishops, notably the Italians, successfully fought off Vatican-imposed translations, the American bishops caved. In 2002, the executive director of ICEL was replaced by someone who would produce a translation acceptable to Ratzinger. That translation, which we still use today, was implemented in Advent of 2011. It is time to get a better English translation of the liturgy. We do not have to begin translating all over again. We can simply give the 1998 ICEL translation another try...

Liturgical Music Composers Urged to Anchor Synodality Songs in Scripture (AMECEA)

Following workshops with liturgical music composers in some countries within the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) region, the Secretary General of AMECEA has reminded the songwriters to ensure their compositions on synodality remain firmly rooted in Scripture... liturgical music is not just for artistic expression but a form of prayer and proclamation of the Word of God... Fr. Makunde recalled the famous words often attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, a Bishop, theologian, and philosopher in history, “Singing is praying twice.” He encouraged composers to ensure their music is grounded in Scripture and carries messages that uplift listeners spiritually, morally, and ethically...

Pope Leo’s ‘proper way’ to do liturgy (The Pillar)

In a recently published interview, Pope Leo XIV addressed the Latin Church’s roiling liturgical disputes, and the subject of the traditional Latin Mass. In his remarks, the pope lamented “politicization” and “polarization” of the Church’s liturgy, including the celebration of the ordinary form. Asked about restrictions on the celebration of the Latin Mass, Leo noted that “there’s no problem” with celebrating the ordinary form of the liturgy in Latin, and also noted “abuse” of the ordinary form of the liturgy as a potential driver of popularity of the extraordinary form. In some senses, the pope seemed to suggest that while he has been lobbied on loosening the restrictions of Traditionis custodes, he could be more interested in broader liturgical reform and renewal as a means of de-escalating the polarization in the liturgy... But, the pope added, “people always say ‘the Latin Mass.’ Well, you can say Mass in Latin right now. If it’s the Vatican II rite there’s no problem.” “I think sometimes the, say, ‘abuse’ of the liturgy from what we call the Vatican II Mass, was not helpful for people who were looking for a deeper experience of prayer, of contact with the mystery of faith that they seemed to find in the celebration of the Tridentine Mass,” said Leo. “Again, we’ve become polarized, so that instead of being able to say, well, if we celebrate the Vatican II liturgy in a proper way, do you really find that much difference between this experience and that experience?” For many Catholics with more direct experience of liturgical excesses — or as Leo says, abuses — in the ordinary form than with the extraordinary form, the pope’s summation will likely sound reasonable, even encouraging. Liturgical novelties and innovations, or even a baseline laxity towards the rubrics, have been a consistent complaint within the Church for decades, so much so that Pope Francis even acknowledged the “unbearable distortions” of the ordinary form in his accompanying letter to Traditionis custodes, albeit without appearing to form a plan for combating them...

I would note that Pope Leo's words, “people always say ‘the Latin Mass.’ Well, you can say Mass in Latin right now. If it’s the Vatican II rite there’s no problem” and "well, if we celebrate the Vatican II liturgy in a proper way" and deal with the excesses and abuses of it, are exactly what I have been saying for years, including to some members of this LT group and also the Christianity group. Let's work on celebrating the ordinary universal rite of the liturgy of the Church fittingly, in whatever language, rather than polarisation and "politicisation", to use the Holy Father's words, and seeking an extraordinary rite.

Cupich on 'Dilexi te': the Liturgy as a place of solidarity with the poor (Vatican News)

Cardinal Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, reflects for Vatican News on Pope Leo XIV's first Apostolic Exhortation. In his meditation he recalls the words of Saint John XXIII before opening the Second Vatican Council: the Church must be the Church of all and “particularly the Church of the poor”...

North Carolina bishop demands liturgical unity in pastoral letter (Tablet)

Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina issued a pastoral letter on liturgical norms following months of controversy in the diocese. The letter on 17 December aims to unite the local church and to bring it into conformity with universal norms. The bishop, a Conventual Franciscan, mandated that no altar rails or prie-dieus be used for the distribution of Holy Communion and that the faithful be instructed that reception of the Eucharist while standing is normative throughout the United States. He also encouraged parishes to offer Communion under both species and to use extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. “Throughout the ages and within the context of our rich liturgical traditions from the East to the West, our unity as believers in Holy Communion is expressed through our postures and gestures that reflect our mystical communion and unity as fellow believers,” Martin wrote...

Defense of Latin Mass restrictions was distributed among cardinals during consistory (NCR)

Following the consistory, a document prepared to guide discussion on the liturgy, first reported by the Italian daily Il Giornale and later circulated online by writer Diane Montagna, shed light on how that conversation would have been framed. The text, written by Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, was distributed to cardinals but never formally discussed, since the liturgy was not selected as a focal topic for the consistory's working sessions. Yet in the document, Roche provides a defense of Traditionis Custodes, the papal decree that restricted the celebration of the Pre-Vatican II Latin Mass and provoked outrage among many traditionalist Catholics. By limiting the older form of the Mass, Pope Francis "pointed the way to unity," Roche wrote, by establishing the reformed liturgy as "the sole expression of the lex orandi ('rule of prayer') of the Roman Rite"... Pope Benedict XVI relaxed rules around celebrating the pre-Vatican II Mass during his pontificate, but the use of that form was "a concession that in no way envisaged their promotion," Roche wrote. "The reform of the Liturgy wanted by the Second Vatican Council is not only in full syntony with the true meaning of the Tradition, but constitutes a singular way of putting itself at the service of the Tradition," he wrote. Quoting St. Pius V, the cardinal wrote that "there ought to be only one rite for celebrating the Mass." Roche also stated that "the application of the Reform suffered and continues to suffer from a lack of formation." "The primary good of the unity of the Church is not achieved by freezing division but by finding ourselves in the sharing of what cannot but be shared," he wrote. The morning before the consistory began, Leo began a catechesis series at his general audience in which he described the Second Vatican Council as the "guiding star of the church's journey today"...

Cardinal Roche says liturgy meant to promote unity, not personal preference (OSV)

Debates over the liturgy should ultimately be understood through the lens of unity, not individual preference, said Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. “When we go to church, we don’t go to church to worship simply as an individual but as a family. We go together as the congregation which is called by God,” Cardinal Roche told OSV News March 17 in his office at the Vatican. “This sense of congregation goes back as far as Old Testament times. The Church to which we belong is not a building but ‘living stones’ built upon Christ.” The cardinal’s comments came in the wake of recent discussions surrounding a text he prepared on the liturgy that was distributed to cardinals during Pope Leo XIV’s first extraordinary consistory in January... While not directly responding to specific criticisms of the document, Cardinal Roche reiterated the principles that informed it and framed the issue with the Catholic Church’s broader understanding of worship and the liturgy. The document, he said, presented “an accurate historical presentation of the development of the liturgy throughout the ages.” In his wide-ranging interview with OSV News, Cardinal Roche framed current liturgical debates within the earliest history of the Church, pointing to St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians as evidence that tensions surrounding worship are not new...

Spirit of the word – Leo’s liturgical moment (Tablet)

Celebrating Mass in Madrid last Sunday, Pope Leo said the liturgy was a call ‘to be brought out of our selfishness and indifference, of a comfortable, private faith, so as to respond to Jesus’ invitation to conversion’. This papacy seeks to move beyond polarisation, to strengthen unity and foster a renewed appreciation of the beauty and depth of the Church’s worship...

Togo’s Catholic Bishops Call for Fidelity to Liturgical Norms, Warn Against “improvisations” (ACI Africa)

Catholic Bishops in Togo have urged Priests and the faithful to adhere faithfully to the Church’s liturgical norms, cautioning against unauthorized additions in the celebration of the liturgy... “We remind the faithful and particularly Priests of the obligation to respect liturgical norms, especially those of the Roman Missal; for example, avoiding improvisations and additions of all kinds,” CET members said in the statement released on June 19. The call formed part of the Catholic Bishops’ broader reflection on the life and mission of the Church in Togo during the four-day assembly, which included prayer, Eucharistic celebrations, and discussions on pastoral priorities of the local Church...

Vatican Rejects German Bishops’ Request for Lay Homilies at Mass (ACI Africa)

The Vatican has rejected a request by the German Bishops’ Conference to allow lay faithful, in exceptional circumstances, to preach the homily during the celebration of the Eucharist... Although the dicastery — which oversees most matters related to the Catholic Church’s liturgy and the ritual of the sacraments — expressed appreciation for the pastoral motivations behind the request, it emphasized that current norms do not allow for exceptions on this point. “The reservation of the homily to a priest or deacon is not a merely disciplinary norm, but derives from the very nature of the liturgy,” the dicastery said... The letter underlined the need to strengthen the formation of clergy, pointing to “the importance of promoting the ongoing formation of ordained ministers, so that the homily may fully express its pastoral and spiritual efficacy.” Finally, the dicastery recalled that the Church’s current discipline already provides other possibilities for lay faithful to preach. “There are numerous forms of proclamation of the Word and preaching that can be entrusted to the lay faithful outside the homily and outside the celebration of the Eucharist,” the dicastery said, noting that such preaching must always be carried out in accordance with canon law and the proper nature of those forms of announcing the Gospel...

Archdiocese of Lusaka Liturgical Office Analyses Newly Completed Marian and Eucharist Hymns (AMECEA)

The Archdiocese of Lusaka (ADL) Liturgical Office, in collaboration with hymn composers from across the Archdiocese, recently held a three-day workshop to review and analyze newly composed Marian and Eucharistic hymns... Following the review process, the selected compositions will be presented to the Local Ordinary for approval. Once approved, they will be officially adopted as liturgical hymns for use throughout the Archdiocese.