The Pope and the Liturgy

In light of yesterday's post about the liturgy being a means of formation, formation in thinking with the 'mind of the Church' I felt compelled to share the following article, which is an interview with Msgr. Guido Marini, papal master of ceremonies, appeared the Polish Sunday Catholic Weekly online.

I have been preparing a paper based upon a talk I gave recently on the Pope's liturgical vision - particularly in light of his two documents published in 2007, the Motu Proprio 'Summorum Pontificum' and the post-synodal exhortation 'Sacramentum Caritas'. The paper, which I will post here in the near future, will look not only at these two documents but also some of his work prior to his ascension to the papacy (like for example his books 'The Feast of Faith' and 'The Spirit of the Liturgy') and perhaps more importantly the example set by the pope himself in his own liturgical action.

Specific questions regarding the pope's liturgical actions are addressed here in the wonderful and brief interview. I have used italics to emphasise what I consider to be interest.

Note:
I stumbled across the following article posted by SHAWN TRIBE of the tremendous blog New Liturgical Movement

Beauty in the Liturgy: Interview with Msgr. Guido Marini


Wlodzimierz Redzioch: – What does the collaboration between Benedict XVI and his Master of Ceremonies look like? Does the Pope decide about everything?

Msgr. Guido Marini: – At first, I would like to stress that the celebrations the Holy Father presides over are to be the points of reference for the whole Church. The Pope is the highest priest, the one who offers the sacrifice of the Church, the one who shows the liturgical teaching through celebrations – the point of reference for all. Considering this explanation it is easier to understand what the style of collaboration between the Papal Master of Ceremonies and the Holy Father should be. One should act in the way to make the papal liturgies the expressions of his authentic liturgical orientation. Therefore, the Papal Master of Ceremonies must be a humble and faithful servant of the liturgy of the Church. I have understood my work in the Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations in this way since the very beginning.

– We all can see the changes introduced to the liturgical celebrations by Benedict XVI. How can we synthesize these changes?

– I think that these changes can be synthesized in the following way: first of all, these are changes made in accordance with the logic of development of continuity with the past. So we do not deal with breaking with the past and juxtaposing with the former pontificates. Secondly, the introduced changes serve to evoke the true spirit of liturgy like the Second Vatican Council wanted, ‘The "subject" of the liturgy's intrinsic beauty is Christ himself, risen and glorified in the Holy Spirit, who includes the Church in his work.’

– Celebrations directed towards the cross, Holy Communion received directly by mouth and while keeling, longer moments of silence and meditation – these are the most visible liturgical changes introduced by Benedict XVI. Unfortunately, many people do not understand the theological and historical meanings of these changes and what is worse, they can see them as ‘return to the past.’ Can you briefly explain the meanings of these changes?

– To tell you the truth our office has received many testimonies of the faithful who have favourably received the changes introduced by the Pope because they see them as the authentic renewal of the liturgy. As for the significance of some changes I will say a few synthetic reflections. Celebrating towards the cross stresses the correct direction of liturgical prayer, i.e. towards God; during prayers the faithful are not to look at themselves but should direct their eyes towards the Saviour. Giving hosts to people kneeling aims to giving value to the aspect of adoration both as the fundamental element of celebration and the necessary attitude while facing the mystery of God’s real presence in the Eucharist. During the liturgical celebration prayer assumes various forms: words, songs, music, gestures and silence. Furthermore, moments of silence let us participate truly in the act of worship, and what’s more, from the inside evoke every other form of prayer.

– The Pope attaches importance to the liturgical vestments. Is it a matter of pure aestheticism?

– In order to understand better the Pope’s ideas concerning the meaning of the beauty as an important element of liturgical celebrations I would like to quote the apostolic exhortation ‘Sacramentum caritatis, ’This relationship between creed and worship is evidenced in a particular way by the rich theological and liturgical category of beauty. Like the rest of Christian Revelation, the liturgy is inherently linked to beauty: it is veritatis splendor. […] This is no mere aestheticism, but the concrete way in which the truth of God's love in Christ encounters us, attracts us and delights us, enabling us to emerge from ourselves and drawing us towards our true vocation, which is love. The truest beauty is the love of God, who definitively revealed himself to us in the paschal mystery. […] The beauty of the liturgy is part of this mystery; it is a sublime expression of God's glory and, in a certain sense, a glimpse of heaven on earth. Beauty, then, is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God himself and his revelation.’

– Benedict XVI has changed his pastoral staff – currently he is using the cross-shaped staff. Why?

– I would like to remind you that till the pontificate of Pope Paul VI popes did not use crosiers at all; on special occasions they carried a ferula (cross-shaped staff). Pope Montini, Paul VI, introduced a cross-shaped crosier. And so did Benedict XVI till the Pentecost Sunday of 2008. Since then he has been using ferula because he thinks that it is more suitable for the papal liturgy.

– Why is it so important that the Church preserves using Latin in the liturgy?

– Although the Second Vatican Council introduced national languages it recommended using Latin in the liturgy. I think it is for two reasons that we should not give up Latin. Above all, we have a great liturgical legacy of Latin: from the Gregorian chant to polyphony as well as ‘testi venerandi’ (sacred texts) that Christians have used for ages. Besides, Latin allows us to show catholicity and universality of the Church. We can experience this universality in a unique way in St Peter’s Basilica and during other international gatherings when men and women from all continents, nationalities, languages, sing and pray in the same language. Who will not feel at home when being at church abroad can join his/her brothers in the faith at least in some parts by using Latin?

– Do you agree that the faith of priest is expressed in the liturgy in a special way?

– I have no doubts about it. Since the liturgy is the celebration of Christ’s mystery here and now the priest is called to express his faith in a twofold way. Firstly, he should celebrate with eyes of the one that looks beyond the visible reality to ‘touch’ what is invisible, i.e. God’s presence and work. It is ‘ars celebrandi’ (art of celebration) that lets the faithful check whether the liturgy is only a performance, spectacle for the priest or whether it is a vivid and attractive relation with Christ’s mystery. Secondly, after the celebration the priest is renewed and ready to follow what he has experienced, i.e. make his life a celebration of Christ’s mystery.



"Niedziela" 14/2011

Acquiring the "Mind of the Church"

Liturgically, 2011 has been so far for me somewhat of an experimental year. I have sought to make this a year where I experience the extraordinary form of the Mass (or Traditional Latin Mass, TLM) for the duration of the liturgical year. In doing so, I have made an effort to attend Mass in the extraordinary form as often as possible - mostly Sundays and other Holy days, all the while continuing to particiapte in the holy sacrafice of the Mass in the ordinary form at my local parish daily.
To this end, I am eagerly awaiting Holy Week celebrations, and am doing my best to read up on the rituals beforehand, to enable me to enter into the celebrations more fully.

This new experience of Mass in the Traditional form has prompted me to spend considerable time of late thinking about the way I have been and continue to be formed by my participation in the liturgy.

Some background here may be beneficial. Since 2008 I have been on a path embracing Catholicism in its fulness. For me this coincided with the collapse of the charismatic group that I had been part of with my family since before I was born. Through a series of undoubtedly providential events (which I will not detail here) I was led to the rosary, adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, daily Mass and frequent confession.
All this coupled with my reading of the lives of the saints and other small devotional prayer books (like the blue Pieta book) have played a significant part in shaping my image of God, and in turn my prayer life and faith as a whole.

It is my participation in the liturgy however that has, for me, made the biggest impact on my faith as a whole. As I continued to grow in my understanding of the significance of the Holy Mass, I became less and less tolerant of what I now consider to be 'tea party' liturgies. Less and less was I able to attend Mass in parishes where the priest saw fit to 'spice things up' with jokes or references to the local football competitions or other secular passtimes. Less and less could I tolerate 'youth Masses' with loud guitars and drums that were strictly performance orientated (and, I confess prior to this - I was the one strumming that guitar... Kyrie Eleison!)

I found myself drawn to parishes where there was a far greater reverence for Mass - stricter adherence to the rubrics, bold preaching and less liturgical dance!

It is obvious to me that the old addage, 'lex orandi, lex credendi' (the law of prayer is the law of belief) holds true. How I have learned to pray the liturgy has greatly influenced my faith, drawing me closer and closer to theheart of the Church.

As such I would like to present to you the following quote. I found this on the blog Vultus Christi, which is wirtten by  Dom Mark Daniel Kirby, Prior of the Diocesan Benedictine Monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Nothing is more educative for man in his totality than the liturgy. The Bible is certainly a marvelous teacher of prayer, of the sense of God and of the adult convictions of conscience. Used alone, the Bible might produce a Christian of the Puritan tradition, an individualist and even a visionary. The liturgy, however, is the "authentic method instituted by the Church to unite souls to Jesus" (Dom Maurice Festugière). The sort of Christian produced by an enlightened and docile participation in the liturgy is a man of peace and unified in every fibre of his human nature by the secret and powerful penetration of faith and love in his life, throughout a period of prayer and worship, during which he learned, at his mothers knee and without effort, the Church's language: her language of faith, love, hope, and fidelity. There is no better way of acquiring "the mind of the Church" in the widest and most interior interpretation of this expression.

Père Congar in 1963 quoted by Geoffrey Hull in The Banished Heart, 2010