Church teachings regarding maintaining traditional devotional practices?

[Brendan_64]

I attend an OF parish, and I do prefer the OF Mass to the EF Mass. However I am very attached to traditional devotional practices, Rosary, Exposition of the Eucharist, lighting votive candles etc. Are there any current Church documents that maintain that these practices should be protected? Has Pope Francis said anything in favour of maintaining our traditional devotional practices? Such references would be very useful for me at this time. I know SC says this, but are there any more recent instructions from Rome on this matter?

 

[Filioque]

I attend an OF parish, and I do prefer the OF Mass to the EF Mass. However I am very attached to traditional devotional practices, Rosary, Exposition of the Eucharist, lighting votive candles etc. Are there any current Church documents that maintain that these practices should be protected? Has Pope Francis said anything in favour of maintaining our traditional devotional practices? Such references would be very useful for me at this time. I know SC says this, but are there any more recent instructions from Rome on this matter?

At least by his example Pope Francis has mentioned in public his daily recitation of the rosary, on the second day of his pontificate he visited the tombs of popes including a special stop at the tomb of Pope St. Pius V to pray and venerate their relics.

 

[clem456]

I participate in traditional devotions as well. It is good to have a core of people who can participate and grow together with the aid of these traditions and keep them alive.
We have Eucharistic devotions periodically in the parish.
We also do the rosary a couple times a week at the adoration chapel.
We have “perpetual adoration” (if Monday 12am to Friday 6pm qualifies as perpetual). I believe adoration is one of the devotions that glues our parish together.
Saturday morning scripture study (whether that is “traditional” could be debated)

On the Rosary:
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html

The Rosary, a treasure to be rediscovered

1. Dear brothers and sisters! A prayer so easy and yet so rich truly deserves to be rediscovered by the Christian community. Let us do so, especially this year, as a means of confirming the direction outlined in my Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, from which the pastoral plans of so many particular Churches have drawn inspiration as they look to the immediate future.

I turn particularly to you, my dear Brother Bishops, priests and deacons, and to you, pastoral agents in your different ministries: through your own personal experience of the beauty of the Rosary, may you come to promote it with conviction.

I also place my trust in you, theologians: by your sage and rigorous reflection, rooted in the word of God and sensitive to the lived experience of the Christian people, may you help them to discover the Biblical foundations, the spiritual riches and the pastoral value of this traditional prayer.

I count on you, consecrated men and women, called in a particular way to contemplate the face of Christ at the school of Mary.

I look to all of you, brothers and sisters of every state of life, to you, Christian families, to you, the sick and elderly, and to you, young people: confidently take up the Rosary once again. Rediscover the Rosary in the light of Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives.

Edit: two of the newly ordained priests in the area are learning the EF high Mass. I am looking forward to experiencing that. I am hopeful it does not cause the dissension that it causes here.

 

[Hieronymi]

Popular piety

1674 Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc. (2688; 2669, 2678)

Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Ed., p. 417)

 

[Genesis315]

This covers tons of aspects and practices of popular piety and their importance, as well as the importance of popular piety in general.

Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html

There’s a nice index just before the endnotes.

 

[clem456]

This covers tons of aspects and practices of popular piety and their importance and as well as the importance of popular piety in general.

Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html

There’s a nice index just before the endnotes.

Wow, I’d say that’s a thorough treatment of the subject.

 

[lalindsay225]

Please pardon my ignorance – what are OF and EF Masses?

 

[Genesis315]

Please pardon my ignorance – what are OF and EF Masses?

Ordinary Form and Extraordinary Form. The Ordinary Form being what you see in most places, is essentially the reformed Missal promulagated by Pope Paul VI in 1970 (with minor changes made as recently as 2002 by Bl. John Paul II). The extraordinary form, commonly called the “Latin Mass,” (even though both forms can be said in Latin, the EF can only be said in Latin) is the form of Mass as formally codified in the 1500s by St. Pius V and last promulgated (with some minor changes, which were made to it over the centuries) in 1962 by Bl. John XXIII, before the major reforms of the 1960s. It is still offered in various places (and spreading, actually), but is still not ordinarily found in most parishes.

 

[lalindsay225]

Ordinary Form and Extraordinary Form. The Ordinary Form being what you see in most places, is essentially the reformed Missal promulagated by Pope Paul VI in 1970 (with minor changes made as recently as 2002 by Bl. John Paul II). The extraordinary form, commonly called the “Latin Mass,” (even though both forms can be said in Latin, the EF can only be said in Latin) is the form of Mass as formally codified in the 1500s by St. Pius V and last promulgated (with some minor changes, which were made to it over the centuries) in 1962 by Bl. John XXIII, before the major reforms of the 1960s

Thanks!

 

[Dorothy]

All the Masses in my area are the Ordinary Form. The traditional devotions you mention are very much practiced here. Many parishes start or end the weekday Masses with the Rosary. All of them have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Some have it once a week, some once a month, and one parish has it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for approximately ten years now.

 

[phil19034]

I attend an OF parish, and I do prefer the OF Mass to the EF Mass. However I am very attached to traditional devotional practices, Rosary, Exposition of the Eucharist, lighting votive candles etc. Are there any current Church documents that maintain that these practices should be protected? Has Pope Francis said anything in favour of maintaining our traditional devotional practices? Such references would be very useful for me at this time. I know SC says this, but are there any more recent instructions from Rome on this matter?

I believe it was The Bl Pope John Paul II who prayed for all parishes to have Perpetual Adoration avalible. I’m 36 years old and now there feels like more dedication to devotional practices within parishes. Maybe it’s because of the internet or how secular society is becoming… but I’ve noticed (or think I notice) more dedication across the board.

 

[M-Dent]

Has Pope Francis said anything in favour of maintaining our traditional devotional practices?

Pope Francis led a worldwide hour of Eucharistic adoration on Sunday, June 2, 2013. Cathedrals and Churches across the world synchronized this and held an hour of Eucharistic adoration at the same time.

Sometimes the best instruction is offered by example!

 

[Cider]

Why would we need permission to maintain the traditions of the Church?

 

[Aramis]

I attend an OF parish, and I do prefer the OF Mass to the EF Mass. However I am very attached to traditional devotional practices, Rosary, Exposition of the Eucharist, lighting votive candles etc. Are there any current Church documents that maintain that these practices should be protected? Has Pope Francis said anything in favour of maintaining our traditional devotional practices? Such references would be very useful for me at this time. I know SC says this, but are there any more recent instructions from Rome on this matter?

He’s given no indications at all of being opposed to any of the traditional approved devotions.

But keep in mind: The Catholic Church is not one uniform praxis, and he’s encouraged the Ukrainian Catholics of Argentina to retain their traditional devotions (chotki, paraklesis, moleben) instead of the Roman ones (Rosary, Exposition/Adoration, and Novena).

So, if you see him quoted as telling some Argentinian Catholics to not take up the Rosary, know that he was doing so because they were Catholics of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and for them, the Rosary is not the proper tradition, but the Chotki is.

The media is unlikely to make the distinction. But it’s a distinction that has been the standing order of popes going back as far as Pope St. Pius X, and before… Nec plus, nec minus, nec aliter.

 

[Brendan_64]

Why would we need permission to maintain the traditions of the Church?

Well Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament would be a bit tricky without the cooperation of the priest. And a priest could remove votive candle stands, etc.

 

[Brendan_64]

Thanks for all your help folks. What you’ve all posted is very useful and helpful.