MERGED: Vatican preparing guide for priests on how to celebrate Mass

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catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=16835
The Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship is preparing guidelines for priests on how to celebrate Mass properly, the Zenit news agency reports.
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In a January 15 address, Cardinal Antonio Canizares, the prefect of the Congregation, disclosed that the guidelines will be issued in a booklet that “will help to celebrate well and to participate well.” He said that he hoped the booklet would be ready for publication in the summer of 2013.
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Offering a preview of the subjects to be addressed in the document, the Spanish cardinal said that the liturgical reforms of Vatican II “must be understood in continuity with the tradition of the Church and not as a break or discontinuity.” He also stressed that the liturgy is God’s gift to the Church rather than the invention of individuals. “God wants to be adored in a concrete way,” he said, “and it’s not up to us to change it.”
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Cardinal Canizares said that the guidelines would discourage “showmanship” by the celebrant and novelties introduced to make the liturgy “entertaining” to the people. He underlined the importance of creating a sense of solemnity and mystery in the liturgy, encouraged moments of silence, and said that the understanding of the Mass as Christ’s sacrifice should be paramount.
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Interesting development.

We are currently trying to institute some positive changes along these lines in our parish. Our pastor, thankfully, is a good man who celebrates a reverent liturgy, believes in silence, beauty, and the sacrificial nature of the Mass while remaining an outgoing guy who puts together a meaty homily. In short, we are fortunate to have him.

Where we are running into roadblocks is with the laity on the pastoral advisory council and in the liturgy committee.

Things like this can be of help as they give the pastor some political cover in implementing the changes that he believes are right without alienating half the parish in the process.

So, bottom line, while it is a bit sad that a document such as this is necessary, I am nonetheless glad to see it.

Peace of Christ,
 
This is extremely encouraging, but my cynical side tells me this will experience the same fate as Redemptionis Sacramentum. The title of the article is so sad as to almost be comical.

I’m super excited for the future!
 
YoungTradCath said:
The title of the article is so sad as to almost be comical.
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Agreed, though I cannot help but think that this is not just about priests. If the document can be written in clear language for a change, it may be an opportunity to teach the laity about the importance of certain things in the Mass as well as some of the priests who have gone a bit off of where the Vatican wishes them to be.
 
jwinch2 said:
Agreed, though I cannot help but think that this is not just about priests. If the document can be written in clear language for a change, it may be an opportunity to teach the laity about the importance of certain things in the Mass as well as some of the priests who have gone a bit off of where the Vatican wishes them to be.
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Yes, I hope so.
 
I couldn’t help but snigger a bit. It made me think of other possible situations: “NFL sends referees free rulebooks, reminds that football is a contact sport,”
 
The title of both of the articles linked above are poorly done in my view, and in retrospect, I should not have just copied and pasted one for the title of the thread. I should have written something more appropriate.

My apologies.
 
jwinch2 said:
The title of both of the articles linked above are poorly done in my view, and in retrospect, I should not have just copied and pasted one for the title of the thread. I should have written something more appropriate.

My apologies.
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IIRC, when you post in either of the News fora, you are supposed to reference a news article and use the article title as the thread title.

Here is the link to thread guidelines

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1579173&postcount=7
 
Why would a “booklet” succeed if the revised GIRM is being ignored?
 
I agree and hold out hope that this will shake some of Our Priests out of their complacency. I don’t intend to criticize, I love them all, whether they are hardcore liberal or conservative (Church wise). The Laity have the wrong nose in some affairs sometimes as well, Liturgically speaking.
 
jwinch2 said:
The title of both of the articles linked above are poorly done in my view, and in retrospect, I should not have just copied and pasted one for the title of the thread. I should have written something more appropriate.

My apologies.
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Rules say you have to do it, and besides, is it not fitting?
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
Why would a “booklet” succeed if the revised GIRM is being ignored?
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Perhaps the booklet will contain a discourse on ars celebrandi. I find the GIRM to be an odd mixture of novella and instruction booklet.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Rules say you have to do it, and besides, is it not fitting?
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Yep, the rules say to do it, but the article title comes across to me as unnecessarily condescending. Regardless, what’s done is done.

Back to the topic at hand.
 
jwinch2 said:
catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=16835

Interesting development.

We are currently trying to institute some positive changes along these lines in our parish. Our pastor, thankfully, is a good man who celebrates a reverent liturgy, believes in silence, beauty, and the sacrificial nature of the Mass while remaining an outgoing guy who puts together a meaty homily. In short, we are fortunate to have him.

Where we are running into roadblocks is with the laity on the pastoral advisory council and in the liturgy committee.

Things like this can be of help as they give the pastor some political cover in implementing the changes that he believes are right without alienating half the parish in the process.

So, bottom line, while it is a bit sad that a document such as this is necessary, I am nonetheless glad to see it.

Peace of Christ,
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Thank you for the link. I hope it helps. :highprayer::gopray2::signofcross:
 
jwinch2 said:
Agreed, though I cannot help but think that this is not just about priests. If the document can be written in clear language for a change, it may be an opportunity to teach the laity about the importance of certain things in the Mass as well as some of the priests who have gone a bit off of where the Vatican wishes them to be.
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👍

I for one would appreciate a document, as you mention, clearly written, to end any ambiguity, putting everyone on the ‘same page’.
 
mymamamary said:
I agree and hold out hope that this will shake some of Our Priests out of their complacency. I don’t intend to criticize, I love them all, whether they are hardcore liberal or conservative (Church wise). The Laity have the wrong nose in some affairs sometimes as well, Liturgically speaking.
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I agree that sometimes we laity get a bit more involved in liturgy planning, refereeing, and critiquing than we should!

I think this can only be a good thing. It probably should not be necessary, but in a group of a billion people, perhaps a little over-communication is necessary!
 
jwinch2 said:
catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=16835

Things like this can be of help as they give the pastor some political cover in implementing the changes that he believes are right without alienating half the parish in the process.

So, bottom line, while it is a bit sad that a document such as this is necessary, I am nonetheless glad to see it.
Click to expand...
I think it is sad that any pastor should have to worry about alienating parishioners when he encourages the idea that mass is not “entertainment”. Sometimes I think our priests worry too much about this in general including not saying things that need to be said in a homily.

Having said this, I am glad this is coming out, but it’s amazing that it even has to be done. Here’s hoping it actually works.
 
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