The future of the liturgy?

[musicus]

From the PrayTell blog:

http://www.praytellblog.com/index.php/2012/05/17/msgr-andrew-wadsworth-on-the-future-of-the-liturgy/

I'm not sure I totally recognise Msgr Wadsworth's 'present', or look forward to his 'future'. What do you think?

[alan29]

Firstly I am not at all surprised that the head of ICEL should be speaking in that vein. I am sure that his private views have in no way influenced his work on the Missal.
But I am astonished that he should think that there is less of a sense of performance in the EF. I cannot begin to imagine where that thinking comes from. I have been to a couple of EF celebrations recently - I have to say that the words theatrical and performance don't begin to describe them.
I was interested in his observation that people now identify with their local parish rather than the wider church - maybe this is a result of the horrific scandals that those responsible for the wider church have visited on us. It makes it very difficult to identify with the structures that permitted it. Secondly I would have thought that the encouragement of the EF which he seems to want is more likely to lead to the sort of a la carte Catholicism which will lead to there being "high church" and "low church" parishes as people gravitate towards what suits them.

[JW]

I don't think Pope Paul VI would have been happy with such views, but does that matter when it is OK to pick and choose which Pope to agree with? Anyone for Pope Alexander II - plenary indulgences for crusaders?

Clericalism and adherence to outmoded ways of thinking has contributed to the mass exodus from the Church over the past years; it is becoming more and more of a holy clique rather than something for 'all'.

[organist]

Youa re so right JW!

[londonchurchman]

I don't agree with the general thrust of his discussion but I think there are two valuable points that he raises:

- the first on the transference of important feasts days like the Epiphany and the Ascension. I think we lose something of the liturgical richness by simply transferring them to the nearest Sunday and they lose their significance in the minds of some Catholics.

- Secondly, reception of the sacrament. This is not always done very reverentially. I particularly dislike the ridiculous rush you sometimes see when people all rise together in an effort to get to the front first. It reminds me of trying to board a budget airline and looks casual and unpleasant.

[John Ainslie]

- The first on the transference of important feasts days like the Epiphany and the Ascension. I think we lose something of the liturgical richness by simply transferring them to the nearest Sunday and they lose their significance in the minds of some Catholics.

I heard that at least some bishops now regretted the change introduced in this country a few years ago and would like to revert to the more traditional calendar for these feasts. My impression is that the majority of the Catholic faithful who have a view on the matter would agree with them.

- Secondly, reception of the sacrament. This is not always done very reverentially. I particularly dislike the ridiculous rush you sometimes see when people all rise together in an effort to get to the front first. It reminds me of trying to board a budget airline and looks casual and unpleasant.

I agree. It is not difficult to establish a parish tradition of having people rise and join a Communion procession bench by bench. In addition, making a bow before approaching the priest/minister distributing Communion should be a standard. It was in the text of the pastoral letter about Holy Communion delivered to the Westminster diocese about a year ago, but by someone's mistake an instruction to this effect got relegated to a footnote, so was never actually read out! As for reverence, I personally find that making a throne for my God in my left hand and receiving with my right is a great deal more reverent than sticking my tongue out at the priest, but I recognise and respect those who feel differently.

There is much in Mgr Wadsworth's lecture that I simply don't recognise. "The frequent tendency to gloss or paraphrase the liturgical text" - priests are extraordinarily faithful in reading a text that, thanks to the unintelligible translation, they don't understand. "The proliferation of Communion Services presided over by lay people" - proliferation? I have yet to find one, and they are banned in some dioceses. Music being "a primary generating force in an anti-liturgical culture" - anti-liturgical? Sorry, but if he is looking to create unity between different liturgical points-of-view, exaggeration will not help. "Non clamor sed amor..."

[VML]

I listened to the Ascension service on Radio 4 last night. Quite recently too, the word 'rogation' came up on Countdown. Found myself missing the proper times and seasons earlier this week. There is so much catechesis in the 40/ 50 day cycle to Ascension and Pentecost. If it remains that we have to have the 4 Big Sundays, then the whole thing needs to be explained to congregations.

[organist]

See letters in this week's Tablet including a good one from Kit Dollard.