Pope Leo XIV encourages Priests gathered in Oregon to ensure reverent liturgical worship

 

The Benedictine Abbey of Mount Angel in Oregon, United States 

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• liturgy
• prayer
• Sacraments
• United States

Pope: Sunday Mass must form Catholics through reverent worship

Pope Leo XIV encourages priests to respect the liturgical norms for the celebration of Mass, in a message to participants in a Vatican-organized meeting in the US state of Oregon.

By Devin Watkins

As Cardinals, Bishops, and lay people gathered in the US state of Oregon, Pope Leo XIV sent a message on Friday to emphasize the importance of properly celebrating the liturgical rites.

The event takes place on August 14-19 at the Benedictine Abbey of Mount Angel and was organized by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. 

In his message to Cardinal Authur Roche, the Dicastery’s Prefect, Pope Leo expressed his support for the initiative, aimed at discussing the “important topic of the liturgical formation of God’s people.”

The meeting came in response to Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi, which explored the beauty of the liturgy’s theological and spiritual depth. 

It brought together Catholics of diverse backgrounds to reflect together with the goal of “defining shared, concrete, and practical proposals,” according to a press release from the Dicastery. 

The choice of a monastic community signifies “the intention to engage in dialogue within a prayerful setting,” focusing on spiritual discernment more than on scholarly exploration, noted the press release.

Pope Leo XIV said Desiderio Desideravi called for ongoing formation of the clergy and lay people to revitalize the Church’s liturgical life.

Rather than forming only a specialized group of liturgical experts, liturgical formation should become an “inner disposition of all the People of God,” said Pope Leo, quoting the Apostolic Letter.

Pope Leo noted that the Sunday Eucharist offers the most frequent and practical opportunity for liturgical formation.

“These celebrations are anchored in the annual rhythm of the liturgical year, with the Paschal Mystery at its center,” he said. “For this reason, it is essential that they also be profoundly formative, promoting an ever deeper understanding of the ars celebrandi, expressed not only by the celebrant of the liturgy, but also by the entire assembly.”

Through the Sunday Mass, he added, Catholics will be formed “both for the liturgy and by the liturgy.”

Pope Leo recalled his recent catechesis series at the Wednesday General Audiences on the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium.

“In order to promote the dignified celebration of the sacred mysteries, we must emphasize the need for fidelity to the approved texts and instructions,” he said.

The Pope said his catechesis urged all those called to prepare the celebration of the divine mysteries, especially priests, to show respect for the rites promulgated by Pope St. Paul VI and Pope St. John Paul II.

“It is vital that this respect springs from an inner attitude of openness and trust in God, manifesting humility before His greatness and sincere fidelity to ecclesial communion,” he said.

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV entrusted the liturgical meeting in Oregon to Mary, Seat of Wisdom, and prayed for their spiritual discernment on the Church’s sacred liturgy.pope Leo 

Pope Francis: liturgical celebration must evangelize to be authentic

 

Pope Francis with participants in the course for liturgists  (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto)

POPE

• POPE FRANCIS
• LITURGY
• SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY
• AUDIENCES

Pope: ‘A liturgical celebration that does not evangelise is not authentic’

Speaking to participants in a course for Diocesan liturgy officials, Pope Francis encourages liturgists to fight against “sloppy, neglected, poorly prepared” Masses, and warns against putting ritual ahead of the encounter with Christ.

By Joseph Tulloch

Pope Francis on Friday addressed participants in a course for Diocesan liturgical officials, organized by the Pontifical Institute of Sant’Anselmo.

In his address, the Pope stressed that liturgy is fundamentally about encounter with Christ, and encouraged reverent celebrations.

Christ, not ritual, at the centre of the liturgy

A key theme of Pope Francis’ address was that the “fruitful participation of God's people” ought to be prioritised, in order “to lead the people to Christ, and Christ to the people.”

Sometimes, he warned, there is a danger of putting ritual first, of “putting the rite before what it expresses”.

This approach, he said, leads to “beautiful rituals, but without strength, without flavour, without meaning, because they do not touch the heart and existence of God's people. It is Christ who makes the heart vibrate; it is the encounter with Him that draws the spirit.”

Quoting his recent apostolic letter Desideravo Desideravi, the Pope added: “A celebration that does not evangelise is not authentic.”

Restoring a sense of reverence

The Pope also stressed the importance of reverence in the Mass.

He suggested that, when they visit parishes, liturgists should “organise a liturgy that can be imitated, with adaptations that the community can take in to grow in liturgical life.”

In fact, he added, “to go to parishes and say nothing when faced with liturgies that are somewhat sloppy, neglected, poorly prepared, means not helping communities, not accompanying them.”

Part of this, the Pope underlined, is “care for silence”. Too often, he said, churches are noisy before and after the liturgy, but “it’s silence that prepares you for the mystery, that allows assimilation, lets the echo of the Word resonate.”

“Fraternity is beautiful,” he continued, “but it is the encounter with Jesus that gives meaning to our meeting, to our coming together. We must rediscover and value silence!”

Role of the master of celebrations

During his address, the Pope also reflected on the role of the master of liturgical celebrations, or “master of ceremonies”. This office, he said, is a diakonia, or service: the master of celebrations “collaborates with the bishops in the service of the community.”

Problems arise, he said, when the master of celebrations is at the centre of the liturgy.

While he should co-ordinate everything behind the scenes, the Pope said, “The presider is the one that presides, not the master of ceremonies. In fact, the more hidden the master of ceremonies is, the better. The less you see of him, the better.”

Pope Francis also discussed the teaching responsibilities of the master of celebrations, which include the liturgical formation of priests.

This role, he said, is of extreme importance. Quoting Sacrosanctum Concillium, the Second Vatican Council’s document on the liturgy, he argued that it is necessary “to give first place to the liturgical formation of the clergy”, in order that they might then go on to form the laity in liturgical matters.