Sunday, September 10, 2017

Francis: The Liturgy,The Vatican and Bishops Conferences UPDATED


Francis Returns Authority Over Liturgical Translations To Local Bishops contains an English translation of the APOSTOLIC LETTER ISSUED MOTU PROPRIO OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF FRANCIS MAGNUM PRINCIPIUM.

NYTIMES :

“It’s hugely important,” said Rita Ferrone, a specialist in Catholic liturgy who writes for Commonweal, a liberal Catholic magazine. She said that by loosening Rome’s grip on the language of prayers, Francis had restored the intention of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and erased some of the rollbacks of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. “It was especially astute that he put it into canon law because it makes it official.”
I think this is more about the relationship between the Vatican and Bishops Conferences than about the "liturgy wars."

UPDATE!!!    Fr. Thomas Reese's Software Model and Specific Proposals.
What do think of his model and some his specific proposals, e.g. new prefaces specific to each Sunday, and more Eucharist Prayers that include many responses from the people.

Is Changing Practice More Important Than Changing Theory?



Francis from his experience as a Latin American bishop values the role of bishops conferences, and as an archbishop found much to dislike about Rome's interference in matters that are best settled at the local level. He not only spent as little time as possible in Rome, he did not like sending priests to study in Rome.

This change may become the model for a deep reform of the Roman Curia, limiting its powers far more than possible through restructuring or appointments, or even new theoretical documents, e.g. a new theory of liturgical translations.

Basically the Muto Proprio limits the Vatican role to "confirming" translations of Latin texts. The bishops are to decide which English words make the best translation; the Vatican is simply to confirm not second guess the process by doing their own translation.

However Francis retains a stronger role for the Vatican in "recognizing" next liturgical texts which do not have a Latin original. This reaffirms both the ability of Bishops conference to write new prayers, but allows the Vatican some authority to maintain the coherence and integrity of the Roman Rite. Some of the new Eucharist Prayers that we rarely use were actually first written in Dutch if I remember correctly.

Francis has given the Congregations much less work to do, perhaps in anticipation of their lesser roles in the future. The CDF as a doctrinal watchdog has been notably silent. The opinions of Muller at CDF and Sarah at Worship have been their own; no one mistakes them as speaking for Francis.

Will Francis limit the powers of the Congregation of Bishops to confirming choice of bishops made mostly by the bishop's conferences?

We he allow bishops conferences to decide whether or not they have married priests? women deacons?

Francis has great devotion to Pius X, who while extremely conservative in his views about the world was also extremely progressive in lowering the age of First Communion and promoting frequent Communion. One could argue that Pius X changed the Liturgy even more the Vatican II.  Putting the liturgy into English might have mattered little if we only went to Communion at Christmas and Easter, and waited until late adolescent to begin Communion.

Perhaps Pius X taught Francis that changing practice is more important than changing theory.

29 comments:

  1. "Perhaps Pius X taught Francis that changing practice is more important than changing theory." Interesting thought. I think a good case can be made for that. One example of a change in practice happening before a change in theory is the ordination of married men. Because it is already happening with the Anglican clergy and some Lutheran ones who have converted to Catholicism and been ordained priests. I feel that it's only a matter of time before it becomes common. It seems logical that permanent deacons might be given the go-ahead in some cases to proceed to priestly ordination. The question of women deacons is more complicated and more fraught because diaconal ordination is considered a part of Holy Orders.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Francis may think that women deacons is more a practical question than a theoretical one.

      He commissioned the historical study of women deacons due to the practical questions posed by women religious, namely that they could do their work better if they could be ordained deacons and preach.

      These questions were posed to Francis by the equivalent of a synod of women religious. Given how much he values synods, I doubt he is going to say no.

      He could simply say at the end of the study that we had women deacons historically, whose to say if they are part of the sacrament of orders the same as men. There is still an ordination rite for women deacons in the Byzantine tradition; let's use that. We can have them today. Its up to national bishops conferences to decide whether or not to have them.

      Then he could say to women religious of pontifical right (most of them) that they can revise their constitutions to provide for women deacons in their ministry, and Rome will approve them.

      Bishops don't refuse to ordain male religious when their orders request them for ministry within their order, so they would find it difficult to say no to women religious.

      Got to think practically like Francis. Women religious would be the idea test cases for re-institution of women deacons.

      Delete
  2. Does this mean we can go back to "cup" instead of "chalice" and ditch "consubstantial" if the bishops say so?

    The letter makes perfect sense to me: offer the liturgy in vernacular English for the good of the faithful with oversight from Rome to maintain doctrinal correctness.

    If Vatican theologians are going to continue to torture liturgical language, let's just go back to Latin.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still say "one in being with the Father," under my breathe...

      Delete
    2. And I say "And for us and our salvation," leaving "men" to look out for itself. But do-it-yourself correction of the howlers from people translating from Latin into their third or fourth language can't be a real solution. Especially when they produced so many howlers.

      Delete
    3. Tom, Can this mean you survived "Irma" without losing your internet connection?

      Delete
    4. MOS, Power went out at 10:30 Saturday night and returned about 5 a.m. Wednesday. We are among the first 60% to get it back; usually we are in the last 5%. Go figure.

      Delete
    5. Tom, the last 5% shall be the first 60%. It's almost biblical. Glad you're back. My cousin's house in Plantation has everything working. Her daughter's house near Orlando, where she originally fled, took some damage but is on the grid.

      Delete
  3. I was at Mass yesterday (a rare occasion, believe me!) and the pastor gleefully announced from the ambo that the parish would ditch the 2011 nonsense immediately (my word ... nonsense ... not his) and the next Sunday would see the former liturgical prayers in action. Wait until his Jesuit bishop finds out about that!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I. Don't. Care. whether they say cup or chalice. Or consubstantial or "one in being". But if anyone makes me shift back and forth between "and also with you" or "and with your spirit again, or learn yet another incarnation of the Nicene Creed, I'm going to cheerfully strangle them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, we've all got our boiling point. I pity Firsr Communion teachers trying to explain "consubstantial" to a bunch of second-graders.

      I still think the Catholics could learn a lot about graceful English liturgy from the Episcopalians. Though I realize that plus into the joke our old Episcopal priest used to tell: Protestants worship the Bible, Catholics worship the BVM, and Episcopalians worship their own good taste.

      Delete
    2. Jean, I do have to admire Episcopalian good taste. I have a copy of the Book of Common Prayer that I like to read the Psalms from. When we got married I wanted to incorporate elements of the marriage rite from the Book of Common Prayer. But in 1972 it didn't fly. Probably wouldn't fly now, either. Seriously, the Catholic marriage rite is clunky and awkward. But I guess the glue stuck.

      Delete
    3. The BCP was revised in 1979. The Psalter incorporated Anglo-Saxon poetics--half lines, alliteration--and often iambic pentameter, which seems to be a "natural" rhythm of English speakers.

      Needless to say, people hated it at first, and the older versions are still in the book for those who prefer the old rite language.

      The order of the Eucharistic service was changed to be more Roman, though the confession is in a different place, and the latest Catholic language changes make the Episcopal service seem less Roman.

      I haven't been to a Catholic wedding for decades. They always seemed interminable. And they always took place in the morning, so you had to go home and eat lunch, and get your sneakers to come back for the polka dancing at the evening reception.

      Delete
    4. My BCP is pre-1979. Picked it up on a book store clearance shelf for 50 cents years ago. Nowadays most weddings are in the afternoon. Ours was in the morning, don't know what the relatives did for the rest of the day. We headed out for the Snowy Range. Helpful hint: don't drive 500 miles when you've been running on nerves for several days.
      Maybe now the fashion is swinging back to morning weddings a bit. My niece is planning one with a brunch reception. That ought to be kind of cool.

      Delete
    5. An interesting comparison of the 1928 and 1979 versions of the BCP: http://incarnation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/BCP-content-parallels-and-comparisons-1662-1928-1979.pdf

      Delete
  5. Besides the Old 1973 Missal and the new 2011 Missal there is the 1998 Missal which kept some continuity with the 1973 but gave some parts greater poetic quality. You can see some comparisons
    here

    The 1998 Missal was approved by the American and other English speaking bishops but never given a "recognito" by the Vatican. I guess people could rationalize that they now can use it since the Bishop Conference approvals are the most important part.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I still need to use the prayer card in the pew to get the new prayers right. Switching back may be better, but it will leave me totally confused; I'll need a prayer card the rest of my life. I still don't get that little prayer before communion right "Lord I am not worthy to receive you.. " And the Creed, forget about it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The changes made no sense to me, nor did they improve or better reflect my understanding of God. They all just seem like some theologian's vanity project.

    Half the people after communion are standing and half of them are kneeling. Most people still make the sign of the cross after they receive despite Father's nagging about it.

    I'm pretty much a spectator at this point. I try to pay attention to the readings and the homily and participate in the Prayers of the Faithful. That's about it.

    Will be interesting to see what happens with the music. Our ancient organist is moving to Florida (a move I have encouraged him to re-think), so the dirge-tempo at which all hymns were played may change for the better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jean, what did they say is the reason for not making the sign of the cross after Communion? I hadn't heard that you weren't supposed to now. Not that it would be likely to make any difference to me. Everybody does it here, and also most places I've been.

      Delete
    2. I have no idea. This guy says it's your choice: https://rcspirituality.org/ask-priest-sign-cross-communion/

      But Father doesn't like it. He got the Church Ladies to make an announcement before Mass and everything. Maybe it's just Father's pet thing. He's very old and sick, and gets irritable.

      Our supply priest, equally ancient, put a ban on singing "Amazing Grace." I heard him tell the organist before Mass to play something else. Then he gave a whole "homily" about it. I guess his objection is that we aren't "wretches," and that calling ourselves wretches cheapens God's creation.

      I dunno. Some of these guys have weird hobby horses.

      In the Episcopal Church, we had a rail, so most people whose knees would take it knelt. The Body came along the rail first, then the Blood. You made the sign of the cross after taking each kind. OR if you were into intinction (aka Dunkin' Dominus), which seems to be the norm now, you waited until after the intinction.

      Delete
  9. I have no problem with humility and self abnegation before God. But the present construction chest beating and all, seems to me to be aimed at reminding the peasants they're peasants, in dire need of overseers. And doesn't the introduction of esoteric terms like "consubstantial" serve to remind the peasants that they're stupid because they don't understand the term but, fortunately, there's an elite that understands it for them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yah, seems that way to me. Conservatives love to say "the Church is not a democracy" (I suspect because they dislike the whole idea of a democracy). But the Church was establish to serve God's plan to save us. Some of these rules don't strike me as a good way to advance that plan.

      Delete
    2. Stanley, yeah, I think most of us don't have a problem with "God is God, and we're not." What we're talking about is clericalism. Even deacons, who actually are clerics, have to put up with some of it with the latest GIRM. An example; formerly deacons could purify the vessels at the altar after Communion. Now they have to do it at the credence table off in the corner. Because we wouldn't want to get them confused with priests. The credence table is about the right height for grade school altar servers; not so much for a 70 year old man with back trouble. My husband is way more gracious about putting up with it than I would be; it just seems so petty. I'm not actually sure if this is just our archdiocese, or if it is across the board. They can still take the vessels back in the sacristy and do it after Mass. Formerly the EMHCs also could, but now they aren't supposed to. I don't know, maybe with the latest directives from Pope Francis some of the clericalism will go away. Even some priests are uncomfortable with it.

      Delete
    3. For a little humor, when the latest directives for saying the Confiteor came out, my oldest son asked, "So Mom, what is the deal with 'Through my fault, through my fault, through my son-of-a-b#itchin' fault!"? Now I can't unhear those words. Our parish rarely says the Confiteor except during Lent, but I always think of that when we say it.

      Delete
    4. What altar servers? We have one aged guy who fills in when he's not in Florida. Now that we have a deacon, he doubles as altar boy when Mr. Snowbird is gone. The ladies who run CCD are also in charge of the altar servers, and I knew they must have been incredibly hard up for kids when they asked The Boy if he wanted to do it. They used to pay altar servers, which would explain why one of the local miscreants I grew up with actually volunteered. But I heard they don't do that anymore.

      Delete
  10. For those of you who do not want any more liturgical changes John Allen has reassuring words:
    Why the Pope's earthquake on Liturgy may not mean much for Americans

    For those of you who want things changed, my reassurance is that John Allen wrote a whole book in which he made the case that Ratzinger would never be Pope.

    ReplyDelete