Wow, Must See

[MithLuin]

Well, that was the processional, before mass even started, and it seemed to me a joyful way to get everyone into place to begin, perhaps (not really sure what was going on, of course).

Pretty sure no one here is going to like this one, though:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MlRxn9fdZk[/media]

This may be more to everyone's taste:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIUz7U8hH2E[/media]

I think everyone should attend mass in a language they don't know at least once - it beautifully conveys the universality of the Church!

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1308705826' post='2257116']
Pretty sure no one here is going to like this one, though:

[/quote]
I, for one, believe there is too little booty dancing in the mass and think that this is a step in the right direction.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1308705826' post='2257116']

I think everyone should attend mass in a language they don't know at least once - it beautifully conveys the universality of the Church!
[/quote]
I agree wholeheartedly.
[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EFLrU7DpejM/THrNli_b-kI/AAAAAAAAABA/7Z9N6v81Bzo/s1600/BetterInLatin.jpg[/img]

[MithLuin]

Strangely enough, I've never seen that before either.....


Okay, okay, to make up for that one, here's another:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyG7wBf53pM[/media]

Opening procession in Cameroon. These people are [i]very[/i] new to Christianity. Somehow, it's not quite so bad from this angle.



Eastern Rite Catholic confirmation in Ethiopia, entrance processional:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Li7tBtbfQ[/media]
...with unexpected drums.



And...the dismissal in Russian: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmYUZE-AX40]here[/url]



Edit to add: Thought you might like that, [b]NO[/b]!

Edited June 22, 2011 by MithLuin

[BG45]

[quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1308705826' post='2257116']
I think everyone should attend mass in a language they don't know at least once - it beautifully conveys the universality of the Church!
[/quote]

I agree. I know the time I did, I was able to follow everything still and appreciate the sacred nature of what was going on. To use an awful analogy, the Mass is like soap operas, it transcends all language. Of course, unlike soap operas, it's Heaven on Earth.

[MithLuin]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1308705374' post='2257111']
I would love to hear Cardinal Arinze speak about this video (not being snarky, I'd really love to hear what he thinks about this, whether it's appropriate given the culture and setting, etc.).
[/quote]

WEll, some of these videos should make clear the distinction he makes between 'stylized movements' and a dance performance. Liturgical dancers, no. Swaying, yes - particularly if you're African. Not that it can't get out of hand, but a certain amount of this is expected and encouraged.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v43elwCUMnc[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s01JOkO5ac[/media]

The second video is meant as an example of a swaying, clapping congregation. No idea if what else is going on in this video is appropriate or acceptable. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a89b1qtLoKk&NR=1]THIS[/url] may be a better example.

Edited June 22, 2011 by MithLuin

[AudreyGrace]

[quote name='katholikkid' timestamp='1308698933' post='2257052']
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUeZJQq47pM[/media]







Any thoughts? Personally, I LOVE it.
[/quote]


[quote name='ryansouf504' timestamp='1308700421' post='2257070']
[size="3"]Considering the Eucharist as being celebrated among a diverse cultural of peoples, it is important to understand how each culture has learned to express Jesus Christ in its own way[/size][size="4"].[/size][size="3"]Throughout the history of the Catholic Church there has been a cultural and celebratory relationship between the Church and different human cultures[/size][size="4"].[/size][size="3"] Inculturation is the incarnation of the Gospel in autonomous cultures and at the same time the introduction of these cultures into the life of the Church[/size][size="4"].[/size]([size="3"]John Paul II, encyclical [i]Slavorum Apostoli,[/i] June 2,1985, No. 21) [/size][size="3"]The understanding of inculturation in the liturgy has been such that: [/size]

[b][size="3"]"the liturgy of the Church must not be foreign to any country, people or individual, and at the same time it should transcend the particularity of race and nation[/size][size="4"].[/size][size="3"] It must be capable of expressing itself in every human culture, all the while maintaining its identity through fidelity to the tradition which comes to it from the Lord[/size][size="4"].[/size][/b][b]"([/b][size="3"]Inculturation and the Roman Liturgy, [i]Varietates Legitimae[/i]. Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline on the Sacraments. March 29[sup]th[/sup], 2004. )[/size]

[size="3"]Throughout the history of the Church there has been several ways of understanding the role of growing cultures in the life of the Church[/size][size="4"].[/size] [size="3"] Nevertheless, the Church has known, still knows, and permits different forms of liturgical practice[/size][size="4"].[/size][size="3"] The Second Vatican Council reiterated this notion by stating, "Even in the liturgy the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters that do not affect the faith or the good of the whole community[/size][size="4"].[/size][size="3"]"[size="3"] (Sacrosanctum Concilum no. 37)[/size] Therefore, a liturgical norm that is not observed in the Western culture but is still practiced with reverence and in the spirit of the liturgy is welcomed with truth and understanding[/size][size="4"].[/size] I believe this video is an complete conformity to what our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI expressed in 2005 to the World Synods of Bishops. Even though Pope Benedict (and so do I, if that means anything) encourages wider knowledge and use of the mass prayers in Latin, Gregorian Chant, and uniformity within the forms of the liturgical texts, he also


[size="3"]encouraged people of different cultures to stay true to their [/size] [size="3"]cultural roots. Thanks for sharing this video!
[/size]
[/quote]

Both of these posts =

[Nihil Obstat]

There is both true and false inculturation.



[url="http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2009/08/cardinal-arinze-cautions-asian-bishops.html"]Cardinal Arinze cautions Asian bishops against false inculturation, liturgical dance[/url]August 17, 2009

Cardinal Francis Arinze, who served as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2002 to 2008, warned the bishops of Asia in an August 16 homily against liturgical “idiosyncracies” and false conceptions of inculturation. Cardinal Arinze also sounded a cautionary note against liturgical dance.

Preaching in Manila at the closing Mass of the plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, Cardinal Arinze-- Pope Benedict’s special envoy to the meeting-- encouraged Asian bishops to foster Eucharistic adoration and reverence:

Adoration manifests itself in such gestures in genuflection, deep bow, kneeling, prostration and silence in the presence of the Lord. Asian cultures have a deep sense of the sacred and transcendent. Reverence in Asia to civil authorities sometimes shows itself in clasped hands, kneeling, bows, prostration and walking away while facing a dignitary. It should not be too difficult to bring and elevate this cultural value to honour our Eucharistic Jesus. The fashion in some parts of the world of not installing kneelers in churches should not be copied by the Church in Asia.

After praising Asian cultures’ sense of the sacred, Cardinal Arinze warned against false conceptions of inculturation and urged observance of liturgical norms.

The way in which Holy Communion is distributed should be clearly indicated and monitored and individual idiosyncracies should not be allowed. In the Latin Rite, only concelebrating priests take Holy Communion. Everyone else is given, be the person cleric or lay. It is not right that the priest discard any of the vestments just because the climate is hot or humid. If necessary, the Bishop can arrange the use of lighter cloth. It is altogether unacceptable that the celebrant will opt for local dress in the place of universally approved Mass vestments, or use baskets, or wine glasses to distribute the Holy Eucharist. This is inculturation wrongly understood.

“It is the tradition of the Church that during the Mass the readings are taken only from Holy Scriptures,” Cardinal Arinze continued. “Not even the writings of the Saints or Founders of Religious Orders are admitted. It is clear that the books of other religions are excluded, no matter how inspiring a particular text may be.”

Cardinal Arinze exhorted the continent’s bishops to follow the Church’s norms for liturgical inculturation, so that “the local Church will be spared questionable or downright mistaken innovations and idiosyncracies of some enthusiastic cleric whose fertile imaginations invents something on Saturday night and whose uninformed zeal forces this innovation on the innocent congregation on Sunday morning.”

“Dance in particular needs to be critically examined because most dances draw attention to the performers and offer enjoyment,” he continued. “People come to Mass, not for recreation but, to adore God, to praise and thank him, to ask pardon for their sins, and to request other spiritual and temporal needs. The monasteries may be of help in how graceful body movements can become prayer.”



[url="http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2008/08/ranjith-we-have-to-muster-courage-to.html"]Die Tagespost: Asia is considered in Europe as the continent of contemplation, mysticism and spiritual depth. What can the Universal Church learn from the Church in Asia?[/url]

Msgr. Ranjith: The Universal Church can learn much from the Church in Asia. The prerequisite for this is inculturation correctly understood, that is the successful integration of certain parts of Asian culture into living Christianity. I am speaking here specifically of inculturation properly understood, because inculturation has partly been completely misunderstood in Asia, not least by those who talk about inculturation. We must therefore not deceive ourselves about what is really Asian. With regard to Western ideologies, schools of thought, the influence of secularism and horizontal perspectives, which do not truly liberate man, there can be no talk at all of Asian spirituality and Asian values. Only if we go back to the roots and talk authentically about Asian values and the Asian way of life, we can contribute to the Universal Church. Anything else would be but smoke and mirrors. In order to avoid a superficial view of inculturation we must distinguish between what is truly Asian and what belongs to the Asian religions. Many religious practices have developed from everyday life. To confuse the two would only be the breeding ground of a syncretistic theology and of a destruction of the Roman Catholic way of life. Therefore, we must first effect a kind of demythologisation and see what is behind the various religious attitudes. Only then can it be discerned what is truly Asian.

DT: Where do you see examples of unsuccessful Christian inculturation in Asia?

MR: It is, for instance, Asian through and through to respect religious symbols, for example priestly attire and religious garb. In no Buddhist temple will you find monks not in a monk's habit. The Hindusanyasis have their identity signs, which distinguish them from the others in the temple or on the road. This attitude is neither typically Buddhist nor typically Hindu, it is Asian. The Asians want to point with these symbols to the reality behind the outwardly visible reality. They consider, for example, priestly or religious garb as a distinction which makes the person concerned stand out from the mass because of his personal ideal. If priests and religious appear in Western civilian clothes and do not reveal their state, then this has nothing to do with inculturation, but with a pseudo-Asian look, which in fact is rather European. Therefore, it is very regrettable that priests and religious in many countries of Asia do not wear clothing corresponding to their state anymore. One of the congregations known worldwide, which has successfully designed a religious habit modelled after the local style of dress, is the Congregation of the Missionaris of Charity (the Sisters of Mother Teresa). They are an example of successful Christian inculturation, because every child on the street can immediately identify them.

DT: What standards apply to successful inculturation?

MR: The synodal text "Ecclesia in Asia" expressly states that Christ was Asian. The roots of Christianity and Jewish culture, which Jesus encountered in Jerusalem, were Asian. Of course, Christianity has spread in the West thorugh Greco-Roman thought. St. Paul and others were a kind of door opener in this. Unfortunately, the vicissitudes of history made impossible an early spread of Christianity in Asia. There was simply not enough "input" into the Asian way of thinking. In Asia, regarding Christianity, the image of a religion imported by the colonialists still predominates. But that is not true. Christianity came to Asia long before the colonial powers. In India, for example, we have the strong tradition of the St. Thomas Christians. Who wants to transfer Christianity to the Asian way of life must show humility before the mystery of God. Only a believing person can succeed. This is not a question of theological or philosophical competence. The simple, devout man in the street may often be at an advantage, because he approaches the mystery of God unprejudicedly
and is completely pervaded by the Christian message. The vox populi plays an important role for the inculturation. Only with deeply religious people who pray is successful inculturation possible. Theologians often forget that we can discover the true value of the message of Jesus only on our knees. We see this in the manner in which Paul evangelised. He was a man of God, who loved God and totally dedicated his life to Christ and lived in constant contact with Him. Only people like this can ve the standard for Christian inculturation. Otherwise, Christianity will not get beyond the book cover. And unfortunately one has to say that there is at present no serious theological thinking in Asia. We have a great potpourri of ideas: a bit of liberation theology from Latin America, a bit of Western theology, some of the philosophical currents of the Western universities - everything is being tried impetuously. Therefore, there is a kind of isolation, because of which one is no longer open to the mystery of the ways of God. Theology is only considered as a kind of human event. The openness to the light of God is missing. The sense of the deep mystical union with God is missing, as well as the ability to understand the faith of ordinary people. But it is precisely these characteristics a theologian needs.

DT: From Asia one also hears voices which say that the debate on the Tridentine liturgy is typically European and has nothing to do with the concerns of the people in mission areas. How do you see this?

MR: Well, these are individual opinions that cannot be generalized for the Catholic Church. That the whole of Asia should reject the Tridentine Mass is inconceivable. One must also beware of generalisations such as "the old Mass does not fit for Asia". It is precisely the extraordinary rite liturgy which reflects some Asian values in all their depth. Above all the aspect of Redemption and the vertical perspective of human life, the deeply personalised relationship between God and the priest and God and the community are more clearly expressed in the old liturgy than in the Novus ordo. The Novus ordo by contrast stresses more the horizontal perspective. That does not mean that the Novus ordo itself stands for a horizontal perspective, but rather its interpretation by different liturgical schools, which regard the Mass more as a community experience. If established ways of thinking are called into question, however, some react discomfitedly. Holy Mass is not only a memorial of the Last Supper, but also the Sacrifice of Christ and the Mystery of our Salvation. Without Good Friday, the Last Supper has no meaning. The Cross is the marvelous sign of God's love, and only in relation to the Cross is true community at all possible. Here is the real starting point for the evangelisation of Asia.




[url="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/10/beige-catholicism-inculturation/"]“beige Catholicism”… inculturation…[/url]
Posted on 16 October 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
On this blog and in print I have often made a distinction about inculturation.

Inculturation is inevitable and necessary and a nature dynamic of who we are as Catholic Christians. But inculturation must be properly understood and applied.

There is a two-way street between the influence of the world on the Church and the Church on the world. It is always going on and always will and always must. But where modern inculturation has gone dreadfully, tragically, destructively wrong, is that all too often what the world has to give to the Church has been given logical priority over what the Church has to give to the world.

The process of the exchange is chronologically simultaneously , but the Church must have logical priority.

The Church shaped cultures. Those cultures gave things to the Church, which reshaped them and gave them back, which resulted in more exchanges yet. Modern inculturation stiffed the healthy process in favor of one in which the world, especially the immanent was given priority.

I see that Fr. Ray Blake of St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton has linked to a piece about inculturation by Fr. Robert Barron on “beige Catholicism”.

On a side note, many of the offices of the Vatican were redone during the time of the reign of Paul VI. They were painted in what some called “Paul VI beige”.






That's all I have to say about that.

[ryansouf504]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1308716964' post='2257172']
There is both true and false inculturation.



[url="http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2009/08/cardinal-arinze-cautions-asian-bishops.html"]Cardinal Arinze cautions Asian bishops against false inculturation, liturgical dance[/url]August 17, 2009

Cardinal Francis Arinze, who served as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2002 to 2008, warned the bishops of Asia in an August 16 homily against liturgical "idiosyncracies" and false conceptions of inculturation. Cardinal Arinze also sounded a cautionary note against liturgical dance.

Preaching in Manila at the closing Mass of the plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, Cardinal Arinze-- Pope Benedict's special envoy to the meeting-- encouraged Asian bishops to foster Eucharistic adoration and reverence:

Adoration manifests itself in such gestures in genuflection, deep bow, kneeling, prostration and silence in the presence of the Lord. Asian cultures have a deep sense of the sacred and transcendent. Reverence in Asia to civil authorities sometimes shows itself in clasped hands, kneeling, bows, prostration and walking away while facing a dignitary. It should not be too difficult to bring and elevate this cultural value to honour our Eucharistic Jesus. The fashion in some parts of the world of not installing kneelers in churches should not be copied by the Church in Asia.

After praising Asian cultures' sense of the sacred, Cardinal Arinze warned against false conceptions of inculturation and urged observance of liturgical norms.

The way in which Holy Communion is distributed should be clearly indicated and monitored and individual idiosyncracies should not be allowed. In the Latin Rite, only concelebrating priests take Holy Communion. Everyone else is given, be the person cleric or lay. It is not right that the priest discard any of the vestments just because the climate is hot or humid. If necessary, the Bishop can arrange the use of lighter cloth. It is altogether unacceptable that the celebrant will opt for local dress in the place of universally approved Mass vestments, or use baskets, or wine glasses to distribute the Holy Eucharist. This is inculturation wrongly understood.

"It is the tradition of the Church that during the Mass the readings are taken only from Holy Scriptures," Cardinal Arinze continued. "Not even the writings of the Saints or Founders of Religious Orders are admitted. It is clear that the books of other religions are excluded, no matter how inspiring a particular text may be."

Cardinal Arinze exhorted the continent's bishops to follow the Church's norms for liturgical inculturation, so that "the local Church will be spared questionable or downright mistaken innovations and idiosyncracies of some enthusiastic cleric whose fertile imaginations invents something on Saturday night and whose uninformed zeal forces this innovation on the innocent congregation on Sunday morning."

"Dance in particular needs to be critically examined because most dances draw attention to the performers and offer enjoyment," he continued. "People come to Mass, not for recreation but, to adore God, to praise and thank him, to ask pardon for their sins, and to request other spiritual and temporal needs. The monasteries may be of help in how graceful body movements can become prayer."



[url="http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2008/08/ranjith-we-have-to-muster-courage-to.html"]Die Tagespost: Asia is considered in Europe as the continent of contemplation, mysticism and spiritual depth. What can the Universal Church learn from the Church in Asia?[/url]

Msgr. Ranjith: The Universal Church can learn much from the Church in Asia. The prerequisite for this is inculturation correctly understood, that is the successful integration of certain parts of Asian culture into living Christianity. I am speaking here specifically of inculturation properly understood, because inculturation has partly been completely misunderstood in Asia, not least by those who talk about inculturation. We must therefore not deceive ourselves about what is really Asian. With regard to Western ideologies, schools of thought, the influence of secularism and horizontal perspectives, which do not truly liberate man, there can be no talk at all of Asian spirituality and Asian values. Only if we go back to the roots and talk authentically about Asian values and the Asian way of life, we can contribute to the Universal Church. Anything else would be but smoke and mirrors. In order to avoid a superficial view of inculturation we must distinguish between what is truly Asian and what belongs to the Asian religions. Many religious practices have developed from everyday life. To confuse the two would only be the breeding ground of a syncretistic theology and of a destruction of the Roman Catholic way of life. Therefore, we must first effect a kind of demythologisation and see what is behind the various religious attitudes. Only then can it be discerned what is truly Asian.

DT: Where do you see examples of unsuccessful Christian inculturation in Asia?

MR: It is, for instance, Asian through and through to respect religious symbols, for example priestly attire and religious garb. In no Buddhist temple will you find monks not in a monk's habit. The Hindusanyasis have their identity signs, which distinguish them from the others in the temple or on the road. This attitude is neither typically Buddhist nor typically Hindu, it is Asian. The Asians want to point with these symbols to the reality behind the outwardly visible reality. They consider, for example, priestly or religious garb as a distinction which makes the person concerned stand out from the mass because of his personal ideal. If priests and religious appear in Western civilian clothes and do not reveal their state, then this has nothing to do with inculturation, but with a pseudo-Asian look, which in fact is rather European. Therefore, it is very regrettable that priests and religious in many countries of Asia do not wear clothing corresponding to their state anymore. One of the congregations known worldwide, which has successfully designed a religious habit modelled after the local style of dress, is the Congregation of the Missionaris of Charity (the Sisters of Mother Teresa). They are an example of successful Christian inculturation, because every child on the street can immediately identify them.

DT: What standards apply to successful inculturation?

MR: The synodal text "Ecclesia in Asia" expressly states that Christ was Asian. The roots of Christianity and Jewish culture, which Jesus encountered in Jerusalem, were Asian. Of course, Christianity has spread in the West thorugh Greco-Roman thought. St. Paul and others were a kind of door opener in this. Unfortunately, the vicissitudes of history made impossible an early spread of Christianity in Asia. There was simply not enough "input" into the Asian way of thinking. In Asia, regarding Christianity, the image of a religion imported by the colonialists still predominates. But that is not true. Christianity came to Asia long before the colonial powers. In India, for example, we have the strong tradition of the St. Thomas Christians. Who wants to transfer Christianity to the Asian way of life must show humility before the mystery of God. Only a believing person can succeed. This is not a question of theological or philosophical competence. The simple, devout man in the street may often be at an advantage, because he approaches the mystery of God unprejudicedly
and is completely pervaded by the Christian message. The vox populi plays an important role for the inculturation. Only with deeply religious people who pray is successful inculturation possible. Theologians often forget that we can discover the true value of the message of Jesus only on our knees. We see this in the manner in which Paul evangelised. He was a man of God, who loved God and totally dedicated his life to Christ and lived in constant contact with Him. Only people like this can ve the standard for Christian inculturation. Otherwise, Christianity will not get beyond the book cover. And unfortunately one has to say that there is at present no serious theological thinking in Asia. We have a great potpourri of ideas: a bit of liberation theology from Latin America, a bit of Western theology, some of the philosophical currents of the Western universities - everything is being tried impetuously. Therefore, there is a kind of isolation, because of which one is no longer open to the mystery of the ways of God. Theology is only considered as a kind of human event. The openness to the light of God is missing. The sense of the deep mystical union with God is missing, as well as the ability to understand the faith of ordinary people. But it is precisely these characteristics a theologian needs.

DT: From Asia one also hears voices which say that the debate on the Tridentine liturgy is typically European and has nothing to do with the concerns of the people in mission areas. How do you see this?

MR: Well, these are individual opinions that cannot be generalized for the Catholic Church. That the whole of Asia should reject the Tridentine Mass is inconceivable. One must also beware of generalisations such as "the old Mass does not fit for Asia". It is precisely the extraordinary rite liturgy which reflects some Asian values in all their depth. Above all the aspect of Redemption and the vertical perspective of human life, the deeply personalised relationship between God and the priest and God and the community are more clearly expressed in the old liturgy than in the Novus ordo. The Novus ordo by contrast stresses more the horizontal perspective. That does not mean that the Novus ordo itself stands for a horizontal perspective, but rather its interpretation by different liturgical schools, which regard the Mass more as a community experience. If established ways of thinking are called into question, however, some react discomfitedly. Holy Mass is not only a memorial of the Last Supper, but also the Sacrifice of Christ and the Mystery of our Salvation. Without Good Friday, the Last Supper has no meaning. The Cross is the marvelous sign of God's love, and only in relation to the Cross is true community at all possible. Here is the real starting point for the evangelisation of Asia.




[url="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/10/beige-catholicism-inculturation/"]"beige Catholicism"… inculturation…[/url]
Posted on 16 October 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
On this blog and in print I have often made a distinction about inculturation.

Inculturation is inevitable and necessary and a nature dynamic of who we are as Catholic Christians. But inculturation must be properly understood and applied.

There is a two-way street between the influence of the world on the Church and the Church on the world. It is always going on and always will and always must. But where modern inculturation has gone dreadfully, tragically, destructively wrong, is that all too often what the world has to give to the Church has been given logical priority over what the Church has to give to the world.

The process of the exchange is chronologically simultaneously , but the Church must have logical priority.

The Church shaped cultures. Those cultures gave things to the Church, which reshaped them and gave them back, which resulted in more exchanges yet. Modern inculturation stiffed the healthy process in favor of one in which the world, especially the immanent was given priority.

I see that Fr. Ray Blake of St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton has linked to a piece about inculturation by Fr. Robert Barron on "beige Catholicism".

On a side note, many of the offices of the Vatican were redone during the time of the reign of Paul VI. They were painted in what some called "Paul VI beige".






That's all I have to say about that.
[/quote]

I agree! Lets also look at another interview by Cardinal Arinze:

[b]During a recent interview, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, Cardinal Francis Arinze, offered an assessment of the recent Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist and of developments in liturgical practice 40 years after the Second Vatican Council.[/b]

Regarding music in the liturgy, he said, "we should start by saying that Gregorian music is the Church's precious heritage. It should stay. It should not be banished. If therefore in a particular diocese or country, no one hears Gregorian music anymore, then somebody has made a mistake somewhere."

However, he continued, "the Church is not saying that everything should be Gregorian music. There is room for music which respects that language, that culture, that people. There is room for that too, and the present books say that is a matter for the bishops' conference, because it generally goes beyond the boundaries of one diocese."

What should not be the case is "individuals just composing anything and singing it in church. This is not right at all - no matter how talented the individual is. That brings us to the question of the instruments to be used.

"The local church should be conscious that church worship is not really the same as what we sing in a bar, or what we sing in a convention for youth. Therefore it should influence the type of instrument used, the type of music used. I will not now pronounce and say never guitars; that would be rather severe. But much of guitar music may not be suitable at all for the Mass.

"The judgment would be left to the bishops of the area. It is wiser that way."

He continued: "People don't come to Mass in order to be entertained. They come to Mass to adore God, to thank him, to ask pardon for sins, and to ask for other things that they need.

"When they want entertainment, they know where to go, e.g., the parish hall or a theatre - presuming that their entertainment is acceptable from a moral theological point of view."

In the course of the interview, Cardinal Arinze also offered some thoughts on the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist.

He noted the many positive points of the synod: "[It aimed at] strengthening our faith in the holy Eucharist. [There was] no new doctrine, but freshness of expression of our Eucharistic faith, [and] encouragement in the celebration, in the sense of good attention - a celebration which shows faith.

"The synod underlined the importance of Eucharistic adoration outside Mass which has its fruits in the Mass itself because the Mass is the supreme act of adoration," he noted.

"The synod also stressed the importance of good preparation for the holy Eucharist ... Therefore, confession of sins, for those who are in mortal sin and in any case encouraging the Sacrament of Penance as a way of growing in fidelity to Christ. And also that not everybody is fit to receive holy Communion, so those who are not fit should not receive."

Referring to a negative tendency in the Western world, the Cardinal observed that an increasing number of Catholics have "a more Protestant concept of the Eucharist, seeing it mainly as a symbol ...

"It was recognised so much that many of the synod fathers recommended there be themes suggested for homilies on Sundays. Seeing that for many Catholics the Sunday homily is about the only religious instruction they get in a week, the synod fathers suggested that the four major areas of Catholic faith should be covered by the homily in a three-year cycle."

The four areas correspond to the parts of the [i]Catechism of the Catholic Church:[/i] "First part, what we believe. Second part, how we worship, i.e., sacraments. Third part, what we live, life in Christ, so the moral law, the Ten Commandments, the Christian life lived; and the fourth part, prayer.

"Although the homily should be on the Scripture readings and the other liturgical texts, some way has to be found to cover the whole area of Catholic faith in a period of three years because many Catholics are really ignorant of fundamental matters. That is a fact nobody can deny."

Vatican II, he said, had "brought many good things but everything has not been positive, and the synod recognised that there have been shadows."

These included "a bit of neglect of the holy Eucharist outside Mass, a lot of ignorance and of temptations to showmanship for the priest who celebrates facing the people."


[b]The priest[/b]
Regarding the priest, said Cardinal Arinze: "If he is not very disciplined he will soon become a performer. He may not realise it, but he will be projecting himself rather than projecting Christ. Indeed it is very demanding, the altar facing the people. Then even those who read the First and Second Reading can engage in little tactics that make them draw attention to themselves and distract the people.

"So there are problems. However, some of the problems were not caused by Vatican II, but they were caused by children of the Church after Vatican II. Some of them talking of Vatican II push their own agenda ... justifying it as the 'spirit of Vatican II'."

Cardinal Arinze concluded: "Therefore, the most important area is faith and fidelity to that faith, a faithful reading of the original texts, and their faithful translations, so that people celebrate knowing that the Liturgy is the public prayer of the Church."

The Liturgy, he stressed, "is not the property of one individual, therefore an individual does not tinker with it, but makes the effort to celebrate it as Holy Mother Church wants. When that happens, the people are happy, they feel nourished. Their faith grows, their faith is strengthened. They go home happy and willing to come back next Sunday."

[i]This report is adapted from an interview with Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments, conducted by 'Inside the Vatican' in November 2005.[/i]

Reprinted from [i]AD2000[/i] Vol 19 No 1 (February 2006), p. 3




This is basically my position!

[Papist]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Please someone explain why the liturgy needs to come to the culture, rather than the culture come to the liturgy. I always believed that the culture should move towards incorporating the Church into its culture, not the other way around. I believe all these unique, culture specific Masses severely compromises the Universality of the Church. This is my #1 reason for me liking the Extraordinary Form.[/size][/font]

Edited June 22, 2011 by Papist

[MIKolbe]

not sure.. maybe something along the lines of St. Paul becoming all things to all people?

But I see the point you are trying to make and do not disagree.

[Cam42]

[quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1308705826' post='2257116']

I think everyone should attend mass in a language they don't know at least once - it beautifully conveys the universality of the Church!
[/quote]

I've been to Mass in the following languages:

Latin
English
Spanish
French
German
Dutch
Italian
Sicilian
Hebrew
Coptic
Slovakian
Old Church Slavonic
Russian
Syriac
Syrian
Lebanese
Vietnamese
Tagalog
Polish


I can tell you, that in going to all of these Masses, I've spent more time getting lost and confused than I have actually worshiping....mainly because I assisted at these Masses before I understood the concept of proper worship. BUT...

Had all the Masses in all those different Countries been in Latin, well it would have been a whole lot easier to follow and it would have been a whole lot easier to enter into proper worship, without having to have a formal knowledge of what proper worship is. The tower of Babel wasn't a good thing, you know....the world was a better place before it. The fact is, Latin is universal. The vernacular is particular....Mass in the vernacular is not a universal principle, but a particular.

Edited June 22, 2011 by Cam42

[MithLuin]

That's amesome!

Hmmm, my list of languages for the mass includes:

English
Italian
German
Spanish
Latin
Polish

At least four of these languages were experienced predominantly within the US. I hope to add Amharic to the list soon .

I think you learn something about the mass by experiencing it in different languages. Obviously, having some knowledge of the language makes it less confusing, but even with no knowledge (I was a lot more lost in Latin than in Polish, to be honest, even though I didn't know [i]any[/i] Polish [at first]), certain truths come through from the priest's actions, etc. You pay attention to things you wouldn't notice otherwise, and perhaps gain a different perspective. Nuances of translation might strike you.

I think the vernacular is good for understanding, though, and if mass were never available in my own tongue, my experience of the mass would be diminished. I don't understand why travellers would expect something to be in their own language in a foreign land, though I do appreciate the universality of Latin to unite people.

I do not think all of our languages will go away when the 'stuff of earth' is redeemed fully. Rather, I feel that the nuances and individuality of the various languages will be preserved in heaven, but that all confusion will fall away so that we can understand one another perfectly. That...is a beautiful thing.

Edited June 22, 2011 by MithLuin

[faithcecelia]

[quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1308778020' post='2257397']
I think the vernacular is good for understanding, though, and if mass were never available in my own tongue, my experience of the mass would be diminished
[/quote]


I find this, I must say. I am lucky in that I can get to Mass most weekdays as well as Sundays. In the week I go to St Cecilia's Abbey (Benedictine) where they use Latin for all their worship. Its an NO Mass so I know what is going on and can follow it well enough now, but I do feel I miss something. Thats why I persevere with the parish on Sundays where there are always Masses in English, as well as sometimes in Latin too.

[Debra Little]

I can't get into it. For me it's noisy and disrepectful;