Benedict on the Liturgy

"I am not sufficiently acquainted with the Italian Ritual. In the classical Ritual, inherited from the ancient Church, Baptism begins with the question: 'What do you ask of the Church of God.' Today, at least in the German Ritual, the answer is simply: 'Baptism'. This does not make sufficiently explicit what is being sought. In the old Ritual the reply was: 'Faith'. That is, a relationship with God. To know God. And the rite continued: 'And why do you ask for faith?' 'Because we want eternal life.'"

So Pope Benedict to the priests of the Diocese of Albano on Thursday. Very interesting is his use of the term 'classical' with regard to the pre-Conciliar liturgy, as well as his explicit critique of an aspect of the post-Conciliar liturgy.

Some extracts from what he had to say about the 'ars celebrandi':

"Celebration is prayer and conversation with God: God with us and we with God. Therefore, the first requisite for a good celebration is that the priest really enter into this conversation. [...] He is in conversation with God because the texts of the Holy Mass are not theatrical texts, or anything like that, but are prayers, thanks to which, together with the congregation, I talk with God. [...]"

"The 'ars celebrandi' is not an invitation to engage in a kind of theatre, a show, but to an interiority which makes itself felt and becomes perceptible and evident to those who attend. Only if they see that this is not an exterior, theatrical 'ars' - we are not actors! - but rather the expression of our heart's journey, which draws in their hearts too, only then does the Liturgy become beautiful, a communion of all present with the Lord. [...]"

"It is difficult for the faithful to follow a text as long as that of our Eucharistic Prayer. Hence the constant appearance of these new 'inventions'. But ever new Eucharistic Prayers are not the answer to the problem. The problem is that this is a moment which invites the others as well to silence with God and to prayer with God. Therefore, only if the Eucharistic prayer is said well, with the proper moments of silence, if it is said with interiority, as well as with the art of speaking, only so can things get better."

1 posted on 09/01/2006 5:56:40 PM PDT by Petrosius

any relation to Petronius? just petcurious.

2 posted on 09/01/2006 6:01:00 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (*speechless*)

3 posted on 09/01/2006 6:06:16 PM PDT by vox_freedom (Matthew 5:37 But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no)

To: the invisib1e hand

No. It is derived from a Latinized form from where my grandfather came from.

4 posted on 09/01/2006 6:06:42 PM PDT by Petrosius

5 posted on 09/01/2006 6:08:08 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (*speechless*)

To: the invisib1e hand

Nothing so grand. A little Italian hilltop village called Castelpetroso.

6 posted on 09/01/2006 6:11:59 PM PDT by Petrosius

7 posted on 09/01/2006 6:26:08 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (*speechless*)

>>Nothing so grand. A little Italian hilltop village called Castelpetroso.

Small village, monumental church...
:-)

8 posted on 09/01/2006 6:28:37 PM PDT by vox_freedom (Matthew 5:37 But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no)

Click here for a history of the Sanctuary of the Sorrowful Mother.

9 posted on 09/01/2006 6:50:36 PM PDT by Petrosius

It is difficult for the faithful to follow a text as long as that of our Eucharistic Prayer.

It never seems that long to me. I guess anything more than sixty seconds and people do start getting antsy.

Therefore, only if the Eucharistic prayer is said well, with the proper moments of silence, if it is said with interiority, as well as with the art of speaking, only so can things get better."

Moments of silence are appreciated. Just a bit of a pause for reflection, please.

10 posted on 09/01/2006 6:54:14 PM PDT by siunevada (If we learn nothing from history, what's the point of having one? - Peggy Hill)

great link - thank you for that.

September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1693714/posts?page=5#5

11 posted on 09/01/2006 6:59:09 PM PDT by Nihil Obstat

It is difficult for the faithful to follow a text as long as that of our Eucharistic Prayer.

I think that the point of the Holy Father is a criticism of the modern idea that they laity are called to follow the text. Thus he continued his comments thus:

The problem is that this is a moment which invites the others as well to silence with God and to prayer with God.

In his book Spirit of the Liturgy he stated:

It really is not true that reciting the whole Eucharistic Prayer our loud and without interruptions is a prerequisite for the participation of everyone in this central act of the Mass....
Anyone who has experienced a church united in the silent praying of the Canon will know what a really filled silence is. It is at once a loud and penetrating cry to God and a Spirit-filled act of prayer. Here everyone does pray the Canon together, albeit in a bond with the special task of the priestly ministry.

Remember that in the classical Roman Rite the Canon is said silently. One of the main faults of the new rite is the looking at the liturgy as mainly didactic rather than cultic.

12 posted on 09/01/2006 7:09:18 PM PDT by Petrosius

>>...Click here for a history of the Sanctuary of the Sorrowful Mother.

Thank you Petrosius. It is a beautiful villiage and place for devotions.

13 posted on 09/01/2006 7:18:33 PM PDT by vox_freedom (Matthew 5:37 But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no)

Ah, just the tiniest, most modest little chapel...

What was the history there? Spain is full of minuscule nondescript towns that have magnificent churches - built with gold from the New World just before the Emperor started using it all to fund his wars. What happened in Italy to produce a church like this?

14 posted on 09/01/2006 8:00:39 PM PDT by livius

The sanctuary was built by the free offerings of the faithful to recognize the appearance in 1888 of Our Lady of Sorrows with the body of Our Lord.

15 posted on 09/01/2006 8:19:44 PM PDT by Petrosius

>>What happened in Italy to produce a church like this?

Read the link in #9 above.

16 posted on 09/01/2006 8:25:21 PM PDT by vox_freedom (Matthew 5:37 But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no)

Another fault is the lack of poetry in the translations. The modern as well as the old Puritans disdain beauty.

17 posted on 09/01/2006 9:38:47 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794