Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Enchantment With the Liturgy

Al Kimel says it quite well, gently but firmly repudiating the Bishops who are aghast at the possibility of imposing "another change" upon the Faithful (not that it bothered the same bunch the FIRST time, or the second time, or the third time they did so in the period from ~1969-1980.)

...But looking at American Catholic liturgy as it has developed over the past forty years, one simply has to wonder, What in the world were people thinking?! How could anyone think that colloquial liturgical language is to be preferred to a formal, hieratic language? How could anyone think that drastic reduction of ritual gestures would strengthen the mystery of the Mass? How could anyone think that the adoption of sentimental pop-music would not destroy the sense of holiness and awe that is proper to the Eucharist? How could anyone think that the radical mutilation of the rite would not undermine the conviction that the Church has received a holy tradition and is not free to make it all up as she goes along? How could anyone think that by turning the celebrant around to face the people the Mass would be magically transformed into an intimate experience of community? How could anyone think that buildings constructed in the functional architectural style of the twentieth century could ever be appropriate to house the Holy Mysteries? Hindsight, of course, is twenty-twenty; but the liturgical delusion that took hold of the Church in the 60s and 70s is truly breathtaking.

Actually, Mr. Kimel, I seriously doubt that the perpetrators of this series of deformations had any substantial "good intentions." And your rhetorical questions themselves indirectly lead one to that conclusion...

2 comments:

Neo-Con Tastic said...

Check this guy out:

http://lifewithoutprinciple.blogspot.com/

Nice cynicism and prospective.

Blogging from your neighboring suburb, Port Washington.

Rick Lugari said...

Did you by chance catch the USCCB meeting on EWTN's The World Over? I was going to do a write-up on it but lacked the time and the ability to recall all the relevant details.

Watching their discussion on the liturgy was appalling. There was little difference between watching the conniving and duplicitous antics of Dem party leaders on the floor of the senate or house and watching Bp. Trautman in front of the gathered bishops.

I know it happens and I can't stand the USCCB for that reason, but to actually see it happen is sickening. Kind of like the old watching sausage be made analogy.

On the bright side. A number of bishops stood up and called Trautman on his duplicity. I recall Chaput, Denver and Burskewitz, Lincoln (no surpirse there); Vigneron, Oakland; Aquila, Fargo; and Boyea, Detroit (aux). Bishop Mengeling, Lansing took the mic and asked some questions, but it was unclear to me where he was coming frm or going to. I get the sense that he was truly baffled by the misrepresentations and reasoning of the litugy committee and was trying to make sense of it, but I can't say for sure.

Vigneron took the mic twice to point out how Trautman and company were contradicting themselves by using their own report. He was sharp! Chaput was a treat because every word that comes from his mouth has meaning and is important. He's a very good bishop.

George (liturgy committe member) seemed to be trying to play both sides, IMO. I wish EWTN offered the video for download. It's a must see.

Happy Thanksgiving.