Jesus Christ gave three requirements for membership in the one true Church. "The profession of the same Faith, the use of the same means of grace, and the subordination to the same authority." (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Dr. Ludwig Ott, p. 301)
Today, I'm concerned with the first requirement, profession of the same Faith, particularly as it is expressed in the manner in which Catholics worship in the Roman Rite.
Today, I'm concerned with the first requirement, profession of the same Faith, particularly as it is expressed in the manner in which Catholics worship in the Roman Rite.
From the time of the apostles, in accordance with Tradition and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rites of worship evolved which gave visible expression to the Catholic faith. "Rite makes concrete the liturgy's bond with that living subject which is the Church, who for her part is characterized by adherence to the form of faith that has developed in the apostolic tradition." (The Spirit of the Liturgy, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, p.166)
In other words, the manner in which the Church worships, the actions and orientation, should present a people united in a visible profession of the same faith. At the same time, there has always been an allowance for a degree to which certain details of the rite might address regionalism in regard to tradition and culture, all with the understanding that "diversity must not damage unity. It must express only fidelity to the common faith." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1206)
Prior to the Council of Trent, in the time of the protestant Reformation, the Mass had taken on regional characteristics to such an extent that, in many cases, local rites served to isolate rather than to make visible the connection of all people in all regions. The essential form of the liturgy, to a large degree, had been obscured. "The Reformation would surely have run a different course if Luther had been able to see the binding force of the great liturgical tradition ...." (Ratzinger p.167)
Partly in reaction to the Reformation, and partly in recognition of the doctrinal chaos that had resulted from, in many cases, unbridled local adaptations of the Roman Rite, the Council of Trent addressed the task of defining the Catholic Church not only through clear, precise teaching of doctrine, but also by means of codifying a universal rite, the offering of which would clearly profess the Eucharistic faith of the Catholic Church.
In the decades following the Second Vatican Council, we have experienced a similar progression of growth in regional variations being applied to the Roman Rite, such as those that were prevalent in the time before the Reformation and the calling of the Council of Trent. For example, music that contradicts Catholic teaching, the orientation of the Mass towards "community" and away from God, innovations of a nature that contradict the moral theology of certain dogmatic principles (such as the arbitrary use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion), are a few visible signs that work to obscure the expression of the same Eucharistic faith through Catholic worship. The risk inherent in the regionalization of the Roman Rite through the use of innovations and novelties is the same as existed in the time before the Council of Trent; that is, moral relativism rises as liturgical abuse increases. As a consequence of the spread of moral relativism, a growing number of laity and clergy exhibit improperly formed consciences by dismissing the authentic teachings of the Holy See in favor of their own personal set of priorities, as evidenced by the "Catholic" vote during the last U.S. presidential election. This relativism has changed the Catholic landscape from a people who are drawn together under one doctrine, to a people who reject Church teaching and still claim to be Catholic. Bl. Pope John Paul II referred to this as a "silent apostasy" and called for a "new evangelization" to re-educate this faction of the Church.
Just as water is a sensible sign of cleansing and purifying during baptism, the manner in which the Mass is celebrated must present what we actually believe about the Eucharist. The actions and words of the priest at Mass must be governed by the rubrics and words of the Roman Missal, thus reflecting what the Church believes in regard to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The music used during the Mass must be Catholic and reflect a sound Eucharist theology. We cannot hope to nourish the faith of the people if we continue singing songs like Sing a New Church or Amazing Grace! Finally, how the laity themselves behave reflects and affects their Eucharistic faith. For example, we bow our heads at the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, as well as the saint of the day. We genuflect when we pass in front of the Tabernacle. We make the sign of the cross. After Mass, we kneel and pray in thanksgiving for Our Lord coming to us in Holy Communion. We do not speak when we are in the church or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
All these things are done to satisfy the two-fold necessity of sensible actions in worship: That required by the union of body and soul in mankind, and that which is required for the visible expression of a people united in professing the same Eucharistic faith.
All these things are done to satisfy the two-fold necessity of sensible actions in worship: That required by the union of body and soul in mankind, and that which is required for the visible expression of a people united in professing the same Eucharistic faith.
