SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS

Last Tuesday, 13 March 2007 the Vatican issued the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritas (Sacrament of Charity). The document is about 60 pages long. I haven't fully read it. I have skimmed it & I am now in the process of reading it in its entirety. I have also read a lot of the posts made about what was & wasn't in it. The biggest complaint was to me a non-complaint, that the document didn't come down harder on those who are responsible for various liturgical abuses in the Latin (Roman) Rite. The general gist of these posts is that they expected the Pope to force them to stop doing what they are doing. What they seem to forget is, that isn't how the Catholic Church works. (Note: There were a lot of people who got it right also.)

In the document the Pope reminds liturgists, Bishops, Priests & laity of their responsibilities for properly celebrating the liturgy. He calls on the Bishops to fullfill their responsibilities to put an end to the abuses & properly impliment the rules for That is his area of responsibibilty. He calls the Bishops to task for where they have failed to do so, just as he calls the liturgists to task. The Pope's responsibility, as a priest friend of mine so aptly put it, is "to correct in charity". & in this document he does so. It is up to us as the laity to demand of our Bishops, Priests & Deacons to see that things are done right. & that includes correcting the abuses that are often foisted off in the name of Vatican II.

I like how Fr. John Zuhlsdorf puts it in his post on his 1st observations: "First and foremost, if you were expecting Pope Benedict to "hammer" someone or let his inner Vader out, you were as naive as you are unfamiliar with Pope Benedict." Fr. Z is absolutely right. This isn't Papa B's style. (I highly recommend this post of Fr. Z's. From what I have read/scanned of the exhortation, it appears to me that his post does an excellent job of summarizing the it.)

The Pope reminds us of what the liturgy should be. This includes a call for the reastoration of the use of Latin & chant. "I wish to endorse the proposal made by the Synod of Bishops, in harmony with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, that, with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, such liturgies could be celebrated in Latin. Similarly, the better-known prayers of the Church's tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung." (Par 62) (Fr. Z in a commentary points out that this paragraph is somewhat poorly tranaslated. the words "could be" are better translated as "it is reasonable, proper, right". Although it seems that the next sentence gets it right with the use of the word "should". Amazingly, it is only mistranslated in English. The other translations get it right.)

I can already hear the panic, screaming etc at this. "This is horrible. This is a step back. This goes against the "spirit" of Vatican II. My question is: "Why?" & the only answer I can come up for most opposition is that they realize that this is being done to stop their abuses that undermine the truths that the liturgy is ment to teach. They know what they are doing is ment to harm the faith & they want to do so. These are the people who are giving ammo to those that want to go back exclusively to the "Tridentine" Liturgy. Folks, I am old enough to remember many a bad Mass using that rite. It isn't the rite, it is how it is done. I have been to beatifully done Novus Ordo litugies as well as "Tridentine" Liturgies that were rushed through & anything but reverent.

As for the "spirit of Vatican II" excuse, to quote Frs Trigillio & Levis: "The Spirit of Vatican II is found in the letter of Vatican II." & Vatican II never called for the wholesale abandonment of Latin or the poor English translation of the Novus Ordo. liturgy. Nor did it call for the abandonment of chant. & Paragraph 62 rightly points that out.

Papa Benedetto doesn't let the laity off the hook. He points out the real way for the laity to fullfill the call to "actuosa participatio" (active participation). & the news is that it isn't these so-called songs that are really quite horrible & impossible for the laity to sing. It isn't by making the Mass, as many "liturgeists" (as I have heard those abusers called) claim, more entertaining. Rather, the responsibility lies not in what goes on on the altar etc, it lies in the pews on the backs of the laity.

Paragraph 55 puts it very clearly as to what "the personal conditions required for fruitful participation on the part of individuals." are. "One of these is certainly the spirit of constant conversion which must mark the lives of all the faithful. Active participation in the eucharistic liturgy can hardly be expected if one approaches it superficially, without an examination of his or her life. This inner disposition can be fostered, for example, by recollection and silence for at least a few moments before the beginning of the liturgy, by fasting and, when necessary, by sacramental confession. A heart reconciled to God makes genuine participation possible. The faithful need to be reminded that there can be no actuosa participatio in the sacred mysteries without an accompanying effort to participate actively in the life of the Church as a whole, including a missionary commitment to bring Christ's love into the life of society."

OUCH! That doesn't let a single one of us off the hook. I will admit that this also requires that the priests, music ministry etc, to ensure that the atmosphere in Church before Mass is proper for the type of recollection called for. But it also requires that the laity not walk into Church just as the priest is about to process to the altar either.

A part of this proper disposition includes proper disposition for receiving the Eucharist. "Clearly, full participation in the Eucharist takes place when the faithful approach the altar in person to receive communion. Yet true as this is, care must be taken lest they conclude that the mere fact of their being present in church during the liturgy gives them a right or even an obligation to approach the table of the Eucharist. Even in cases where it is not possible to receive sacramental communion, participation at Mass remains necessary, important, meaningful and fruitful. In such circumstances it is beneficial to cultivate a desire for full union with Christ through the practice of spiritual communion, praised by Pope John Paul II and recommended by saints who were masters of the spiritual life." & part of that includes not being in a state of mortal sin. No being in an illicit sexual relationship, no supporting abortion etc. Nor, even if in a state of grace, no taking it for granted. Something I find myself occasionally doing.

As I said, this is my initial reaction from the parts I have read. The Pope has offered us a rich document that is clearly thematically tied to his 1st encyclical Deus caritas est. In the days ahead I will read it all. I know that i won't absorb it all on the 1st reading. But I do know that I had better take those parts directed at me as a member of the laity seriously & put them into practice, with the help of the Holy Spirit, as best I can.