TONS of updates from National Meeting of Diocesan Liturgy Directors

 (Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Manila website)

The Liturgists have released a statement after their National Meeting.  Here it is available at RCAM.org.

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NATIONAL MEETING OF DIOCESAN DIRECTORS OF LITURGY
SILVER JUBILEE STATEMENT
September 13-16, 2010
Manila

Peace! [This is the traditional greeting of Benedictines.  Fr. Chupungco IS a Benedictine.  So you get the feeling that he has a hand in this.  A BIG HAND.]

We, the delegates to the 25th National Meeting of Diocesan Directors of Liturgy (NMDDL), raise our hearts and voices in thanksgiving to Jesus Christ, the Leitourgos of divine worship. For twenty-five years, NMDDL has been a consistent instrument of the continuing liturgical formation of diocesan directors of liturgy. It has created closer ties among the directors and has promoted better coordination between the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy and the diocesan commissions in the implementation of the liturgical reform of Vatican II. [Really!  Well, that worked well.  Because Sacrosanctum Concilium demanded that Latin and Gregorian chant remain.  But where is it?  Well, to too much inculturation, the Liturgy that should have been inculturated became adulterated!]
As we look back with gratitude at what NMDDL has accomplished, we look forward to what remains to be done so that the liturgy will become more vibrantly the source and summit of the Church’s life in the Philippines. [Hold on to your seats, brothers and sisters because this is going to be one hell of a ride!] Hence, we recommend attention in the future meetings to topics like the following:

1. The Use of the Vernacular. While we respect [Wow!  The killer understatement of the day!  Remember what Fr. Chupungco wrote which Cardinal Rosales signed limiting the impementation of Summorum Pontificum in the Archdiocese of Manila?  What a brazen and bold effort to openly defy the Pope!  The pope for crying out loud!] the option to use Latin and celebrate the Tridentine liturgy, [And you thought they are liturgists?  It is now called the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Mass and NOT Tridentine Mass.] we uphold the use of the vernacular in our parishes and communities and recommend translations that faithfully reflect both the spiritual doctrine of the texts and the linguistic patterns of our vernacular languages. [Is raising the white flag of surrender after the efforts of some US bishops to stop the implementation of the correct translation of the Missal?  And this paragraph here makes you think that the Philippines did not have vernacular in the Liturgy and almost everything was in Latin.  Well, the Philippines is just REDISCOVERING Latin in the Liturgy after too much inculturation was 'seeped into the cracks'.  Pun intended.]

2. Spirituality of Liturgy. Active participation is one of the many blessings Vatican II has bestowed on our parishes and communities. [Uh-huh.  Whose brand of active participation?] We wish to remind ourselves, however, that active participation should lead to deeper spiritual encounter with Christ and the Church. Hence our liturgical celebrations should foster the necessary environment of prayer and awe in the presence of the divine mysteries, excluding those expressions that trivialize the sacred celebration. [Do mine eyes fool me?!  Am I reading this right?! Do we see an end to sketch skits and liturgical dance?  I am hoping so much here.  Remains to be seen.]

3. Liturgical Inculturation. The interest in recent times to revive the Tridentine Liturgy should not draw the attention, especially of the Church leaders, from the unfinished agenda of liturgical inculturation. [It is the unfinished agenda of Fr. CHupungco and his students at Paul VI Institute in Bukidnon and San Beda College in Manila.  Hopeless, they are on life support.  And with active Catholic bloggers around, you can't fool us anymore!] We are of the persuasion that liturgical renewal, as envisioned by the Constitution on Liturgy of Vatican II, entails liturgical inculturation and that our rich cultural heritage has much to offer to make the Roman liturgy truly Filipino. [

4. Liturgical Studies. Sound tradition and legitimate progress are key phrases that express the program of liturgical reform. It is consequently necessary to study the history and theology of the liturgy, be familiar with culture, and be imbued with liturgical spirituality and pastoral zeal for the Church. We, therefore, recommend that those involved in liturgy, particularly the clergy, should be sent by their bishops or superiors to enroll in academic institutions that specialize in liturgical studies. [And now you get the impression that Fr. Chupungco is promoting his school, eh?]

5. Lay Ministers. [And you thought THEY are liturgists?  They are not lay ministers but EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION!  Read Redemptionis Sacramentum!  I guess they did not read that too, eh?]  Our parishes and communities are blessed with numerous and worthy lay liturgical ministers. However, some dioceses in the Philippines still reserve to male persons ministries like serving at the altar and leading Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest. We believe that we should encourage the ministry of women where it is allowed by universal law. [And what law?  Here we go with the equality issue.]

6. Liturgy Newsletter. Part of continuing liturgical formation of diocesan directors and their collaborators is liturgical information. We request the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy to publish and disseminate regularly through newsletter, in print or by electronic media, recent liturgical norms, guidelines, and other pertinent information on the liturgy. [Will we see Summorum Pontificum and Redemptionis Sacramentum discussed there?  I DOUBT IT.  All we see are advertisements and articles of You-Know-Who!]

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of NMDDL, we recall the visionary initiative of Archbishop Jesus Dosado [I have interesting tidbit here.  A friend overheard the archbishop say during the break of the meeting say that he "does not want to debate".  Debate?  During a meeting of liturgists?  Hmmm. Fascinating!] who, together with Fr. Camilo Marivoet, CICM, and Fr. James Meehan, SJ, established and promoted the annual meeting. We are in their debt. Likewise,  we remember with gratitude the dioceses that have generously hosted NMDDL and the speakers that shared their liturgical expertise with us. Lastly, we thank His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales of the Archdiocese of Manila for hosting NMDDL at this significant year of its existence.

That in all things God may be glorified! [The signature of Fr. Anscar.]


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Why have a meeting of liturgists when you can just send a copy of the statement via email and have them approve it when in fact the agenda of one liturgists who is slowly fading into the horizon dictates the entire gathering.

And did you know that the theme of the meeting of liturgists is "Veneration of Saints"?  Then why did we end up with this political statement?

Admit it Fr. Chupungco.  Your agenda is dead!


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By the way, before I continue my rants, I learned from a source that Fr. Genaro Diwa, the Liturgical Minister of Manila and protege of Fr. Anscar, has been appointed the Executive Secretary of the Philippine Episcopal Commission on Liturgy.  Right into his masters footsteps!  He said that a commission for liturgical musicians might be formed and a national hymnal might be on the way.

But there is a problem.  Will we have Tagalog Mass songs in the hymnal that Cebuanos, Ilocanos and Chavancanos will use?  Yes, there are Tagalog songs today but these people sing MOSTLY their own dialect's songs.  So the question is the same for the Tagalogs.  Will they sings Cebuano or Ilocano or Chavacano songs?

I thought we are inculturating?  Then why have a national hymnal?  Will there be traditional Latin hymns there?  It remains to be seen.

Fr. Diwa also said, according to my source, that the correctly translated Missal will be the priority of the Commission and will be submitted to the Plenary for approval and "may" be implemented on January 2012.

Huh?!

What did I miss?

The Philippines is an English speaking country.  In fact, it is the 3RD largest speaking English country in the world.  So what is there to wait for?  And FYI, Archbishop Romullo Valles of Zamboanga IS a member of ICEL.

What, then, is keeping the CBCP from implementing the correctly translated Roman Missal to be implemented in the Philippines?

I guess the English will also be the basis of the translation to the local dialects.  The Dominicans of UST are great at Latin.  Why not ask their help with the translation?

I guess we do not see much Dominicans at CBCP, eh, except for Archbishop Leandro Legaspi who IS a Dominican.  Maybe coming from a Pontifical University does not give you a seat there?

Be vigilant, fellow Pinoy Catholics!