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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The Holy Father's view on true liturgical reform!

 
This is an excerpt of the Holy Father's message at the conclusion of the International Eucharistic Congress.

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The Congress also occurs at a time when the Church throughout the world is preparing to celebrate the Year of Faith to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council, an event which launched the most extensive renewal of the Roman Rite ever known. Based upon a deepening appreciation of the sources of the liturgy, the Council promoted the full and active participation of the faithful in the Eucharistic sacrifice. At our distance today from the Council Fathers’ expressed desires regarding liturgical renewal, and in the light of the universal Church’s experience in the intervening period, it is clear that a great deal has been achieved; but it is equally clear that there have been many misunderstandings and irregularities. The renewal of external forms, desired by the Council Fathers, was intended to make it easier to enter into the inner depth of the mystery. Its true purpose was to lead people to a personal encounter with the Lord, present in the Eucharist, and thus with the living God, so that through this contact with Christ’s love, the love of his brothers and sisters for one another might also grow. Yet not infrequently, the revision of liturgical forms has remained at an external level, and "active participation" has been confused with external activity. Hence much still remains to be done on the path of real liturgical renewal. In a changed world, increasingly fixated on material things, we must learn to recognize anew the mysterious presence of the Risen Lord, which alone can give breadth and depth to our life.

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I think these are the things the Holy Father was talking about.


6 comments:

  1. I really feel sick after seeing these pictures. You should have entered the priesthood TPC, then later in the bishopric and went to war against these people supporting these abominations. I hope and pray, more and more Catholics will barf, and literally throw up because of these abuses, only later to be priests, bishops, Cardinals, and eventually - pope. Adding that half-naked bishop's picture from Rorate will really turn your stomach, and twist your appetite. Thank God for Summorum Pontificum.

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    1. "You should have entered the priesthood TPC"

      Postmodernist........am I not in? ;)

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  2. Mama Mary, pray for our Holy Father, Benedict XVI. St. Pio of Pietrelcina, pray for us!

    The pictures just added up to my stress and depression levels as a teenager and as an undergrad! Hopefully the new translation will help restore the lost beauty of our liturgy. I noticed that since the gradual implementation of the 3rd edition, priests began to have meaningful homilies, less made-up prayers, more kneeling and genuflections. Many priests are excited to use the missal; they seem to be happy about it, especially the 60's generation priests, who say it was much more Catholic back then than it is now, and they want to bring back what was lost.

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  3. nice... "the revision of liturgical forms has remained at an external level, and "active participation" has been confused with external activity. Hence much still remains to be done on the path of real liturgical renewal" . . . i like this line... indeed, the Christian faithful needs in-depth catechesis....gud day FATHER!

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  4. Sir TPC, what is wrong with the first picture? Is it a Liturgical abuse for the EMHC (extraordinary ministers of holy communion) 1.) to give communion to the sick (give communion and say a short prayer only)or 2.) perform the last sacrament unto the sick person (i'm assuming that what the minister is doing is the last sacrament?)?

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    1. Bogey, EMHCs may administer Communion to the sick. But they cannot perform Anointing of the Sick. Even a deacon cannot do that. He obviously has the best of intentions for the sick man. But we always do not do things with only the best of intentions. He is performing an act, laying on of hands, as if he were a priest.

      I am really annoyed by this gesture of the laity. We can pray for the sick person without laying our hands on them. Laying on of hands is a liturgical act of the ordained.

      This is obviously one of the bad influences of the Charismatic Movement. Every Tom, Dick and Jane can just stretch out his hands over anything, and pray.

      Did Padre Pio, who is an ordained priest, extend or laid his hands, over those who ask for his prayers? He worked wonders, healed the sick, but did he do what the Charismatics did?

      Do the other saints, who are miracle workers during their lifetime, healed the sick by laying their hands on them?

      OK, they might be following the example of Christ in the Bible, but this act, has been reserved by the Church to the ordained and only the ordained.

      Just pray. No need to stretch out your hand or lay it on someone or something.

      God will hear your prayers.

      And to conclude this, the EMHC in the photo, most probably used the same hand to distribute Holy Communion to lay on the head of the sick. The particles!!!

      Now that is not an liturgical abuse anymore.

      It is sacrilege.

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