The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released today a new statement on the transmission of the faith. Entitled Venite ad me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change, this rather long statement consists of eight very full chapters. The section on liturgy in articles 90 – 94 is vigorous and will be of particular interest to Pray Tell readers.
In continuity with the magisterium of Pope Francis and Pope Leo, the section on the liturgy is grounded in Vatican II. It uses illustrative quotations from Saint Augustine, Romano Guardini, and the writings of Pope Francis. Here are a few excerpts.
From article 90:
“If the heart of the Christian proclamation is the encounter with God’s saving love in Christ, the liturgy constitutes the privileged place in which this mystery is celebrated and communicated sacramentally. For this reason, it plays a central role in handing on the faith, serving as the beating heart of ecclesial life, where the community is nourished by the Word of God and the Bread of eternal life. In this regard, we must move beyond a reductive view that regards the liturgy as merely a ritual framework for ecclesial life. The liturgy, in fact, is first and foremost an experience of faith, even before it is a teaching, in that it allows the faithful to participate in gestures, words, silences, and symbols, thereby experiencing the mystery of Christ in a living way. As stated in Evangelii Gaudium, “the Church evangelizes and is herself evangelized through the beauty of the liturgy”[94]; precisely through its symbolic power and its ability to engage the whole person fully, the liturgy becomes an authentic place of proclamation and encounter with the Lord.”
Article 90 points to the formative role of liturgy, its ecclesial character, and the liturgy as “living memory”:
In the liturgical action, and particularly in the Eucharist, we are drawn ever more deeply into the Paschal Mystery, while the sacramental character of the Church—called to be a sign of God’s love for humanity—is made visible. In this sacramental event, the encounter with the Risen One becomes a shared and vital act that educates believers not only by “informing” them, but by shaping them from within so that they may become participants in the mystery being celebrated. For this reason, in the liturgy, faith is transmitted in a performative way: we do not merely speak of God but enter into a relationship with him. The liturgy is living memory and tradition, generating and shaping Christians capable of bearing witness to the salvation they have encountered: by participating in liturgical prayer, one enters, in fact, into a history, into a shared memory that spans the centuries. Therefore, to celebrate means first and foremost to receive a faith that has been believed, lived, and prayed by others before us.
Article 91 further unpacks the communal nature of liturgy, and affirms the value of inculturation. This is consistent with the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the Vatican II reforms, explicated most recently by both Pope Francis and Pope Leo:
“Furthermore, this dynamic highlights the eminently communal dimension of the liturgy. Faith, in fact, is not transmitted solely through individual proclamation or teaching, but within a people who celebrate together. In the liturgy, the believer is never isolated but is part of a “we” that precedes, accompanies, and transcends him or her. This communal dimension serves as a powerful antidote to the allure of a selfish and individualistic lifestyle, which, as we have already seen, is so widespread today in many contexts. Precisely because it is an ecclesial and communal experience, the celebration of the faith is closely linked to processes is closely linked to processes of inculturation…”
Article 92 draws attention to the crucial role of liturgical symbolism (signs, word, music) and offers a quotation from St. Augustine to illustrate the power of liturgy to enlighten the heart. It calls for mystagogy so that the liturgy will bear fruit for mission.
“Through the beauty of the signs and the power of the Word, the liturgical action thus becomes the generative source of the Church’s mission, enabling the community to give an account of the hope that dwells within it, through the credibility of a life transfigured by grace. For this reason, special care must be taken in the celebrations, and a mystagogical accompaniment of the younger generations is necessary, so that they may fully understand and live out what they celebrate in the liturgy.
Article 93 draws attention to popular piety and contemplation. It uses a quotation from Romano Guardini’s account of the Holy Week liturgies at Monreale, in Sicily, to make the point:
[from Guardini’s account] “Then it became clear to me what the foundation of true liturgical piety is: the ability to perceive the ‘sacred’ within the image and its dynamism. Monreale, Holy Saturday. […] Every now and then a ray of sunlight pierced through the vault, and then a golden smile spread through the space above. […] Yet the most beautiful thing was the people. The sacred ceremony lasted more than four hours, but there was a lively participation throughout. There are different ways of prayerful participation. One takes place through listening, speaking and gesture, and the other through seeing. The first way is a good one, and in Northern Europe it is the only way we know. But we have lost something that was still present in Monreale: the capacity for living-in-the-gaze, for dwelling in the act of seeing, for welcoming the sacred in the form and event, by contemplating them.”
Finally, in Article 94, the statement recommends that both the faithful and anyone newly drawn to the Church ought to be introduced sympathetically to a variety of liturgical expressions that exist within it (such as various musical traditions). Liturgical accompaniment of the life cycle through blessings is also praised and recommended.
“The Christian community grows and is built up through ritual practices, and in this regard, the Church’s rich spiritual heritage represents a precious and inexhaustible resource.”
You can read the whole thing here.
I would add as a postscript that there is no finger-wagging or talk about “liturgical abuses” here. The tone is positive, hopeful, and focuses on revealing and unpacking the genuine blessings of liturgy for the passing on of the faith. This is a welcome tone, one that builds up even as it notes challenges. The positive emphasis does not detract from the seriousness or depth of the questions it addresses. It is, in short, evangelizing! Thus I think it may serve as a useful reflection and point of reference for those who work in pastoral settings.
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