The final article by which Sacrosanctum Concilium formally considers the nature of the Liturgy and its importance in the life of the Church extends the discussion of article 12 to the relationship between the Liturgy and pious exercises / popular devotions.
Vatican Website Translation:
13. Popular devotions of the Christian people are to be highly commended, provided they accord with the laws and norms of the Church, above all when they are ordered by the Apostolic See.
Devotions proper to individual Churches also have a special dignity if they are undertaken by mandate of the bishops according to customs or books lawfully approved.
But these devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very nature far surpasses any of them.
Latin text:
13. Pia populi christiani exercitia, dummodo legibus et normis Ecclesiae conformia sint, valde commendantur, praesertim cum de mandato Apostolicae Sedis fiunt.
Speciali quoque dignitate gaudent sacra Ecclesiarum particularium exercitia, quae de mandato Episcoporum celebrantur, secundum consuetudines aut libros legitime approbatos.
Ita vero, ratione habita temporum liturgicorum, eadem exercitia ordinentur oportet, ut sacrae Liturgiae congruant, ab ea quodammodo deriventur, ad eam populum manuducant, utpote quae natura sua iisdem longe antecellat.
Slavishly literal translation:
13. Pious exercises of the Christian people, so long as they conform to the laws and norms of the Church, are strongly commended, especially when they are done by mandate of the Apostolic See.
The sacred exercises of particular Churches that are celebrated by mandate of Bishops according to legitimately approved customs or books also rejoice in special dignity.
In fact these exercises, held according to reason during the liturgical seasons, ought to be ordered so that they are congruent with the sacred Liturgy, are derived from it in some way, and lead the people to it, since it, by its own nature, surpasses them a long way.
In order to make clear what at least one peritus who advised the bishops on this topic fifty years ago believed about this topic, I’d like to quote rather extensively from Cyprian Vagaggini’s commentary:
“[T]he Liturgy is par excellence a sacred action whose efficacy no other action of the Church can equal by the same title and to the same degree, not even pious exercises. The end of Article 13 affirms this in a general way, saying that Liturgy, by its nature far surpasses pious exercises…. It is true indeed that every supernatural action even when done by an individual person privately, and all the more when although not liturgical it is carried out in common and at the command of the hierarchy, is by some title and to some degree an action of Christ in the Church. But there are different titles and degrees according to which Christ and his Church intend to engage their own will and authority in individual actions of this kind and make them their own and sponsor them before God.
The highest degree consists of actions which take place by the institution and in the person of Christ himself, and these have therefore efficacy from the action itself. The second degree consists of Liturgical actions which take place by institution of the Church, in its person and name, and by its command and therefore obtain their effect from the action of the Church. The third degree consists of non-liturgical prayers and pious exercises and among these we could further distinguish three degrees, the first two of which are insinuated in the present article of the Constitution.
a) Pious exercises which take place at the command of the Apostolic See, especially if they take place in church with a priest leading, e.g., the Leonine prayers after Mass.
b) The sacred exercises of particular churches which are celebrated by command of their bishops according to custom or duly approved books.
c) Other pious exercises permitted by the Church either communal or private by nature.”
Thus as I understand it an example of Vagaggini’s “highest degree” would be the celebration of the Eucharist, whose efficacy derives from the institution of Christ and his sacramental action occurring ex opere operato in the celebration. Vagaggini’s “second degree” would be exemplified by the Liturgy of the Hours, instituted by the Church in its person, name, and command. Vaggagini gives his own example of a) of the third degree, viz., the prayers that from 1884 to early 1965 were prescribed to be recited after a missa lecta (e.g., 3 Ave Marias, a Salve Regina, a versicle and response, a collect, a threefold invocation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Prayer to St. Michael). An example of b) of Vaggagini’s third degree might be the prayers for the Sovereign to be recited after Mass in England (I have experienced this in celebrations of the Extraordinary Form but I do not know if it is customary in celebrations of the Ordinary Form). An example of c) of Vaggagini’s third degree might be the praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy or recitation of the rosary (communal/private).
It might be of interest for Pray Tell readers to discuss whether or not Vagaggini’s categories are still applicable or helpful, what pious exercises / popular devotions are enriching the lives of the faithful in their area, and whether these pious exercises / popular devotions conform to the criteria article 13 presents (appropriate to the liturgical seasons as well as congruent, derived from and leading to the Liturgy).
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