Re-Reading Sacrosanctum Concilium: Article 45

Vatican website translation:

45. For the same reason every diocese is to have a commission on the sacred liturgy under the direction of the bishop, for promoting the liturgical apostolate.
Sometimes it may be expedient that several dioceses should form between them one single commission which will be able to promote the liturgy by common consultation.

Latin text:

45. Eadem ratione, in singulis dioecesibus Commissio de sacra Liturgia habeatur, ad actionem liturgicam, moderante Episcopo, promovendam.
Opportunum aliquando evadere potest ut plures dioeceses unam Commissionem constituant, quae, collatis consiliis, rem liturgicam provehat.

Slavishly literal translation:

By the same reason, in individual dioceses a Commission concerning sacred Liturgy may be established, with the Bishop directing, for promoting liturgical action.

It could sometimes be opportune that multiple dioceses would constitute a single Commission, which, with recommendations having been gathered [from the dioceses], might carry forward the liturgical issue.

 

Following upon art. 44’s declaration that territorial bishop’s conferences should establish both a Liturgical Commission and an Institute of Pastoral Liturgy, art. 45 is an exercise in subsidiarity, recommending that a similar Liturgical Commission be established in each diocese or, if need be, in groups of dioceses smaller than the territorial grouping. No particular duties are entrusted to these Commissions except that of promoting the liturgical apostolate. We will see that art. 46 will make a further structural recommendation concerning the promotion of liturgical life in a diocese.

Pray Tell readers may wish to report on how well dioceses or groups of dioceses have fulfilled this directive of SC in the past fifty years. For example: Is there a functioning Diocesan Liturgy Commission? What is its relationship to the Bishop (Ordinary)? What is its membership? How are its members chosen and what constituencies do they represent? How often does it meet? What topics does it discuss? What is its decision-making competence? How does it relate to the Diocesan Office of Worship (or its equivalent) if such a structure exists? How does it promote liturgical life in the diocese? What successes has it achieved and what challenges has it faced?

In situations where neither Liturgy Commission nor Office of Worship exist in a given diocese, Pray Tell readers might wish to discuss how this directive of SC might be fulfilled.

Michael Joncas

Ordained in 1980 as a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN, Fr. (Jan) Michael Joncas holds degrees in English from the (then) College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, and in liturgical studies from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN and the Pontificio Istituto Liturgico of the Ateneo S. Anselmo in Rome. He has served as a parochial vicar, a campus minister, and a parochial administrator (pastor). He is the author of six books and more than two hundred fifty articles and reviews in journals such as Worship, Ecclesia Orans, and Questions Liturgiques. He has composed and arranged more than 300 pieces of liturgical music. He has recently retired as a faculty member in the Theology and Catholic Studies departments and as Artist in Residence and Research Fellow in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Please leave a reply.

Comments

8 responses to “Re-Reading Sacrosanctum Concilium: Article 45”

  1. Jack Feehily

    In my diocese the liturgical commission consists of a priest director who has been in place for about 20 years and his secretary. I remember well, though, during the time after the council into the late 70’s when we had a vigorous commission which fostered liturgical formation throughout the diocese. He is a progressive but makes no waves and maintains a small office which serves as a point of sale for ritual and other liturgical books.

    Reply
  2. Jack Regan

    We have a liturgy commission in our diocese and a paid part-time advisor for liturgy. Both are very useful…

    Reply
  3. Linda Reid

    The diocese of Providence has gone up and down. I have been on the liturgical commission since the 1980s. I was appointed by the then director, a priest. There were people educated in music, liturgy and education on the committee. A new director was appointed and really ramped up the office. We had regular meetings, discussions, presented workshops and published newsletters for all major seasons with reminders of what was expected to be done. Since then, the office has fallen to part time…..then full time again, headed by a very competent administrator (NOT a priest) with the music commission breaking of as an independent committee ( which has done very little in recent years)
    Most recently, the Office for Worship has been once again downgraded. The “director” is also the bishop’s secretary and master of ceremonies, so he has MUCH to occupy his time. The music commission has been disbanded and, very recently, been re-configured with a new set of goals that looks excellent on paper…..we’ll see just how much gets done!

    Reply
  4. Jordan Zarembo

    I’ve never been quite sure of the reason for a diocesan liturgical commission. I must confess that for a very long time I thought that the missal, the pontifical, and an ordo were sufficient to celebrate almost any Mass. In other words, a STBDTR fundamentalist.

    Now I’d like to open my mind and learn about the function of a liturgical commission rather than harbor prejudices. Are diocesan liturgical commissions the final arbiter of all liturgy in a particular diocese, or merely an advisory board? My diocese contains a diverse liturgical menu which includes the EF, ROTR, charismatic Masses, and the OF as it is often celebrated today. Even celebrations of the OF often vary quite a bit from parish to parish. If my diocese has a liturgical commission, it mustn’t bear much official weight.

    When I was in high school and in another diocese (in the 1990s), I once came across a sheet with “approved” music for requiems. None of the selections were traditional funeral chants such as in paradisum, but I will not belabor that point. May a liturgical commission impose restrictions on the liturgical music for liturgies, even to the point of censuring an entire musical tradition for funerals?

    A deep-seated conviction of mine insists that as long as the rubrics are followed for a liturgy, then there is no need for direction from a committee or any other higher level advisory board. In a still imperfect charity, what do I not understand about liturgical commissions?

    Reply
    1. Rita Ferrone Avatar
      Rita Ferrone

      @Jordan Zarembo – comment #4:
      Jordan,

      Taking your comment on an earlier thread about the full use of the potential available in the Ordinary Form may be a good way to illustrate what a liturgical commission might do.

      A commission consisting of people who know the background of the liturgical tradition, the intentions embodied in the text of the rites, and the current state of affairs in parishes of a given diocese, would be able to do a lot. For example: provide quality materials to pastors. Strategize with others to provide formation and training for musicians and liturgical ministers. Write columns for the diocesan newspaper. Host events which would include fine examples of the ars celebrandi. Oversee and upgrade the institutional supports for liturgical ministries. Co-sponsor a seminar on homiletics with the office of continuing education for clergy. And so on. They would not do everything themselves. The point is that they would be committed to seeing to it that someone does these things, or whatever else might be needed to take people, a step at a time, to reach a new awareness and level of engagement with the most important issues of liturgical renewal at the time. A liturgical commission, ideally, creates a climate in a diocese conducive to excellent celebration and reflection on the rites of the Church.

      Reply
      1. Jordan Zarembo

        @Rita Ferrone – comment #6:

        Thank you Rita. I now understand that a liturgical commission is not a central planning committee, but rather an organizer of liturgical enrichment. In this way the liturgies of the Church do not become wooden idols but rather living rites.

        I now understand why liturgical commission is frightening to those who find a false security in ossified liturgy (most certainly including myself).

  5. Rita Ferrone Avatar
    Rita Ferrone

    It has now been some years ago, but I’ve served on a total of four liturgical commissions, and found each of them to be unique in the scope of their activities and their role in the diocese.

    One model is that the diocesan liturgy director is the executive secretary of the liturgical commission. That model was followed in the New York Archdiocese, until the position was downsized out of existence. The commission used to meet monthly when I was on it, and there were at least 20 members, including pastors, seminary and university professors, religious educators, architects and more. Last I heard, the commission still exists, but meets only once a year.

    The other commissions I served on were of various sizes and configurations. Some reflected on the pastoral challenges to liturgy in the diocese and made practical suggestions to the bishop. Some proposed liturgical education and formation goals and priorities for the diocese, and helped to carry them out. Some assisted the diocesan liturgy staff person in strategic planning and evaluation, or worked toward implementing the results of diocesan synods. Large projects, such as review of the new translation of the Missal, or the implementation of the OCF or RCIA were discussed and given support by the commissions.

    In general, the commissions also were a place for those who had liturgical expertise through the study of liturgy to confer among colleagues. Discussions were lively, and one learned things from each other and tested the perceptions arising from one’s pastoral venue against those arising in other places. This produced benefits for the local Church as enthusiasms were tempered or insights deepened and encouraged.

    Reply
  6. Jack Feehily

    Jordan, maybe it would help for you to know the kinds of things involved in celebrating the OF well each weekend/season:
    Selection of musical settings for the ordinary
    (Including possibility of using some Greek or Latin)
    Assignment of cantor
    Assignment of servers, readers, greeters, mass coordinators,
    and communion ministers
    Deciding matters pertaining to church decor
    (a very big deal for Easter and Christmas)
    There are rehearsal and training considerations as well

    The above is sometimes regarded by traditionalists as creating the liturgy. What has been handed down to us is the core worship elements, but the requirements of active participation call for considerable preparation.

    Reply

Posted

in

,

by

Michael Joncas

Tags:

Discover more from Home

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading