In trying to sum up the legacy of Pope Francis for the liturgy, three things stood out for me. I’ve written about this for Commonweal magazine and wanted to share my analysis with the readers of the Pray Tell Blog.
Here’s a snippet.
Pope Francis did not come to the papacy with a liturgical agenda. Nevertheless, he became a gifted pastoral leader and custodian of the Church’s liturgy, making numerous decisions that would affect the course of liturgical renewal around the world. He was able to do this because he possessed three fundamental convictions about liturgy: first, that liturgy is the place of encounter with the living Christ, who truly speaks to everyone; second, that the liturgical reforms of Vatican II were not an interruption of tradition but its faithful continuation; third, that liturgical inculturation and popular piety should not be seen as a threat to the liturgy but rather as partners in its flourishing.
In the article, I offer examples and draw out connections between the decisions of Pope Francis and these three fundamental convictions, which “aided his discernment of critical questions and provided a basis for action that was both incremental and creative.”
I mourn the passing of Pope Francis. Yet I also hope and confidently expect that his successor will continue to hold fast to these principles, which have application well beyond the examples I was able to share.
You can read the whole thing here.
(For those who do not subscribe to Commonweal, three articles a month are available to be read online for free. Look also for my forthcoming article on Pope Leo, in the September issue!)