Liturgical Inculturation and the Matter of Tradition

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of how to remain faithful to the tradition of the Church, and at the same time live its newness today with respect to the last Council and to look to the bright future of Christ's Church. The long-standing difficult situation concerning the congregations celebrating the liturgy according to the 1962 Roman Missal, and some of them accusing the Church of often interpreting the prescriptions of the last Council in an arbitrary and in many cases erroneous way, has recently been reinforced by a document of Pope Francis. The Holy Father has issued motu proprio, Traditionis custodes, in which he restricts the possibility of celebrating such forms of liturgy, or places the decision in the hands of local bishops, who are to judge in their own diocese whether such liturgies do not undermine the unity of the Church. The resulting tension imposes even more than before the responsibility to ensure that our celebrations truly reflect the eternal Beauty, remain faithful to the prescriptions, and at the same time allow for creativity where and only where the liturgy itself provides for it. It is necessary to humbly acknowledge that many young people have turned to the traditional liturgy after having witnessed many examples of celebrations which, according to the new Missal, have impoverished the rite, distorted it, and thus did precisely what Pope Francis warns traditionalists against – rejected the Second Vatican Council. With the Holy Father's statement in which he points out ≫that the liturgical books promulgated by the saintly Pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul II, in conformity with the decrees of Vatican Council II, constitute the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite≪ (Letter), we therefore commit ourselves to the fact that every liturgy should ≫be celebrated with decorum and fidelity to the liturgical books promulgated after Vatican Council II, without the eccentricities that can easily degenerate into abuses≪ (Letter). It is precisely liturgical inculturation that is charged with the task of preserving fidelity and at the same time producing the fruits of a rite that is transforming culture, and it is therefore important to reflect on the current situation in the light of this, and to seek liturgical expressions that are capable of transcending the tensions.

Keywords

• traditional liturgy
• liturgical inculturation
• dialogue
• motu proprio traditionis custodes