On Wednesday, almost a year after issuing the motu proprio Traditionis custodes prohibiting the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, Pope Francis published a letter on the liturgy.
The pope urged “the whole Church to rediscover, defend, and live the truth and force of the Christian celebration” in the 15-page apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi.
In the document, which was released on June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, he stated, “I want the beauty of the Christian celebration and its necessary consequences for the life of the Church not to be spoiled by a superficial and foreshortened understanding of its value or, worse yet, by its being exploited in service of some ideological vision, no matter what the hue.
The letter’s title is “Desiderio desideravi hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum, antequam patiar,” which is taken from the Latin translation of Luke 22:15.
“I have earnestly longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,” the verse reads in English.
Pope Francis stated that he wanted to approach all Catholics with some ideas on liturgical formation, the theological significance of the Mass, and acceptance of the Second Vatican Council’s liturgical teachings after drafting a letter to bishops to accompany Traditionis custodes.
Francis added, “We owe the recovery of a theological knowledge of the Liturgy and of its relevance in the life of the Church to the Council—and to the liturgical movement that preceded it.
“Let’s put aside our disagreements and collectively listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Let’s keep our unity safe. Continue to be astounded by the Liturgy’s beauty, he pleaded.
He claimed that the fundamental ideas outlined in Sacrosanctum Concilium, Vatican II’s constitution on the holy liturgy, were essential to its reform and are still essential to its “full, conscious, active, and fruitful celebration.”
“The refusal to accept the liturgical reform as well as a shallow comprehension of it diverts us from the duty of coming up with answers to the issue, which I keep coming back to: how can we improve our ability to fully participate in the liturgical action?
How can we keep allowing ourselves to be astounded by what takes place in the celebration right before our eyes? he asked.
It would be simplistic to view the tensions, which are regrettably present around the celebration, as a simple divergence between different tastes regarding a certain ritual form, he stressed, adding that “we need a serious and dynamic liturgical formation.”
The pope stated that the issue is primarily ecclesiological: “I do not see how one can say that one recognizes the validity of the Council and at the same time not accept the liturgical reform born out of Sacrosanctum Concilium,” even though it amazes me that a Catholic might presume to do otherwise.
To reinforce the liturgical books issued by popes Paul VI and John Paul II following the Second Vatican Council as “the unique embodiment of the lex orandi [the law of prayer] of the Roman Rite,” he added, he saw the need to issue Traditionis custodes.
In the letter, Pope Francis urged all Catholics to have access to liturgical education outside of the classroom in order to rekindle awe for the sacrifice of the Mass’s mystic nature.
“Our conformity to Christ is the complete extent of our formation,” he said. I’ll say it again: becoming Him is what it has to do with, not some abstract mental process.
This is the function of the Spirit, whose actions are constantly and only directed at forming the Body of Christ.
The “art of celebrating” the Mass, or ars celebrandi, was another topic on which the pope touched.
Let’s be sure about one thing: every part of the celebration needs to be carefully attended to (venue, time,
Every rule must be followed, including those governing gestures, words, things, vestments, song, and music, he said.
Such attentiveness would be sufficient to stop someone from taking from the assembly what is rightfully theirs—namely, the paschal mystery celebrated in accordance with the Church’s prescribed rite.
But even if the celebration’s quality and appropriate action were guaranteed, he said, “it would not be enough to make our participation full.”
He cited the writings of Romano Guardini, a German Catholic priest and philosopher who lived in the 20th century, to argue that liturgical formation must instruct individuals on how to read and comprehend symbols.
Because modern man has lost his ability to understand symbols and is now illiterate, Francis added, “the work is not simple; it is almost as if their existence is not even suspected.”
The way a pastor celebrates Mass affects how a Catholic community lives the celebration, according to Francis.
When the manner of celebration is inadequate, the “common root” is “a heightened personalism of the celebrating style which at times expresses a poorly concealed mania to be the center of attention,” he said.
He added that “sometimes this becomes more apparent when our festivities are transmitted over the air or online, something that is not always appropriate and that needs further study.”
“Make sure you understand me: while these are not the most common behaviors, assemblies do occasionally suffer from being mistreated in this way.”
He explained that “the activity of the celebration” of Mass is the setting where the Paschal Mystery is made present via remembrance so that the baptized, through their participation, can experience it in their own lives.
Without this comprehension, the celebration is susceptible to being overly concerned with the outside (more or less refined) or with the rules themselves (more or less rigorous), the speaker claimed.
He declared, “Christian religion is either a meeting with Him living, or it is not.”
“The prospect of such a meeting is guaranteed for us by the liturgy. We have a hazy remembrance of the
The Last Supper wouldn’t help. To hear him speak, eat his body, and drink his blood at that supper, we must be present. We require Him.