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"For the Orthodox, it seems that the vertical aspect of the Eucharist creates the horizontal in a natural and organic way, whereas the post Vat II Catholic church seems to attempt to directly jump to the horizontal and social aspects of communion, bypassing the vertical aspect. This is most strikingly created symbolically by the fact that the priest faces the people."

I keep forgetting that the Tridentine Mass is no longer the regular liturgy of the Roman Church, though you'd think I would be very conscious of that fact given the discussions here on FR. Seen in the context of the NO, I can appreciate what you are saying. Even though the Cardinal says, in a very Orthodox way,

"For this reason, in my prayer at communion, I must look totally toward Christ, allowing myself to be transformed by him, even to be burned by his enveloping fire."

the very fact that as he says these prayers he is facing the congregation certainly speaks volumes to the Faithful, even if the Cardinal knows what he is doing. Time and again we have all written "lex orandi, lex credendi". I suppose therefore it is fair to wonder if the Cardinal, should he be elected pope, would restore the Liturgy in the West to the liturgical Orthodoxia one sees in the East. As Fr. Tom points out in the article I snipped, it all comes together at the Divine Liturgy to let us know what we are about when we pray the Liturgy. Nothing we do there is meaningless and thus the actions and position of the priest in the NO liturgy of necessity take on a great meaning which may have the tendency to lead the Faithful into some very basic error, like thinking the liturgy is about us rather than for us.

take on a great meaning which may have the tendency to lead the Faithful into some very basic error, like thinking the liturgy is about us rather than for us

Kolo, the liturgy is for God. I hope that we don't go to church for us.

Concentrating on the "community" is concentrating on us. Monasticism teaches the opposite. Devoting your life to God leaves no room for earthly community and material priorities.

The only reason why Orthodoxy retained the "vertical" aspect is because our liturgy hasn't changed in 1600 years. We are not a community because we have picnics but because we are gathered, through faith, around Christ. It is a spiritual, not physical community.

If the Latin Church returned to the Tridentine Mass (or perhaps the Liturgy of the undivided Church even better), it would reestablish the vertical -- God centered -- worship. But as long as there is emphasis on the congregation and all this 'touchy-feely' stuff, God is not the center stage.

This, however, has taken the discussion way past my original observation -- namely that by taking the Eucharist we somehow become "assimilated" with Christ, i.e. somehow become like Christ. To which I say: you wish!

I think Card. Ratzinger will be elected on the first ballot. But, don't bet on it. I am famously wrong on my predictions.

I don't think there is the slightest doubt the good Card will have the Liturgy on the front burner. As I read more on this thread, I think confusion aboiut the Cardinal's teachings might be due to the fact this is not a self-contained piece. I wish the blogger had posted a link, to say nothing about identifying where the snippet came from.

I think we interpret this document through the lens of our respective religious experiences. The Orthodox concept of community is great, and in a good church in the West we might experience the same. But, when I read the words of a VII theologian on community and social justice, I know they are not speaking of the same thing. It sets off alarm bells. There is a belief that enlightenment truly comes through a group experience. I think the charismatic movement is an outgrowth of this idea and also part of a search within to find a spiritual connection which was lost. The West traded the framework for a vertical spiritual experience for something humanistic and emotion based.