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This order of worship was adopted and practiced by the early church: The Greeting – a more formal, biblical greeting or salutation. A Response – the attendees would respond, often with a Scripture that was recited in unison or chanted. Readings and Psalmody – Several passages of Scriptures would be read or chanted, interspersed with a responsive singing or chanting of a Psalm. Psalms – the Psalms, considered God’s hymnal, were sung or chanted, most of the time without instruments. Message – an elder, rabbi or teacher would interpret and explain the relevant meaning of the Scripture(s) that were read....

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV: Catholics need to rediscover ‘sense of mystery’ in the liturgyPope Leo XIV's praise for the beauty and 'mystery' of the Eastern liturgy has given hope to Catholics that he might be more favorable to the traditional Mass than his predecessor.VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Praise from the pope for the beauty and “mystery” of the Eastern liturgy has given hope to Catholics that Leo XIV might be more favorable to the traditional Mass than his predecessor.In recent years, the long-standing so-called “liturgy wars” have become even more painful due to the sweeping and punitive restrictions placed...

[Catholic Caucus] LITURGY - Pope Francis: the Master of IronyI read with great interest the remarks of Pope Francis to the members of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline before their annual plenary assembly. What particularly struck me were Pope Francis” words: “Without liturgical reform there is no reform of the Church.”As I pondered these words I was overtaken by a sense of confusion. Was the Pope referring to the document Sacrosanctum Concilium promulgated by the Second Vatican Council and the reform of the Liturgy that occurred in the years after the Council? And if so, what is...

The Zaporozhye City Council is set to vote today on the possibility of depriving the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of all its church buildings throughout the city. In light of the coming vote, His Eminence Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye published an address to his clergy yesterday to prepare them for this possibility. Above all, the hierarch calls his clergy and flock to remain faithful to the Lord and to follow His example. “I ask you not to succumb to provocations and other diabolical temptations, but to follow the canons of our Mother Church… I urge all of you not to...

The Diocese of San Cristobal, in southern Mexico, will send Pope Francis a proposal to include indigenous Mayan rites such as dance, music and the participation of women in Catholic masses. This is the second such proposal to come from the Catholic church community, the first being the Zairean rite.

One of the proposals that emerged from the Synod for the Amazon was the creation of an Amazonian Rite, a reality present in the history of the Catholic Church. In fact, there are currently 24 Catholic rites in existence. For the creation of this Catholic rite, under the umbrella of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), a nucleus was created with 16 members, chosen according to different criteria of representativeness. The nucleus is divided into four sub-commissions: Anthropological-Sociological and Spiritual, Historical-Cultural, Theological-Ecclesiological and Ritual-Juridical.

This pdf includes a short summary and links to 89 studies and video commentaries on those studies. I have been collecting this information for years. In view of the recent turn of guidance from the CDC, as well as the recent Thai study, I think it is time to provide the table as a useful tool. Please share and provide it to anyone that is interested.

[Catholic Caucus] Evil Bugnini is In and Siri Out — +Marini Exiled to Tortona Pope Francis has appointed the Pontifical Master of Ceremonies Msgr. Guido Marini as Bishop of Tortona. A signal. (Rome) Pope Francis has appointed the Papal Master of Ceremonies Msgr. Guido Marini, Bishop of Tortona. It’s a step that is in line with the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes. He will succeed the Bugnini ring bearer, Msgr. Vittorio Viola, who was appointed to the Roman Curia by Francis last May.Speculations about the removal of Msgr. Marini from his office had already existed immediately after the election of...

APOSTOLIC LETTER ISSUED "MOTU PROPRIO" BY THE SUPREME PONTIFFFRANCIS “TRADITIONIS CUSTODES”On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970 Guardians of the tradition, the bishops in communion with the Bishop of Rome constitute the visible principle and foundation of the unity of their particular Churches.[1] Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, through the proclamation of the Gospel and by means of the celebration of the Eucharist, they govern the particular Churches entrusted to them.[2] In order to promote the concord and unity of the Church, with paternal solicitude towards those who in any region adhere...

“In virtue of Our Apostolic authority, We grant and concede in perpetuity that, for the chanting or reading of the Mass in any church whatsoever, this Missal is hereafter to be followed absolutely, without any scruple of conscience or fear of incurring any penalty, judgment, or censure, and may freely and lawfully be used.” —Pope Saint Pius V taken from Quo Primum, AD 1570Once again, there are sad rumblings coming from Rome of yet another attempt to hamper the usage of the traditional Tridentine Mass. Anyone paying attention is aware that the traditional Catholic movement is growing quickly and is...

A decade-long series of retranslating and approving liturgical texts is nearing its end, but isn't quite there yet. These sets are on Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church; additional intercessions and psalter concluding prayers for the Liturgy of the Hours; and the Order of Penance. The votes on each set require two-thirds approval of the Latin-rite bishops. Following such approval, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments needs to issue a "confirmatio" before the translations can be used. "We continue to make steady progress," said Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of Hartford, Connecticut, chairman of...

Church leaders offer an inspiring lineup at the virtual event planned for mid-August. For the first time since it was established a decade ago, the Napa Institute Summer Conference will be held online Friday and Saturday, Aug. 14-15... The conference — “Finding Hope in the New America” — will be a “slimmed-down version of the regular event,” with an expanded speaker lineup discussing issues related to faith and culture. The August conference will feature a mix of live and prerecorded talks with top Catholic speakers and an opportunity for questions and answers during the live events. The 30 to 40...

A US Bishop Discovers the Traditional Latin Mass Bishop Joseph Strickland discusses what inspired him to celebrate the extraordinary form of the Mass on June 11. TYLER, Texas — Before January, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, had only attended a traditional Latin Mass once before and never had even said the words of consecration in Latin in the 35 years of his priesthood. He changed all that in a dramatic way, celebrating his first Mass in the extraordinary form on June 11, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi on the Church calendar followed by traditional Catholics. His attraction to the...

I will be far from the first to observe that football in America has a sort of religious cast. If “liturgy” means a “work of the people,” then football is its clearest manifestation in our culture. When a team wins, there is a deep, abiding sense within its fans that “we won.” The constant use of “we” through public discussions indicates that we experience this sport as something in which we “participate” – it is an act of communion. To some degree, it is the most profound act of communion within our culture. Though it is true that far more...

Posts Posted on December 18, 2019December 18, 2019 Sermon Lengths Should Vary A recent analysis by the Pew Research Center shows the rather unsurprising fact that sermons at Catholic masses are much shorter than those at Protestant and Evangelical services. The Catholic News Agency reports:An analysis of nearly 50,000 sermons, given across a variety of Christian denominations during the months of April and May this year, found that the median length of a sermon was 37 minutes, but for Catholic priests, the average length was just 14 minutes.Pew found that historically black Protestant sermons had the longest median length...

The Mass in Slow Motion The Altar is Reverenced As the Entrance procession draws to its close something rather unusual happens! Upon entering the sanctuary, (the part of the Church where the Altar and Tabernacle are located) the priest and deacon enter the sanctuary and kiss the altar as a sign of reverence and veneration. Many of us who go to Mass all the time may hardly notice this gesture. But to someone observing Mass for the first time this gesture may seem quite unusual and raise questions. Why kiss an altar? Where did this gesture come from and what...

Posted on September 19, 2019September 19, 2019 by Msgr. Charles Pope On the Power of Liturgy and Prayer There is a text from the Acts of the Apostles that sets forth quite well some of the qualities of the Sacred Liturgy. Although the “liturgy” cited in this passage is not a Mass, the description should apply to all our liturgies; from the Liturgy of the Hours to baptism, from a penance service to a full sung Mass. Let’s look at the passage and learn from it the power of liturgy to deliver, instruct, and transform us and the world.About...

The Mass in Slow Motion This is a series on the Mass explaining the meaning and history of what we do each Sunday. This series of flyers is an attempt to add insight and understanding to our celebration of the Sacred Liturgy. You are also invited to learn more by attending Sunday School classes for adults which take place in the school cafeteria each Sunday from 9:45 am. to 10:45 am. This series will follow the Mass in order. The Congregation Gathers — We begin by noting the simple and obvious fact that before Mass can begin we must all...

I personally find the theology of transubstantiation unintelligible, not because I don’t believe that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, but because I do not believe in prime matter, substantial forms, substance and accidents. I don’t think we have a clue what Jesus meant when he said, “This is my body.” I think we should humbly accept it as a mystery and not pretend we understand it. In any case, Jesus did not say, “This is my body. Adore me.” He said, “Take and eat. This is my body.” Only in the early 20th century,...

Posted on July 23, 2019July 23, 2019 by Msgr. Charles Pope The Liturgy is More Than a Text One of the greatest liturgical shifts in the last sixty years has been in the area of language and the spoken word. Although the almost complete disappearance of Latin is lamentable, the use of the vernacular has arguably had some positive effects. To my mind, the augmentation of the Scriptures used has been notable and helpful. In addition, greater emphasis has been placed on preaching and preparing the clergy to be able to preach well.The most recent debates concern a thirty-year...