Vatican's top liturgical liberal steps down
Print Friendly VersionBy JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
New York
In a noteworthy change of personnel, if not of surname, the Vatican announced today that Monsignor Guido Marini will replace Archbishop Piero Marini as the pope’s Master of Ceremonies, meaning the official in charge of how the pope celebrates the Mass and the other rites of the church.
The outgoing Marini was long seen as a more permissive counterpart to the strong traditionalism at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Vatican’s policy-setting agency on liturgical matters. Experts have noted the irony that large-scale papal liturgies organized on Marini’s watch are sometimes more innovative than a strict reading of official policy might permit.
The new Marini, according to Italian observers, does not bring a sharply defined ideological profile into his new position. Though he served as the master of ceremonies in the Genoa archdiocese for both Cardinals Dionigi Tettamanzi and Tarcisio Bertone (today the Vatican’s Secretary of State), Guido Marini, 42, has an academic background in canon law and spirituality rather than liturgy.
Piero Marini, 65, was named the new President of the Pontifical Commission for International Eucharistic Congresses. He holds a doctorate in liturgy from the Benedictine-run College of Sant’Anselmo, and has written widely on liturgical subjects.
Sources close to Piero Marini said today that he had been offered a position as a diocesan bishop in Italy, but turned it down on the grounds that he has spent virtually his entire career in curial service.
Those sources also said that the timing of Marini’s departure may be linked to the recent decision by Pope Benedict XVI to liberalize permission for the Latin Mass in use prior to the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Although Marini never took a public position on the move, it’s widely known that he has expressed reservations in private. Since it is taken for granted in Rome that Benedict XVI will himself celebrate a Mass according to the old rite in St. Peter’s Basilica sometime soon, today’s announcement may have been a way to avoid putting Marini in an awkward position when the times comes.
Finally, sources said, Benedict at one point raised the idea with Marini of eventually taking the helm at the Congregation for Divine Worship after its current prefect, Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, steps down. Arinze turns 75 on Nov. 1. It’s not yet clear whether today’s appointment precludes that possibility.
One hallmark of Marini’s liturgical outlook is an openness to inculturation, or allowing the ritual practice of the church to he shaped by local cultures. That’s something Marini said in a 2003 interview that was lacking in the pre-Vatican II Mass.
“It was the liturgical expression of the countries of the Mediterranean Basin,†he said. “With the separation of the Protestants, also in France, what remained was Spain, Italy, Austria … the church had been reduced to something relatively small. But with the New World, Latin America and the various missions in Africa and Asia, it was necessary to open this liturgy that had been closed to the new peoples. That happened with the Second Vatican Council and with the trips of the pope.â€
Material from that 2003 interview with Marini can be found here: http://nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/word0620.htm
As a young cleric, Piero Marini served as personal secretary to Archbishop Annibale Bugnini, head of the special Vatican commission that oversaw liturgical reform. Bugnini became the lightning rod for what some regarded as unacceptably radical changes, and his fall from power in July 1975 was the beginning of a backlash that culminated in a return to a more traditional language and style during the late John Paul years and now under Benedict XVI.
One illustrative flashpoint is liturgical dance. The Congregation for Divine Worship officially frowns on dance in the liturgy. In 1975 it issued a document titled Dance in the Liturgy, which concluded, “[Dance] cannot be introduced into liturgical celebrations of any kind whatever. That would be to inject into the liturgy one of the most desacralized and desacralizing elements; and so it would be equivalent to creating an atmosphere of profaneness which would easily recall to those present and to the participants in the celebration worldly places and situations.â€
In 1998, the congregation wrote to the bishop of Honolulu to ban the use of hula dancing in any liturgical context, a custom that had become common among Catholics in Hawaii. Yet when John Paul visited Brussels in 1995 for the beatification of Father Damien DeVeuster, the famous saint of the Hawaiian lepers, a hula dance was performed smack in the middle of the ceremony.
For those who know Marini’s style, it was hardly a surprise. Anyone who has ever attended a major papal liturgy, such as a World Youth Day Mass or a major canonization Mass, has seen enough dance to remind them of Broadway production numbers. During the World Youth Day Mass in Rome in the summer of 2000, for example, a troupe of young dancers bearing flags with different colors representing the different continents was one of the highlights of the event.
In Mexico in 2002 when John Paul II canonized Juan Diego, native Aztec dancers gyrated down a walkway towards the pope in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe as native music blared forth. The next day, when the pope beatified a pair of Mayan martyrs in the same spot, another native song-and-dance routine was performed. This time there was the further twist of a limpia, or purification, ceremony. The Indian blessing is believed to cure spiritual and physical ailments by driving off evil spirits. Indian women bearing smoking pots of incense brushed herbs on the pontiff, Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera and other prelates as the dancing unfolded.
In effect, these indigenous dancers exorcized the pope. Although the choice generated controversy both in Mexico and in Rome, Marini defended the use of such an indigenous ritual within a Catholic framework.
“We discussed it a great deal here in this office with the responsible parties from the local church,†Marini said in 2003. “I spoke with the bishop. At the beginning, I have to say I was against using this rite, which not even they seemed to understand very well. Obviously our penitential act is one thing, their expression is another. But we continued talking, and in the end this was not during the Eucharistic celebration, and the bishop wanted the rite at any cost.â€
“It was important as a sign of respect for the indigenous, but it’s also a matter of liturgical history,†Marini said. “Often rites that were not originally Christian have been ‘Christianized.’ If the indigenous have this rite, it can with time take on a Christian meaning concerning the purification of sins. Just as we use holy water, which for us recalls the waters of baptism, forgiveness of sins and the resurrection, so for them this element of smoke can have a sense of liberation and forgiveness. This is the reason for which we at the end agreed to insert this element.â€
Marini’s appointment as President of the Pontifical Commission for International Eucharistic Congresses could eventually put him in line to become a cardinal.
Meanwhile, Benedict XVI apparently does not intend to maintain the 1998 precedent set by his predecessor, John Paul II, of naming his two secretaries and his master of ceremonies as archbishops, at least not right away. Today’s Vatican announcement did not indicate that the incoming Marini would be made a bishop.
This thing about any pope
This thing about any pope naming someone a bishop is geting a little out of hand. A bishop should have a diocese,and not a phoney diocese like an oasis in the Sahara or a distant planet. The same should be said for 'electing' cardinals. If one does not have a diocese one should not vote [ none of this ganging up against the Holy Spirit ] If this change were made, the Statistical Yearbook of the Church might read a lot better.
Liturgical dance is a form
Liturgical dance is a form of dance, not a form of liturgy. It is a worshipful experience for the participants much in the same way as gardening, baking bread, or drawing can be for the persons engaged in those activities. While it can be moving to watch in a performance setting, in the worship setting it is disruptive in that it effectively turns the worshippers into an audience and focuses their attention away from their own participation. This may be due to some degree to the symbolism of dance not being easily understood since its movements are not ritualized the way the actions of the priest and the worshippers are during the Mass.
Liturgy is not prayer.
Liturgy is not prayer. Liturgy is an action like the other sacraments. It can be realised through dance or any other reverent action. Can a person who can not talk participate?
I have seen dance used at mass and it can be beautiful. Of course some of the rituals of the mass are really dance anyhow.
The liturgy is dance,
The liturgy is dance, insofar as it involves choreographed ritual movements. Processions, for example, are a form of dance, albeit rather reserved. Some of the oriental rites contain more pronounced elements of dance: lots of walking around with a censer complete with bells, processional fans in addition to the cross, etc. Some of the Greek Orthodox mourn the dead Christ on Good Friday with a procession complete with a band.
In some cultures, dance is not considered just entertainment, but is considered sacred. One thinks of the dances of the Sufis, of Hasidic Jews, of Native Americans, etc. Dance touches us in ways that other elements of the liturgy do not. Perhaps we need to recover that sense of the sacredness of our bodies and the possibility that moving them rhythmically might just put us in touch with the sacred.
At the same time, one should be sensitive to the culture of the local worshiping community. While people might rightfully be challenged and encouraged to stretch a bit, I don't think that introducing innovations that alienate people is wise -- or, more properly, even just. As someone else has noted in these posts, we should be careful not to reduce liturgy to a matter of the congregation becoming spectators.
PS: I am a lousy dancer.
Well, you've touched upon
Well, you've touched upon the real problem and that is ignorance. Pentecostals are the ultimate Conservatives and they enthusiastically encourage muscular participation from the entire congregation. I respect your zone of comfort in the experience of the mass, but it will not preclude that of others. The illusion of a homogenized uniformity in expression is doomed to failure. Cultural chauvinism is the only explanation I can imagine that would eliminate the Hula from divine expressions of gratitude. Of course it is hoped that the savages will grow out of it eventually.
I will petition for patience from Kokopelli , Raven and Coyote here in the Southwest so that we may have time to grow in enlightenment.
Beauty is not opposed to truth. It is simply truth in its most attractive form.
Luv3laf you have more
Luv3laf you have more courage than I do to petition Kokopelli and Coyote. I personally have had enough of their lessons. In a more serious vein though, I sometimes think more Christians should spend four days at a Native Sundance. If they did they would understand that ritual dance is not all about symbolism. It has real effect in this reality. Dancing from sunup to sundown for four days without food or water is not something one takes up to entertain others. It is serious business with potentially serious consequences. The same is true for shorter versions of the same dances.
This past summer I attended a Sundance in which one of the participants died. This was the judgement of the EMT who was called in to attend to this dancer. The Sundance leader was called to perform an Eagle feather ceremony in an attempt to bring the dancer back, and he did, much to the joy of the dancer's wife and four children. Ritual dance is not entertainment. In fact, it can be mind blowing and life changing.
Fr. Andrew Greeley has been
Fr. Andrew Greeley has been pressing for this kind of all encompassing passion in engagement with the mass. Anthropologically, religion represents the culmination in experiential storytelling. It is about who we are and what the universe is and our current state of revelatory awareness. PBS aired a fascinating documentary this year about a scientist who traced the migratory patterns of human DNA. He determined definitively that we are all descendants of the Bushmen of South Africa. All other races are adaptive variations on the Pilgimmage of Man. He even found a man in Central Asia who is the common ancestor of all Asian peoples. Only in recent history have we regularly encountered one another, with mixed results. Along the way we have developed unique experiential takes on reality and special ways to celebrate them. Our seemingly perpetual Family Feuds are the result of misunderstanding along with pride and stubborness. It takes alot of patience and insight to begin to share the amazing discoveries of revelation that we have to share with our Brothers and Sisters on other legs of the journey. This is the evangelical missionary challenge.
Beauty is not opposed to truth. It is simply truth in its most attractive form.
I think one might question
I think one might question whether the Hula has a long tradition in the Catholic Masses of Hawaii or whether it is a more recent innovation.
I think my objections to dance being made part of the liturgy are very similar to the objections many have to the Latin Mass in that they see it being insufficiently participatory. I have no objection to liturgies reflecting regional preferences and customs, and even support the availability of Latin for those who prefer it.
If the reasons for my preference are the same as the pope's, I would have to say that I would not find this of sufficient concern to cause me to replace my head liturgist.
' Religion as Poetry ' , is
' Religion as Poetry ' , is an engaging read. It is what Fr. Andrew Greeley refers to as his Major Work. In it he addresses the problems of conflicting stories about reality from his perspective as both Scientist and Priest. Before the introduction of the Christian Revelation the Hawaiians brought with them ancient means of explaining life in the universe to their people. Tactlessness cost many Westerners dearly as they insulted the essence of Polynesian values. In response the Islanders encountered a tutorial in European wrath. We must become the Masters of conflict resolution skills if we would claim to be the apostles of a superior revelation.
The means of universal destruction are so great today that we now have no reasonable alternative to sitting down and comparing notes about the human experience and hammering out a compromise. My teachers have characterized this as learning to ' Disagree Without Being Disagreeable ' .
Beauty is not opposed to truth. It is simply truth in its most attractive form.
Luv2Laf, clearly you have an
Luv2Laf, clearly you have an intellectual appreciation for cultural diversity. Do you have any first-hand experience of engaging in dance as part of the worship experience? What has been your experience of liturgical dance when it is included in the typical Mass setting?
A tour of duty in the
A tour of duty in the Marine Corps is a crash course in cultural diversity. Being stationed in Hawaii and the Far East lends even more opportunity for appreciation of unique expressions of the human experience. The Hula is specifically descriptive and lends itself wonderfully to the telling of the story of Salvation. The Japanese have a dance tradition in poetic storytelling that would be easily applied in the same way, though I haven't seen it. Given the poor progress of the Christian missions there so far it would seem to me a refreshing approach to persuasion.
As an altar sever in the 60's I participated in the choreography of both Latin and Vernacular masses.
In the University setting I witnessed a solo student interpret the Gospel message as a dance in services at the local Newman center.
' A Mid Summer Night's Dream ' , performed by a first rate New York ballet company is easily seen as a religious experience.
In Seattle the local Native Americans regularly perform their ceremonial dances on the waterfront downtown for public enjoyment . They bring some pretty good food too.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is regularly celebrated by the Mexican denizens of Tucson, especially during the ' Fiesta de los Vaqueros ' annual rodeo. The processions and fiestas bolstered by boisterous Mariachi bands are fabulously uplifting events. The ' Ballet Folklorico de Mexico ' performs it's amazing revue in Arizona regularly too.
Pope John Paul II made a point of being seen on TV in con-celebration with numerous faith traditions and their unique forms of ecstatic exhuberance.
In the feature film, ' The Jewel of the Nile ' Danny DeVito shares in the enthusiam of the Whirling Dervishes as they engage in their Sufi Muslim ritual dance.
In the Military setting, the careful tracting of close order drill is a cherished tradition. The Marine Corps Silent Drill Team in action is irresistably compelling.
I helped a friend conduct a kid's program at a ranch resort and part of the agenda included a good old fashioned Square Dance. It was a special thing of beauty. I also went to a performance of ' Dancing at Lughnasa ' that celebrates the ancient Celtic traditions married to the cycles of life.
The House of God is certainly big enough to accommodate the ebulliance of all His creatures. Who will step up to be the Director ?
Beauty is not opposed to truth. It is simply truth in its most attractive form.
Your comment is the most
Your comment is the most mature statement on the topic of dance that I have read. Your experience is greatly appreciated as you relate. I am a cradle Catholic and have seen the narrowness of European thinking retard the advancement of Christ's church. If we are to be a world church we ought to look at the world. Mike Filippelli
Your examples, I think, are
Your examples, I think, are of dance as dance providing a similar benefit for the audience as worship does for the worhippers, and not really the same thing as including Martha Graham style choreography in the liturgies of North America or Europe.
Is it not just as wrong to impose dance on a tradition of worship in cultures that understand dance as being secular recreation as to prohibit dance in the worship practices in cultures where dance has traditionally been used as a way of worshipping?
I keep being kinda puzzled
I keep being kinda puzzled by your posts, Marie, I think perhaps because they have shifted throughout this thread a bit. No, it is not "just as wrong to impose dance on a tradition of worship in cultures that understand dance as being secular recreation as to prohibit dance in the worship practices in cultures where dance has traditionally been used as a way of worshipping." First, the assumption in your remark is that the U.S. culture (I think you mean) is so homogeneous that the whole congregation would react similarly to the "imposition" of dance, which is not the case here, but would be likely in the opposite side of the question you bring up. The U.S. culture simply isn't homogeneous, and certainly not at this point in time. I assume that for you dance is secular recreation, and I have heard other people on here talk about dance as being a sexual activity. But that is not how everyone at all would see dance in this country, and so I would suggest that that may be your own issue or that of the Protestant culture that you come from?
One of the things that we tend to forget is that Protestant religions have their own cultural base, mostly AngloSaxon/Germanic, which helped create Protestantism. That cultural stream, for the high churches, is often heady (St. Martin Luther was pretty heady), right and pure, structured, with strong individualism and personal boundaries, and would probably have more difficulty with liturgical dance than almost any other. But many of us live close to or among those who are of different cultural backgrounds and dance is much more a part of religious and celebratory catholic culture. Even in those areas that 35 years ago were homogeneous a lot has changed, and sharing liturgical diversity, shall we say, is part of what makes some of those different groups able to work together in ways they haven't in the past. In other words, our liturgical worship has made us closer in our 'secular' communities.
I wonder if perhaps you've had a liturgical director who brought in different ways of doing things to a group that wasn't prepared or interested in expressiveness through dance and left a rotten taste with people, and that can happen. I have seen some poor liturgical dancing a couple of times, the kind that you may be talking about, that just didn't seem to fit anything. But, as I mentioned on here once before, I once was at a church (with obviously very talented liturgical direction) where the "dancers" invited sections of the congregation to join in prayer as the call to worship at the beginning of the mass before the priest 'took over.' It was absolutely beautiful. I'm not exactly sure that "dancing" is the right word, but then again, there really isn't another I would use. It was simple and engaging and brief, and did exactly what it was intended to do, call to worship. The friend I was with said it was done there in special seasons, and because it was done each year then (I am assuming advent anyhow, which it was then), also had a special annual calendar call to worship for that very engaged community. It was a part of their church culture.
But let's face it, liturgical dance is more not-done than done, and a person can most easily find a place that doesn't do it, since the churches that do tend to be well known for such creativity (and thus, easy to avoid) or sometimes, university-related, and thus, easy to avoid. I think that is probably good, given the availability of talent and the problem of churchier groups simply not liking it. I also don't like imposition, but I've been around a lot in this country, and I've seen very little 'dance' in church, so I can't imagine this is a major issue. As I said before, while reminders toward reverence in documents are always good, I do hope that this administration does not carried away trying to ban something it doesn't get. That would be a mistake, and will only create harm and undergo a later correction by someone who understands. I do kinda get the part where Cardinal Ratzinger must not have been too thrilled with JPII's bare-breasted women in the offertory procession wherever that was, but he needs to go light on this one, unless he's just looking for his personal issues to play out in the time he has.
I don't think that my
I don't think that my opinion on dance has changed during this thread. I began by expressing my opinion that I am not crazy about dance being included in a worship setting. I felt that it was possibly the same sense that the pope has about it.
It was suggested in the article that the pope's preference against liturgical dance may have been reason that the "top liturgical liberal" stepped down, as if pressured to do because he had displeased the pope. Given my perspective of not liking dance and yet not feeling the need to impose my preferences on others, I thought that this presentation of the facts was presuming wrongly that if one does not like something and is in a high enough position then it goes without saying that one would impose one's preferences. It seems more likely that the top liturgical liberal chose to step down out simply because of his own unhappiness with the pope's preferences.
What I primarily wish to suggest is that the pope's permission to use the old Latin liturgy and his objection to liturgical dance are not necessarily indicative of his wanting to turn back the clock, to keep it from moving forward, or to turn everyone into medieval Europeans. I think some people enthusiastically promote the inclusion of dance and more modern forms of music because the tendency is to equate new with improved. However, some of us prefer to have a particular kind of music and a more circumscribed type of movement set the worship experience apart from other enjoyable things we get to do.
I would probably not find dance as you describe it being the call to worship disturbing at all because it is not in the middle of everything. This is similar to my appreciating the priest calling for everyone to greet one another prior to the beginning of Mass so that the "sign of Peace" is more about the sign than about saying "hi!" and so less disruptive.
Sorry it took me so long to
Sorry it took me so long to find my way back here, and sorry now if you never see that I responded. I don't think that you would find the 'call to worship' I experienced in any way disturbing, Marie R. There are very few people who likely would, particularly as attached as it apparently had become to the seasonal worship of the church. For me one of the important catholic things is our seasons of worship, so marking them is important in the rhythms of my life. I really wish that we had that kind of direction in our parish, but having absolutely no talents that direction myself(!), I can hardly fault us for being who we are. But my memory of it has actually become a part of my seasonal worship.
Actually, the shift in your writing (that I was glad of) was a shift from saying what "participants" experience as wrong about dance as a part of liturgy to saying that it was what "you" experience as wrong about dance as a part of liturgy. I think that is important. I think you are right that you and B16 may experience liturgy in some similar ways, in which case there is little doubt that you would appreciate his pontificate and defend his personal and cultural preferences. I wanted only to remind that they are personal and cultural preferences, and do not and cannot speak for the universal church. And that I hope that he maintains his personal discipline enough to remember that with the power and privilege that goes with his office. I don't know that I think that he's exactly trying to turn back the clock either, with such as the more widespread use of the latin mass. I do miss those who jumped so quickly out of the life of the parish community that I'm a part of in order to re-join a liturgical tradition that they prefer, but I am coming to sense the more relaxed attitude of the parish that we can have a dynamic liturgy without even the small concern that we had about the complaints and calls to the chancery that some parishes have faced.
Again, I am hopeful that B16 understands that he is also a part of cultural background that sees the world in a certain context, and part of that culture is a belief in the rightness and primacy of that culture. But that doesn't make it so for the universal church that we are also a part of. Guess he wouldn't like drumming either...
AnnieO, I have not missed
AnnieO, I have not missed your response! I'm curious about your observation that some have jumped out of the life of your parish community in order to re-join those celebrating in Latin. I have not noticed any changes related to the Latin where I am--no requests for it and, thus, no offering of it beyond what had been available before the announcement.
Our parish has always drawn
Our parish has always drawn people in for a lot of reasons besides geography, one being a pastor who relates well across the board with catholics. So, we had a number of people who were very traditional, a part of our parish community for a very long time. I don't think they were ever like totally comfortable where they were, but they were simply a part of us, kind of separate and distant, but just a part of us. I really liked even some of their discomfort with us; it was just them. But when another parish added a latin mass, word traveled fast to them, and most of them were gone in a couple of weeks, not to really show up again. One couple held on a few more weeks, but then they were gone as well. I was one who tried to make contact again, because I missed them and didn't want them to leave, but they seemed very sure of where they needed to be (although I have heard one couple is thinking of returning). So it's not that there is any hue or cry at all; in fact, I don't think the event would have been noticed but for public media reporting on the pope's announcement. Our parish hasn't changed, except like I said, perhaps a bit relaxed on the liturgy committee, since one member was always pretty anxious about things and is now gone. But I do still miss them. They were a part of us for many years. So, I'm doing some grieving for the change, but I'm not sure it isn't just like releasing the valve on the pressure cooker enough to make things work smoother. B16 may have been thinking it was actually the only way to change the conversation to something more important..and perhaps that is correct. I don't know, but I pray a lot about healing us all.
Maybe it's the difference
Maybe it's the difference between having something taken away and having the option of letting it go. It could be that older people were clinging to what was taken away only because it was never their option to leave it. It would not surprise me if some people eventually decided that giving up the community was proving to be a greater loss than the giving up the older form of the liturgy. What seems to be happening where you are appears to be something different from the interest younger people have shown in the Latin.
Oh, I agree. The few people
Oh, I agree. The few people who left were some of the "characters" of the parish--not terribly social or even friendly, but just part of us. Those who were talking of coming back actually have begun, apparently going back and forth now, but have told some people that they were realizing they missed us and missed our faith-to-works approach. I am glad for their eventual return. Most of the younger people that I know that have some interest in the Latin mass say it was more because it was a novelty and a youth trend to them, but they seem to be staying with us also. We never saw that movement out to the Latin mass among our young people, but they are also very much a part of us. So not much change even six months out from the declaration.
Unlike what Fr. Andrew
Unlike what Fr. Andrew Greeley calls the Authoritarian Pragmatist, I am issuing no irrefutable mandates. My examples were meant to illustrate the natural infusion of the arts of motion in every aspect of our lives. There is no reason that trained and conscientious Liturgists could not begin to introduce tasteful modifications to traditional practices that find their very roots in a shared human heritage of enthusiastic motion. Everything about us and the universe we live in is in motion, it is a dynamic creation at the most fundamental levels. Emulation is inevitable unless stubbornly resisted.
If a Martha Graham Mass is in fact commissioned there is every reason to believe that it will be extraordinarily uplifting to those whose sensibilities are so attuned. The point is that nothing significant has been commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church in recent memory. The standards of excellence are falling short of the realistic expectations of the laity who are paying the bills. Of course the elites have far more important priorities for their resources and time. They are failing to retain the attention of the congregation and blame everyone but themselves.
There is an art form of motionlessness that I have witnessed in department stores and shopping mall common spaces that emphasizes the same standards of self-possession employed in choreography. The recent passing of Marcel Marceau reminds us of the amazing tradition of non-verbal communication to get a story across universally. On the continuum from contemplative stasis to frenetic ecstasy mankind is alive with motion and the talented director will accommodate the unique temperamental dispositions of his troupe in a symphony of expression pleasing to the very Creator who suggests such things at all points, always. Those who systematically reject these realities are at best guilty of timidity.
Worship is Dance and Dance is Worship, the variations are simply a matter of taste. I am tempted to expound upon the popular Hymn ' Lord of the Dance ' , after which Fr. Andrew Greeley has entitled one of his wonderful novels, but there are frequenters of this site given to apoplectic frenzy at its mere mention.
Beauty is not opposed to truth. It is simply truth in its most attractive form.
I guess you mean among
I guess you mean among Romans.
I mean among those
I mean among those liturgical traditions that have not traditionally included dance, which includes a number of what is referred to as mainstream Protestants. That's where I come from, and from there a lot of Catholic liturgies look quite innovative--I only recently realized that there is such a thing as a polka Mass--can't quite picture it.
Well, catholics have been
Well, catholics have been recognized for getting the inculturation thing down a bit better than most religions, at least when we're not doing so much the oppression thing. Dancing is a part of some of those traditions, and as traditions have become more shared space between peoples, many people do see dancing as a liturgical event. Much of it is ritualized and does have shared meaning. Much of it does call people to become engaged and to participate with more than mental prayer. [Which is not to mention the times it isn't done well, which is another topic.].
JPII did get the liturgical dance thing, and clearly B16 does not. But B16 did call for a focus on re-discovering the dynamism in catholicism, and I think it would be short-sighted of him if he begins to move against something that is dynamic liturgy for many people, even beyond Luv2Laf, who prosyletizes so much for it. :-)
Why in the world would the
Why in the world would the Pope put someone with a predominantly legal background in charge of liturgy? Could it be that the upcoming papal liturgies will much more 'legalistic' rather than pastoral? This unnerves me abit.
Priests are often men of
Priests are often men of many talents.
This is certainly true, but
This is certainly true, but priests are often not aware of their limitations, either.
Re “Vatican’s top
Re “Vatican’s top liturgical liberal steps down� and all the comments -- is it much ado about nothing? No, it’s about something. But it’s time to change the focus, immediately! I have moved from my table New Search for Ultimate Reality, under Spirituality and Culture to here for a change of scenery.
How to get people’s attention about the more fundamental and urgent issues facing the Church seems almost insuperable. Two thousand years of indoctrination leaves it failing. Will this failing itself go to demise or go to enlightenment and appropriate action? Only the laity can rescue this “on the horns of a dilemma� situation through appropriate reading and collaborative action. The sources for help are available. But too few avail themselves of this opportunity. The tethered laity has not yet broken its chain.
According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, the Catholic Church’s worldwide-recorded membership at the end of 2005 was I, 114, 966, 000, approximately one-sixth of the world’s population. What good is math if it’s not used? The ratio of laity to a few hierarchical people in power, with the laity not assuming their right and responsibility adequately to join the world movement to save people and planet by mitigating the global crisis is an outrage!