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PAGE 2 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1965
IN UNITED STATES
Vast Majority Of Laity Accept Liturgy Reform
FATHER McMANUS has served as peritus
on the Preparatory, Conciliar and Post-conciliar
Commissions on the Sacred Liturgy. He has writ
ten and edited several books, and published scores
of articles on every phase of the Liturgical Move
ment. As past president of the Liturgical Con
ference and Secretary to the U.S. Bishops’ Litur
gical Commission, he has been responsible, as
much as any one roan, for the development of the
renewal of worhsip in this Country. In addition, he
is secretary of the International Committee on Li
turgical English.
Father McManus has addressed the clergy of the
Archdiocese of Atlanta (1962) and the archdiocesan
commission this year.
BY REV. FREDERICK R. McMANUS
In some ways the Church in the United States
was ready for the promulgation of the conciliar
Constitution on the Liturgy in 1963. Hie liturgical
apostolate had a sound and impressive history,
largely represented by two important if unofficial
endeavors: the four decades of the periodical Wor
ship, formerly Orate, Fratres, and two dozen an
nual Liturgical Weeks, sponsored by the Liturgi
cal Conference.
Yet these efforts had hardly touched the majo
rity of the parish clergy, much less the whole body
of the faithful. The liturgical revival — properly
at the center or summit of Christian life — still
seemed to be on the fringe of things, in spite of
papal encyclicals, evening Mass, and Holy Week
reform. Some failure of communications stood in
the way of any broad or mass effectiveness of the
liturgical movement; in this there was a resem
blance to the parallel renewals in biblical, ecu
menical, catechetical, social, and theological
fields.
The Constitution on the Liturgy, and more parti
cularly its quick implementation in concrete re
forms, changed all this. Where the Roman instruc
tion of September 3, 1958, had been as often neg
lected as accepted, some aspects of the new deve
lopments were inescapable, and all the clergy and
laity became conscious of liturgical change and
awakening. This was possible because of the al
ready existing high level of basic eucharistic
piety, namely, thefactthatavery large proportion
of the Catholic faithful take part in the celebration
of holy Mass Sunday after Sunday.
The chronicle official steps to implement the
Constitution on the Liturgy must begin with the
Conference of Bishops. Largely because of the
presence of Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan of At
lanta on the conciliar commission on the liturgy,
the bishops as a whole had shown great interest
and offered full support to the Constitution during
the 1962 and 1963 sessions of Vatican Council II.
After prelim inary study and report by the episco
pal liturgical commission, the Conference met in
Washington on April 2,.1964, to decree the in
troduction of the vernacular ihto the liturgy.
Although the American bishops had strongly
supported efforts to include the presidential pray
ers of Mass (outside the Canon) in the vernacular
concessions explicitly named in the Constitution,
they decided at this meeting — and again the fol
lowing November — not to make any petitions of
this kind to the Holy See. Hie pattern of vernacu
lar usage possible in the eucharistic celebration
was thus limited to the biblical readings and the
parts properly belonging to the congregation. For
the other sacraments and for the sacramentals,
the use of English was permitted throughout.
The decrees of the Conference of Bishops were
confirmed on May 1 and went into effect Novem
ber 29, 1964. The extension of the vernacular to
the presidential prayers outside the Canon; and to
the prefaces of Mass was decided upon in the sum
mer of 1965, to become effective during the winter
of 1966 upon the publication of a missal supplement
in the form of a sacramentary.
During this period the chairman of the episcopal
liturgical commission, called the Bishops’ Com
mission on the Liturgical Apsotolate, was Arch
bishop John F. Dearden of Detroit, its secretary
Archbishop Hallinan. The commission had been
set up in 1958, but it was only with its increased
responsibilities that a secretariat was estabished
in Washington at the beginning of 1965, with Father
Frederick R. McManus as director. The mostpro-
mising efforts of the Commission, in addition to
serving as a center of information for bishops and
diocesan commissions, have centered on encoura
ging a better understanding of the biblical sources
of liturgical forms, the effective use of the verna
cular, etc.
Again on the official level, the growth and work
of diocesan commissions should be mentioned.
Only these groups made the liturgical renewal
a mass movement, reaching into parishes un
touched by the exhortations of past decades. The
means employed have been diverse: clergy
meetings and seminars, bulletins and newsletters,
programs of Instruction and preaching, special
ized meetings for commentators, musicians,
architect, etc. A couple of diocesan hymnbooks
have appeared, and a large variety of diocesan
directories, chiefly concerned with the celebra
tion of Mass. Of the directories,.by far the most
substantial and successful is the excellent Pas
toral Directory of the Archdioces of Chicago,
published in March 1965 and widely adopted.
Given the American mentality, even in matters
affecting piety and devotion, it is inevitable that
many official efforts to stimulate liturgical rene
wal should be tinged with legalism — intheir ac
ceptance if not in their proposal. Infact, the single
fundamental problems met by liturgical reform in
the United States seems to be ovservance of new
norms and rubrics without full comprehension of
their purpose and intent. This was expressed sim
ply by Cardinal Joseph Ritter of St. Louis in the
May 1965 issue of Notitiae; "It would seem ac
curate to say that no significant difficulties were
encountered on these-first steps in liturgical re
newal within the United States. Where, in indivi
dual instances, difficulties were enciuritered, they
could almost invariably be traced to a lack of pre
paration and understanding.’’
The educatonal task of preparation and study
has actually been carreied on at every level; only
its magnitude is really responsible for the defects
and limitations. Inmost schools and doctrine clas
ses, the effort was already underway. In the field
of publication, not only Worship but all kinds of
popular magazines and the diocesan newspapers
addressed themselves directly to explaining the
dept and background of liturgical reform. And an
impact was made for the first time through the
general clerical journals which had been fearful of
renewal or by and large Indifferent and unaware.
On a national scale a major effort was made by
the Liturgical Conference, die suponsoring society
of the popular Liturgical Weeks, which had setup
a headquarters and center in Washington early in
1960. Hie Conference held small scale but ef
fective meetings for interested members of litur
gical commissions and for those concerned with
sacred architecture. Its general congress for
1964, held during August in St. .Louis, was the
largest in its quarter-century history; it presen
ted a full program of talks, later-century his
tory; it presented a full program of talks, later
published, on the liturgical Constitution, in addi
tion practical discussions on the manner of litur
gical celebration and participation.
An even larger influence -- upon priests, reli
gious, and teachers chiefly — was achieved in
1965 by the Conference’s sponsoring three Litur
gical Weeks (Chicago, Baltimore, and Portland,
Oregon) with a much greater total attendance. This
time the theme of major address attempted to ex
plore more profoundly the sense of reform, and
the Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium,
was the starting point for addresses on the topic:
"Jesus Christ Reforms His. Church."
The effect of such meetings and conventions is
limited by reason of the difficulties of travel, im-
possiblity of real discussion in large groups, etc.'
To reach the clergy at large, the Liturgical Con
ference initiated a Parish Worship Program in
1964. This publication project — in an area and
style not touched by the commercial publishing
houses offered the simplest materials for pas-
tours, commentators, readers, musicians. The
success of the program led to a further service
by the Conference, a monthly bulletin, Living
Worship, begun in 1965, and the announcement
of an interim parish book of proper chants,
psalms, and hymns, the Book of Catholic Wor
ship.
Hie size of the United States, the huge number
of practicing Catholics, the diversity of parishes
and communities make it almost impossible to
evaluate the liturgical renewal in that country
as of this moment.
Acceptance by the vast majority of the laity*
has been complete and this even in parishes
where there has been little instruction or where
the introduction of reforms has been largely
mechanical. The few surveys of popular opinion
agree on this point, although it is spiritual bene
fit and a holier worship that are sought rather
than mere popularity of change.
There is some indication that a certain pro
portion of middle-aged Catholics finds the chan
ges in worship difficult to accept. It is possible
to speculate on the reason: emotional resistance
to all change, faulty instruction on the "un
changing" nature of the Church and its institu
tions, sincere piety without any communitarian-
dimensions, etc.
Unquestionably there are many who resist
change, the more so if they have not been in
structed or prepared. And the problem, al
though affecting only a minority, has been com
pounded by misleading clerical pronouncements
that the Council will produce little or no change
in the life of Catholics. Responsible leaders,
both official and unofficial, insist on sympathy
and patience with those who experience psycho
logical difficulty with liturgical changes. At
the same time such members of the faithful
should be carefully distinguished from the so-
called traditionalists, apparently a very tiny
group which is almost totally disaffected by the
biblical, theological, and ecumenical, as well
as liturgical decisions of Vatican Council IL
The ritual reform of the Mass (March 7,
1965) has had at least a limited success ij
the United States. Certainly the liturgy of the
word is everywhere better appreciated and dis
tinguished from the eucharistic liturgy. The
prayer of the faithful is widely and happily
employed, although the preaching of homilies
— in the sense of the proclamation of the mys
tery — poses great problems for the clergy.
Considerable progress has been made through
the simplification of the rite and the clarifica
tion of its structure. This has been achieved
wherever the presidential seat has been loca
ted at the head of the assembly, the ambo is re
served exclusively for the readings and pro
clamation of the word, and the tabernacle re
located in a worthy and prominent place, either
at the side of the sancturary area or in a dis
tinct chapel. Similarly, concelebration has been
widely employed and with success for special
occasions and for priestly gatherings; its more
significatnt use — as the ordinary and regu
lar sign of the Church’s unity for the principal
Mass in parishes and community -- is only be
ginning to grow. Already a good proportion of
the bishops has permitted Communion under
both kinds to the full extent and for all cases
enumerated in the new rite.
A special problem for the United States is
the English vernacular. As in other matters
already mentioned, the difficulties should not
obscure what is the fact an overwhelming suc
cess— nor should the complaints about trans
lation obscure the- almost universal welcome
given to the use of the language of the people
in sacred worship.
Some of the objections to the English ver
sions of the liturgical texts have been sweep
ing generalizations, and these may be readily
dismissed. Particular objections to speci
fic phrases and expressions are of course
often well founded. Nevertheless, much cri
ticism reveals a misunderstanding. Because of
the projected translation of the Roman liturgy
for the English-speaking world (in the care of
an international Committee on English in the
liturgy), the approval given to English texts
in 1964 was provisional and not definitive; in
most cases existing translations were chosen.
Likewise, some of the specific criticisms of
the biblical readings — in a translation done
.by members of the Catholic Biblical Associa
tion of America, the version sponsored by the
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine — are jus
tified; other reveal an ignorance of the original
biblical texts.
What broad summary can be given of liturgical
renewal in the United States since December 4,
1963? First, the success of the renewal has far
exceeded anyone's expectations: the full and active
participation by all the people ("the aim to be con
sidered before all else” — Constitution on the
Liturgy, art. 14) is being achieved step by step.
The Council’s hope in liturgical reform is being
taken seriously: "to encourage a sense of com
munity within the parish, above all inthe common
celebration of the Sunday Mass” (ibid, 42).
If there is a need at the moment, it is the re
curring responsibility of teaching and preparing
all the faithful for meaningful celebration. If
there is a basic weakness in many parishes of
the United States as they approach liturgical
change, it is in the failure to instruct and to
search out the underlying purposes of a reform
that is vastly more than superficial. All this only
suggests that the deep liturgical movement is just
beginning.
Related to this is the problem of the future, in
deed the danger that changes in the external forms
should be treated as rubrical prescriptions, gru
dgingly accepted because authoritatively imposed.
There can be a crisis of obedience, even a chaos
arising from diversity and welcome flexibility,
but these are far less to be feared than formalism
and new-rubricism. The answer seems to be in
more and more profound study and diffusion of
the Constitution on the Liturgy as a doctrinal pro
nouncement — proclaiming a theology of the
Church’s worship, and supporting pastoral and
disciplinary change with reasons and motives.
Only in this way can the liturgical renewal
enjoying success and blessing in the United States
as elsewhere —be open to future growth and adap
tation in accordance with the "genius and talents
of various races and peoples" (ibid., 37) and the
liturgy "impart an ever, increasing vigor to the
Christian life of the faithful" (ibid., 1).
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Dr. Paul Tillich Occupied
Role For Catholic Thought
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PAUL TILLICH, one of the
giants of 20th - century Pro
testant thought, also came to
occupy an increasingly large
role for contemporary Catho
lic theology.
Dr. Tillich died (Oct. 22) in
Chicago after a heart attack.
The passing of the 79-year-old
theologian brought expressions
of grief and praise from both
Protestant and Catholic scho
lars.
Dr. Howard Schomer, presi
dent of University of Chicago
divinity school, where he had
taught since 1962, called Dr.
Tillich’s death a "great loss to
the church.”
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DR. JOHN C. BENNETT, pre
sident of Union Theological Se
minary in New York,where Dr.
T illich taught from 1933 to 1955
described him as "one of the
most loved and influential fi
gures of this century.”
Father Avery Dulles, S.J.,
of Woodstock College in Mary
land, said Dr, Tillich had made
"a unique contribution to Chris
tian theology in the 20th cen
tury," He said his death
"creates a challenge for
younger men to rise and attempt
to carry on his work.”
Dr. Tillich was bora Aug*
20, 1886, in Starzeddel, Kreis
Guben, Prussia. His father was
a Lutheran pastor and he was
ordained a minister of the E—
vangelical Lutheran Church in
1912.
He served as a German army
chaplain for four years in World
'War 1, After the war he taught
theology at a number of German
universities and wrote many
books.
IN 1933 HIS opposition to the
nazi regime caused him to lose
his professorship at the Uni
versity of Frankfurt am Main
and he emigrated to the United
States. He joined the faculty of
Union Theological Seminary in
that year and later taught at
Harvard and Chicago.
Dr. Tillich was the author of
more than a score of books in
both German and English. His
work dealt with the relation of
religion to such subjects as po
litics, art, sociology, philoso
phy and depth psychology.
His three-volume "Systema
tic Theology,” which was com
pleted only two years ago, is
generally considered his mas
ter work.
Growing Catholic interest in
Dr. Tillich is apparent in an
increasing number of books and
articles about him from Catho
lic sources.
In 1961 Father George A.
Tavard, A. A„ theology pro
fessor at Mount Mercy College
in Pittsburgh, published a book
entitled “Paul Tillich and the
Christian Message.” In the fol
lowing year the Priory Press
issued a collection of essays
entitled "Paul Tillich and Ca
tholic Thought.”
FATHER DULLES, himself a
well known theologian, was a
contributor to that volume. In
a statement to N.C.W.C. News
Service on Dr. Tillich's death,
he said the Protestant thinker
made a "unique contribution”
to Christian theology "by the
depth of his thought, by his
interest in maintaining contact
with the whole Christian tra
dition and by his ability to speak
in terms meaningful to con
temporary men.”
Father Dulles said Dr. Till
ich's "theology of symbolism”
had made a "tremendous conr
tribution to an understanding of
religious language and to sa
cramental theology,”
In this way, he said, he pro
vided "themes for a conversa
tion between Catholics and Pro
testants.”
"HE WAS ANXIOUS constant
ly to preserve the Catholic sub
stance of Christianity, subject
ing it to the criticism of what
he called the 'Protestant prin
ciple" was one of he mainfea-
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MIAMI (NC)— Bishop Cole
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two Catholic lay leaders have
been named to a Cuban Regu-
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which will work with federal
officials in solving problems
anticipated from the new in-
flnv nf pvilps.
FAST AND ABSTINENCE was the subject of a conference attended by more than 100
presidents of national and regional episcopal conferences held at the Vatican (Oct. 211.
Pope Paul VI, shown entering the meeting, addressed the group briefly and then left them
to th -ir deliberations, pointed toward mitigation of present laws of fast and abstinence.
tures of Dr. Tillich's thought.
It has been explained as the call
to men to reflect on the infi
nity of God and their own li-
' mitations — "the protesting
voice of the prophet outside the
temple calling the people back
to God.’’
Father Dulles said Dr. Till
ich's thought "very definitely”
has significance for the ecu
menical movement and for Ca-
tholic-Protestant relations.
"ESPECIALLY now that the
Catholic Church is attempting to
become self - critical, I think
Tillich's Protestant criticism
becomes very significant for
us,” he remarked.
Father Dulles noted that Dr.
Tillich was a good friend of
the late Father Gustave Wei
gel, S.J„ Woostock theologian
and a leader in Catholic ecu
menical efforts, who died in
January, 1964. On one occasion
in 1957, he recalled, Dr. Til
lich visited Woodstock, a Je
suit seminary, spoke there and
stayed overnight.
Dr, Tillich has been describ
ed as being in the tradition of
Christian existentialism that
begins with the Danish the
ologian Soren Kierkegaard. He
once said that Christian faith
must be characterized by cou
rage—"Not the courage of the
soldier, but the courage of the
human being who feels all the
riddles of life and who never
theless is able to say *yes ’ to
life.”
IN A LECTURE series ear
lier this year at the Univer
sity of Chicago, he defined the
"truly religious person” as one
who "uses his doubts to make
his faith continuously crea
tive.”
Dr, Tillich also spoke at the
international convocation on
Pope John’s encyclical Pacem
in Terris held last February
in New York. On that occasion
he expressed hope for world
peace in the development of
"communal eros” — "thatkind
of love which is not directed
to an individual but to a group.’
"Every expression of such
eros is a basis of hope for
peace. Every rejection of such
eros reduces the chances of
lit. n""Wr
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