One of the surprises to come out of the Synod on Synodality was a call for better liturgy. The final report of the October 2023 session of the synod referred to “the widely reported need to make liturgical language more accessible to the faithful and more embodied in the diversity of cultures.” The English-speaking church Read more
Soon we’ll be celebrating Ash Wednesday, when Christmas was just 7 weeks ago. The contrasts couldn’t be more startling. Christmas being so engagingly delightful with a cute newborn baby boy, animals, angels, stars and visitors with gifts. Now as we mark Ash Wednesday we are going to have imprinted on our forehead’s ash in the Read more
Liturgical reform is crucial in the ongoing renewal of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis said this to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on Thursday. After what has been labelled as a significant address, discussion took place against the backdrop of the dicastery’s annual plenary assembly. The assembly focused Read more
The promulgation of Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, stands as a pivotal moment that ushered in a new era for the Catholic Church. Sixty years hence, we can reflect on the impact of this document on New Zealand’s theological landscape and liturgical practices. Sacrosanctum Concilium is the cornerstone of Vatican II because Read more
Bad liturgy should not be happening and some practices must change. The comments come in a warning from Archbishop Roger Houngbédji O.P. of Cotonou. He has observed many “unruly” liturgical celebrations during his seven years as head of Benin’s largest Catholic diocese. Houngbédji has reminded priests, deacons, consecrated persons and laity of the archdiocese of Read more
We humans (do we even need to say it?) are passionate animals! We have our loves and our hates, our up days and down days, and the times when we just want to sit quietly and be left alone. Moreover, these emotional swings are not simply mood swings or based on how we feel when Read more
The Catholic Church in New Zealand is setting its sights on introducing an inclusive lectionary for Mass. Improved translations for the opening and post-Communion prayers are also under consideration. The initiative was confirmed by Bishop Stephen Lowe, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and the bishops’ representative on the International Commission on English Read more
On 11 October 1962, the Second Vatican Council opened, and a year later, Sacrosanctum concilium changed the Church’s liturgy. It was expected by most of the bishops that it would ratify a series of documents prepared by the curia covering a raft of issues – but in essence, this was seen as an exercise in Read more
“We shape our buildings, then our buildings shape us,” echoes Thomas O’Loughlin in the forward of a new book: Shaping the Assembly – How Our Buildings Form Us in Worship. O’Loughlin suggests that the arrangement of space is often overlooked, but we constantly refer to it. It plays a pivotal role in our lives, he Read more
When I ask ordinary Catholics what they think of all the discussions about synodality and Pope Francis’ call for us to become a synodal Church, I usually get blank stares. Some assume that I am one of those academic types that enjoy asking irrelevant questions; others simply say that they haven’t got a clue about Read more