What exactly is IN the Vatican II document “Sacrosanctum
Concilium” (Pope Paul VI, December 4, 1963)? To be clear, I LOVE my Holy Catholic Church...I am just not very fond of all the things that came out of Vatican II.
Let’s take a look at a few items that might surprise you (I
am not quoting the entire document, only parts). ALL the comments (in blue), and underline text are my
own, as are the OPINIONS scattered between the Vatican II text. I would greatly welcome any clergy to correct
me in my observations. So let’s get
started.
Chapter One
GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE RESTORATION AND PROMOTION OF
THE SACRED LITURGY
THE SACRED LITURGY
A) General norms
22. 1. Regulation of the
sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the
Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.
2. In virtue of power
conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined
limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops
legitimately established.
3. Therefore no other
person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the
liturgy on his own authority.
23. That sound
tradition may be retained, and yet the way remain open to legitimate
progress careful investigation is always to be made into each part of the
liturgy which is to be revised. This investigation should be theological,
historical, and pastoral. Also the general laws governing the structure and
meaning of the liturgy must be studied in conjunction with the experience
derived from recent liturgical reforms and from the indults conceded to various
places. Finally, there must be no innovations unless the good of the Church
genuinely and certainly requires them; and care must be taken that any new
forms adopted should in some way grow organically from forms already existing.
As far as possible,
notable differences between the rites used in adjacent regions must be
carefully avoided.
24. Sacred scripture is
of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy. For it is from
scripture that lessons are read and explained in the homily, and psalms are
sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are scriptural in their
inspiration and their force, and it is from the scriptures that actions and
signs derive their meaning. Thus to achieve the restoration, progress, and
adaptation of the sacred liturgy, it is essential to promote that warm and
living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both eastern and
western rites gives testimony.
Now let’s move on to the next section… (where in MY OWN
OPINION as a laity- the hand holding, arms in the arm protestantish stuff comes
in… Tell me what you think.)
B) Norms drawn from the
hierarchic and communal nature of the Liturgy
30. To promote active participation, the people
should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses,
psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily
attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.
Sound like the “loophole” for all that hand waving, hand
holding and clapping (*cringe*) at Mass
that we never saw before Vatican II? It
does to me.
Let’s move on…
C) Norms based upon the
didactic and pastoral nature of the Liturgy
36. 1. Particular law
remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the
Latin rites.
2. But since the use of
the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments,
or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the
people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the
first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and
chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down
separately in subsequent chapters.
3. These norms being
observed, it is for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority
mentioned in Art. 22, 2, to decide whether, and to what extent, the
vernacular language is to be used; their decrees are to be approved, that
is, confirmed, by the Apostolic See. And, whenever it seems to be called for,
this authority is to consult with bishops of neighboring regions which have the
same language.
4. Translations from
the Latin text into the mother tongue intended for use in the liturgy must
be approved by the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned
above.
Hear that giant flushing sound? That was the Latin being lost in many
parishes, especially here in the United States.
Moving on…
F) The Promotion of
Pastoral-Liturgical Action
44. It is desirable that the competent
territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2, set up a
liturgical commission, to be assisted by experts in liturgical science, sacred
music, art and pastoral practice. So far as possible the commission should be
aided by some kind of Institute for Pastoral Liturgy, consisting of persons who
are eminent in these matters, and including laymen as circumstances suggest.
Under the direction of the above-mentioned territorial ecclesiastical authority
the commission is to regulate pastoral-liturgical action throughout the
territory, and to promote studies and necessary experiments whenever
there is question of adaptations to be proposed to the Apostolic See.
Does anyone really believe the “experiments” done after Vatican
II benefited the Church?
Moving on to the next chapter… hold on to your seats.
CHAPTER II
THE MOST SACRED MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST
48. The Church,
therefore, earnestly desires that Christ's faithful, when present at this
mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on
the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should
take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion
and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God's word and be
nourished at the table of the Lord's body; they should give thanks to God; by
offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but
also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the
Mediator [38], they
should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each
other, so that finally God may be all in all.
49. For this reason the
sacred Council, having in mind those Masses which are celebrated with the
assistance of the faithful, especially on Sundays and feasts of obligation,
has made the following decrees in order that the sacrifice of the Mass, even in
the ritual forms of its celebration, may become pastorally efficacious to the
fullest degree.
50. The rite of the Mass
is to be revised in such a way that the intrinsic nature and purpose of its
several parts, as also the connection between them, may be more clearly
manifested, and that devout and active participation by the faithful may be
more easily achieved.
For this purpose the
rites are to be simplified, due care being taken to preserve their
substance; elements which, with the passage of time, came to be duplicated, or
were added with but little advantage, are
now to be discarded; other elements which have suffered injury through accidents
of history are now to be restored to the vigor which they had in the days
of the holy Fathers, as may seem useful or necessary.
52. By means of the
homily the mysteries of the faith and the guiding principles of the Christian
life are expounded from the sacred text, during the course of the liturgical
year; the homily, therefore, is to be highly esteemed as part of the liturgy
itself; in fact, at those Masses which are celebrated with the assistance
of the people on Sundays and feasts of obligation, it should not be omitted
except for a serious reason.
Just like in the protestant churches where the sermons are
the focus of their entire service. Move over Jesus in the Eucharist, we’ve got
a homily to share your place! Could this
next part be why so much Latin has been tossed?? Let’s look…
54. In Masses which are
celebrated with the people, a suitable place may be allotted to their mother
tongue. This is to apply in the first place to the readings and "the
common prayer," but also, as local conditions may warrant, to those parts
which pertain to the people, according to the norm laid down in Art. 36 of this
Constitution.
Nevertheless steps
should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing
together in Latin those parts of the
Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.
And wherever a more
extended use of the mother tongue within the Mass appears desirable, the
regulation laid down in Art. 40 of this Constitution is to be observed.
Time for Sacraments and Sacramentals…and the laity.
CHAPTER III
THE OTHER SACRAMENTS AND THE SACRAMENTALS
79. The sacramentals
are to undergo a revision which takes into account the primary
principle of enabling the faithful to participate intelligently, actively,
and easily; the circumstances of our own days must also be considered. When
rituals are revised, as laid down in Art. 63, new sacramentals may also be
added as the need for these becomes apparent.
Reserved blessings shall
be very few; reservations shall be in favor of bishops or ordinaries.
Let provision be made
that some sacramentals, at least in special circumstances and at the discretion
of the ordinary, may be administered
by qualified lay persons.
Moving along…
CHAPTER IV
THE DIVINE OFFICE
84. By tradition going
back to early Christian times, the divine office is devised so that the whole
course of the day and night is made holy by the praises of God. Therefore, when
this wonderful song of praise is rightly performed by priests and others who
are deputed for this purpose by the Church's ordinance, or by the faithful
praying together with the priest in the approved form, then it is truly the
voice of the bride addressed to her bridegroom; It is the very prayer which
Christ Himself, together with His body, addresses to the Father.
85. Hence all who render
this service are not only fulfilling a duty of the Church, but also are sharing
in the greatest honor of Christ's spouse, for by offering these praises
to God they are standing before God's throne in the name of the Church their
Mother.
I think this part (#85 above) is beautiful and I wish more people
would pray the Divine Office- myself included!
93. To whatever extent
may seem desirable, the hymns are to
be restored to their original form, and whatever smacks of mythology or
ill accords with Christian piety is to be removed or changed. Also, as occasion
may arise, let other selections from the treasury of hymns be incorporated.
100. Pastors of souls
should see to it that the chief hours, especially
Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and the more solemn
feasts. And the laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office,
either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually.
Now on to the next chapter…
CHAPTER V
THE LITURGICAL YEAR
107. The liturgical year
is to be revised so that the traditional
customs and discipline of the sacred seasons shall be preserved or restored
to suit the conditions of modern times; their specific character is to be
retained, so that they duly nourish the piety of the faithful who celebrate the
mysteries of Christian redemption, and above all the paschal mystery. If
certain adaptations are considered necessary on account of local conditions,
they are to be made in accordance with the provisions of Art. 39 and 40.
108. The minds of the
faithful must be directed primarily toward the feasts of the Lord whereby the
mysteries of salvation are celebrated in the course of the year. Therefore, the
proper of the time shall be given the preference which is its due over the
feasts of the saints, so that the entire cycle of the mysteries of salvation
may be suitably recalled.
109. The season of Lent
has a twofold character: primarily by recalling or preparing for baptism and by
penance, it disposes the faithful, who more diligently hear the word of God and
devote themselves to prayer, to celebrate the paschal mystery. This twofold
character is to be brought into greater prominence both in the liturgy and by
liturgical catechesis.
Hence:
a) More use is to be made of the baptismal features proper to the
Lenten liturgy; some of them, which used to flourish in bygone days, are to be
restored as may seem good.
b) The same is to apply
to the penitential elements. As regards instruction it is important to impress
on the minds of the faithful not only a social consequences of sin but also
that essence of the virtue of penance which leads to the detestation of sin as
an offence against God; the role of the Church in penitential practices is not
to be passed over, and the people must be exhorted to pray for sinners.
My question to A) above
is – which ones? What had “flourished in
bygone days” and needs to be restored??
Anyone know?
110. During Lent penance
should not be only internal and individual, but also external and social. The
practice of penance should be fostered in ways that are possible in our own
times and in different regions, and according to the circumstances of the
faithful; it should be encouraged by the authorities mentioned in Art. 22.
Nevertheless, let the paschal fast be kept sacred.
Let it be celebrated everywhere on Good Friday and, where possible, prolonged throughout Holy Saturday,
so that the joys of the Sunday of the resurrection may be attained with
uplifted and clear mind.
Anyone else know the paschal Good Friday fast should be “prolonged
throughout Holy Saturday”? No one has
ever mentioned that in my parish. Has
this been taught in your parishes?
Now we move on to Sacred Music… I have to say straight out
that I HATE, absolutely HATE almost ALL the music played at my parish. We’ve got a piano (new priest ditched the
organ and our senior choir over a year ago) and drums. It sounds like a rock concert, NOT a Holy
Catholic Mass. This is a HUGE pet peeve
of mine. My soul YEARNS to organ music
and Gregorian Chant. Unfortunatly for
me, the ONLY Catholic parish in town has neither.
CHAPTER
VI SACRED MUSIC
112. The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of
inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main
reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words,
it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy.
Holy Scripture, indeed,
has bestowed praise upon sacred song [42], and the
same may be said of the fathers of the Church and of the Roman pontiffs who in
recent times, led by St. Pius X, have explained more precisely the ministerial
function supplied by sacred music in the service of the Lord.
Therefore sacred music
is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the
liturgical action, whether it adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds,
or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites. But the Church approves of
all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine
worship.
Accordingly, the sacred
Council, keeping to the norms and precepts of ecclesiastical tradition and
discipline, and having regard to the purpose of sacred music, which is the
glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful, decrees as follows.
113. Liturgical worship
is given a more noble form when the divine offices are celebrated solemnly in song, with the
assistance of sacred ministers and the active participation of the people.
As regards the language
to be used, the provisions of Art. 36 are to be observed; for the Mass, Art.
54; for the sacraments, Art. 63; for the divine office. Art. 101.
114. The treasure of sacred music is to be
preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently
promoted, especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of
souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to
be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to
contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs, as laid down in
Art. 28 and 30.
115. Great importance is
to be attached to the teaching and practice of music in seminaries, in the
novitiates and houses of study of religious of both sexes, and also in other
Catholic institutions and schools. To impart this instruction, teachers are to be carefully trained and
put in charge of the teaching of sacred music.
It is desirable also
to found higher institutes of sacred music whenever this can be done.
Composers and singers, especially boys, must also be given a
genuine liturgical training.
116. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant
as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal,
it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.
But other kinds of
sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical
celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action,
as laid down in Art. 30.
117. The typical edition
of the books of Gregorian chant
is to be completed; and a more critical edition is to be prepared of those
books already published since the restoration by St. Pius X.
It is desirable also
that an edition be prepared containing simpler melodies, for use in small
churches.
120. In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to
be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument
which adds a wonderful splendor to
the Church's ceremonies and powerfully
lifts up man's mind to God and to higher things.
But other instruments
also may be admitted for use in divine worship, with the knowledge and consent
of the competent territorial authority, as laid down in Art. 22, 52, 37, and
40. This may be done, however, only
on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for
sacred use, accord with the dignity of the temple, and truly contribute
to the edification of the faithful.
Moving along…
CHAPTER VII
SACRED ART AND SACRED FURNISHINGS
122. Very rightly the
fine arts are considered to rank among the noblest activities of man's genius,
and this applies especially to religious art and to its highest achievement,
which is sacred art. These arts, by their very nature, are oriented toward
the infinite beauty of God which they attempt in some way to portray by the
work of human hands; they achieve their purpose of redounding to God's
praise and glory in proportion as they are directed the more exclusively to the single aim of turning men's minds
devoutly toward God.
Holy Mother Church has
therefore always been the friend of the fine arts and has ever sought their
noble help, with the special aim that all things set apart for use in divine
worship should be truly worthy, becoming, and beautiful, signs and symbols of
the supernatural world, and for this purpose she has trained artists. In
fact, the Church has, with good reason, always reserved to herself the right to
pass judgment upon the arts, deciding which of the works of artists are in
accordance with faith, piety, and
cherished traditional laws, and thereby fitted for sacred use.
The Church has been particularly careful to see that sacred furnishings
should worthily and beautifully serve the dignity of worship, and has
admitted changes in materials, style, or ornamentation prompted by the progress
of the technical arts with the passage of time.
Wherefore it has pleased
the Fathers to issue the following decrees on these matters.
123. The Church has not
adopted any particular style of art as her very own; she has admitted styles
from every period according to the natural talents and circumstances of
peoples, and the needs of the various rites. Thus, in the course of the
centuries, she has brought into being a treasury of art which must be very carefully preserved. The art of our
own days, coming from every race and region, shall also be given free scope in
the Church, provided that it adorns
the sacred buildings and holy rites with due reverence and honor;
thereby it is enabled to contribute its own voice to that wonderful chorus of
praise in honor of the Catholic faith sung by great men in times gone by.
124. Ordinaries, by the
encouragement and favor they show to
art which is truly sacred, should
strive after noble beauty rather than mere sumptuous display. This
principle is to apply also in the matter of sacred vestments and ornaments.
Let bishops carefully
remove from the house of God and from other sacred places those works of
artists which are repugnant to faith, morals, and Christian piety, and which
offend true religious sense either by depraved forms or by lack of artistic
worth, mediocrity and pretense.
And when churches are to
be built, let great care be taken that they be suitable for the celebration of
liturgical services and for the active participation of the faithful.
125. The practice of placing sacred images in
churches so that they may be venerated by the faithful is to be maintained.
Nevertheless their number should be moderate and their relative positions
should reflect right order. For otherwise they may create confusion among the
Christian people and foster devotion of doubtful orthodoxy.
126. When passing
judgment on works of art, local ordinaries shall give a hearing to the diocesan
commission on sacred art and, if needed, also to others who are especially
expert, and to the commissions referred to in Art. 44, 45, and 46.
Ordinaries must be very careful to see that
sacred furnishings and works of value are not disposed of or dispersed; for
they are the ornaments of the house of God.
Ut-oh… here’s the part
that was likely used to “stick Jesus in the corner” – that is moving the
Tabernacle from the prominence of front and center to an area off to the side-
out of the way.
128. Along with the
revision of the liturgical books, as laid down in Art. 25, there is to be an
early revision of the canons and ecclesiastical statutes which govern the
provision of material things involved in sacred worship. These laws refer
especially to the worthy and well planned construction of sacred buildings, the shape and construction of altars,
the nobility, placing, and safety of the eucharistic tabernacle, the
dignity and suitability of the baptistery, the proper ordering of sacred
images, embellishments, and vestments. Laws which seem less suited to the
reformed liturgy are to be brought into harmony with it, or else abolished; and any which are helpful are to be
retained if already in use, or introduced where they are lacking.
According to the norm of
Art. 22 of this Constitution, the territorial bodies of bishops are empowered
to adapt such things to the needs and customs of their different regions; this
applies especially to the materials and form of sacred furnishings and
vestments.
Well that's it for now. I'd welcome anyone else thoughts on Vatican II or anything I've commented on here.
To
read the entire Vatican II document, go to:
To learn about how
Vatican II came to be and just WHO was behind what, I highly recommend watching
the following video’s by Michael Voris, of The Vortex.
And part 2...
God bless you all and our Holy Catholic Church!
