ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XII ON
THE SACRED LITURGY TO THE VENERABLE BRETHREN, THE PATRIARCHS, PRIMATES, ARCHBISHOPS,
BISHIOPS, AND OTHER ORDINARIES IN PEACE AND COMMUNION WITH THE APOSTOLIC SEE
Venerable
Brethren,
Health and
Apostolic Benediction.
Mediator
between God and men[1] and High Priest who has
gone before us into heaven, Jesus the Son of God[2]
quite clearly had one aim in view when He undertook the mission of mercy which
was to endow mankind with the rich blessings of supernatural grace. Sin had
disturbed the right relationship between man and his Creator; the Son of God
would restore it. The children of Adam were wretched heirs to the infection of
original sin; He would bring them back to their heavenly Father, the primal
source and final destiny of all things. For this reason He was not content,
while He dwelt with us on earth, merely to give notice that redemption had
begun, and to proclaim the long-awaited Kingdom of God, but gave Himself besides
in prayer and sacrifice to the task of saving souls, even to the point of
offering Himself, as He hung from the cross, a Victim unspotted unto God, to
purify our conscience of dead works, to serve the living God.[3] Thus happily were all men summoned back from the
byways leading them down to ruin and disaster, to be set squarely once again
upon the path that leads to God. Thanks to the shedding of the blood of the
Immaculate Lamb, now each might set about the personal task of achieving his
own sanctification, so rendering to God the glory due to Him.
2. But what
is more, the divine Redeemer has so willed it that the priestly life begun with
the supplication and sacrifice of His mortal body should continue without
intermission down the ages in His Mystical Body which is the Church. That is
why He established a visible priesthood to offer everywhere the clean oblation[4] which would enable men from East to West, freed
from the shackles of sin, to offer God that unconstrained and voluntary homage
which their conscience dictates.
3. In
obedience, therefore, to her Founder's behest, the Church prolongs the priestly
mission of Jesus Christ mainly by means of the sacred liturgy. She does this in
the first place at the altar, where constantly the sacrifice of the cross is
represented[5] and with a single difference in
the manner of its offering, renewed.[6] She does
it next by means of the sacraments, those special channels through which men
are made partakers in the supernatural life. She does it, finally, by offering
to God, all Good and Great, the daily tribute of her prayer of praise.
"What a spectacle for heaven and earth," observes Our predecessor of
happy memory, Pius XI, "is not the Church at prayer! For centuries without
interruption, from midnight to midnight, the divine psalmody of the inspired
canticles is repeated on earth; there is no hour of the day that is not
hallowed by its special liturgy; there is no state of human life that has not
its part in the thanksgiving, praise, supplication and reparation of this
common prayer of the Mystical Body of Christ which is His Church!"[7]
4. You are of
course familiar with the fact, Venerable Brethren, that a remarkably widespread
revival of scholarly interest in the sacred liturgy took place towards the end of
the last century and has continued through the early years of this one. The
movement owed its rise to commendable private initiative and more particularly
to the zealous and persistent labor of several monasteries within the
distinguished Order of Saint Benedict. Thus there developed in this field among
many European nations, and in lands beyond the seas as well, a rivalry as
welcome as it was productive of results. Indeed, the salutary fruits of this
rivalry among the scholars were plain for all to see, both in the sphere of the
sacred sciences, where the liturgical rites of the Western and Eastern Church
were made the object of extensive research and profound study, and in the
spiritual life of considerable numbers of individual Christians.
5. The majestic
ceremonies of the sacrifice of the altar became better known, understood and
appreciated. With more widespread and more frequent reception of the
sacraments, with the beauty of the liturgical prayers more fully savored, the
worship of the Eucharist came to be regarded for what it really is: the
fountain-head of genuine Christian devotion. Bolder relief was given likewise
to the fact that all the faithful make up a single and very compact body with
Christ for its Head, and that the Christian community is in duty bound to
participate in the liturgical rites according to their station.
6. You are
surely well aware that this Apostolic See has always made careful provision for
the schooling of the people committed to its charge in the correct spirit and
practice of the liturgy; and that it has been no less careful to insist that
the sacred rites should be performed with due external dignity. In this
connection We ourselves, in the course of our traditional address to the Lenten
preachers of this gracious city of Rome
in 1943, urged them warmly to exhort their respective hearers to more faithful
participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Only a short while previously, with
the design of rendering the prayers of the liturgy more correctly understood
and their truth and unction more easy to perceive, We arranged to have the Book
of Psalms, which forms such an important part of these prayers in the Catholic
Church, translated again into Latin from their original text.[8]
7. But while
We derive no little satisfaction from the wholesome results of the movement
just described, duty obliges Us to give serious attention to this
"revival" as it is advocated in some quarters, and to take proper
steps to preserve it at the outset from excess or outright perversion.
8. Indeed,
though we are sorely grieved to note, on the one hand, that there are places
where the spirit, understanding or practice of the sacred liturgy is defective,
or all but inexistent, We observe with considerable anxiety and some misgiving,
that elsewhere certain enthusiasts, over-eager in their search for novelty, are
straying beyond the path of sound doctrine and prudence. Not seldom, in fact,
they interlard their plans and hopes for a revival of the sacred liturgy with
principles which compromise this holiest of causes in theory or practice, and
sometimes even taint it with errors touching Catholic faith and ascetical
doctrine.
9. Yet the
integrity of faith and morals ought to be the special criterion of this sacred
science, which must conform exactly to what the Church out of the abundance of
her wisdom teaches and prescribes. It is, consequently, Our prerogative to
commend and approve whatever is done properly, and to check or censure any
aberration from the path of truth and rectitude.
10. Let not the
apathetic or half-hearted imagine, however, that We agree with them when We
reprove the erring and restrain the overbold. No more must the imprudent think
that we are commending them when We correct the faults of those who are
negligent and sluggish.
11. If in
this encyclical letter We treat chiefly of the Latin liturgy, it is not because
We esteem less highly the venerable liturgies of the Eastern Church, whose
ancient and honorable ritual traditions are just as dear to Us. The reason lies
rather in a special situation prevailing in the Western Church,
of sufficient importance, it would seem, to require this exercise of Our
authority.
12. With
docile hearts, then, let all Christians hearken to the voice of their Common
Father, who would have them, each and every one, intimately united with him as
they approach the altar of God, professing the same faith, obedient to the same
law, sharing in the same Sacrifice with a single intention and one sole desire.
This is a duty imposed, of course, by the honor due to God. But the needs of
our day and age demand it as well. After a long and cruel war which has rent
whole peoples asunder with it rivalry and slaughter, men of good will are
spending themselves in the effort to find the best possible way to restore peace
to the world. It is, notwithstanding, Our belief that no plan or initiative can
offer better prospect of success than that fervent religious spirit and zeal by
which Christians must be formed and guided; in this way their common and
whole-hearted acceptance of the same truth, along with their united obedience
and loyalty to their appointed pastors, while rendering to God the worship due
to Him, makes of them one brotherhood: "for we, being many, are one body:
all that partake of one bread."[9]
13. It is
unquestionably the fundamental duty of man to orientate his person and his life
towards God. "For He it is to whom we must first be bound, as to an
unfailing principle; to whom even our free choice must be directed as to an
ultimate objective. It is He, too, whom we lose when carelessly we sin. It is
He whom we must recover by our faith and trust."[10]
But man turns properly to God when he acknowledges His Supreme majesty
and supreme authority; when he accepts divinely revealed truths with a
submissive mind; when he scrupulously obeys divine law, centering in God his
every act and aspiration; when he accords, in short, due worship to the One
True God by practicing the virtue of religion.
14. This duty
is incumbent, first of all, on men as individuals. But it also binds the whole
community of human beings, grouped together by mutual social ties: mankind,
too, depends on the sovereign authority of God.
15. It should
be noted, moreover, that men are bound by his obligation in a special way in
virtue of the fact that God has raised them to the supernatural order.
16. Thus we
observe that when God institutes the Old Law, He makes provision besides for
sacred rites, and determines in exact detail the rules to be observed by His
people in rendering Him the worship He ordains. To this end He established
various kinds of sacrifice and designated the ceremonies with which they were
to be offered to Him. His enactments on all matters relating to the Ark of the
Covenant, the Temple and the holy days are minute and clear. He established a
sacerdotal tribe with its high priest, selected and described the vestments
with which the sacred ministers were to be clothed, and every function in any
way pertaining to divine worship.[11] Yet this
was nothing more than a faint foreshadowing[12]
of the worship which the High Priest of the New Testament was to render to the
Father in heaven.
17. No
sooner, in fact, "is the Word made flesh"[13]
than he shows Himself to the world vested with a priestly office, making
to the Eternal Father an act of submission which will continue uninterruptedly
as long as He lives: "When He cometh into the world he saith. . . 'behold
I come ... to do Thy Will."[14] This act He
was to consummate admirably in the bloody Sacrifice of the Cross: "It is
in this will we are sanctified by the oblation of the Body of Jesus Christ
once."[15] He plans His active life among
men with no other purpose in view. As a child He is presented to the Lord in
the Temple. To the Temple He returns as a grown boy, and often afterwards to
instruct the people and to pray. He fasts for forty days before beginning His
public ministry. His counsel and example summon all to prayer, daily and at
night as well. As Teacher of the truth He "enlighteneth every man"[16] to the end that mortals may duly acknowledge the
immortal God, "not withdrawing unto perdition, but faithful to the saving
of the soul."[17] As Shepherd He watches
over His flock, leads it to life-giving pasture, lays down a law that none
shall wander from His side, off the straight path He has pointed out, and that
all shall lead holy lives imbued with His spirit and moved by His active aid.
At the Last Supper He celebrates a new Pasch with solemn rite and ceremonial,
and provides for its continuance through the divine institution of the
Eucharist. On the morrow, lifted up between heaven and earth, He offers the
saving sacrifice of His life, and pours forth, as it were, from His pierced
Heart the sacraments destined to impart the treasures of redemption to the
souls of men. All this He does with but a single aim: the glory of His Father
and man's ever greater sanctification.
18. But it is
His will, besides, that the worship He instituted and practiced during His life
on earth shall continue ever afterwards without intermission. For he has not
left mankind an orphan. He still offers us the support of His powerful,
unfailing intercession, acting as our "advocate with the Father."[18] He aids us likewise through His Church, where He
is present indefectibly as the ages run their course: through the Church which
He constituted "the pillar of truth"[19]
and dispenser of grace, and which by His sacrifice on the cross, He founded,
consecrated and confirmed forever.[20]
19. The
Church has, therefore, in common with the Word Incarnate the aim, the
obligation and the function of teaching all men the truth, of governing and
directing them aright, of offering to God the pleasing and acceptable
sacrifice; in this way the Church re-establishes between the Creator and His
creatures that unity and harmony to which the Apostle of the Gentiles alludes
in these words: "Now, therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners;
but you are fellow citizens with the saints and domestics of God, built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief corner-stone; in whom all the building, being framed together, groweth up
into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together in a
habitation of God in the Spirit."[21] Thus
the society founded by the divine Redeemer, whether in her doctrine and
government, or in the sacrifice and sacraments instituted by Him, or finally,
in the ministry, which He has confided to her charge with the outpouring of His
prayer and the shedding of His blood, has no other goal or purpose than to
increase ever in strength and unity.
20. This
result is, in fact, achieved when Christ lives and thrives, as it were, in the
hearts of men, and when men's hearts in turn are fashioned and expanded as
though by Christ. This makes it possible for the sacred temple, where the
Divine Majesty receives the acceptable worship which His law prescribes, to
increase and prosper day by day in this land of exile of earth. Along with the
Church, therefore, her Divine Founder is present at every liturgical function:
Christ is present at the august sacrifice of the altar both in the person of
His minister and above all under the Eucharistic species. He is present in the
sacraments, infusing into them the power which makes them ready instruments of
sanctification. He is present, finally, in prayer of praise and petition we
direct to God, as it is written: "Where there are two or three gathered
together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them."[22] The sacred liturgy is, consequently, the public
worship which our Redeemer as Head of the Church renders to the Father, as well
as the worship which the community of the faithful renders to its Founder, and
through Him to the heavenly Father. It is, in short, the worship rendered by
the Mystical Body of Christ in the entirety of its Head and members.
21.
Liturgical practice begins with the very founding of the Church. The first
Christians, in fact, "were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles and
in the communication of the breaking of bread and in prayers."[23] Whenever their pastors can summon a little group
of the faithful together, they set up an altar on which they proceed to offer
the sacrifice, and around which are ranged all the other rites appropriate for
the saving of souls and for the honor due to God. Among these latter rites, the
first place is reserved for the sacraments, namely, the seven principal founts
of salvation. There follows the celebration of the divine praises in which the
faithful also join, obeying the behest of the Apostle Paul, "In all
wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual
canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God."[24] Next comes the reading of the Law, the prophets, the gospel
and the apostolic epistles; and last of all the homily or sermon in which the
official head of the congregation recalls and explains the practical bearing of
the commandments of the divine Master and the chief events of His life,
combining instruction with appropriate exhortation and illustration of the benefit
of all his listeners.
22. As
circumstances and the needs of Christians warrant, public worship is organized,
developed and enriched by new rites, ceremonies and regulations, always with
the single end in view, "that we may use these external signs to keep us
alert, learn from them what distance we have come along the road, and by them
be heartened to go on further with more eager step; for the effect will be more
precious the warmer the affection which precedes it."[25] Here then is a better and more suitable way to
raise the heart to God. Thenceforth the priesthood of Jesus Christ is a living
and continuous reality through all the ages to the end of time, since the
liturgy is nothing more nor less than the exercise of this priestly function.
Like her divine Head, the Church is forever present in the midst of her
children. She aids and exhorts them to holiness, so that they may one day
return to the Father in heaven clothed in that beauteous raiment of the
supernatural. To all who are born to life on earth she gives a second,
supernatural kind of birth. She arms them with the Holy Spirit for the struggle
against the implacable enemy. She gathers all Christians about her altars,
inviting and urging them repeatedly to take part in the celebration of the Mass,
feeding them with the Bread of angels to make them ever stronger. She purifies
and consoles the hearts that sin has wounded and soiled. Solemnly she
consecrates those whom God has called to the priestly ministry. She fortifies
with new gifts of grace the chaste nupitals of those who are destined to found
and bring up a Christian family. When as last she has soothed and refreshed the
closing hours of this earthly life by holy Viaticum and extreme unction, with
the utmost affection she accompanies the mortal remains of her children to the
grave, lays them reverently to rest, and confides them to the protection of the
cross, against the day when they will triumph over death and rise again. She
has a further solemn blessing and invocation for those of her children who
dedicate themselves to the service of God in the life of religious perfection.
Finally, she extends to the souls in purgatory, who implore her intercession
and her prayers, the helping hand which may lead them happily at last to
eternal blessedness in heaven.
23. The
worship rendered by the Church to God must be, in its entirety, interior as
well as exterior. It is exterior because the nature of man as a composite of
body and soul requires it to be so. Likewise, because divine Providence has
disposed that "while we recognize God visibly, we may be drawn by Him to
love of things unseen."[26] Every impulse
of the human heart, besides, expresses itself naturally through the senses; and
the worship of God, being the concern not merely of individuals but of the
whole community of mankind, must therefore be social as well. This obviously it
cannot be unless religious activity is also organized and manifested outwardly.
Exterior worship, finally, reveals and emphasizes the unity of the mystical
Body, feeds new fuel to its holy zeal, fortifies its energy, intensifies its
action day by day: "for although the ceremonies themselves can claim no
perfection or sanctity in their won right, they are, nevertheless, the outward
acts of religion, designed to rouse the heart, like signals of a sort, to
veneration of the sacred realities, and to raise the mind to meditation on the
supernatural. They serve to foster piety, to kindle the flame of charity, to
increase our faith and deepen our devotion. They provide instruction for simple
folk, decoration for divine worship, continuity of religious practice. They
make it possible to tell genuine Christians from their false or heretical
counterparts."[27]
24. But the
chief element of divine worship must be interior. For we must always live in
Christ and give ourselves to Him completely, so that in Him, with Him and
through Him the heavenly Father may be duly glorified. The sacred liturgy
requires, however, that both of these elements be intimately linked with each
another. This recommendation the liturgy itself is careful to repeat, as often
as it prescribes an exterior act of worship. Thus we are urged, when there is
question of fasting, for example, "to give interior effect to our outward
observance."[28] Otherwise religion clearly
amounts to mere formalism, without meaning and without content. You recall,
Venerable Brethren, how the divine Master expels from the sacred temple, as
unworthily to worship there, people who pretend to honor God with nothing but
neat and wellturned phrases, like actors in a theater, and think themselves
perfectly capable of working out their eternal salvation without plucking their
inveterate vices from their hearts.[29] It is,
therefore, the keen desire of the Church that all of the faithful kneel at the
feet of the Redeemer to tell Him how much they venerate and love Him. She wants
them present in crowds - like the children whose joyous cries accompanied His
entry into Jerusalem - to sing their hymns and chant their song of praise and
thanksgiving to Him who is King of Kings and Source of every blessing. She
would have them move their lips in prayer, sometimes in petition, sometimes in
joy and gratitude, and in this way experience His merciful aid and power like
the apostles at the lakeside of Tiberias, or abandon themselves totally, like
Peter on Mount Tabor, to mystic union with the eternal God in contemplation.
25. It is an
error, consequently, and a mistake to think of the sacred liturgy as merely the
outward or visible part of divine worship or as an ornamental ceremonial. No
less erroneous is the notion that it consists solely in a list of laws and
prescriptions according to which the ecclesiastical hierarchy orders the sacred
rites to be performed.
26. It should
be clear to all, then, that God cannot be honored worthily unless the mind and
heart turn to Him in quest of the perfect life, and that the worship rendered
to God by the Church in union with her divine Head is the most efficacious
means of achieving sanctity.
27. This
efficacy, where there is question of the Eucharistic sacrifice and the
sacraments, derives first of all and principally from the act itself (ex opere
operato). But if one considers the part which the Immaculate Spouse of Jesus
Christ takes in the action, embellishing the sacrifice and sacraments with
prayer and sacred ceremonies, or if one refers to the "sacramentals"
and the other rites instituted by the hierarchy of the Church, then its
effectiveness is due rather to the action of the church (ex opere operantis
Ecclesiae), inasmuch as she is holy and acts always in closest union with her
Head.
28. In this
connection, Venerable Brethren, We desire to direct your attention to certain
recent theories touching a so-called "objective" piety. While these
theories attempt, it is true, to throw light on the mystery of the Mystical
Body, on the effective reality of sanctifying grace, on the action of God in
the sacraments and in the Mass, it is nonetheless apparent that they tend to
belittle, or pass over in silence, what they call "subjective," or
"personal" piety.
29. It is an
unquestionable fact that the work of our redemption is continued, and that its
fruits are imparted to us, during the celebration of the liturgy, notable in
the august sacrifice of the altar. Christ acts each day to save us, in the
sacraments and in His holy sacrifice. By means of them He is constantly atoning
for the sins of mankind, constantly consecrating it to God. Sacraments and
sacrifice do, then, possess that "objective" power to make us really
and personally sharers in the divine life of Jesus Christ. Not from any ability
of our own, but by the power of God, are they endowed with the capacity to
unite the piety of members with that of the head, and to make this, in a sense,
the action of the whole community. From these profund considerations some are
led to conclude that all Christian piety must be centered in the mystery of the
Mystical Body of Christ, with no regard for what is "personal" or
"subjective, as they would have it. As a result they feel that all other
religious exercises not directly connected with the sacred liturgy, and
performed outside public worship should be omitted.
30. But
though the principles set forth above are excellent, it must be plain to
everyone that the conclusions drawn from them respecting two sorts of piety are
false, insidious and quite pernicious.
31. Very
truly, the sacraments and the sacrifice of the altar, being Christ's own
actions, must be held to be capable in themselves of conveying and dispensing
grace from the divine Head to the members of the Mystical Body. But if they are
to produce their proper effect, it is absolutely necessary that our hearts be
properly disposed to receive them. Hence the warning of Paul the Apostle with
reference to holy communion, "But let a man first prove himself; and then
let him eat of this bread and drink of the chalice."[30] This explains why the Church in a brief and
significant phrase calls the various acts of mortification, especially those
practiced during the season of Lent, "the Christian army's defenses."[31] They represent, in fact, the personal effort and
activity of members who desire, as grace urges and aids them, to join forces
with their Captain - "that we may discover ... in our Captain," to
borrow St. Augustine's words, "the fountain of grace itself."[32] But observe that these members are alive, endowed
and equipped with an intelligence and will of their own. It follows that they
are strictly required to put their own lips to the fountain, imbibe and absorb
for themselves the life-giving water, and rid themselves personally of anything
that might hinder its nutritive effect in their souls. Emphatically, therefore,
the work of redemption, which in itself is independent of our will, requires a
serious interior effort on our part if we are to achieve eternal salvation.
32. If the
private and interior devotion of individuals were to neglect the august
sacrifice of the altar and the sacraments, and to withdraw them from the stream
of vital energy that flows from Head to members, it would indeed be sterile,
and deserve to be condemned. But when devotional exercises, and pious practices
in general, not strictly connected with the sacred liturgy, confine themselves
to merely human acts, with the express purpose of directing these latter to the
Father in heaven, of rousing people to repentance and holy fear of God, of
weaning them from the seductions of the world and its vice, and leading them
back to the difficult path of perfection, then certainly such practices are not
only highly praiseworthy but absolutely indispensable, because they expose the
dangers threatening the spiritual life; because they promote the acquisition of
virtue; and because they increase the fervor and generosity with which we are
bound to dedicate all that we are and all that we have to the service of Jesus
Christ. Genuine and real piety, which the Angelic Doctor calls
"devotion," and which is the principal act of the virtue of religion
- that act which correctly relates and fitly directs men to God; and by which
they freely and spontaneously give themselves to the worship of God in its
fullest sense[33] - piety of this authentic sort
needs meditation on the supernatural realities and spiritual exercises, if it
is to be nurtured, stimulated and sustained, and if it is to prompt us to lead
a more perfect life. For the Christian religion, practiced as it should be,
demands that the will especially be consecrated to God and exert its influence
on all the other spiritual faculties. But every act of the will presupposes an
act of the intelligence, and before one can express the desire and the
intention of offering oneself in sacrifice to the eternal Godhead, a knowledge
of the facts and truths which make religion a duty is altogether necessary. One
must first know, for instance, man's last end and the supremacy of the Divine
Majesty; after that, our common duty of submission to our Creator; and,
finally, the inexhaustible treasures of love with which God yearns to enrich
us, as well as the necessity of supernatural grace for the achievement of our
destiny, and that special path marked out for us by divine Providence in virtue
of the fact that we have been united, one and all, like members of a body, to
Jesus Christ the Head. But further, since our hearts, disturbed as they are at
times by the lower appetites, do not always respond to motives of love, it is
also extremely helpful to let consideration and contemplation of the justice of
God provoke us on occasion to salutary fear, and guide us thence to Christian humility,
repentance and amendment.
33. But it
will not do to possess these facts and truths after the fashion of an abstract
memory lesson or lifeless commentary. They must lead to practical results. They
must impel us to subject our senses and their faculties to reason, as
illuminated by the Catholic faith. They must help to cleanse and purify the
heart, uniting it to Christ more intimately every day, growing ever more to His
likeness, and drawing from Him the divine inspiration and strength of which it stands
in need. They must serve as increasingly effective incentives to action: urging
men to produce good fruit, to perform their individual duties faithfully, to
give themselves eagerly to the regular practice of their religion and the
energetic exercise of virtue. "You are Christ's, and Christ is
God's."[34] Let everything, therefore, have
its proper place and arrangement; let everything be "theocentric," so
to speak, if we really wish to direct everything to the glory of God through
the life and power which flow from the divine Head into our hearts:
"Having therefore, brethren, a confidence in the entering into the holies
by the blood of Christ, a new and living way which He both dedicated for us
through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, and a high priest over the house
of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in fullness of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean
water, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering ... and let
us consider one another, to provoke unto charity and to good works."[35]
34. Here is
the source of the harmony and equilibrium which prevails among the members of
the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. When the Church teaches us our Catholic
faith and exhorts us to obey the commandments of Christ, she is paving a way
for her priestly, sanctifying action in its highest sense; she disposes us
likewise for more serious meditation on the life of the divine Redeemer and
guides us to profounder knowledge of the mysteries of faith where we may draw
the supernatural sustenance, strength and vitality that enable us to progress
safely, through Christ, towards a more perfect life. Not only through her
ministers but with the help of the faithful individually, who have imbibed in
this fashion the spirit of Christ, the Church endeavors to permeate with this
same spirit the life and labors of men - their private and family life, their
social, even economic and political life - that all who are called God's
children may reach more readily the end He has proposed for them.
35. Such
action on the part of individual Christians, then, along with the ascetic
effort promoting them to purify their hearts, actually stimulates in the
faithful those energies which enable them to participate in the august
sacrifice of the altar with better dispositions. They now can receive the
sacraments with more abundant fruit, and come from the celebration of the
sacred rites more eager, more firmly resolved to pray and deny themselves like
Christians, to answer the inspirations and invitation of divine grace and to
imitate daily more closely the virtues of our Redeemer. And all of this not
simply for their own advantage, but for that of the whole Church, where
whatever good is accomplished proceeds from the power of her Head and redounds
to the advancement of all her members.
36. In the
spiritual life, consequently, there can be no opposition between the action of
God, who pours forth His grace into men's hearts so that the work of the
redemption may always abide, and the tireless collaboration of man, who must
not render vain the gift of God.[36] No more can
the efficacy of the external administration of the sacraments, which comes from
the rite itself (ex opere operato), be opposed to the meritorious action of
their ministers of recipients, which we call the agent's action (opus
operantis). Similarly, no conflict exists between public prayer and prayers in
private, between morality and contemplation, between the ascetical life and
devotion to the liturgy. Finally, there is no opposition between the
jurisdiction and teaching office of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and the
specifically priestly power exercised in the sacred ministry.
37.
Considering their special designation to perform the liturgical functions of
the holy sacrifice and divine office, the Church has serious reason for
prescribing that the ministers she assigns to the service of the sanctuary and
members of religious institutes betake themselves at stated times to mental
prayer, to examination of conscience, and to various other spiritual exercises.[37] Unquestionably, liturgical prayer, being the
public supplication of the illustrious Spouse of Jesus Christ, is superior in
excellence to private prayers. But this superior worth does not at all imply
contrast or incompatibility between these two kinds of prayer. For both merge
harmoniously in the single spirit which animates them, "Christ is all and
in all."[38] Both tend to the same
objective: until Christ be formed in us.[39]
38. For a
better and more accurate understanding of the sacred liturgy another of its
characteristic features, no less important, needs to be considered.
39. The
Church is a society, and as such requires an authority and hierarchy of her
own. Though it is true that all the members of the Mystical Body partake of the
same blessings and pursue the same objective, they do not all enjoy the same
powers, nor are they all qualified to perform the same acts. The divine
Redeemer has willed, as a matter of fact, that His Kingdom should be built and
solidly supported, as it were, on a holy order, which resembles in some sort
the heavenly hierarchy.
40. Only to
the apostles, and thenceforth to those on whom their successors have imposed
hands, is granted the power of the priesthood, in virtue of which they
represent the person of Jesus Christ before their people, acting at the same
time as representatives of their people before God. This priesthood is not
transmitted by heredity or human descent. It does not emanate from the
Christian community. It is not a delegation from the people. Prior to acting as
representative of the community before the throne of God, the priest is the
ambassador of the divine Redeemer. He is God's vice-gerent in the midst of his
flock precisely because Jesus Christ is Head of that body of which Christians
are the members. The power entrusted to him, therefore, bears no natural
resemblance to anything human. It is entirely supernatural. It comes from God.
"As the Father hath sent me, I also send you [40].
. . he that heareth you heareth me [41]. . . go
ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature; he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved."[42]
41. That is
why the visible, external priesthood of Jesus Christ is not handed down
indiscriminately to all members of the Church in general, but is conferred on
designated men, through what may be called the spiritual generation of holy
orders.
42. This
latter, one of the seven sacraments, not only imparts the grace appropriate to
the clerical function and state of life, but imparts an indelible
"character" besides, indicating the sacred ministers' conformity to
Jesus Christ the Priest and qualifying them to perform those official acts of
religion by which men are sanctified and God is duly glorified in keeping with
the divine laws and regulations.
43. In the
same way, actually that baptism is the distinctive mark of all Christians, and
serves to differentiate them from those who have not been cleansed in this
purifying stream and consequently are not members of Christ, the sacrament of
holy orders sets the priest apart from the rest of the faithful who have not
received this consecration. For they alone, in answer to an inward supernatural
call, have entered the august ministry, where they are assigned to service in
the sanctuary and become, as it were, the instruments God uses to communicate
supernatural life from on high to the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Add to
this, as We have noted above, the fact that they alone have been marked with
the indelible sign "conforming" them to Christ the Priest, and that
their hands alone have been consecrated "in order that whatever they bless
may be blessed, whatever they consecrate may become sacred and holy, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ"[43] Let all,
then, who would live in Christ flock to their priests. By them they will be
supplied with the comforts and food of the spiritual life. From them they will
procure the medicine of salvation assuring their cure and happy recovery from
the fatal sickness of their sins. The priest, finally, will bless their homes,
consecrate their families and help them, as they breathe their last, across the
threshold of eternal happiness.
44. Since,
therefore, it is the priest chiefly who performs the sacred liturgy in the name
of the Church, its organization, regulation and details cannot but be subject
to Church authority. This conclusion, based on the nature of Christian worship
itself, is further confirmed by the testimony of history.
45.
Additional proof of this indefeasible right of the ecclesiastical hierarchy
lies in the circumstances that the sacred liturgy is intimately bound up with
doctrinal propositions which the Church proposes to be perfectly true and
certain, and must as a consequence conform to the decrees respecting Catholic
faith issued by the supreme teaching authority of the Church with a view to
safeguarding the integrity of the religion revealed by God.
46. On this
subject We judge it Our duty to rectify an attitude with which you are
doubtless familiar, Venerable Brethren. We refer to the error and fallacious
reasoning of those who have claimed that the sacred liturgy is a kind of
proving ground for the truths to be held of faith, meaning by this that the
Church is obliged to declare such a doctrine sound when it is found to have
produced fruits of piety and sanctity through the sacred rites of the liturgy,
and to reject it otherwise. Hence the epigram, "Lex orandi, lex
credendi" - the law for prayer is the law for faith.
47. But this
is not what the Church teaches and enjoins. The worship she offers to God, all
good and great, is a continuous profession of Catholic faith and a continuous
exercise of hope and charity, as Augustine puts it tersely. "God is to be
worshipped," he says, "by faith, hope and charity."[44] In the sacred liturgy we profess the Catholic
faith explicitly and openly, not only by the celebration of the mysteries, and
by offering the holy sacrifice and administering the sacraments, but also by
saying or singing the credo or Symbol of the faith - it is indeed the sign and
badge, as it were, of the Christian - along with other texts, and likewise by
the reading of holy scripture, written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
The entire liturgy, therefore, has the Catholic faith for its content, inasmuch
as it bears public witness to the faith of the Church.
48. For this
reason, whenever there was question of defining a truth revealed by God, the
Sovereign Pontiff and the Councils in their recourse to the "theological
sources," as they are called, have not seldom drawn many an argument from
this sacred science of the liturgy. For an example in point, Our predecessor of
immortal memory, Pius IX, so argued when he proclaimed the Immaculate
Conception of the Virgin Mary. Similarly during the discussion of a doubtful or
controversial truth, the Church and the Holy Fathers have not failed to look to
the age-old and age-honored sacred rites for enlightenment. Hence the
well-known and venerable maxim, "Legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi"
- let the rule for prayer determine the rule of belief.[45]
The sacred liturgy, consequently, does not decide or determine independently
and of itself what is of Catholic faith. More properly, since the liturgy is
also a profession of eternal truths, and subject, as such, to the supreme
teaching authority of the Church, it can supply proofs and testimony, quite
clearly, of no little value, towards the determination of a particular point of
Christian doctrine. But if one desires to differentiate and describe the
relationship between faith and the sacred liturgy in absolute and general
terms, it is perfectly correct to say, "Lex credendi legem statuat
supplicandi" - let the rule of belief determine the rule of prayer. The
same holds true for the other theological virtues also, "In ... fide, spe,
caritate continuato desiderio semper oramus" - we pray always, with
constant yearning in faith, hope and charity.[46]
49. From time
immemorial the ecclesiastical hierarchy has exercised this right in matters
liturgical. It has organized and regulated divine worship, enriching it
constantly with new splendor and beauty, to the glory of God and the spiritual
profit of Christians. What is more, it has not been slow - keeping the
substance of the Mass and sacraments carefully intact - to modify what it
deemed not altogether fitting, and to add what appeared more likely to increase
the honor paid to Jesus Christ and the august Trinity, and to instruct and
stimulate the Christian people to greater advantage.[47]
50. The sacred
liturgy does, in fact, include divine as well as human elements. The former,
instituted as they have been by God, cannot be changed in any way by men. But
the human components admit of various modifications, as the needs of the age,
circumstance and the good of souls may require, and as the ecclesiastical
hierarchy, under guidance of the Holy Spirit, may have authorized. This will
explain the marvelous variety of Eastern and Western rites. Here is the reason
for the gradual addition, through successive development, of particular
religious customs and practices of piety only faintly discernible in earlier
times. Hence likewise it happens from time to time that certain devotions long
since forgotten are revived and practiced anew. All these developments attest
the abiding life of the immaculate Spouse of Jesus Christ through these many
centuries. They are the sacred language she uses, as the ages run their course,
to profess to her divine Spouse her own faith along with that of the nations
committed to her charge, and her own unfailing love. They furnish proof,
besides, of the wisdom of the teaching method she employs to arouse and nourish
constantly the "Christian instinct."
51. Several
causes, really have been instrumental in the progress and development of the
sacred liturgy during the long and glorious life of the Church.
52. Thus, for
example, as Catholic doctrine on the Incarnate Word of God, the Eucharistic
sacrament and sacrifice, and Mary the Virgin Mother of God came to be
determined with greater certitude and clarity, new ritual forms were introduced
through which the acts of the liturgy proceeded to reproduce this brighter
light issuing from the decrees of the teaching authority of the Church, and to
reflect it, in a sense so that it might reach the minds and hearts of Christ's
people more readily.
53. The
subsequent advances in ecclesiastical discipline for the administering of the
sacraments, that of penance for example; the institution and later suppression
of the catechumenate; and again, the practice of Eucharistic communion under a
single species, adopted in the Latin Church; these developments were assuredly
responsible in no little measure for the modification of the ancient ritual in
the course of time, and for the gradual introduction of new rites considered
more in accord with prevailing discipline in these matters.
54. Just as
notable a contribution to this progressive transformation was made by
devotional trends and practices not directly related to the sacred liturgy,
which began to appear, by God's wonderful design, in later periods, and grew to
be so popular. We may instance the spread and ever mounting ardor of devotion
to the Blessed Eucharist, devotion to the most bitter passion of our Redeemer,
devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, to the Virgin Mother of God and to
her most chaste spouse.
55. Other
manifestations of piety have also played their circumstantial part in this same
liturgical development. Among them may be cited the public pilgrimages to the
tombs of the martyrs prompted by motives of devotion, the special periods of
fasting instituted for the same reason, and lastly, in this gracious city of
Rome, the penitential recitation of the litanies during the "station"
processions, in which even the Sovereign Pontiff frequently joined.
56. It is
likewise easy to understand that the progress of the fine arts, those of
architecture, painting and music above all, has exerted considerable influence
on the choice and disposition of the various external features of the sacred
liturgy.
57. The
Church has further used her right of control over liturgical observance to
protect the purity of divine worship against abuse from dangerous and imprudent
innovations introduced by private individuals and particular churches. Thus it
came about - during the 16th century, when usages and customs of this sort had
become increasingly prevalent and exaggerated, and when private initiative in
matters liturgical threatened to compromise the integrity of faith and
devotion, to the great advantage of heretics and further spread of their errors
- that in the year 1588, Our predecessor Sixtus V of immortal memory
established the Sacred Congregation of Rites, charged with the defense of the
legitimate rites of the Church and with the prohibition of any spurious
innovation.[48] This body fulfills even today
the official function of supervision and legislation with regard to all matters
touching the sacred liturgy.[49]
58. It
follows from this that the Sovereign Pontiff alone enjoys the right to recognize
and establish any practice touching the worship of God, to introduce and
approve new rites, as also to modify those he judges to require modification.[50] Bishops, for their part, have the right and duty
carefully to watch over the exact observance of the prescriptions of the sacred
canons respecting divine worship.[51] Private
individuals, therefore, even though they be clerics, may not be left to decide
for themselves in these holy and venerable matters, involving as they do the
religious life of Christian society along with the exercise of the priesthood
of Jesus Christ and worship of God; concerned as they are with the honor due to
the Blessed Trinity, the Word Incarnate and His august mother and the other
saints, and with the salvation of souls as well. For the same reason no private
person has any authority to regulate external practices of this kind, which are
intimately bound up with Church discipline and with the order, unity and
concord of the Mystical Body and frequently even with the integrity of Catholic
faith itself.
59. The
Church is without question a living organism, and as an organism, in respect of
the sacred liturgy also, she grows, matures, develops, adapts and accommodates
herself to temporal needs and circumstances, provided only that the integrity
of her doctrine be safeguarded. This notwithstanding, the temerity and daring
of those who introduce novel liturgical practices, or call for the revival of
obsolete rites out of harmony with prevailing laws and rubrics, deserve severe
reproof. It has pained Us grievously to note, Venerable Brethren, that such
innovations are actually being introduced, not merely in minor details but in
matters of major importance as well. We instance, in point of fact, those who
make use of the vernacular in the celebration of the august Eucharistic
sacrifice; those who transfer certain feast-days - which have been appointed
and established after mature deliberation - to other dates; those, finally, who
delete from the prayerbooks approved for public use the sacred texts of the Old
Testament, deeming them little suited and inopportune for modern times.
60. The use
of the Latin language, customary in a considerable portion of the Church, is a
manifest and beautiful sign of unity, as well as an effective antidote for any
corruption of doctrinal truth. In spite of this, the use of the mother tongue
in connection with several of the rites may be of much advantage to the people.
But the Apostolic See alone is empowered to grant this permission. It is
forbidden, therefore, to take any action whatever of this nature without having
requested and obtained such consent, since the sacred liturgy, as We have said,
is entirely subject to the discretion and approval of the Holy See.
61. The same
reasoning holds in the case of some persons who are bent on the restoration of
all the ancient rites and ceremonies indiscriminately. The liturgy of the early
ages is most certainly worthy of all veneration. But ancient usage must not be
esteemed more suitable and proper, either in its own right or in its
significance for later times and new situations, on the simple ground that it
carries the savor and aroma of antiquity. The more recent liturgical rites
likewise deserve reverence and respect. They, too, owe their inspiration to the
Holy Spirit, who assists the Church in every age even to the consummation of
the world.[52] They are equally the resources
used by the majestic Spouse of Jesus Christ to promote and procure the sanctity
of man.
62. Assuredly
it is a wise and most laudable thing to return in spirit and affection to the
sources of the sacred liturgy. For research in this field of study, by tracing
it back to its origins, contributes valuable assistance towards a more thorough
and careful investigation of the significance of feast-days, and of the meaning
of the texts and sacred ceremonies employed on their occasion. But it is
neither wise nor laudable to reduce everything to antiquity by every possible
device. Thus, to cite some instances, one would be straying from the straight
path were he to wish the altar restored to its primitive tableform; were he to
want black excluded as a color for the liturgical vestments; were he to forbid
the use of sacred images and statues in Churches; were he to order the crucifix
so designed that the divine Redeemer's body shows no trace of His cruel
sufferings; and lastly were he to disdain and reject polyphonic music or
singing in parts, even where it conforms to regulations issued by the Holy See.
63. Clearly
no sincere Catholic can refuse to accept the formulation of Christian doctrine
more recently elaborated and proclaimed as dogmas by the Church, under the
inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit with abundant fruit for souls,
because it pleases him to hark back to the old formulas. No more can any
Catholic in his right senses repudiate existing legislation of the Church to
revert to prescriptions based on the earliest sources of canon law. Just as
obviously unwise and mistaken is the zeal of one who in matters liturgical
would go back to the rites and usage of antiquity, discarding the new patterns
introduced by disposition of divine Providence to meet the changes of
circumstances and situation.
64. This way
of acting bids fair to revive the exaggerated and senseless antiquarianism to
which the illegal Council of Pistoia gave rise. It likewise attempts to
reinstate a series of errors which were responsible for the calling of that
meeting as well as for those resulting from it, with grievous harm to souls,
and which the Church, the ever watchful guardian of the "deposit of
faith" committed to her charge by her divine Founder, had every right and
reason to condemn.[53] For perverse designs and
ventures of this sort tend to paralyze and weaken that process of
sanctification by which the sacred liturgy directs the sons of adoption to
their Heavenly Father of their souls' salvation.
65. In every
measure taken, then, let proper contact with the ecclesiastical hierarchy be
maintained. Let no one arrogate to himself the right to make regulations and
impose them on others at will. Only the Sovereign Pontiff, as the successor of
Saint Peter, charged by the divine Redeemer with the feeding of His entire
flock,[54] and with him, in obedience to the
Apostolic See, the bishops "whom the Holy Ghost has placed ... to rule the
Church of God,"[55] have the right and the
duty to govern the Christian people. Consequently, Venerable Brethren, whenever
you assert your authority - even on occasion with wholesome severity - you are
not merely acquitting yourselves of your duty; you are defending the very will
of the Founder of the Church.
66. The
mystery of the most Holy Eucharist which Christ, the High Priest instituted,
and which He commands to be continually renewed in the Church by His ministers,
is the culmination and center, as it were, of the Christian religion. We
consider it opportune in speaking about the crowning act of the sacred liturgy,
to delay for a little while and call your attention, Venerable Brethren, to
this most important subject.
67. Christ
the Lord, "Eternal Priest according to the order of
Melchisedech,"[56] "loving His own who were of the world,"[57] "at the last supper, on the night He was
betrayed, wishing to leave His beloved Spouse, the Church, a visible sacrifice
such as the nature of men requires, that would re-present the bloody sacrifice
offered once on the cross, and perpetuate its memory to the end of time, and
whose salutary virtue might be applied in remitting those sins which we daily
commit, ... offered His body and blood under the species of bread and wine to
God the Father, and under the same species allowed the apostles, whom he at
that time constituted the priests of the New Testament, to partake thereof;
commanding them and their successors in the priesthood to make the same
offering."[58]
68. The
august sacrifice of the altar, then, is no mere empty commemoration of the
passion and death of Jesus Christ, but a true and proper act of sacrifice,
whereby the High Priest by an unbloody immolation offers Himself a most
acceptable victim to the Eternal Father, as He did upon the cross. "It is
one and the same victim; the same person now offers it by the ministry of His
priests, who then offered Himself on the cross, the manner of offering alone
being different."[59]
69. The
priest is the same, Jesus Christ, whose sacred Person His minister represents.
Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has
received, is made like to the High Priest and possesses the power of performing
actions in virtue of Christ's very person.[60]
Wherefore in his priestly activity he in a certain manner "lends his
tongue, and gives his hand" to Christ.[61]
70. Likewise
the victim is the same, namely, our divine Redeemer in His human nature with
His true body and blood. The manner, however, in which Christ is offered is
different. On the cross He completely offered Himself and all His sufferings to
God, and the immolation of the victim was brought about by the bloody death,
which He underwent of His free will. But on the altar, by reason of the
glorified state of His human nature, "death shall have no more dominion
over Him,"[62] and so the shedding of His
blood is impossible; still, according to the plan of divine wisdom, the
sacrifice of our Redeemer is shown forth in an admirable manner by external
signs which are the symbols of His death. For by the
"transubstantiation" of bread into the body of Christ and of wine
into His blood, His body and blood are both really present: now the Eucharistic
species under which He is present symbolize the actual separation of His body
and blood. Thus the commemorative representation of His death, which actually
took place on Calvary, is repeated in every sacrifice of the altar, seeing that
Jesus Christ is symbolically shown by separate symbols to be in a state of
victimhood.
71. Moreover,
the appointed ends are the same. The first of these is to give glory to the
Heavenly Father. From His birth to His death Jesus Christ burned with zeal for
the divine glory; and the offering of His blood upon the cross rose to heaven
in an odor of sweetness. To perpetuate this praise, the members of the Mystical
Body are united with their divine Head in the Eucharistic sacrifice, and with
Him, together with the Angels and Archangels, they sing immortal praise to God[63] and give all honor and glory to the Father
Almighty.[64]
72. The
second end is duly to give thanks to God. Only the divine Redeemer, as the
eternal Father's most beloved Son whose immense love He knew, could offer Him a
worthy return of gratitude. This was His intention and desire at the Last
Supper when He "gave thanks."[65] He
did not cease to do so when hanging upon the cross, nor does He fail to do so
in the august sacrifice of the altar, which is an act of thanksgiving or a
"Eucharistic" act; since this "is truly meet and just, right and
availing unto salvation."[66]
73. The third
end proposed is that of expiation, propitiation and reconciliation. Certainly,
no one was better fitted to make satisfaction to Almighty God for all the sins
of men than was Christ. Therefore, He desired to be immolated upon the cross
"as a propitiation for our sins, not for ours only but also for those of
the whole world"[67] and likewise He daily
offers Himself upon our altars for our redemption, that we may be rescued from
eternal damnation and admitted into the company of the elect. This He does, not
for us only who are in this mortal life, but also "for all who rest in
Christ, who have gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep
of peace;"[68] for whether we live, or
whether we die "still we are not separated from the one and only
Christ."[69]
74. The
fourth end, finally, is that of impetration. Man, being the prodigal son, has
made bad use of and dissipated the goods which he received from his heavenly
Father. Accordingly, he has been reduced to the utmost poverty and to extreme
degradation. However, Christ on the cross "offering prayers and
supplications with a loud cry and tears, has been heard for His
reverence."[70] Likewise upon the altar He
is our mediator with God in the same efficacious manner, so that we may be
filled with every blessing and grace.
75. It is
easy, therefore, to understand why the holy Council of Trent lays down that by
means of the Eucharistic sacrifice the saving virtue of the cross is imparted
to us for the remission of the sins we daily commit.[71]
76. Now the
Apostle of the Gentiles proclaims the copious plenitude and the perfection of
the sacrifice of the cross, when he says that Christ by one oblation has perfected
for ever them that are sanctified.[72] For the
merits of this sacrifice, since they are altogether boundless and immeasurable,
know no limits; for they are meant for all men of every time and place. This
follows from the fact that in this sacrifice the God-Man is the priest and
victim; that His immolation was entirely perfect, as was His obedience to the
will of His eternal Father; and also that He suffered death as the Head of the
human race: "See how we were bought: Christ hangs upon the cross, see at
what a price He makes His purchase ... He sheds His blood, He buys with His
blood, He buys with the blood of the Spotless Lamb, He buys with the blood of
God's only Son. He who buys is Christ; the price is His blood; the possession
bought is the world."[73]
77. This
purchase, however, does not immediately have its full effect; since Christ,
after redeeming the world at the lavish cost of His own blood, still must come
into complete possession of the souls of men. Wherefore, that the redemption
and salvation of each person and of future generations unto the end of time may
be effectively accomplished, and be acceptable to God, it is necessary that-men
should individually come into vital contact with the sacrifice of the cross, so
that the merits, which flow from it, should be imparted to them. In a certain
sense it can be said that on Calvary Christ built a font of purification and
salvation which He filled with the blood He shed; but if men do not bathe in it
and there wash away the stains of their iniquities, they can never be purified
and saved.
78. The
cooperation of the faithful is required so that sinners may be individually
purified in the blood of the Lamb. For though, speaking generally, Christ
reconciled by His painful death the whole human race with the Father, He wished
that all should approach and be drawn to His cross, especially by means of the
sacraments and the Eucharistic sacrifice, to obtain the salutary fruits
produced by Him upon it. Through this active and individual participation, the
members of the Mystical Body not only become daily more like to their divine
Head, but the life flowing from the Head is imparted to the members, so that we
can each repeat the words of St. Paul, "With Christ I am nailed to the
cross: I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me."[74] We have already explained sufficiently and of set purpose on
another occasion, that Jesus Christ "when dying on the cross, bestowed
upon His Church, as a completely gratuitous gift, the immense treasure of the
redemption. But when it is a question of distributing this treasure, He not
only commits the work of sanctification to His Immaculate Spouse, but also
wishes that, to a certain extent, sanctity should derive from her
activity."[75]
79. The
august sacrifice of the altar is, as it were, the supreme instrument whereby
the merits won by the divine Redeemer upon the cross are distributed to the
faithful: "as often as this commemorative sacrifice is offered, there is
wrought the work of our Redemption."[76] This,
however, so far from lessening the dignity of the actual sacrifice on Calvary,
rather proclaims and renders more manifest its greatness and its necessity, as
the Council of Trent declares.[77] Its daily
immolation reminds us that there is no salvation except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ[78] and that God Himself
wishes that there should be a continuation of this sacrifice "from the
rising of the sun till the going down thereof,"[79]
so that there may be no cessation of the hymn of praise and thanksgiving which
man owes to God, seeing that he required His help continually and has need of
the blood of the Redeemer to remit sin which challenges God's justice.
80. It is,
therefore, desirable, Venerable Brethren, that all the faithful should be aware
that to participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice is their chief duty and
supreme dignity, and that not in an inert and negligent fashion, giving way to
distractions and day-dreaming, but with such earnestness and concentration that
they may be united as closely as possible with the High Priest, according to
the Apostle, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus."[80] And together with Him and
through Him let them make their oblation, and in union with Him let them offer
up themselves.
81. It is
quite true that Christ is a priest; but He is a priest not for Himself but for
us, when in the name of the whole human race He offers our prayers and
religious homage to the eternal Father; He is also a victim and for us since He
substitutes Himself for sinful man. Now the exhortation of the Apostle,
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus," requires
that all Christians should possess, as far as is humanly possible, the same
dispositions as those which the divine Redeemer had when He offered Himself in
sacrifice: that is to say, they should in a humble attitude of mind, pay
adoration, honor, praise and thanksgiving to the supreme majesty of God.
Moreover, it means that they must assume to some extent the character of a
victim, that they deny themselves as the Gospel commands, that freely and of
their own accord they do penance and that each detests and satisfies for his
sins. It means, in a word, that we must all undergo with Christ a mystical
death on the cross so that we can apply to ourselves the words of St. Paul,
"With Christ I am nailed to the cross."[81]
82. The fact,
however, that the faithful participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice does not
mean that they also are endowed with priestly power. It is very necessary that
you make this quite clear to your flocks.
83. For there
are today, Venerable Brethren, those who, approximating to errors long since
condemned[82] teach that in the New Testament by
the word "priesthood" is meant only that priesthood which applies to
all who have been baptized; and hold that the command by which Christ gave
power to His apostles at the Last Supper to do what He Himself had done,
applies directly to the entire Christian Church, and that thence, and thence
only, arises the hierarchical priesthood. Hence they assert that the people are
possessed of a true priestly power, while the priest only acts in virtue of an
office committed to him by the community. Wherefore, they look on the Eucharistic
sacrifice as a "concelebration," in the literal meaning of that term,
and consider it more fitting that priests should "concelebrate" with
the people present than that they should offer the sacrifice privately when the
people are absent.
84. It is
superfluous to explain how captious errors of this sort completely contradict
the truths which we have just stated above, when treating of the place of the
priest in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. But we deem it necessary to recall
that the priest acts for the people only because he represents Jesus Christ,
who is Head of all His members and offers Himself in their stead. Hence, he
goes to the altar as the minister of Christ, inferior to Christ but superior to
the people.[83] The people, on the other hand,
since they in no sense represent the divine Redeemer and are not mediator between
themselves and God, can in no way possess the sacerdotal power.
85. All this
has the certitude of faith. However, it must also be said that the faithful do
offer the divine Victim, though in a different sense.
86. This has
already been stated in the clearest terms by some of Our predecessors and some
Doctors of the Church. "Not only," says Innocent III of immortal
memory, "do the priests offer the sacrifice, but also all the faithful:
for what the priest does personally by virtue of his ministry, the faithful do
collectively by virtue of their intention."[84] We
are happy to recall one of St. Robert Bellarmine's many statements on this
subject. "The sacrifice," he says "is principally offered in the
person of Christ. Thus the oblation that follows the consecration is a sort of
attestation that the whole Church consents in the oblation made by Christ, and
offers it along with Him."[85]
87. Moreover,
the rites and prayers of the Eucharistic sacrifice signify and show no less
clearly that the oblation of the Victim is made by the priests in company with
the people. For not only does the sacred minister, after the oblation of the
bread and wine when he turns to the people, say the significant prayer:
"Pray brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the
Father Almighty;"[86] but also the prayers
by which the divine Victim is offered to God are generally expressed in the
plural number: and in these it is indicated more than once that the people also
participate in this august sacrifice inasmuch as they offer the same. The
following words, for example, are used: "For whom we offer, or who offer
up to Thee ... We therefore beseech thee, O Lord, to be appeased and to receive
this offering of our bounded duty, as also of thy whole household. . . We thy
servants, as also thy whole people ... do offer unto thy most excellent
majesty, of thine own gifts bestowed upon us, a pure victim, a holy victim, a
spotless victim."[87]
88. Nor is it
to be wondered at, that the faithful should be raised to this dignity. By the
waters of baptism, as by common right, Christians are made members of the
Mystical Body of Christ the Priest, and by the "character" which is
imprinted on their souls, they are appointed to give worship to God. Thus they
participate, according to their condition, in the priesthood of Christ.
89. In every
age of the Church's history, the mind of man, enlightened by faith, has aimed
at the greatest possible knowledge of things divine. It is fitting, then, that
the Christian people should also desire to know in what sense they are said in
the canon of the Mass to offer up the sacrifice. To satisfy such a pious
desire, then, We shall here explain the matter briefly and concisely.
90. First of
all the more extrinsic explanations are these: it frequently happens that the
faithful assisting at Mass join their prayers alternately with those of the
priest, and sometimes - a more frequent occurrence in ancient times - they
offer to the ministers at the altar bread and wine to be changed into the body
and blood of Christ, and, finally, by their alms they get the priest to offer
the divine victim for their intentions.
91. But there
is also a more profound reason why all Christians, especially those who are
present at Mass, are said to offer the sacrifice.
92. In this
most important subject it is necessary, in order to avoid giving rise to a
dangerous error, that we define the exact meaning of the word
"offer." The unbloody immolation at the words of consecration, when
Christ is made present upon the altar in the state of a victim, is performed by
the priest and by him alone, as the representative of Christ and not as the
representative of the faithful. But it is because the priest places the divine
victim upon the altar that he offers it to God the Father as an oblation for
the glory of the Blessed Trinity and for the good of the whole Church. Now the
faithful participate in the oblation, understood in this limited sense, after
their own fashion and in a twofold manner, namely, because they not only offer
the sacrifice by the hands of the priest, but also, to a certain extent, in
union with him. It is by reason of this participation that the offering made by
the people is also included in liturgical worship.
93. Now it is
clear that the faithful offer the sacrifice by the hands of the priest from the
fact that the minister at the altar, in offering a sacrifice in the name of all
His members, represents Christ, the Head of the Mystical Body. Hence the whole
Church can rightly be said to offer up the victim through Christ. But the
conclusion that the people offer the sacrifice with the priest himself is not
based on the fact that, being members of the Church no less than the priest
himself, they perform a visible liturgical rite; for this is the privilege only
of the minister who has been divinely appointed to this office: rather it is
based on the fact that the people unite their hearts in praise, impetration,
expiation and thanksgiving with prayers or intention of the priest, even of the
High Priest himself, so that in the one and same offering of the victim and
according to a visible sacerdotal rite, they may be presented to God the
Father. It is obviously necessary that the external sacrificial rite should, of
its very nature, signify the internal worship of the heart. Now the sacrifice
of the New Law signifies that supreme worship by which the principal Offerer
himself, who is Christ, and, in union with Him and through Him, all the members
of the Mystical Body pay God the honor and reverence that are due to Him.
94. We are
very pleased to learn that this teaching, thanks to a more intense study of the
liturgy on the part of many, especially in recent years, has been given full
recognition. We must, however, deeply deplore certain exaggerations and over-statements
which are not in agreement with the true teaching of the Church.
95. Some in
fact disapprove altogether of those Masses which are offered privately and
without any congregation, on the ground that they are a departure from the
ancient way of offering the sacrifice; moreover, there are some who assert that
priests cannot offer Mass at different altars at the same time, because, by
doing so, they separate the community of the faithful and imperil its unity;
while some go so far as to hold that the people must confirm and ratify the
sacrifice if it is to have its proper force and value.
96. They are
mistaken in appealing in this matter to the social character of the Eucharistic
sacrifice, for as often as a priest repeats what the divine Redeemer did at the
Last Supper, the sacrifice is really completed. Moreover, this sacrifice,
necessarily and of its very nature, has always and everywhere the character of
a public and social act, inasmuch as he who offers it acts in the name of
Christ and of the faithful, whose Head is the divine Redeemer, and he offers it
to God for the holy Catholic Church, and for the living and the dead.[88] This is undoubtedly so, whether the faithful are
present - as we desire and commend them to be in great numbers and with devotion
- or are not present, since it is in no wise required that the people ratify
what the sacred minister has done.
97. Still,
though it is clear from what We have said that the Mass is offered in the name
of Christ and of the Church and that it is not robbed of its social effects
though it be celebrated by a priest without a server, nonetheless, on account
of the dignity of such an august mystery, it is our earnest desire - as Mother
Church has always commanded - that no priest should say Mass unless a server is
at hand to answer the prayers, as canon 813 prescribes.
98. In order
that the oblation by which the faithful offer the divine Victim in this
sacrifice to the heavenly Father may have its full effect, it is necessary that
the people add something else, namely, the offering of themselves as a victim.
99. This
offering in fact is not confined merely to the liturgical sacrifice. For the
Prince of the Apostles wishes us, as living stones built upon Christ, the
cornerstone, to be able as "a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."[89]
St. Paul the Apostle addresses the following words of exhortation to
Christians, without distinction of time, "I beseech you therefore, ... that
you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your
reasonable service."[90] But at that time
especially when the faithful take part in the liturgical service with such
piety and recollection that it can truly be said of them: "whose faith and
devotion is known to Thee,"[91] it is then,
with the High Priest and through Him they offer themselves as a spiritual
sacrifice, that each one's faith ought to become more ready to work through
charity, his piety more real and fervent, and each one should consecrate himself
to the furthering of the divine glory, desiring to become as like as possible
to Christ in His most grievous sufferings.
100. This we
are also taught by those exhortations which the Bishop, in the Church's name,
addresses to priests on the day of their ordination, "Understand what you
do, imitate what you handle, and since you celebrate the mystery of the Lord's
death, take good care to mortify your members with their vices and
concupiscences."[92] In almost the same
manner the sacred books of the liturgy advise Christians who come to Mass to
participate in the sacrifice: "At this ... altar let innocence be in
honor, let pride be sacrificed, anger slain, impurity and every evil desire
laid low, let the sacrifice of chastity be offered in place of doves and
instead of the young pigeons the sacrifice of innocence."[93] While we stand before the altar, then, it is our
duty so to transform our hearts, that every trace of sin may be completely
blotted out, while whatever promotes supernatural life through Christ may be
zealously fostered and strengthened even to the extent that, in union with the
immaculate Victim, we become a victim acceptable to the eternal Father.
101. The
prescriptions in fact of the sacred liturgy aim, by every means at their
disposal, at helping the Church to bring about this most holy purpose in the
most suitable manner possible. This is the object not only of readings,
homilies and other sermons given by priests, as also the whole cycle of
mysteries which are proposed for our commemoration in the course of the year,
but it is also the purpose of vestments, of sacred rites and their external
splendor. All these things aim at "enhancing the majesty of this great
Sacrifice, and raising the minds of the faithful by means of these visible
signs of religion and piety, to the contemplation of the sublime truths
contained in this sacrifice."[94]
102. All the
elements of the liturgy, then, would have us reproduce in our hearts the
likeness of the divine Redeemer through the mystery of the cross, according to
the words of the Apostle of the Gentiles, "With Christ I am nailed to the
cross. I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me."[95] Thus we become a victim, as it were, along with Christ to
increase the glory of the eternal Father.
103. Let
this, then, be the intention and aspiration of the faithful, when they offer up
the divine Victim in the Mass. For if, as St. Augustine writes, our mystery is
enacted on the Lord's table, that is Christ our Lord Himself,[96] who is the Head and symbol of that union through
which we are the body of Christ[97] and members
of His Body;[98] if St. Robert Bellarmine
teaches, according to the mind of the Doctor of Hippo, that in the sacrifice of
the altar there is signified the general sacrifice by which the whole Mystical
Body of Christ, that is, all the city of redeemed, is offered up to God through
Christ, the High Priest:[99] nothing can be
conceived more just or fitting than that all of us in union with our Head, who
suffered for our sake, should also sacrifice ourselves to the eternal Father.
For in the sacrament of the altar, as the same St. Augustine has it, the Church
is made to see that in what she offers she herself is offered.[100]
104. Let the
faithful, therefore, consider to what a high dignity they are raised by the
sacrament of baptism. They should not think it enough to participate in the Eucharistic
sacrifice with that general intention which befits members of Christ and
children of the Church, but let them further, in keeping with the spirit of the
sacred liturgy, be most closely united with the High Priest and His earthly
minister, at the time the consecration of the divine Victim is enacted, and at
that time especially when those solemn words are pronounced, "By Him and
with Him and in Him is to Thee, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the
Holy Ghost, all honor and glory for ever and ever";[101] to these words in fact the people answer, "Amen."
Nor should Christians forget to offer themselves, their cares, their sorrows,
their distress and their necessities in union with their divine Savior upon the
cross.
105.
Therefore, they are to be praised who, with the idea of getting the Christian
people to take part more easily and more fruitfully in the Mass, strive to make
them familiar with the "Roman Missal," so that the faithful, united
with the priest, may pray together in the very words and sentiments of the
Church. They also are to be commended who strive to make the liturgy even in an
external way a sacred act in which all who are present may share. This can be
done in more than one way, when, for instance, the whole congregation, in
accordance with the rules of the liturgy, either answer the priest in an
orderly and fitting manner, or sing hymns suitable to the different parts of
the Mass, or do both, or finally in high Masses when they answer the prayers of
the minister of Jesus Christ and also sing the liturgical chant.
100. These
methods of participation in the Mass are to be approved and recommended when
they are in complete agreement with the precepts of the Church and the rubrics
of the liturgy. Their chief aim is to foster and promote the people's piety and
intimate union with Christ and His visible minister and to arouse those
internal sentiments and dispositions which should make our hearts become like
to that of the High Priest of the New Testament. However, though they show also
in an outward manner that the very nature of the sacrifice, as offered by the
Mediator between God and men,[102] must be
regarded as the act of the whole Mystical Body of Christ, still they are by no
means necessary to constitute it a public act or to give it a social character.
And besides, a "dialogue" Mass of this kind cannot replace the high
Mass, which, as a matter of fact, though it should be offered with only the
sacred ministers present, possesses its own special dignity due to the
impressive character of its ritual and the magnificence of its ceremonies. The
splendor and grandeur of a high Mass, however, are very much increased if, as
the Church desires, the people are present in great numbers and with devotion.
107. It is to
be observed, also, that they have strayed from the path of truth and right
reason who, led away by false opinions, make so much of these accidentals as to
presume to assert that without them the Mass cannot fulfill its appointed end.
108. Many of
the faithful are unable to use the Roman missal even though it is written in
the vernacular; nor are all capable of understanding correctly the liturgical
rites and formulas. So varied and diverse are men's talents and characters that
it is impossible for all to be moved and attracted to the same extent by
community prayers, hymns and liturgical services. Moreover, the needs and
inclinations of all are not the same, nor are they always constant in the same
individual. Who, then, would say, on account of such a prejudice, that all
these Christians cannot participate in the Mass nor share its fruits? On the
contrary, they can adopt some other method which proves easier for certain
people; for instance, they can lovingly meditate on the mysteries of Jesus
Christ or perform other exercises of piety or recite prayers which, though they
differ from the sacred rites, are still essentially in harmony with them.
109.
Wherefore We exhort you, Venerable Brethren, that each in his diocese or
ecclesiastical jurisdiction supervise and regulate the manner and method in
which the people take part in the liturgy, according to the rubrics of the
missal and in keeping with the injunctions which the Sacred Congregation of
Rites and the Code of canon law have published. Let everything be done with due
order and dignity, and let no one, not even a priest, make use of the sacred
edifices according to his whim to try out experiments. It is also Our wish that
in each diocese an advisory committee to promote the liturgical apostolate
should be established, similar to that which cares for sacred music and art, so
that with your watchful guidance everything may be carefully carried out in
accordance with the prescriptions of the Apostolic See.
110. In
religious communities let all those regulations be accurately observed which
are laid down in their respective constitutions, nor let any innovations be
made which the superiors of these communities have not previously approved.
111. But
however much variety and disparity there may be in the exterior manner and
circumstances in which the Christian laity participate in the Mass and other
liturgical functions, constant and earnest effort must be made to unite the
congregation in spirit as much as possible with the divine Redeemer, so that
their lives may be daily enriched with more abundant sanctity, and greater
glory be given to the heaven Father.
112. The
august sacrifice of the altar is concluded with communion or the partaking of
the divine feast. But, as all know, the integrity of the sacrifice only
requires that the priest partake of the heavenly food. Although it is most
desirable that the people should also approach the holy table, this is not
required for the integrity of the sacrifice.
113. We wish
in this matter to repeat the remarks which Our predecessor Benedict XIV makes
with regard to the definitions of the Council of Trent: "First We must
state that none of the faithful can hold that private Masses, in which the
priest alone receives holy communion, are therefore unlawful and do not fulfill
the idea of the true, perfect and complete unbloody sacrifice instituted by
Christ our Lord. For the faithful know quite well, or at least can easily be
taught, that the Council of Trent, supported by the doctrine which the
uninterrupted tradition of the Church has preserved, condemned the new and
false opinion of Luther as opposed to this tradition."[103] "If anyone shall say that Masses in which
the priest only receives communion, are unlawful, and therefore should be
abolished, let him be anathema."[104]
114. They,
therefore, err from the path of truth who do not want to have Masses celebrated
unless the faithful communicate; and those are still more in error who, in holding
that it is altogether necessary for the faithful to receive holy communion as
well as the priest, put forward the captious argument that here there is
question not of a sacrifice merely, but of a sacrifice and a supper of
brotherly union, and consider the general communion of all present as the
culminating point of the whole celebration.
115. Now it
cannot be over-emphasized that the Eucharistic sacrifice of its very nature is
the unbloody immolation of the divine Victim, which is made manifest in a mystical
manner by the separation of the sacred species and by their oblation to the
eternal Father. Holy communion pertains to the integrity of the Mass and to the
partaking of the august sacrament; but while it is obligatory for the priest
who says the Mass, it is only something earnestly recommended to the faithful.
116. The
Church, as the teacher of truth, strives by every means in her power to
safeguard the integrity of the Catholic faith, and like a mother solicitous for
the welfare of her children, she exhorts them most earnestly to partake
fervently and frequently of the richest treasure of our religion.
117. She
wishes in the first place that Christians - especially when they cannot easily
receive holy communion - should do so at least by desire, so that with renewed
faith, reverence, humility and complete trust in the goodness of the divine
Redeemer, they may be united to Him in the spirit of the most ardent charity.
118. But the
desire of Mother Church does not stop here. For since by feasting upon the
bread of angels we can by a "sacramental" communion, as we have
already said, also become partakers of the sacrifice, she repeats the
invitation to all her children individually, "Take and eat. . . Do this in
memory of Me"[105] so that "we may
continually experience within us the fruit of our redemption"[106] in a more efficacious manner. For this reason
the Council of Trent, reechoing, as it were, the invitation of Christ and His
immaculate Spouse, has earnestly exhorted "the faithful when they attend
Mass to communicate not only by a spiritual communion but also by a sacramental
one, so that they may obtain more abundant fruit from this most holy
sacrifice."[107] Moreover, our predecessor
of immortal memory, Benedict XIV, wishing to emphasize and throw fuller light
upon the truth that the faithful by receiving the Holy Eucharist become
partakers of the divine sacrifice itself, praises the devotion of those who,
when attending Mass, not only elicit a desire to receive holy communion but
also want to be nourished by hosts consecrated during the Mass, even though, as
he himself states, they really and truly take part in the sacrifice should they
receive a host which has been duly consecrated at a previous Mass. He writes as
follows: "And although in addition to those to whom the celebrant gives a
portion of the Victim he himself has offered in the Mass, they also participate
in the same sacrifice to whom a priest distributes the Blessed Sacrament that
has been reserved; however, the Church has not for this reason ever forbidden,
nor does she now forbid, a celebrant to satisfy the piety and just request of
those who, when present at Mass, want to become partakers of the same
sacrifice, because they likewise offer it after their own manner, nay more, she
approves of it and desires that it should not be omitted and would reprehend
those priests through whose fault and negligence this participation would be
denied to the faithful."[108]
119. May God
grant that all accept these invitations of the Church freely and with
spontaneity. May He grant that they participate even every day, if possible, in
the divine sacrifice, not only in a spiritual manner, but also by reception of
the august sacrament, receiving the body of Jesus Christ which has been offered
for all to the eternal Father. Arouse Venerable Brethren, in the hearts of
those committed to your care, a great and insatiable hunger for Jesus Christ.
Under your guidance let the children and youth crowd to the altar rails to
offer themselves, their innocence and their works of zeal to the divine
Redeemer. Let husbands and wives approach the holy table so that nourished on
this food they may learn to make the children entrusted to them conformed to
the mind and heart of Jesus Christ.
120. Let the
workers be invited to partake of this sustaining and never failing nourishment
that it may renew their strength and obtain for their labors an everlasting
recompense in heaven; in a word, invite all men of whatever class and compel
them to come in;[109] since this is the bread of
life which all require. The Church of Jesus Christ needs no other bread than
this to satisfy fully our souls' wants and desires, and to unite us in the most
intimate union with Jesus Christ, to make us "one body,"[110] to get us to live together as brothers who,
breaking the same bread, sit down to the same heavenly table, to partake of the
elixir of immortality.[111]
121. Now it
is very fitting, as the liturgy otherwise lays down, that the people receive
holy communion after the priest has partaken of the divine repast upon the
altar; and, as we have written above, they should be commended who, when
present at Mass, receive hosts consecrated at the same Mass, so that it is
actually verified, "that as many of us, as, at this altar, shall partake
of and receive the most holy body and blood of thy Son, may be filled with
every heavenly blessing and grace."[112]
122. Still
sometimes there may be a reason, and that not infrequently, why holy communion
should be distributed before or after Mass and even immediately after the
priest receives the sacred species - and even though hosts consecrated at a
previous Mass should be used. In these circumstances - as we have stated above
- the people duly take part in the Eucharistic sacrifice and not seldom they can
in this way more conveniently receive holy communion. Still, though the Church
with the kind heart of a mother strives to meet the spiritual needs of her
children, they, for their part, should not readily neglect the directions of
the liturgy and, as often as there is no reasonable difficulty, should aim that
all their actions at the altar manifest more clearly the living unity of the
Mystical Body.
123. When the
Mass, which is subject to special rules of the liturgy, is over, the person who
has received holy communion is not thereby freed from his duty of thanksgiving;
rather, it is most becoming that, when the Mass is finished, the person who has
received the Eucharist should recollect himself, and in intimate union with the
divine Master hold loving and fruitful converse with Him. Hence they have
departed from the straight way of truth, who, adhering to the letter rather
than the sense, assert and teach that, when Mass has ended, no such
thanksgiving should be added, not only because the Mass is itself a
thanksgiving, but also because this pertains to a private and personal act of
piety and not to the good of the community.
124. But, on
the contrary, the very nature of the sacrament demands that its reception
should produce rich fruits of Christian sanctity. Admittedly the congregation
has been officially dismissed, but each individual, since he is united with
Christ, should not interrupt the hymn of praise in his own soul, "always
returning thanks for all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the
Father."[113] The sacred liturgy of the
Mass also exhorts us to do this when it bids us pray in these words,
"Grant, we beseech thee, that we may always continue to offer thanks[114] ... and may never cease from praising
thee."[115] Wherefore, if there is no time
when we must not offer God thanks, and if we must never cease from praising
Him, who would dare to reprehend or find fault with the Church, because she
advises her priests[116] and faithful to
converse with the divine Redeemer for at least a short while after holy
communion, and inserts in her liturgical books, fitting prayers, enriched with
indulgences, by which the sacred ministers may make suitable preparation before
Mass and holy communion or may return thanks afterwards? So far is the sacred
liturgy from restricting the interior devotion of individual Christians, that
it actually fosters and promotes it so that they may be rendered like to Jesus
Christ and through Him be brought to the heavenly Father; wherefore this same
discipline of the liturgy demands that whoever has partaken of the sacrifice of
the altar should return fitting thanks to God. For it is the good pleasure of
the divine Redeemer to hearken to us when we pray, to converse with us
intimately and to offer us a refuge in His loving Heart.
125.
Moreover, such personal colloquies are very necessary that we may all enjoy
more fully the supernatural treasures that are contained in the Eucharist and
according to our means, share them with others, so that Christ our Lord may
exert the greatest possible influence on the souls of all.
126. Why
then, Venerable Brethren, should we not approve of those who, when they receive
holy communion, remain on in closest familiarity with their divine Redeemer
even after the congregation has been officially dismissed, and that not only
for the consolation of conversing with Him, but also to render Him due thanks
and praise and especially to ask help to defend their souls against anything
that may lessen the efficacy of the sacrament and to do everything in their
power to cooperate with the action of Christ who is so intimately present. We
exhort them to do so in a special manner by carrying out their resolutions, by
exercising the Christian virtues, as also by applying to their own necessities
the riches they have received with royal Liberality. The author of that golden
book The Imitation of Christ certainly speaks in accordance with the letter and
the spirit of the liturgy, when he gives the following advice to the person who
approaches the altar, "Remain on in secret and take delight in your God;
for He is yours whom the whole world cannot take away from you."[117]
127.
Therefore, let us all enter into closest union with Christ and strive to lose
ourselves, as it were, in His most holy soul and so be united to Him that we
may have a share in those acts with which He adores the Blessed Trinity with a
homage that is most acceptable, and by which He offers to the eternal Father
supreme praise and thanks which find an harmonious echo throughout the heavens
and the earth, according to the words of the prophet, "All ye works of the
Lord, bless the Lord."[118] Finally, in
union with these sentiments of Christ, let us ask for heavenly aid at that
moment in which it is supremely fitting to pray for and obtain help in His
name.[119] For it is especially in virtue of
these sentiments that we offer and immolate ourselves as a victim, saying,
"make of us thy eternal offering."[120]
128. The
divine Redeemer is ever repeating His pressing invitation, "Abide in
Me."[121] Now by the sacrament of the
Eucharist, Christ remains in us and we in Him, and just as Christ, remaining in
us, lives and works, so should we remain in Christ and live and work through
Him.
129. The Eucharistic
Food contains, as all are aware, "truly, really and substantially the Body
and Blood together with soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ."[122] It is no wonder, then, that the Church, even
from the beginning, adored the body of Christ under the appearance of bread;
this is evident from the very rites of the august sacrifice, which prescribe
that the sacred ministers should adore the most holy sacrament by genuflecting
or by profoundly bowing their heads.
130. The
Sacred Councils teach that it is the Church's tradition right from the beginning,
to worship "with the same adoration the Word Incarnate as well as His own
flesh,"[123] and St. Augustine asserts
that, "No one eats that flesh, without first adoring it," while he
adds that "not only do we not commit a sin by adoring it, but that we do sin
by not adoring it."[124]
131. It is on
this doctrinal basis that the cult of adoring the Eucharist was founded and
gradually developed as something distinct from the sacrifice of the Mass. The
reservation of the sacred species for the sick and those in danger of death
introduced the praiseworthy custom of adoring the blessed Sacrament which is
reserved in our churches. This practice of adoration, in fact, is based on
strong and solid reasons. For the Eucharist is at once a sacrifice and a
sacrament; but it differs from the other sacraments in this that it not only
produces grace, but contains in a permanent manner the Author of grace Himself.
When, therefore, the Church bids us adore Christ hidden behind the Eucharistic
veils and pray to Him for spiritual and temporal favors, of which we ever stand
in need, she manifests living faith in her divine Spouse who is present beneath
these veils, she professes her gratitude to Him and she enjoys the intimacy of
His friendship.
132. Now, the
Church in the course of centuries has introduced various forms of this worship
which are ever increasing in beauty and helpfulness: as, for example, visits of
devotion to the tabernacles, even every day; benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament; solemn processions, especially at the time of Eucharistic Congress,
which pass through cities and villages; and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
publicly exposed. Sometimes these public acts of adoration are of short
duration. Sometimes they last for one, several and even for forty hours. In
certain places they continue in turn in different churches throughout the year,
while elsewhere adoration is perpetual day and night, under the care of
religious communities, and the faithful quite often take part in them.
133. These
exercises of piety have brought a wonderful increase in faith and supernatural
life to the Church militant upon earth and they are reechoed to a certain
extent by the Church triumphant in heaven which sings continually a hymn of
praise to God and to the Lamb "who was slain."[125] Wherefore, the Church not merely approves these pious
practices, which in the course of centuries have spread everywhere throughout
the world, but makes them her own, as it were, and by her authority commends
them.[126] They spring from the inspiration of
the liturgy and if they are performed with due propriety and with faith and
piety, as the liturgical rules of the Church require, they are undoubtedly of
the very greatest assistance in living the life of the liturgy.
134. Nor is
it to be admitted that by this Eucharistic cult men falsely confound the
historical Christ, as they say, who once lived on earth, with the Christ who is
present in the august Sacrament of the altar, and who reigns glorious and
triumphant in heaven and bestows supernatural favors. On the contrary, it can
be claimed that by this devotion the faithful bear witness to and solemnly avow
the faith of the Church that the Word of God is identical with the Son of the
Virgin Mary, who suffered on the cross, who is present in a hidden manner in
the Eucharist and who reigns upon His heavenly throne. Thus, St. John
Chrysostom states: "When you see It [the Body of Christ] exposed, say to
yourself: Thanks to this body, I am no longer dust and ashes, I am no more a
captive but a freeman: hence I hope to obtain heaven and the good things that
are there in store for me, eternal life, the heritage of the angels,
companionship with Christ; death has not destroyed this body which was pierced
by nails and scourged, ... this is that body which was once covered with blood,
pierced by a lance, from which issued saving fountains upon the world, one of
blood and the other of water. . . This body He gave to us to keep and eat, as a
mark of His intense love."[127]
135. That
practice in a special manner is to be highly praised according to which many
exercises of piety, customary among the faithful, and with benediction of the
blessed sacrament. For excellent and of great benefit is that custom which
makes the priest raise aloft the Bread of Angels before congregations with
heads bowed down in adoration, and forming with It the sign of the cross
implores the heavenly Father to deign to look upon His Son who for love of us
was nailed to the cross, and for His sake and through Him who willed to be our
Redeemer and our brother, be pleased to shower down heavenly favors upon those
whom the immaculate blood of the Lamb has redeemed.[128]
136. Strive
then, Venerable Brethren, with your customary devoted care so the churches,
which the faith and piety of Christian peoples have built in the course of
centuries for the purpose of singing a perpetual hymn of glory to God almighty
and of providing a worthy abode for our Redeemer concealed beneath the Eucharistic
species, may be entirely at the disposal of greater numbers of the faithful
who, called to the feet of their Savior, hearken to His most consoling
invitation, "Come to Me all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I
will refresh you."[129] Let your churches
be the house of God where all who enter to implore blessings rejoice in
obtaining whatever they ask[130] and find there
heavenly consolation.
137. Only
thus can it be brought about that the whole human family settling their
differences may find peace, and united in mind and heart may sing this song of
hope and charity, "Good Pastor, truly bread - Jesus have mercy on us -
feed us, protect us - bestow on us the vision of all good things in the land of
the living."[131]
138. The
ideal of Christian life is that each one be united to God in the closest and
most intimate manner. For this reason, the worship that the Church renders to
God, and which is based especially on the Eucharistic sacrifice and the use of
the sacraments, is directed and arranged in such a way that it embraces by
means of the divine office, the hours of the day, the weeks and the whole cycle
of the year, and reaches all the aspects and phases of human life.
139. Since
the divine Master commanded "that we ought always to pray and not to
faint,"[132] the Church faithfully fulfills
this injunction and never ceases to pray: she urges us in the words of the
Apostle of the Gentiles, "by him Jesus let us offer the sacrifice of
praise always to God "[133]
140. Public
and common prayer offered to God by all at the same time was customary in antiquity
only on certain days and at certain times. Indeed, people prayed to God not
only in groups but in private houses and occasionally with neighbors and
friends. But soon in different parts of the Christian world the practice arose
of setting aside special times for praying, as for example, the last hour of
the day when evening set in and the lamps were lighted; or the first, heralded,
when the night was coming to an end, by the crowing of the cock and the rising
of the morning star. Other times of the day, as being more suitable for prayer
are indicated in Sacred Scripture, in Hebrew customs or in keeping with the
practice of every-day life. According to the acts of the Apostles, the
disciples of Jesus Christ all came together to pray at the third hour, when
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost;[134] and
before eating, the Prince of the Apostles went up to the higher parts of the
house to pray, about the sixth hour;[135] Peter
and John "went up into the Temple at the ninth hour of prayer"[136] and at "midnight Paul and Silas praying ...
praised God."[137]
141. Thanks
to the work of the monks and those who practice asceticism, these various
prayers in the course of time become ever more perfected and by the authority
of the Church are gradually incorporated into the sacred liturgy.
142. The
divine office is the prayer of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, offered to
God in the name and on behalf of all Christians, when recited by priests and
other ministers of the Church and by religious who are deputed by the Church
for this.
143. The
character and value of the divine office may be gathered from the words
recommended by the Church to be said before starting the prayers of the office,
namely, that they be said "worthily, with attention and devotion."
144. By
assuming human nature, the Divine Word introduced into this earthly exile a
hymn which is sung in heaven for all eternity. He unites to Himself the whole
human race and with it sings this hymn to the praise of God. As we must humbly
recognize that "we know not what we should pray for, as we ought, the
Spirit Himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings."[138] Moreover, through His Spirit in us, Christ
entreats the Father, "God could not give a greater gift to men ... [Jesus]
prays for us, as our Priest; He prays in us as our Head; we pray to Him as our
God ... we recognize in Him our voice and His voice in us ... He is prayed to
as God, He prays under the appearance of a servant; in heaven He is Creator;
here, created though not changed, He assumes a created nature which is to be
changed and makes us with Him one complete man, head and body."[139]
145. To this
lofty dignity of the Church's prayer, there should correspond earnest devotion
in our souls. For when in prayer the voice repeats those hymns written under
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and extols God's infinite perfections, it is
necessary that the interior sentiment of our souls should accompany the voice
so as to make those sentiments our own in which we are elevated to heaven,
adoring and giving due praise and thanks to the Blessed Trinity; "so let
us chant in choir that mind and voice may accord together."[140] It is not merely a question of recitation or of
singing which, however perfect according to norms of music and the sacred
rites, only reaches the ear, but it is especially a question of the ascent of
the mind and heart to God so that, united with Christ, we may completely
dedicate ourselves and all our actions to Him.
146. On this
depends in no small way the efficacy of our prayers. These prayers in fact,
when they are not addressed directly to the Word made man, conclude with the
phrase "though Jesus Christ our Lord." As our Mediator with God, He
shows to the heavenly Father His glorified wounds, "always living to make
intercessions for us."[141]
147. The
Psalms, as all know, form the chief part of the divine office. They encompass
the full round of the day and sanctify it. Cassiodorus speaks beautifully about
the Psalms as distributed in his day throughout the divine office: "With
the celebration of matins they bring a blessing on the coming day, they set
aside for us the first hour and consecrate the third hour of the day, they
gladden the sixth hour with the breaking of bread, at the ninth they terminate
our fast, they bring the evening to a close and at nightfall they shield our
minds from darkness."[142]
148. The
Psalms recall to mind the truths revealed by God to the chosen people, which
were at one time frightening and at another filled with wonderful tenderness;
they keep repeating and fostering the hope of the promised Liberator which in
ancient times was kept alive with song, either around the hearth or in the
stately temple; they show forth in splendid light the prophesied glory of Jesus
Christ: first, His supreme and eternal power, then His lowly coming to this
terrestrial exile, His kingly dignity and priestly power and, finally, His
beneficent labors, and the shedding of His blood for our redemption. In a
similar way they express the joy, the bitterness, the hope and fear of our
hearts and our desire of loving God and hoping in Him alone, and our mystic
ascent to divine tabernacles.
149.
"The psalm is ... a blessing for the people, it is the praise of God, the
tribute of the nation, the common language and acclamation of all, it is the
voice of the Church, the harmonious confession of faith, signifying deep
attachment to authority; it is the joy of freedom, the expression of happiness,
an echo of bliss."[143]
150. In an
earlier age, these canonical prayers were attended by many of the faithful. But
this gradually ceased, and, as We have already said, their recitation at
present is the duty only of the clergy and of religious. The laity have no
obligation in this matter. Still, it is greatly to be desired that they
participate in reciting or chanting vespers sung in their own parish on feast
days. We earnestly exhort you, Venerable Brethren, to see that this pious
practice is kept up, and that wherever it has ceased you restore it if
possible. This, without doubt, will produce salutary results when vespers are
conducted in a worthy and fitting manner and with such helps as foster the
piety of the faithful. Let the public and private observance of the feasts of
the Church, which are in a special way dedicated and consecrated to God, be
kept inviolable; and especially the Lord's day which the Apostles, under the
guidance of the Holy Ghost, substituted for the sabbath. Now, if the order was
given to the Jews: "Six days shall you do work; in the seventh day is the sabbath,
the rest holy to the Lord. Every one that shall do any work on this day, shall
die;"[144] how will these Christians not
fear spiritual death who perform servile work on feast-days, and whose rest on
these days is not devoted to religion and piety but given over to the
allurements of the world? Sundays and holydays, then, must be made holy by
divine worship, which gives homage to God and heavenly food to the soul.
Although the Church only commands the faithful to abstain from servile work and
attend Mass and does not make it obligatory to attend evening devotions, still
she desires this and recommends it repeatedly. Moreover, the needs of each one
demand it, seeing that all are bound to win the favor of God if they are to
obtain His benefits. Our soul is filled with the greatest grief when We see how
the Christian people of today profane the afternoon of feast days; public
places of amusement and public games are frequented in great numbers while the
churches are not as full as they should be. All should come to our churches and
there be taught the truth of the Catholic faith, sing the praises of God, be
enriched with benediction of the blessed sacrament given by the priest and be
strengthened with help from heaven against the adversities of this life. Let
all try to learn those prayers which are recited at vespers and fill their
souls with their meaning. When deeply penetrated by these prayers, they will
experience what St. Augustine said about himself: "How much did I weep
during hymns and verses, greatly moved at the sweet singing of thy Church.
Their sound would penetrate my ears and their truth melt my heart, sentiments
of piety would well up, tears would flow and that was good for me."[145]
151.
Throughout the entire year, the Mass and the divine office center especially
around the person of Jesus Christ. This arrangement is so suitably disposed
that our Savior dominates the scene in the mysteries of His humiliation, of His
redemption and triumph.
152. While
the sacred liturgy calls to mind the mysteries of Jesus Christ, it strives to
make all believers take their part in them so that the divine Head of the
mystical Body may live in all the members with the fullness of His holiness.
Let the souls of Christians be like altars on each one of which a different
phase of the sacrifice, offered by the High priest, comes to life again, as it
were: pains and tears which wipe away and expiate sin; supplication to God
which pierces heaven; dedication and even immolation of oneself made promptly,
generously and earnestly; and, finally, that intimate union by which we commit
ourselves and all we have to God, in whom we find our rest. "The
perfection of religion is to imitate whom you adore."[146]
153. By these
suitable ways and methods in which the liturgy at stated times proposes the
life of Jesus Christ for our meditation, the Church gives us examples to
imitate, points out treasures of sanctity for us to make our own, since it is
fitting that the mind believes what the lips sing, and that what the mind believes
should be practiced in public and private life.
154. In the
period of Advent, for instance, the Church arouses in us the consciousness of
the sins we have had the misfortune to commit, and urges us, by restraining our
desires and practicing voluntary mortification of the body, to recollect
ourselves in meditation, and experience a longing desire to return to God who
alone can free us by His grace from the stain of sin and from its evil
consequences.
155. With the
coming of the birthday of the Redeemer, she would bring us to the cave of
Bethlehem and there teach that we must be born again and undergo a complete
reformation; that will only happen when we are intimately and vitally united to
the Word of God made man and participate in His divine nature, to which we have
been elevated.
156. At the
solemnity of the Epiphany, in putting before us the call of the Gentiles to the
Christian faith, she wishes us daily to give thanks to the Lord for such a
blessing; she wishes us to seek with lively faith the living and true God, to
penetrate deeply and religiously the things of heaven, to love silence and
meditation in order to perceive and grasp more easily heavenly gifts.
157. During
the days of Septuagesima and Lent, our Holy Mother the Church over and over again
strives to make each of us seriously consider our misery, so that we may be
urged to a practical emendation of our lives, detest our sins heartily and
expiate them by prayer and penance. For constant prayer and penance done for
past sins obtain for us divine help, without which every work of ours is
useless and unavailing.
158. In Holy
Week, when the most bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ are put before us by the
liturgy, the Church invites us to come to Calvary and follow in the
blood-stained footsteps of the divine Redeemer, to carry the cross willingly
with Him, to reproduce in our own hearts His spirit of expiation and atonement,
and to die together with Him.
159. At the
Paschal season, which commemorates the triumph of Christ, our souls are filled
with deep interior joy: we, accordingly, should also consider that we must
rise, in union with the Redeemer, from our cold and slothful life to one of
greater fervor and holiness by giving ourselves completely and generously to
God, and by forgetting this wretched world in order to aspire only to the
things of heaven: "If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are
above ... mind the things that are above."[147]
160. Finally,
during the time of Pentecost, the Church by her precept and practice urges us
to be more docile to the action of the Holy Spirit who wishes us to be on fire
with divine love so that we may daily strive to advance more in virtue and thus
become holy as Christ our Lord and His Father are holy.
161. Thus,
the liturgical year should be considered as a splendid hymn of praise offered
to the heavenly Father by the Christian family through Jesus, their perpetual
Mediator. Nevertheless, it requires a diligent and well ordered study on our
part to be able to know and praise our Redeemer ever more and more. It requires
a serious effort and constant practice to imitate His mysteries, to enter
willingly upon His path of sorrow and thus finally share His glory and eternal
happiness.
162. From
what We have already explained, Venerable Brethren, it is perfectly clear how
much modern writers are wanting in the genuine and true liturgical spirit who,
deceived by the illusion of a higher mysticism, dare to assert that attention
should be paid not to the historic Christ but to a "pneumatic" or glorified
Christ. They do not hesitate to assert that a change has taken place in the
piety of the faithful by dethroning, as it were, Christ from His position;
since they say that the glorified Christ, who liveth and reigneth forever and
sitteth at the right hand of the Father, has been overshadowed and in His place
has been substituted that Christ who lived on earth. For this reason, some have
gone so far as to want to remove from the churches images of the divine
Redeemer suffering on the cross.
163. But
these false statements are completely opposed to the solid doctrine handed down
by tradition. "You believe in Christ born in the flesh," says St.
Augustine, "and you will come to Christ begotten of God."[148] In the sacred liturgy, the whole Christ is proposed
to us in all the circumstances of His life, as the Word of the eternal Father,
as born of the Virgin Mother of God, as He who teaches us truth, heals the
sick, consoles the afflicted, who endures suffering and who dies; finally, as
He who rose triumphantly from the dead and who, reigning in the glory of
heaven, sends us the Holy Paraclete and who abides in His Church forever;
"Jesus Christ, yesterday and today, and the same forever."[149] Besides, the liturgy shows us Christ not only as
a model to be imitated but as a master to whom we should listen readily, a
Shepherd whom we should follow, Author of our salvation, the Source of our
holiness and the Head of the Mystical Body whose members we are, living by His
very life.
164. Since
His bitter sufferings constitute the principal mystery of our redemption, it is
only fitting that the Catholic faith should give it the greatest prominence.
This mystery is the very center of divine worship since the Mass represents and
renews it every day and since all the sacraments are most closely united with
the cross.[150]
165. Hence,
the liturgical year, devotedly fostered and accompanied by the Church, is not a
cold and lifeless representation of the events of the past, or a simple and
bare record of a former age. It is rather Christ Himself who is ever living in
His Church. Here He continues that journey of immense mercy which He lovingly
began in His mortal life, going about doing good,[151] with
the design of bringing men to know His mysteries and in a way live by them.
These mysteries are ever present and active not in a vague and uncertain way as
some modern writers hold, but in the way that Catholic doctrine teaches us.
According to the Doctors of the Church, they are shining examples of Christian
perfection, as well as sources of divine grace, due to the merit and prayers of
Christ; they still influence us because each mystery brings its own special
grace for our salvation. Moreover, our holy Mother the Church, while proposing
for our contemplation the mysteries of our Redeemer, asks in her prayers for
those gifts which would give her children the greatest possible share in the
spirit of these mysteries through the merits of Christ. By means of His
inspiration and help and through the cooperation of our wills we can receive
from Him living vitality as branches do from the tree and members from the
head; thus slowly and laboriously we can transform ourselves "unto the
measure of the age of the fullness of Christ."[152]
166. In the
course of the liturgical year, besides the mysteries of Jesus Christ, the
feasts of the saints are celebrated. Even though these feasts are of a lower
and subordinate order, the Church always strives to put before the faithful
examples of sanctity in order to move them to cultivate in themselves the
virtues of the divine Redeemer.
167. We
should imitate the virtues of the saints just as they imitated Christ, for in
their virtues there shines forth under different aspects the splendor of Jesus
Christ. Among some of these saints the zeal of the apostolate stood out, in
others courage prevailed even to the shedding of blood, constant vigilance
marked others out as they kept watch for the divine Redeemer, while in others
the virginal purity of soul was resplendent and their modesty revealed the
beauty of Christian humility; there burned in all of them the fire of charity
towards God and their neighbor. The sacred liturgy puts all these gems of
sanctity before us so that we may consider them for our salvation, and
"rejoicing at their merits, we may be inflamed by their example."[153] It is necessary, then, to practice "in
simplicity innocence, in charity concord, in humility modesty, diligence in
government, readiness in helping those who labor, mercy in serving the poor, in
defending truth, constancy, in the strict maintenance of discipline justice, so
that nothing may be wanting in us of the virtues which have been proposed for
our imitation. These are the footprints left by the saints in their journey
homeward, that guided by them we might follow them into glory."[154] In order that we may be helped by our senses,
also, the Church wishes that images of the saints be displayed in our churches,
always, however, with the same intention "that we imitate the virtues of
those whose images we venerate."[155]
168. But
there is another reason why the Christian people should honor the saints in
heaven, namely, to implore their help and "that we be aided by the
pleadings of those whose praise is our delight."[156]
Hence, it is easy to understand why the sacred liturgy provides us with many
different prayers to invoke the intercession of the saints.
169. Among
the saints in heaven the Virgin Mary Mother of God is venerated in a special
way. Because of the mission she received from God, her life is most closely
linked with the mysteries of Jesus Christ, and there is no one who has followed
in the footsteps of the Incarnate Word more closely and with more merit than
she: and no one has more grace and power over the most Sacred Heart of the Son
of God and through Him with the Heavenly Father. Holier than the Cherubim and
Seraphim, she enjoys unquestionably greater glory than all the other saints,
for she is "full of grace,"[157] she
is the Mother of God, who happily gave birth to the Redeemer for us. Since she
is therefore, "Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our
hope," let us all cry to her "mourning and weeping in this vale of
tears,"[158] and confidently place
ourselves and all we have under her patronage. She became our Mother also when
the divine Redeemer offered the sacrifice of Himself; and hence by this title
also, we are her children. She teaches us all the virtues; she gives us her Son
and with Him all the help we need, for God "wished us to have everything
through Mary."[159]
170.
Throughout this liturgical journey which begins anew for us each year under the
sanctifying action of the Church, and strengthened by the help and example of
the saints, especially of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, "let us draw near
with a true heart, in fullness of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience, and our bodies washed with clean water,"[160] let us draw near to the "High Priest"[161] that with Him we may share His life and
sentiments and by Him penetrate "even within the veil,"[162] and there honor the heavenly Father for ever and
ever.
171. Such is
the nature and the object of the sacred liturgy: it treats of the Mass, the
sacraments, the divine office; it aims at uniting our souls with Christ and
sanctifying them through the divine Redeemer in order that Christ be honored
and, through Him and in Him, the most Holy Trinity, Glory be to the Father and
to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.
172. In order
that the errors and inaccuracies, mentioned above, may be more easily removed
from the Church, and that the faithful following safer norms may be able to use
more fruitfully the liturgical apostolate, We have deemed it opportune,
Venerable Brethren, to add some practical applications of the doctrine which We
have explained.
173. When
dealing with genuine and solid piety We stated that there could be no real
opposition between the sacred liturgy and other religious practices, provided
they be kept within legitimate bounds and performed for a legitimate purpose.
In fact, there are certain exercises of piety which the Church recommends very
much to clergy and religious.
174. It is
Our wish also that the faithful, as well, should take part in these practices.
The chief of these are: meditation on spiritual things, diligent examination of
conscience, enclosed retreats, visits to the blessed sacrament, and those
special prayers in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary among which the rosary, as
all know, has pride of place.[163]
175. From
these multiple forms of piety, the inspiration and action of the Holy Spirit
cannot be absent. Their purpose is, in various ways, to attract and direct our
souls to God, purifying them from their sins, encouraging them to practice
virtue and, finally, stimulating them to advance along the path of sincere
piety by accustoming them to meditate on the eternal truths and disposing them
better to contemplate the mysteries of the human and divine natures of Christ.
Besides, since they develop a deeper spiritual life of the faithful, they
prepare them to take part in sacred public functions with greater fruit, and
they lessen the danger of liturgical prayers becoming an empty ritualism.
176. In
keeping with your pastoral solicitude, Venerable Brethren, do not cease to
recommend and encourage these exercises of piety from which the faithful,
entrusted to your care, cannot but derive salutary fruit. Above all, do not
allow - as some do, who are deceived under the pretext of restoring the liturgy
or who idly claim that only liturgical rites are of any real value and dignity
- that churches be closed during the hours not appointed for public functions,
as has already happened in some places: where the adoration of the august
sacrament and visits to our Lord in the tabernacles are neglected; where
confession of devotion is discouraged; and devotion to the Virgin Mother of
God, a sign of "predestination" according to the opinion of holy men,
is so neglected, especially among the young, as to fade away and gradually
vanish. Such conduct most harmful to Christian piety is like poisonous fruit,
growing on the infected branches of a healthy tree, which must be cut off so
that the life-giving sap of the tree may bring forth only the best fruit.
177. Since
the opinions expressed by some about frequent confession are completely foreign
to the spirit of Christ and His Immaculate Spouse and are also most dangerous
to the spiritual life, let Us call to mind what with sorrow We wrote about this
point in the encyclical on the Mystical Body. We urgently insist once more that
what We expounded in very serious words be proposed by you for the serious
consideration and dutiful obedience of your flock, especially to students for
the priesthood and young clergy.
178. Take
special care that as many as possible, not only of the clergy but of the laity
and especially those in religious organizations and in the ranks of Catholic
Action, take part in monthly days of recollection and in retreats of longer
duration made with a view to growing in virtue. As We have previously stated,
such spiritual exercises are most useful and even necessary to instill into
souls solid virtue, and to strengthen them in sanctity so as to be able to
derive from the sacred liturgy more efficacious and abundant benefits.
179. As
regards the different methods employed in these exercises, it is perfectly
clear to all that in the Church on earth, no less in the Church in heaven,
there are many mansions,[164] and that
asceticism cannot be the monopoly of anyone. It is the same spirit who
breatheth where He will,[165] and who with
differing gifts and in different ways enlightens and guides souls to sanctity.
Let their freedom and the supernatural action of the Holy Spirit be so
sacrosanct that no one presume to disturb or stifle them for any reason
whatsoever.
180. However,
it is well known that the spiritual exercise according to the method and norms
of St. Ignatius have been fully approved and earnestly recommended by Our
predecessors on account of their admirable efficacy. We, too, for the same
reason have approved and commended them and willingly do We repeat this now.
181. Any
inspiration to follow and practice extraordinary exercises of piety must most
certainly come from the Father of Lights, from whom every good and perfect gift
descends;[166] and, of course, the criterion of
this will be the effectiveness of these exercises in making the divine cult
loved and spread daily ever more widely, and in making the faithful approach
the sacraments with more longing desire, and in obtaining for all things holy
due respect and honor. If on the contrary, they are an obstacle to principles
and norms of divine worship, or if they oppose or hinder them, one must surely
conclude that they are not in keeping with prudence and enlightened zeal.
182. There
are, besides, other exercises of piety which, although not strictly belonging
to the sacred liturgy, are, nevertheless, of special import and dignity, and
may be considered in a certain way to be an addition to the liturgical cult;
they have been approved and praised over and over again by the Apostolic See
and by the bishops. Among these are the prayers usually said during the month
of May in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, or during the month of
June to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus: also novenas and triduums, stations of
the cross and other similar practices.
183. These
devotions make us partakers in a salutary manner of the liturgical cult,
because they urge the faithful to go frequently to the sacrament of penance, to
attend Mass and receive communion with devotion, and, as well, encourage them
to meditate on the mysteries of our redemption and imitate the example of the
saints.
184. Hence,
he would do something very wrong and dangerous who would dare to take on
himself to reform all these exercises of piety and reduce them completely to
the methods and norms of liturgical rites. However, it is necessary that the
spirit of the sacred liturgy and its directives should exercise such a salutary
influence on them that nothing improper be introduced nor anything unworthy of
the dignity of the house of God or detrimental to the sacred functions or
opposed to solid piety.
185. Take
care then, Venerable Brethren, that this true and solid piety increases daily
and more under your guidance and bears more abundant fruit. Above all, do not
cease to inculcate into the minds of all that progress in the Christian life
does not consist in the multiplicity and variety of prayers and exercises of
piety, but rather in their helpfulness towards spiritual progress of the
faithful and constant growth of the Church universal. For the eternal Father
"chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world that we
should be holy and unspotted in His sight."[167] All
our prayers, then, and all our religious practices should aim at directing our
spiritual energies towards attaining this most noble and lofty end.
186. We
earnestly exhort you, Venerable Brethren, that after errors and falsehoods have
been removed, and anything that is contrary to truth or moderation has been
condemned, you promote a deeper knowledge among the people of the sacred
liturgy so that they more readily and easily follow the sacred rites and take
part in them with true Christian dispositions.
187. First of
all, you must strive that with due reverence and faith all obey the decrees of
the Council of Trent, of the Roman Pontiffs, and the Sacred Congregation of
Rites, and what the liturgical books ordain concerning external public worship.
188. Three
characteristics of which Our predecessor Pius X spoke should adorn all
liturgical services: sacredness, which abhors any profane influence; nobility,
which true and genuine arts should serve and foster; and universality, which,
while safeguarding local and legitimate custom, reveals the catholic unity of
the Church.[168]
189. We
desire to commend and urge the adornment of churches and altars. Let each one
feel moved by the inspired word, "the zeal of thy house hath eaten me
up";[169] and strive as much as in him lies
that everything in the church, including vestments and liturgical furnishings,
even though not rich nor lavish, be perfectly clean and appropriate, since all
is consecrated to the Divine Majesty. If we have previously disapproved of the
error of those who would wish to outlaw images from churches on the plea of
reviving an ancient tradition, We now deem it Our duty to censure the
inconsiderate zeal of those who propose for veneration in the Churches and on
the altars, without any just reason, a multitude of sacred images and statues,
and also those who display unauthorized relics, those who emphasize special and
insignificant practices, neglecting essential and necessary things. They thus
bring religion into derision and lessen the dignity of worship.
190. Let us
recall, as well, the decree about "not introducing new forms of worship
and devotion."[170] We commend the exact
observance of this decree to your vigilance.
191. As
regards music, let the clear and guiding norms of the Apostolic See be
scrupulously observed. Gregorian chant, which the Roman Church considers her
own as handed down from antiquity and kept under her close tutelage, is
proposed to the faithful as belonging to them also. In certain parts of the
liturgy the Church definitely prescribes it;[171] it
makes the celebration of the sacred mysteries not only more dignified and
solemn but helps very much to increase the faith and devotion of the
congregation. For this reason, Our predecessors of immortal memory, Pius X and
Pius XI, decree - and We are happy to confirm with Our authority the norms laid
down by them - that in seminaries and religious institutes, Gregorian chant be
diligently and zealously promoted, and moreover that the old Scholae Cantorum
be restored, at least in the principal churches. This has already been done
with happy results in not a few places.[172]
192. Besides,
"so that the faithful take a more active part in divine worship, let
Gregorian chant be restored to popular use in the parts proper to the people.
Indeed it is very necessary that the faithful attend the sacred ceremonies not
as if they were outsiders or mute onlookers, but let them fully appreciate the
beauty of the liturgy and take part in the sacred ceremonies, alternating their
voices with the priest and the choir, according to the prescribed norms. If,
please God, this is done, it will not happen that the congregation hardly ever
or only in a low murmur answer the prayers in Latin or in the vernacular."[173] A congregation that is devoutly present at the
sacrifice, in which our Savior together with His children redeemed with His
sacred blood sings the nuptial hymn of His immense love, cannot keep silent,
for "song befits the lover"[174] and,
as the ancient saying has it, "he who sings well prays twice." Thus
the Church militant, faithful as well as clergy, joins in the hymns of the
Church triumphant and with the choirs of angels, and, all together, sing a
wondrous and eternal hymn of praise to the most Holy Trinity in keeping with
words of the preface, "with whom our voices, too, thou wouldst bid to be
admitted."[175]
193. It
cannot be said that modem music and singing should be entirely excluded from
Catholic worship. For, if they are not profane nor unbecoming to the sacredness
of the place and function, and do not spring from a desire of achieving
extraordinary and unusual effects, then our churches must admit them since they
can contribute in no small way to the splendor of the sacred ceremonies, can
lift the mind to higher things and foster true devotion of soul.
194. We also
exhort you, Venerable Brethren, to promote with care congregational singing,
and to see to its accurate execution with all due dignity, since it easily
stirs up and arouses the faith and piety of large gatherings of the faithful.
Let the full harmonious singing of our people rise to heaven like the bursting
of a thunderous sea[176] and let them testify by
the melody of their song to the unity of their hearts and minds[177], as becomes brothers and the children of the
same Father.
195. What We
have said about music, applies to the other fine arts, especially to architecture,
sculpture and painting. Recent works of art which lend themselves to the
materials of modern composition, should not be universally despised and
rejected through prejudice. Modern art should be given free scope in the due
and reverent service of the church and the sacred rites, provided that they
preserve a correct balance between styles tending neither to extreme realism
nor to excessive "symbolism," and that the needs of the Christian
community are taken into consideration rather than the particular taste or
talent of the individual artist. Thus modern art will be able to join its voice
to that wonderful choir of praise to which have contributed, in honor of the
Catholic faith, the greatest artists throughout the centuries. Nevertheless, in
keeping with the duty of Our office, We cannot help deploring and condemning
those works of art, recently introduced by some, which seem to be a distortion
and perversion of true art and which at times openly shock Christian taste,
modesty and devotion, and shamefully offend the true religious sense. These
must be entirely excluded and banished from our churches, like "anything
else that is not in keeping with the sanctity of the place."[178]
196. Keeping
in mind, Venerable Brethren, pontifical norms and decrees, take great care to
enlighten and direct the minds and hearts of the artists to whom is given the
task today of restoring or rebuilding the many churches which have been ruined
or completely destroyed by war. Let them be capable and willing to draw their
inspiration from religion to express what is suitable and more in keeping with
the requirements of worship. Thus the human arts will shine forth with a
wondrous heavenly splendor, and contribute greatly to human civilization, to
the salvation of souls and the glory of God. The fine arts are really in
conformity with religion when "as noblest handmaids they are at the
service of divine worship."[179]
197. But
there is something else of even greater importance, Venerable Brethren, which
We commend to your apostolic zeal, in a very special manner. Whatever pertains
to the external worship has assuredly its importance; however, the most
pressing duty of Christians is to live the liturgical life, and increase and
cherish its supernatural spirit.
198. Readily
provide the young clerical student with facilities to understand the sacred
ceremonies, to appreciate their majesty and beauty and to learn the rubrics
with care, just as you do when he is trained in ascetics, in dogma and in a
canon law and pastoral theology. This should not be done merely for cultural
reasons and to fit the student to perform religious rites in the future,
correctly and with due dignity, but especially to lead him into closest union
with Christ, the Priest, so that he may become a holy minister of sanctity.
199. Try in
every way, with the means and helps that your prudence deems best, that the
clergy and people become one in mind and heart, and that the Christian people
take such an active part in the liturgy that it becomes a truly sacred action
of due worship to the eternal Lord in which the priest, chiefly responsible for
the souls of his parish, and the ordinary faithful are united together.
200. To
attain this purpose, it will greatly help to select carefully good and upright
young boys from all classes of citizens who will come generously and
spontaneously to serve at the altar with careful zeal and exactness. Parents of
higher social standing and culture should greatly esteem this office for their
children. If these youths, under the watchful guidance of the priests, are
properly trained and encouraged to fulfil the task committed to them
punctually, reverently and constantly, then from their number will readily come
fresh candidates for the priesthood. The clergy will not then complain - as,
alas, sometimes happens even in Catholic places - that in the celebration of
the august sacrifice they find no one to answer or serve them.
201. Above
all, try with your constant zeal to have all the faithful attend the Eucharistic
sacrifice from which they may obtain abundant and salutary fruit; and carefully
instruct them in all the legitimate ways we have described above so that they
may devoutly participate in it. The Mass is the chief act of divine worship; it
should also be the source and center of Christian piety. Never think that you
have satisfied your apostolic zeal until you see your faithful approach in
great numbers the celestial banquet which is a sacrament of devotion, a sign of
unity and a bond of love.[180]
202. By means
of suitable sermons and particularly by periodic conferences and lectures, by
special study weeks and the like, teach the Christian people carefully about
the treasures of piety contained in the sacred liturgy so that they may be able
to profit more abundantly by these supernatural gifts. In this matter, those
who are active in the ranks of Catholic Action will certainly be a help to you,
since they are ever at the service of the hierarchy in the work of promoting
the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
203. But in
all these matters, it is essential that you watch vigilantly lest the enemy
come into the field of the Lord and sow cockle among the wheat;[181] in other words, do not let your flocks be
deceived by the subtle and dangerous errors of false mysticism or quietism - as
you know We have already condemned these errors;[182]
also do not let a certain dangerous "humanism" lead them astray, nor
let there be introduced a false doctrine destroying the notion of Catholic
faith, nor finally an exaggerated zeal for antiquity in matters liturgical.
Watch with like diligence lest the false teaching of those be propagated who
wrongly think and teach that the glorified human nature of Christ really and
continually dwells in the "just" by His presence and that one and
numerically the same grace, as they say, unites Christ with the members of His
Mystical Body.
204. Never be
discouraged by the difficulties that arise, and never let your pastoral zeal
grow cold. "Blow the trumpet in Sion ... call an assembly, gather together
the people, sanctify the Church, assemble the ancients, gather together the
little ones, and them that suck at the breasts,"[183]
and use every help to get the faithful everywhere to fill the churches and
crowd around the altars so that they may be restored by the graces of the
sacraments and joined as living members to their divine Head, and with Him and
through Him celebrate together the august sacrifice that gives due tribute of
praise to the Eternal Father.
205. These,
Venerable Brethren, are the subjects We desired to write to you about. We are
moved to write that your children, who are also Ours, may more fully understand
and appreciate the most precious treasures which are contained in the sacred
liturgy: namely, the Eucharistic sacrifice, representing and renewing the
sacrifice of the cross, the sacraments which are the streams of divine grace
and of divine life, and the hymn of praise, which heaven and earth daily offer
to God.
206. We
cherish the hope that these Our exhortations will not only arouse the sluggish
and recalcitrant to a deeper and more correct study of the liturgy, but also instil
into their daily lives its supernatural spirit according to the words of the
Apostle, "extinguish not the spirit."[184]
207. To those
whom an excessive zeal occasionally led to say and do certain things which
saddened Us and which We could not approve, we repeat the warning of St. Paul,
"But prove all things, hold fast that which is good."[185] Let Us paternally warn them to imitate in their
thoughts and actions the Christian doctrine which is in harmony with the
precepts of the immaculate Spouse of Jesus Christ, the mother of saints.
208. Let Us
remind all that they must generously and faithfully obey their holy pastors who
possess the right and duty of regulating the whole life, especially the
spiritual life, of the Church. "Obey your prelates and be subject to them.
For they watch as being to render an account of your souls; that they may do
this with joy and not with grief."[186]
209. May God,
whom we worship, and who is "not the God of dissension but of peace,"[187] graciously grant to us all that during our
earthly exile we may with one mind and one heart participate in the sacred
liturgy which is, as it were, a preparation and a token of that heavenly
liturgy in which we hope one day to sing together with the most glorious Mother
of God and our most loving Mother, "To Him that sitteth on the throne, and
to the Lamb, benediction and honor, and glory and power for ever and
ever."[188]
210. In this
joyous hope, We most lovingly impart to each and every one of you, Venerable
Brethren, and to the flocks confided to your care, as a pledge of divine gifts
and as a witness of Our special love, the apostolic benediction.
Given at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, on the
20th day of November
in
the year 1947, the 9th of Our Pontificate.
PIUS XII
1. 1 Tim. 2:5.
2. Cf. Heb. 4:14.
3. Cf. Heb. 9:14.
4. Cf. Mal.1:11.
5. Cf. Council of Trent Sess. 22,
c. 1.
6. Cf. ibid., c. 2.
7. Encyclical Letter Caritate
Christi, May 3, 1932.
8. Cf. Apostolic Letter (Motu
Proprio) In cotidianis precibus, March 24, 1945.
9. 1 Cor. 10:17.
10. Saint Thomas, Summa
Theologica, IIª IIª³ q. 81, art. 1.
11. Cf. Book of Leviticus.
12. Cf. Heb.10:1.
13. John, 1:14.
14. Heb.10:5-7.
15. Ibid. 10:10.
16. John, 1:9.
17. Heb.10:39.
18. Cf. 1 John, 2:1.
19. Cf. 1 Tim. 3:15.
20. Cf. Boniface IX, Ab origine
mundi, October 7, 1391; Callistus III, Summus Pontifex, January 1, 1456; Pius
II, Triumphans Pastor, April 22, 1459; Innocent XI, Triumphans Pastor, October
3, 1678.
21. Eph. 2:19-22.
22. Matt. 18:20.
23. Acts, 2:42.
24. Col. 3:16.
25. Saint Augustine, Epist. 130,
ad Probam, 18.
26. Roman Missal, Preface for
Christmas.
27. Giovanni Cardinal Bona, De divina psalmodia, c. 19, par. 3, 1.
28. Roman Missal, Secret for
Thursday after the Second Sunday of Lent.
29. Cf. Mark, 7:6 and Isaias,
29:13.
30. 1 Cor.11:28.
31. Roman Missal, Ash Wednesday;
Prayer after the imposition of ashes.
32. De praedestinatione
sanctorum, 31.
33. Cf. Saint Thomas, Summa
Theologica, IIª IIª³, q. 82, art. 1.
34. Cf. 1 Cor. 3:23.
35. Heb. 10:19-24.
36. Cf. 2 Cor. 6:1.
37. Cf. Code of Canon Law, can.
125, 126, 565, 571,595,1367.
38. Col. 3:11.
39. Cf. Gal. 4:19.
40. John, 20:21.
41. Luke, 10:16.
42. Mark, 16:15-16.
43. Roman Pontifical, Ordination
of a priest: anointing of hands.
44. Enchiridion, c. 3.
45. De gratia Dei "Indiculus."
46. Saint Augustine, Epist. 130, ad Probam, 18.
47. Cf. Constitution Divini
cultus, December 20, 1928.
48. Constitution Immensa, January
22, 1588.
49. Code of Canon Law, can. 253.
50. Cf. Code of Canon Law, can.
1257.
51. Cf. Code of Canon Law, can.
1261.
52. Cf. Matt. 28:20.
53. Cf. Pius VI, Constitution
Auctorem fidei, August 28, 1794, nn. 31-34, 39, 62, 66, 69-74.
54. Cf. John, 21:15-17.
55. Acts, 20:28.
56. Ps.109:4.
57. John, 13:1.
58. Council of Trent, Sess. 22,
c. 1.
59. Ibid., c. 2.
60. Cf. Saint Thomas, Summa
Theologica, IIIª, q. 22, art. 4.
61. Saint John Chrysostom, In
Joann. Hom., 86:4.
62. Rom. 6:9.
63. Cf. Roman Missal, Preface.
64. Cf. Ibid., Canon.
65. Mark, 14:23.
66. Roman Missal, Preface.
67. 1 John, 2:2.
68. Roman Missal, Canon of the
Mass.
69. Saint Augustine, De Trinit.,
Book XIII, c. 19.
70. Heb. 5:7.
71. Cf. Sess. 22, c. 1.
72. Cf. Heb. 10:14.
73. Saint Augustine, Enarr. in
Ps. 147, n. 16.
74. Gal. 2:19-20.
75. Encyclical Letter, Mystici
Corporis, June 29, 1943.
76. Roman Missal, Secret of the
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost.
77. Cf. Sess. 22, c. 2. and can.
4.
78. Cf. Gal. 6:14.
79. Mal. 1:11.
80. Phil. 2:5.
81. Gal. 2:19.
82. Cf. Council of Trent, Sess.
23. c. 4.
83. Cf. Saint Robert Bellarmine,
De Missa, 2, c.4.
84. De Sacro Altaris Mysterio, 3:6.
85. De Missa, 1, c. 27.
86. Roman Missal, Ordinary of the
Mass.
87. Ibid., Canon of the Mass.
88. Roman Missal, Canon of the
Mass.
89. 1 Peter, 2:5.
90. Rom. 12:1.
91. Roman Missal, Canon of the
Mass.
92. Roman Pontifical, Ordination
of a priest.
93. Ibid., Consecration of an
altar, Preface.
94. Cf. Council of Trent, Sess.
22, c. 5.
95. Gal. 2:19-20.
96. Cf. Serm. 272.
97. Cf. 1 Cor. 12:27.
98. Cf. Eph. 5:30.
99. Cf. Saint Robert Bellarmine,
De Missa, 2, c. 8.
100. Cf. De Civitate Dei, Book 10, c. 6.
101. Roman Missal, Canon of the
Mass.
102. Cf. 1 Tim. 2:5.
103. Encyclical Letter Certiores
effecti, November 13, 1742, par. 1.
104. Council of Trent, Sess. 22,
can. 8.
105. 1 Cor. 11:24.
106. Roman Missal, Collect for
Feast of Corpus Christi.
107. Sess. 22, c. 6.
108. Encyclical Letter Certiores
effecti, par. 3.
109. Cf. Luke, 14:23.
110. 1 Cor. 10:17.
111. Cf. Saint Ignatius Martyr,
Ad Eph. 20.
112. Roman Missal, Canon of the
Mass.
113. Eph. 5:20.
114. Roman Missal, Postcommunion
for Sunday within the Octave of Ascension.
115. Ibid., Postcommunion for First
Sunday after Pentecost.
116. Code of Canon Law, can. 810.
117. Book IV, c. 12.
118. Dan. 3:57.
119. Cf. John 16: 3.
120. Roman Missal, Secret for
Mass of the Most Blessed Trinity.
121. John, 15:4.
122. Council of Trent, Sess. 13,
can. 1.
123. Second Council of
Constantinople, Anath, de trib. Capit., can. 9; compare Council of Ephesus,
Anath. Cyrill, can 8. Cf. Council of Trent, Sess. 13, can. 6; Pius VI
Constitution Auctorem fidei, n. 61.
124. Cf. Enarr in Ps. 98:9.
125. Apoc. 5:12, cp. 7:10.
126. Cf. Council of Trent, Sess.
13, c. 5 and can. 6.
127. In I ad Cor., 24:4.
128. Cf. 1 Peter, 1:19.
129. Matt. 11:28.
130. Cf. Roman Missal, Collect
for Mass for the Dedication of a Church.
131. Roman Missal, Sequence Lauda
Sion in Mass for Feast of Corpus Christi.
132. Luke, 18:1.
133. Heb. 13:15.
134. Cf. Acts, 2:1-15.
135. Ibid., 10:9.
136. Ibid., 3:1.
137. Ibid., 16:25.
138. Rom. 8:26.
139. Saint Augustine, Enarr. in
Ps. 85, n. 1.
140. Saint Benedict, Regula
Monachorum, c. 19.
141. Heb. 7:25.
142. Explicatio in Psalterium,
Preface. Text as found in Migne, Parres Larini, 70:10. But some are of the
opinion that part of this passage should not be attributed to Cassiodorus.
143. Saint Ambrose, Enarr in Ps.
1, n. 9.
144. Exod. 31:15.
145. Confessions, Book 9, c. 6.
146. Saint Augustine, De Civitate
Dei, Book 8, c. 17.
147. Col.3:1-2.
148. Saint Augustine, Enarr. in
Ps. 123, n. 2.
149. Heb. 13:8.
150. Saint Thomas, Summa
Theologica IIIª, q. 49 and q. 62, art. 5.
151. Cf. Acts, 10:38.
152. Eph. 4:13.
153. Roman Missal, Collect for
Third Mass of Several Martyrs outside Paschaltide.
154. Saint Bede the Venerable,
Hom. subd. 70 for Feast of All Saints.
155. Roman Missal, Collect for
Mass of Saint John Damascene.
156. Saint Bernard, Sermon 2 for
Feast of All Saints.
157. Luke, 1:28.
158. "Salve Regina."
159. Saint Bernard, In Nativ.
B.M.V., 7.
160. Heb. 10:22.
161. Ibid., 10:21.
162. Ibid., 6:19.
163. Cf. Code of Canon Law, Can.
125.
164. Cf. John, 14:2.
165. John, 3:8.
166. Cf. James, 1:17.
167. Eph. 1:4.
168. Cf. Apostolic Letter (Motu
Proprio) Tra le sollecitudini, November 22, 1903.
169. Ps. 68:9; John, 2:17.
170. Supreme Sacred Congregation
of the Holy Office, Decree of May 26, 1937.
171. Cf. Pius X, Apostolic Letter
(Motu Proprio) Tra le sollectitudini.
172. Cf. Pius X, loc. cit.; Pius
XI, Constitution Divini cultus, 2, 5.
173. Pius XI, Constitution Divini
cultus, 9.
174. Saint Augustine, Serm. 336,
n. 1.
175. Roman Missal, Preface.
176. Saint Ambrose, Hexameron,
3:5, 23.
177. Cf. Acts, 4:32.
178. Code of Canon Law, can.
1178.
179. Pius XI, Constitution Divini
cultus.
180. Cf. Saint Augustine, Tract.
26 in John 13.
181. Cf. Matt. 13:24-25.
182. Encyclical letter Mystici
Corporis.
183. Joel, 2:15-16.
184. I Thess. 5:19.
185. lbid., 5:21.
186. Heb. 13:17
187. 1 Cor.14:33.
188. Apoc. 5:13.
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