Liturgical Abuses

RealCatholicTV & Liturgical Abuses

On Sunday, RealCatholicTV.com posted their most recently produced episode of CIA: Weapon of MASS Destruction. The topic was the Mass. It discussed how the new form (the Ordinary Form or Norvus Ordo)of the the Mass has been contorted and desecrated, in some places, through liturgical abuse and modernist innovation. It was a well researched episode and was done in a charitable way, so as to attack the problems, and not the Mass itself. As faithful Catholics, RCTV professes a belief in the legitimacy and authority of the Vatican II council. Yet, they expose how and why some of the changes to the Mass occurred, and how those changes were not done for the reasons stated during the Council. This area of discussion is quite dense and complicated. To have a discussion and understanding of it, you really have to have read many of the documents produced relating to Vatican II, you must understand the purpose and differences between the actions and functions of the two forms of the Mass, and must understand the doctrine and theology behind the forms of the Mass.

That being said, the the episode of RCTV's "CIA" could easily have struck people as extreme, incidndary, and rhetorical. There are many Catholics that don't realize how many liturgical abuses occur across the Church on any given Sunday. Some people have been going to Mass in the same parish their entire lives. To them, Catholic Mass is whatever occurrs in their parish. To a degree they are correct, there is rarely an INVALID Mass. This is not true when it comes to it being licit or illict, meaning that many Masses have some abuse which is therefore illicit. But what exactly does that mean? How do we know? Sure there are rules, but are they important?

Some Liturgical Abuses...

So what are Liturgical Abuses? Should this matter? Aren't we just nitpicking at priests, none of us are perfect so why should we expect priests to be perfect? Well... perfection isn't necessary, or even expected. The problem isn't the lack of perfection, but instead the problem is when priests, lay ministers, and pastoral councils construct liturgies with innovation and invention.


If you want to know more here are some links, with documentation and support:

• Common and Serious Abuses - with corresponding Church Law
• 10 Most Common Liturgical Abuses from Catholic Answers
• From EWTN
• TAKE A QUIZ on your awareness of liturgical abuse
• Paul VI saw liturgical abuse as "Smoke of Satan"
• Fr. John Trigilio Takes on U.S. Catholic over Latin Mass
• Source: Totus Tuus Family & Homeschool Blog

Why it matters

Some of you may still be reading, and yet asking yourself: "Why does this stuff matter? As long is it isn't too egregious, aren't we focusing on the negative, and being distracted by this at Mass?" My answer, as well as the Pope's and many other Catholic Theologians would be: "It does matter, because the Mass is the worship and participation in the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus." Our faith is what it is, because of the certainty and TRUTH, upon which it rests; eg The Word made Flesh. Therefore, strict adherence should be made to the precepts of the Church.

On a practical level, every erosion eats away at the core and substance of Catholicism. The Mass is the pinnacle of our faith. It separates us from all other Christian religions because in the Mass we are able to participate in the Mystery of the Eucharist. Why would we want to mettle with, and become innovators to actions which could possibly distort or detract from that which Jesus himself instituted? This isn't about style or preference, but about reverence and worship. Learn the Mass. Learn the Rubrics. We become more faithful and stronger Catholics when we know the "Why" behind that which we do.