Worship and the Sacraments

Catechism of the Catholic Church sections # 1077 through 1112 are relevant to these documents.	The story of Church letters	Background statements written by Msgr. Peter J. Elliott of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and copyrighted by Catholics Committed to Support the Pope are indicated by ©CCSP. Background statements written and copyrighted by Martin K.Barrack are indicated by ©MKB
Document	Description	Background
Mediator Dei Vatican Library	On the Sacred Liturgy, Encyclical of Pope Pius XII, November 20, 1947	The history of the liturgical movement can be traced well back into the nineteenth century. In the early years of the twentieth century the need ffor active participation of the people, more frequent reception of the Eucharist, and good church music had already been enforced by Pope St. Pius X. But Pope Pius XII goes deeper, drawing on the doctrinal bases for the divine liturgy which he had already set out in his encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi. His teaching in Mediator Dei also includes cautions which are interesting because he identifies liturgical problems already emerging in the post-war era and which would be encountered more widely after the Second Vatican Council. ©CCSP
Sacrosanctum Concilium Vatican Library	Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Vatican II, December 4, 1963	The first document of the Second Vatican Council to be approved by the Fathers was the great Constitution on the Liturgy. For Catholics of the Roman Rite this would represent the most tangible achievement of the Council, as Sunday by Sunday they began to see the changes unfold which it authorized or initiated. To maintain the true mind of the conciliar reform and renewal of worship and sacraments it is necessary always to return to the deeper doctrinal and spiritual vision of this authoritative source. ©CCSP
Sacram Liturgiam EWTN Library	On Putting Into Effect Some Prescriptions of the Constitution on the Liturgy, Motu Proprio of Pope Paul VI, January 25, 1964	The first practical application of the reform of the liturgy took place before the end of Vatican II. Pope Paul VI sets up a special commission to implement and supervise the changes authorized by the Council Fathers. He lays down the disciplinary principles which are to guide the various stages of renewing divine worship. ©CCSP
Inter Oecumenici Adoremus Library	Instruction on Carrying Out the Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacred Congregation of Rites, October 16, 1964	The first practical instruction on the reform of worship in the Roman rite strongly emphasizes the liturgical formation of the clergy, seminarians and laity. Unfortunately, this principle of formation was not always observed in subsequent years and did not seem to keep pace with the changes. Both negative reaction and extremist experimentation were largely due to a lack of formation. Inter Oecumenici is a transitional instruction, published when various minor changes were made in the Mass. The most significant changes in 1964 were the restoration of concelebration and permission to celebrate the sacraments and most of the Mass in the vernacular. Mass “facing the people” also began to spread widely in most countries. ©CCSP
Mysterium Fidei Vatican Library	On the Holy Eucharist, Encyclical of Pope Paul VI, September 3, 1965	At the end of the Council, Pope Paul VI gathers the Church around the sublime mystery of the Blessed Eucharist. His encyclical contains magisterial teaching on the relationship between the moments of consecration and the Sacrifice of the Mass. He also deals with some current trends in Eucharistic theology which undermined the teaching of the Council of Trent on transubstantiation and the Real Presence. The clear guidance in Mysterium Fide can be linked to a series of subsequent instructions on Communion under both kinds and on Eucharistic adoration. ©CCSP
Musicam Sacram EWTN Library	Instruction on Music in the Liturgy, Sacred Congregation of Rites , March 5, 1967	The freedom granted by Musicam Sacram to the realm of liturgical music would have positive effects such as greater creativity and a wider range of music suitable for participation by the faithful. Music also became a major means of inculturation in liturgy, as the Roman rite was being adapted to local situations. At the same time, this new freedom led to much poor music and the devaluation of the organ and the choir. These abuses reflect the secularist mentality and cultural confusion of the sixties and seventies. The musical problem would linger across the decades following the Council — one of the weaker points in the renewal of Catholic worship. It would be gradually resolved by the quest for an inclusive repertoire of modern and classical liturgical compositions. ©CCSP
Pontificalis Romani Catholic Liturgical Library	On the Sacrament of Holy Orders, Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, June 18, 1968	The reform of the Roman Pontifical begins when Pope Paul authorizes three new rites for the ordination of bishops, priests, and deacons. The new texts reflect the teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the grades of the Sacrament of Holy Orders within the people of God. By simplifying and reshaping the rites, Pope Paul also implements the decision of Pope Pius XII who, in 1947, ended centuries of dispute by defining the matter and form of Holy Orders as the imposition of hands and the prayer of consecration. In the years following Pontificalis Romani, the minor, non-sacramental orders would be adapted and the subdiaconate would be abolished. Some ministries formerly reserved for the clergy would be extended to the laity. ©CCSP
Missale Romanum EWTN Library	Approving the New Roman Missal, Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, April 3, 1969	The most significant achievement of the reform of the liturgy was the publication of the new Roman Missal to replace the Missal of Pope St. Pius V (1570). The Mass is enriched by many new prefaces and three new Eucharistic prayers. The Scripture readings are published separately in a Lectionary, with a three year cycle for Sundays and solemnities (second edition, 1981). The Roman calendar is reformed and simplified. The rubrics for the ceremonies are set out in a General Instruction. Other later developments would be provision for children’s liturgy with specific Eucharistic prayers (1973, 1974), Eucharistic prayers for Masses of Reconciliation (1974), and a collection of Masses in honor of Our Lady (1986). ©MKB
Divinae Consortium Naturae PDF file from Diocese of Fargo Library	On the Sacrament of Confirmation, Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, August 5, 1971	The celebration of Confirmation during Mass had already been introduced after the Council. In this apostolic constitution, the Supreme Pontiff exercises his Magisterium and changes the form of the sacrament. A simple Eastern formula expressing the indelible character is adopted for the Roman rite. The renewal of baptismal promises is introduced before the act of Confirmation, so as to link Confirmation to the other sacraments of Christian initiation, Baptism and the Eucharist (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 71) ©CCSP
Sacram Unctionem Infirmorum Still looking	On the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, November 30, 1972	In accord with Sacrosanctum Concilium, nn. 73-75, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is revised to place greater emphasis on its healing graces and to adapt it to various pastoral situations. Pope Paul VI authorizes a new form of the sacrament. In the revised rite, provision is made for a continuous rite of Penance, Anointing, and Eucharist, and the sacrament may be celebrated in communal form during Mass or a Liturgy of the Word. See also Introduction to the Rite of Anointing and to the Pastoral Care of the Sick, December 7, 1972. ©CCSP
General Introduction to Christian Initiation Still looking	Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, August 29, 1973	One of the major achievements of the liturgical renewal initiated by the Second Vatican Council was the restoration of the catechumenate and the preparation of new rites for the various stages of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, known as the RCIA. The General Introduction published in 1974 gives a doctrinal overview of sacramental initiation into Christ and His Church, centered around Baptism. This is in fact a revised version of the 1969 introduction to the new rite for baptizing infants, including more precise teaching on Baptism and original sin. ©CCSP
Misericordiam Suam Still looking	Introduction to the New Order of Penance, Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, December 2, 1973	In the light of the directive of the Second Vatican Council that the Sacrament of Penance be renewed (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 72), three new “Rites of Reconciliation” are published: (1) individual confession to a priest, (2) individual confession within a public celebration of penance; and (3) under specific circumstances, the general absolution of a group of people. The reconciling role of the Church is emphasized through a more reflective way of celebrating the sacrament. However, because general absolution began to replace personal confession in some places, the conditions under which the “third rite” could be celebrated were set out more clearly in a reply from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1978) and finally in Canons 960-963 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. ©CCSP
Missale Romanum EWTN Library	General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, March 27, 1975	This is actually a series of documents, including (1) the first editio typica, published in 1970, (2) the second editio typica, published in 1975, Pope Paul VI’s apostolic constitution formally promulgating the new Missal, published April 3, 1969, a foreword to the new missal by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 4th ed., 1975, and several responsa by the Sacred Congregation For Divine Worship And The Discipline Of The Sacraments during the period 1969 through 1981. ©MKB
Dominicae Cenae EWTN Library	On the Mystery and Worship of the Eucharist, Letter to All Bishops of the Church, Pope John Paul II, February 24, 1980	Drawing on his own devotion to the Blessed Eucharist, Pope John Paul II calls the Church back to a deeper appreciation of the “summit and source” of her life. He even apologizes for the liturgical abuses of others, errors which continued to impair the renewal of Catholic worship. On April 3, 1980 the Congregation for Divine Worship published Inaestimabile Donum, the Instruction on Certain Norms Concerning the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery, which is a practical application of Dominicae Cenae. In 1979 and 1980, the Congregation for Catholic Education also published two Instructions on spiritual and liturgical formation in seminaries, emphasizing Eucharistic celebration and personal and communal Eucharistic adoration in seminaries and houses of formation. ©CCSP
Inaestimabile Donum EWTN Library	Concerning Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery, Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, April 17, 1980	The Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship calls on the bishops to correct certain abuses, such as indiscriminate shared recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, homilies given by lay people, lay people distributing Communion while the priests stand aside, abandonment of liturgical vestments, Eucharist celebrated outside church without real need, lack of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, use of private texts, proliferation of unapproved Eucharistic prayers, etc. The Sacred Congregation provides guidance on how the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass should be celebrated. ©MKB
Pastoralis Actio EWTN Library	Instruction on Infant Baptism, Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, October 20, 1980	The instruction first presents infant baptism as an ancient practice which has been consistently maintained by the Church. It places this form of Christian initiation within various modern pastoral situations, with some directives so as to strike a balance between casually granting baptism to any infant or frequently refusing the sacrament because the infant’s parents are not practicing Catholics. ©CCSP
Vicesimus Quintus Annus Adoremus Library	On the Sacred Liturgy on the 25th Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Conciliar Constitution, Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II, December 4, 1988	Pope John Paul II celebrates the Jubilee of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium. He welcomes the fruits of the changes initiated by the Council. But he also points to false applications and other problems, and he calls for a deeper, more spiritual approach. In this same year, at the time of the schismatic act of the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the Pope recognized the aspirations of those wishing to maintain a place for the pre-conciliar liturgy. Within the wider Church, the publication of the Ceremonial of Bishops (1984) was an invitation to a more stable approach for the future, integrating sound traditions and necessary change. ©CCSP
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis Vatican Library	On Reserving Priestly Ordination to Men Alone, Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II, May 22, 1994	That women cannot be ordained priests had already been stated by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Inter Insigniores. The Church’s position was repeated in Canon 1074 of the Code of Canon Law, 1983, in Pope John Paul II apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem, 1988, and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1577. However, when the Anglicans in England introduced the practice of ordaining women and causing confusion among some Catholics, Pope John Paul II issued this definitive statement. Ordinatio Sacerdotalis is significant in the history of the sacraments because the Pope affirms that there are divinely instituted essentials in a sacrament, which even the Church cannot change. ©CCSP
The Integrity of the Sacrament of Penance Vatican Library	Circular Letter, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disicpline of the Sacraments, March 20, 2000	This letter, signed by Jorge A. Cardinal Medina Estévez, emphasizes that the norms for the Sacrament are found in the Rite of Penance of the Roman Ritual and in the Code of Canon Law, and are based on divine law. It emphasizes the need for private confessions, discourages general absolution, and addresses other reported abuses. ©MKB
Dies Domini Vatican Library	On Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy, Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II, May 31, 1998	In secularized societies driven by consumerism, Christian Sunday observance is weakened. The faithful are confronted not only by the demands of extended working hours, but by options of sport, leisure, entertainment and shopping. In seeking to restore respect for Sunday, Pope John Paul II explores the doctrinal, liturgical, spiritual and pastoral dimensions of the Lord’s Day, the weekly celebration of the Resurrection. While our observance of Sunday is not “sabbatarian” in a Puritan sense, Catholics are called not only to worship on Sundays but to find space for family gatherings, for rest and recreation. ©CCSP
Declaration by the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Vatican Library	Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, July 6, 2000	In recent years some authors have suggested that Catholics who have divorced and remarried without obtaining a declaration of nullity (annulment) could continue to receive Holy Communion. This declaration states firmly that the prohibition in Canon 915 is derived from divine law and therefore unchangeable, and offers guidance to pastors on dealing with practical situations. Also see Familiaris Consortio, n. 84, in Marriage, Family and Sexuality. ©MKB
Liturgiam Authenticam Vatican Library	On the Use of Vernacular Languages in the Publication of the Books of the Roman Liturgy, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disicpline of the Sacraments, March 28, 2001	In December 1988, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John Paul II issued an apostolic letter [Vicesimus Quintus Annus] calling for an evaluation, completion, and consolidation of the liturgical renewal initiated by the Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, and in February 1997 the Holy Father asked the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to codify the conclusions of this work in collaboration with bishops throughout the world regarding the question of liturgical translations. The present document, the fifth instruction issued by the Holy See since the Council “for the right implementation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council,” summarizes the work of the Congregation. The heart of the document is is a fresh exposition of the principles that should govern the vernacular translation of liturgical texts, emphasizing the sacred nature of the liturgy, which the translated texts must carefully safeguard. It is most essential that the translation of liturgical texts into vernacular languages be a work of fidelity and exactness in rendering the Latin texts into a vernacular language with all due consideration for the particular way that each language has of expressing itself. The document insists that translations into the vernacular are to be made only from the editio typica of the Latin and never from other translations. The norms set forth in this document constitute an “instruction” of the Holy See which will see to their observance. All who undertake the important task of translating the liturgical texts of the Latin rite into vernacular tongues are obliged to conform their work to these norms. ©CCSP
Misericordia Dei Vatican Library	On Certain Aspects Of The Celebration Of The Sacrament Of Penance, Motu Proprio, Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II, April 7, 2002	Pope John Paul II here announces a vigorous revitalization of the Sacrament of Penance. He asserts that the the faithful, when they have the right interior dispositions, have the right to receive personally the sacramental gift of Confession. Whenever individual confession is possible, pastors have no authority to offer general absolution. The Holy Father also emphasizes as that penitents living in a habitual state of serious sin and who do not intend to change their situation cannot validly receive absolution. ©MKB
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy	Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disicpline of the Sacraments, December 17, 2001	This major document from the Congregation for Divine Worship provides a comprehensive examination of popular piety and private devotion and how these relate to the liturgical life of the Church. ©MKB
Missale Romanum EWTN Library	General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disicpline of the Sacraments, April 2, 2003	This is the English translation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal third editio typica. The translation was done by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. (ICEL) and confirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on March 17, 2003. It governs celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the United States. ©MKB
Ecclesia de Eucharistia Vatican Library	On the Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church, Encyclical of Pope John Paul II, April 17, 2003	The Holy Father writes, 6 “I would like to rekindle this Eucharistic ‘amazement’ by the present Encyclical Letter, in continuity with the Jubilee heritage which I have left to the Church in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte and its Marian crowning, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. To contemplate the face of Christ, and to contemplate it with Mary, is the ‘programme’ which I have set before the Church at the dawn of the third millennium, summoning her to put out into the deep on the sea of history with the enthusiasm of the new evangelization.” ©MKB
Spiritus et Sponsa Vatican Library	Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II on the 40th Anniversary of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” December 4, 2003	The Holy Father is deeply committed to Vatican II, as he observed forcefully in his first encyclical letter, Redemptor Hominis. In this apostolic letter he returns to its first fruit, Sacrosanctum Concilium, to rediscover the basic themes of the liturgical renewal, observing that every liturgical action is a sacred action surpassing all others. Now, forty years later, the Holy Father sees a world in which the signs of the Gospel are dying out, even in regions with an ancient Christian tradition, and responds with a call for new evangelization. He asserts that the Liturgy offers the deepest and most effective answer to man’s yearning for the encounter with God, especially in the Eucharist, in which we are given to share in the sacrifice of Christ and to nourish ourselves with his Body and his Blood. However, he counsels us, pastors must ensure that the sense of mystery penetrates consciences, making them rediscover the art of “mystagogic catechesis”, so dear to the Fathers of the Church. It is the duty of pastors in particular to promote dignified celebrations, paying the proper attention to the different categories of persons: children, young people, adults, the elderly, the disabled. They must all feel welcome at our gatherings, so that they may breathe the atmosphere of the first community of believers. ©MKB
Redemptionis Sacramentum Vatican Library	On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist, Instruction of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disicpline of the Sacraments, March 25, 2004	The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disicpline of the Sacraments set forth the norms regarding the Holy Eucharist in the Missale Romanum of April 17, 2003. Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, April 17, 2003, addressed the Holy Eucharist from a theological rather than a liturgical perspective. This instruction, intended to be read together with Ecclesia de Eucharistia, clarifies the earlier norms through a deeper appreciation of their intent. ©MKB
Mane Nobiscum Domine	Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II for the Year of the Eucharist, October 7, 2004	The Holy Father has proclaimed that the year beginning October 2004 through October 2005 as the Year of the Eucharist. He explained, in his Homily at the Basilica of St. John Lateran on June 10, 2004, “Thus, there is a very close relationship between ‘building the Eucharist’ and proclaiming Christ.” In Mane Nobiscum Domine, the Holy Father seeks to reaffirm the pastoral unity between the years of preparation for the Jubilee year 2000 and the years that followed it, and to help everyone grasp its spiritual significance. ©MKB
Sacramentum Caritatis	Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI, February 22, 2007	This is a major exhortation on the Holy Eucharist as the source and summit of the Church’s life and mission. The Holy Father gives an appreciation of the Synod of Bishops’ Instrumentum Laboris, July 7, 2005, and offers reflections aimed at a renewed commitment to Eucharistic enthusiasm and fervor in the Church, particularly on the relationship between the Eucharistic mystery, the liturgical action, and the spiritual worship that derives from the Eucharist as the sacrament of charity. The Holy Father considers Sacramentum Caritatis closely related to his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. “We can thus understand how agape also became a term for the Eucharist: there God's own agape comes to us bodily, in order to continue his work in us and through us.” ©MKB