1. Those of us over 50 (only just)
remember
 Vatican 11 is like the
1st world War or the
invention of the typewriters.
 We know they happened but
those of us under 50 don’t
remember anything radically
different about mass except
we had a new one

2. Why a Latin title?
Sacrosanctum Concilium
Means
“This Most Holy Council…”

3. Preamble
 SC (Sacrosanctum Concilium) approved
by Pope Paul V1 on December 4th 1963
was the first of the documents of the
Council.
 The introduction had several points in
mind not only for the reform of the
liturgy but for the Council itself...

4. What task did the Council set
itself?
 Increasing vigour to the Christian life of
the faithful.
 To adapt more suitably to the needs of
our own times
 To foster union among all who believe
in Christ
 To call all people into the Church.

5. The POWER of LITURGY
Specifically the Constitution wished that
Liturgy will help us to:
1. live the mystery of CHRIST
2. We are the Body of the Lord
3. Present Christ to the world.
“BECOME WHAT YOU RECEIVE”

6. So what’s the fuss
about?
 On a certain Sunday we
went to mass and found it
very different.
 Mass was in Latin and
English
 Instead of the server
“answering” mass we also
spoke out loud the
responses of the Mass
 We heard the Epistle and
the Gospel in English and
not in Latin

7. • Possibly the most influential of all the
documents.
• Everyday lives of millions of Catholics have
been influenced.
• Approved by a huge majority of bishops
• (2,147 to 4)
• Promulgated by Pope Paul 1V in 1963
Why study this document today?

8. Why is it so important?
“the liturgical renewal is the most visible
fruit of the whole work of the Council”
 “for most people the message of the
Second Vatican Council has been
experienced principally through
liturgical reform” John Paul 11
 Not only the Mass but the other
sacraments.

9. Why is it so important?
 “I would like everyone to make a
commitment to study this great mystery
especially by revisiting and exploring
the Council’s text on the liturgy
Sacrosanctum Concilium, so as to bear
witness courageously to the mystery”
(Benedict XV1)

10. Times They are A-Changing
 Fun loving 1960’s
 Vietnam war
 Sexual revolution
 So lets all change the mass!

11. Gradual changes
 In French and German monasteries
monks were concerned with recovering
the original meaning of the mass
 1910 Pius X called for “active
participation in the rites of the mass”
 1950’s Pius X11 restored the Easter
Vigil to its former glory on Holy
Saturday night as well as a reform of
the Triduum

12. Aggiornamento
 Bringing things up to date
 John XX111 called for the Church to
update its presentation of its message
 He did not want the Church to loose
touch with contemporary world
 But he wanted to return to the early
centuries back to the sources

13. • Most immediate effect of the Document on the lives of
individual Catholics
“Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful
should be led to that fully conscious and active
participation in liturgical celebrations...”a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed
people”(1Peter2:9) it is their right and duty by reason of
their baptism (SC14)
Participation of the Laity

14. A Living Tradition
 The Church has to pass onto the next generation
what is essential, what must be handed on to
maintain the truth of the Church
 We do this by going back to the way mass and other
sacraments have been celebrated in the past
 The new generation must be aware of the past
before they can grasp that which is essential for the
present.

15. Key points to look for
 The Paschal Mystery,
 Death
 Resurrection
 Glorification
 Of JESUS the chief meaning of all
the Sacraments and upon which
everything else depends.

16. The Church
 Not the Vatican
 Not the Pope and
Bishops
 But ALL OF US
 Baptism plunges us
into this mystery
 We gather as an
EUCHARISTIC PEOPLE

17. The LITURGY
 Is the “Source and Summit” of the life
of the Church
 liturgies are not private ceremonies
 All of us have a part to play

18. Several masses

19. What lay behind some of the
changes?
 A Noble Simplicity short, clear
and readily understandable
 Sacred Scripture –
ample, varied, more suitable.
 Ministry of preaching is part of
the liturgy. From Sacred
Scripture; the proclamation of
God’s wonderful works.

20. Did everything change then?
 Not immediately
 To begin with very cautious
 Holy Communion under both kinds
 Concelebration
 Dialogue mass in Latin
 Canon in Latin

21. So what happened?
The Constitution did not
immediately change the mass
 Paul V1 convened a committee to
oversee the Mass and other
Sacraments.
 There have been later signs of
renewal
 Women in the Sanctuary
 Vernacular

22. Gradual change in the Mass
 The Eucharistic Prayer was retained in
Latin, and no substantial changes were
made. In 1967, the Canon was
permitted to be said in the
vernacular, and in 1969, the New Rite
(Ordinary Form was introduced)
 Benedict XV further requested
translations to be faithful to the Latin

23. Reordering of our Churches
In order to enable greater participation
many Churches were reordered.
A proper dignified place for
 The Altar
 The Ambo
 The Presidential Chair
 The People

24. Exciting developments
 A real need to read this for
yourselves!
 The Council Fathers discussed
how the local languages were to
be used: how cultural
adaptations could be brought
into the liturgy.
 But always the fine balance
between doing your “own thing”
and the approval of the local
bishop

25. Norms some of these we take
for granted now
 Devout and active participation of
everyone
 Bible to be opened up
 The Homily on Sundays and Holy
Days
 Common Prayer or Prayers of the
Faithful
 Vernacular limited at first. Latin to be
retained some parts said by laity

26.  Communion of the Lord’s Body from the
same sacrifice is warmly recommended
 (Tabernacle)
 Communion under both kinds – limited
but now universal in this Diocese
 Concelebration
 Catecumenate restored (RCIA)
Norms some of these we take
for granted now

27. What are your thoughts on all
this?
 Can you turn to your neighbour and
chat about what you have heard.
 Do you feel that during mass we are
included or does it seem like a
performance of an ancient liturgy?
 Do you think that the aims of the
Council Fathers for a renewal of liturgy
were realised?