Pesta dan Hari Raya yang jatuh pada hari Minggu selama Tahun Liturgi

Aturannya begini. Hari Minggu selama tahun liturgi dianggap sangat penting. Terutama hari Minggu selama Adven, Prapaskah dan Paskah.

Hanya Pesta memperingati Tuhan atau Hari Raya yang jatuh pada hari Minggu di luar 3 masa tersebut yang boleh... menggantikan perayaan hari Minggu. Misalnya, Hari Raya St. Perawan Maria Bunda Allah (1 Januari) jika jatuh hari Minggu maka akan dirayakan menggantikan hari Minggu. Pesta Tuhan Menampakkan Kemuliaan-Nya misalnya, jika jatuh hari Minggu akan tetap dirayakan menggantikan hari Minggu.
Pesta lain yang berkenaan dengan Santo/Santa, Pendirian Gereja, dsbnya akan diabaikan, karena lebih rendah dari hari Minggu derajatnya.

Selama 3 masa tersebut: Adven, Prapaskah, Paskah, derajat hari Minggu menjadi mutlak dan tidak bisa digantikan oleh apapun. Jika ada Pesta Tuhan atau Hari Raya yang jatuh pada hari Minggu pada masa-masa tersebut, maka akan digeser ke hari Sabtu.

Pesta Tuhan yang mungkin jatuh pada hari Minggu dan menggantikan hari Minggu:
1. Pesta Yesus dipersembahkan di Kenisah (2 Februari)
2. Pesta Yesus menampakkan kemuliaan-Nya (6 Agustus)
3. Pesta Salib Suci (14 September)

Acuan: General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar

Misa Kudus yang dirayakan dengan buruk mengakibatkan hilangnya iman

Melemahnya iman akan Tuhan, meningkatnya egoisme, menurunnya jumlah orang yang menghadiri Misa di berbagai tempat di dunia dapat dirunut kembali pada perayaan Misa Kudus yang tidak khidmad dan tidak mengindahkan aturan-aturan Gereja. Demikian disampaikan oleh 2 orang pejabat Vatikan (Kardinal Raymond L. Burke - Prefek Apostolic Signatura, dan Kardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera - Prefek Kongregasi Ibadat Ilahi) dan seorang penasihat Kongregasi Ibadat Ilahi, Romo. Nicola Bux.

Kardinal Canizares mengatakan, "Partisipasi dalam perayaan Ekaristi dapat melemahkan bahkan membuat kita kehilangan iman jika kita tidak masuk ke dalamnya dengan benar," dan jika liturgi tidak dirayakan sesuai dengan norma-norma Gereja.

Hal senada dikatakan oleh Kardinal Burke, "Jika kita salah dengan berpikir bahwa kitalah pusat dari liturgi, Misa Kudus akan menghantar pada hilangnya iman." Juga sependapat dengan Romo Nicola Bux, ia mengatakan bahwa "penyelewengan liturgi (liturgical abuse) menyebabkan kerusakan serius terhadap iman umat Katolik."

Sayangnya, beliau menambahkan, terlalu banyak imam dan uskup menangani pelanggaran norma-norma liturgi sebagai sesuatu yang tidak penting, padahal sebenarnya hal itu adalah "penyelewengan yang serius."

Romo Bux mengatakan bahwa banyak umat Katolik modern yang berpikir bahwa Misa adalah kegiatan  yang dilakukan bersama-sama oleh imam dan umat. Padahal kenyataannya, Misa adalah sesuatu yang dilakukan Yesus.

Artikel asli: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1100868.htm

Pujian dan Penyembahan dalam Gereja Katolik

Ini adalah poin-poin yang saya tulis beserta kutipan referensi untuk bahan Pujian dan Penyembahan dalam konteks Gereja Katolik.

• Original Man, diciptakan untuk menyembah Allah, secara khusus diberi martabat imamat.[1]
• Alam semesta diciptakan, diatur, ditata sebagai sebuah bait Allah raksasa.[2]
• Penyembahan yang dikehendaki Allah adalah pemberian diri manusia seutuhnya sebagai tanggapan dari kasih Allah yang sudah lebih dulu mengasihi kita.[3]
• Lebih detilnya, menyembah Allah adalah tindakan mengakui, dalam hormat dan ketaatan absolut.[4]
• Menyembah Allah pertama-tama adalah sebuah anugerah, hadiah, undangan dari Allah kepada manusia. Allah bukan haus pujian, Ia tidak membebankan manusia memuja diriNya seolah Ia butuh pengakuan. Namun penyembahan adalah demi manusia, karena lewat itu manusia dilepaskan dari dirinya sendiri dan masuk dalam misteri kehidupan diri Allah sendiri.[5]
• Dosa membuat manusia kehilangan rahmat, hubungan mesra dengan Allah menjadi berantakan. 
• Penyembahan manusia sejak kejatuhannya tidak pernah menjadi penyembahan sempurna, penyembahan yang benar.[6]
• Manusia tidak mampu mempersembahkan dirinya secara utuh sebagai sebuah persembahan kepada Allah.[7]
• Yesus Kristus datang ke dunia, menjadi manusia. Hanya Ia yang mampu mempersembahkan satu-satunya persembahan yang sempurna.
• Persembahan yang sempurna adalah pemberian diri sehabis-habisnya kepada Allah, Ia lakukan dengan wafat di salib.[8]
• Karena itu satu-satunya penyembahan yang benar, sempurna adalah korban Yesus Kristus seorang. Tidak ada manusia lain yang mampu.[9]
• Namun, dalam pembaptisan kita disatukan dengan Kristus sebagai anggota tubuhNya.[10][11]
• Sekarang kita pun mampu memberi penyembahan yang murni dan sempurna kepada Bapa, yaitu dengan menyatukan diri dengan penyembahan Kristus di salib.[12]
• Dalam Ekaristi kita merayakan pemberian diri Yesus secara sempurna kepada Bapa, dan pemberian diri kita melalui perantaraan, bersama dan dalam Yesus karena kita adalah TubuhNya. Dengan demikian kita mampu mempersembahkan penyembahan sejati, yaitu dengan berpartisipasi dalam penyembahan Kristus.[13][14]
• Selain Ekaristi, Gereja ambil bagian dalam penyembahan Kristus dalam melambungkan pujian dan permohonan kepada Allah.[15][16]
• Pujian agung yang diinspirasikan Allah dalam Kitab Suci, utamanya Kitab Mazmur, menjadi pujian yang dilambungkan Kristus sendiri kepada Bapa. Ketika Ia mempersembahkan pujian Mazmur dan permohonan kepada Bapa. Keberadaan DiriNya sendiri sesungguhnya Mazmur dan Kitab Suci yang hidup, bergerak, bertindak, berdaging.[17]
• Karena lewat pembaptisan kita disatukan dengan Kristus sebagai TubuhNya. Ketika ambil bagian dalam doa Gereja yang dikenal dengan Ibadat Harian (Brevir, Ofisi Suci), umat beriman dengan perantaraan, bersama dan dalam Kristus, turut mempersembahkan pujian dan permohonan kepada Bapa.[18]
• Kita disatukan juga dengan seluruh anggota Gereja dari segala zaman, di surga dan di bumi. Kita berdoa atas nama Gereja bagi seluruh ciptaan.[19]
• Inilah dua wujud penyembahan Gereja yang utama. Lewat dua hal ini, bisa dikatakan kita menjadi Kristus sendiri dan mempersembahkan penyembahan yang sejati dan sempurna kepada Bapa.[20]
• Ekaristi, Ofisi Suci dan liturgi Gereja lainnya (seperti aneka pemberkatan misalnya) memiliki bentuk yang diwariskan Gereja kepada anak-anaknya.[21]
• Sebagai warisan, kita menjaganya baik-baik. Bentuk dan tatanannya menjadi baku, dan tidak bisa kita ubah-ubah sesuka hati. Lewat apa yang baku itu ada jaminan bahwa ketika kita mendoakannya, kita berdoa atas nama dan bersama Gereja di surga dan di bumi.[22]
• Doa-doa pribadi, pujian, terima kasih yang kita haturkan kepada Bapa adalah perpanjangan dari penyembahan kita dalam Kristus. Yaitu karena kita telah diperbolehkan dan dimampukan untuk memiliki hubungan yang intim ini dengan Bapa, dalam Kristus.[23]
• Dalam doa pribadi, kita masuk ke ruang tersembunyi dimana kita membina relasi pribadi dengan Allah.
• Pun dikatakan pribadi, secara implisit ini dimungkinkan karena partisipasi kita sebagai Tubuh Kristus.[24]
• Karena itu aspek pribadi dan publik (liturgis) adalah dua sisi dari kenyataan yang sama. Relasi privat kita menyokong ibadah publik. Sementara ibadah publik sumber dan puncak dari penyembahan privat kita.
  

[1] Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 119:

To return to our discussion of his [Benedict XVI] project, the world was created to be a temple-kingdom of God. The human person, made “in the image of God,” is given a priestly vocation, namely, to offer worship to God. In Benedict’s writings, we see the importance of the dialogic or relational character of the human person. Man is created in and for relation and dialogue with God, who in turn is a communion of dive persons, a Trinity. The call of the loving God addressed to the human person is a call to a relationship of love and communion. The human response takes the form of prayer, worship, and freely given obedience in love to the divine Word that is spoken.

 [2] In the Beginning: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Translated by Boniface Ramsey. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995 (1986). Page 27-28.
Cited in: Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 118:

Creation is oriented to the Sabbath, which is the sign of the covenant between God and humandkind.... As a first step, we can draw this conclusion: Creation is designed in such a way that it is oriented to worship. It fulfills its purpose and assumes its significance when it is lived, ever new, with a view to worship. Creation exists for the sake of worship. As St. Benedict said in his Rule: Operi Dei nihil praeponatur – “Nothing must be put before the service of God.” This is not the expression of an otherworldy piety but a clear and sober translation of the creation account and of the message that it bears for our lives. The true center, the power that moves and shapes from within in the rhythm of the stars and of our lives, is worship... The universe exists for worship and for the glorification of God.

[3] Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 120:

Worship is “the soul of the covenant.” God’s purposes for creation are realized through the worship offered by the human person created in his image and likeness. Human worship “not only saves mankind but is also meant to draw the whole of reality into communion with God” (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. The Spirit of the Liturgy. Translated by John Saward. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2000. Page 27). For Benedict, our worship is meant to take the form of a giving back, a handing over of our selves and our possessions to God in an act of thanksgiving and love. Authentic worship never begins as human initiative but rather is always a response to the divine gift. In its purest form, worship is a sacrifice; “the only real gift man should give to God is himself” (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. The Spirit of the Liturgy. Translated by John Saward. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2000. Page 35).

[4] Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 2097.

To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the "nothingness of the creature" who would not exist but for God. To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name. The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world.

[5]  Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. The Spirit of the Liturgy. Translated by John Saward. San Fransisco: Ignatius, 2000. Page 25:

True surrender to God ... consists – according to the Fathers in fidelity to biblical thought – in the union of man and creation with God. Belonging to God ... means losing oneself as the only possible way of finding oneself (Mark 8:35; Matt. 10:39). That is why St. Augustine could say that the true “sacrifice” is the civitas Dei, that is, love-transformed mankind, the divinization of creation and the surrender of all things to God: God all in all (1 Cor. 15:28). That is the purpose of the world. That is the essence of sacrifice and worship.

And so we can now say that the goal of worship and the goal of creation as a whole are one and the same – divinization, a world of freedom and love. But this means that the historical makes its appearance in the cosmic. The cosmos is not a kind of closed building, a stationary container in which history may by chance take place. Its is itself movement, from its one beginning to its one end. In a sense, creation is history.

 [6] Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 154:

Throughout history, as he [Benedict XVI] understands it, sacrifice has been based on a principle of symbolic representation or substitution. Men and women offer in sacrifice something they value, for instance, the unblemish firstborn of their flock or the firstfruits of their harvest. This offering is intended to symbolize or represent their own lives. In offering this valued good by destroying it through a sacrificial fire or other means, the worshiper aims to satisfy, propitiate, or secure some favor from the deity.

Benedict reads this anthropological data in light of the biblical history of sacrifice. Although the God of Israel was truly unique among the deities of the ancient Near East, Israel’s system of sin offereings was characterized primarily by this substitutionary principle. The blood and fat of the sacrificial animal symbolized and was a substitute for the life of the one offering the sacrifice (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith: The Church as Communion. Edited by Stephan Otto Horn and Vinzenz Pfnür. Translated by Henry Taylor. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2005 (2002). Page 76).

This system, in Benedict’s reading of the Bible, reflects the fallen condition of man. Since the original sin and fall from grace, humankind has been closed in on itself. Men and women could not offer themselves to God fully. They could never achieve the purity or the communion with God for which they were intended. Made for divinization in offering themselves and the fruits of creation back to God in a free return of thanksgiving and love, men and women could only offer sacrifices for forgiveness and atonement, for expiation and healing (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. The Spirit of the Liturgy. Translated by John Saward. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2000. Page 35-38.) Over time, the canonical records indicates Israel’s growing awareness of the holowness and ineffectiveness of these efforts.

[7] Joseph Ratzinger, The Sabbath of History (Washington, DC: William G. Congdon Foundation, 2000), 27; Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity, trans. J. R. Foster (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1990 [1968]), 214-18.
Cited in: Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 155:

All pre-Christian worship rests finally on the notion of representation. Man knows that he would basically have to give himself if he would honor God in a way suited to the deity. But he soon discovers the impossibility of giving himself and so creates the substitution: hecatombs of immolated victims are loaded on the altars of antiquity. A powerful cult is established but an oppressive futility pervades over all this, for there is nothing man can replace himself with. Whatever he offers remains too little.

[8] Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 156:

The cross, then, becomes the hermeneutical key for understanding the true nature of sacrifice and worship as well as the meaning of Christ’s mission. By his cross, Jesus shattered forever the notion of representational or substitutionary sacrifices. In the cross, divine self-offering is made the pathway and the model of human worship of God. On the cross, a truly pure and innocent man offers himself – heart and mind, body and blood, soul and strength – for the love of God and obedience to the divine will.

[9] Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. God is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life. Edited by Stephan Otto Horn and Vinzenz Pfnür. Translated by Henry Taylor. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2003 (2001). Page 32-33.
Cited in: Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 156:

What had always been intended and could never be achieved in the Old Testament sacrifices is incorporated in him. God does not desire the sacrifice of animals; everything belongs to him. And he does not desire human sacrifice, for he has created man for living. God desires something more: he desires love, which transforms man and through which he becomes capable of relating to God, giving himself up to God. Now, all those thousands of sacrifices that were always presented to God in the Temple at Jerusalem and all the sacrifices performed in the whole course of history, all this vain and eternal striving to bring ourselves up to God, can be seen as unnecessary and yet, at the same time, as being like windows that allow us, so to speak, a glimpse of the real thing, like preliminary attempts at what has now been achieved.  What they signified – giving to God, union with God – comes to pass in Jesus Christ, in him who gives God nothing but himself and, thereby, us in him.

[10] Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 165:

Jesus is the new Adam. Like the first Adam, Jesus enters into “sleep” and a new humanity, a new people of God, is born from his side by the intent and action of God. The blood and water that flow from his pierced side are symbols of the baptismal waters and the blood of the Eucharist, “the foundational sacraments ... which, for their part, form the actual content of the Church’s identity as Church” (Joseph Ratzinger, The Sabbath of History (Washington, DC: William G. Congdon Foundation, 2000), 32.

Through these sacraments of blood and water, the people of God are connected in an intimate communion with one another in the body of Christ.

[11] Sacrosanctum Concillium no. 6:

Thus by baptism men are plunged into the paschal mystery of Christ: they die with Him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him (Cf. Rom. 6:4; Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1; 2 Tim. 2:11.); they receive the spirit of adoption as sons "in which we cry: Abba, Father" ( Rom. 8 :15), and thus become true adorers whom the Father seeks (Cf. John 4:23.)

[12] Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 164:

In Christ and his cross, true worship is once again made possible – the worship for which humanity was made in the beginning ; the worship that unites flesh and blood, body and soul, spirit and matter, heaven and earth. “Because he turned death into a proclamation of thanksgiving and love, he is now able to be present through all ages as the wellspring of life, and we can enter into him by praying with him” (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. God is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life. Edited by Stephan Otto Horn and Vinzenz Pfnür. Translated by Henry Taylor. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2003 (2001). Page 49-50.).

The crucifixion is presented in the Scriptures as a cosmic liturgy, an offering of prayer and sacrifice that unites heaven and earth. We enter into that cosmic liturgy by praying with Christ in the liturgy of his Church, which is the new people of God created from the body of Christ pierced on the cross.

[13] Sacrosanctum Concillium no. 48:

The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ's faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God's word and be nourished at the table of the Lord's body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator (Cf. St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, book XI, chap. XI-XII: Migne, Patrologia Graeca, 74, 557-564.), they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all.

[14]  General Instruction of the Roman Missal (Third typical edition) no. 5:

In addition, the nature of the ministerial priesthood also puts into its proper light another reality, which must indeed be highly regarded, namely, the royal priesthood of the faithful, whose spiritual sacrifice is brought to completeness through the ministry of the Bishop and the priests in union with the sacrifice of Christ, the one and only Mediator. For the celebration of the Eucharist is an action of the whole Church, and in it each one should carry out solely but completely that which pertains to him or her, in virtue of the rank of each within the People of God. In this way greater consideration will also be given to some aspects of the celebration that have sometimes been accorded less attention in the course of time. For this people is the People of God, purchased by Christ’s Blood, gathered together by the Lord, nourished by his word. It is a people called to bring to God the prayers of the entire human family, a people giving thanks in Christ for the mystery of salvation by offering his Sacrifice. Finally, it is a people made one by by sharing in the Communion of Christ’s Body and Blood. Though holy in its origin, this people nevertheless grows continually in holiness by its conscious, active, and fruitful participation in the mystery of the Eucharist (Cf. SC no. 11.).

[15] General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours no. 3:

When the Word, proceeding from the Father as the splendor of his glory, came to give us all a share in God's life, "Christ Jesus, High Priest of the new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile the hymn of praise that is sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven." [SC art. 83.] From then on in Christ's heart the praise of God assumes a human sound in words of adoration, expiation, and intercession, presented to the Father by the Head of the new humanity, the Mediator between God and his people, in the name of all and for the good of all.

[16] General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours no. 13:

In the Holy Spirit Christ carries out through the Church "the task of redeeming humanity and giving perfect glory to God," [SC art. 5.] not only when the eucharist is celebrated and the sacraments administered but also in other ways and especially when the liturgy of the hours is celebrated. [See SC art. 83 and 98.] There Christ himself is present - in the gathered community, in the proclamation of God's word, "in the prayer and song of the Church." [SC art. 7.]

The excellence of Christian prayer lies in its sharing in the reverent love of the only-begotten Son for the Father and in the prayer that the Son put into words in his earthly life and that still continues without ceasing in the name of the whole human race and for its salvation, throughout the universal Church and in all its members.

[17] Sacrosanctum Concillium no. 83:

Christ Jesus, high priest of the new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile that hymn which is sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven. He joins the entire community of mankind to Himself, associating it with His own singing of this canticle of divine praise. For he continues His priestly work through the agency of His Church, which is ceaselessly engaged in praising the Lord and interceding for the salvation of the whole world. She does this, not only by celebrating the eucharist, but also in other ways, especially by praying the divine office.

[18] General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours no. 7:

There is a special and very close bond between Christ and those whom he makes members of his Body, the Church, through the sacrament of rebirth. Thus, from the Head all the riches belonging to the Son flow throughout the whole Body: the communication of the Spirit, the truth, the life, and the participation in the divine sonship that Christ manifested in all his prayer when he dwelt among us.

Christ's priesthood is also shared by the whole Body of the Church, so that the baptized are consecrated as a spiritual temple and holy priesthood through the rebirth of baptism and the anointing by the Holy Spirit [See LG no. 10.] and are empowered to offer the worship of the New Covenant, a worship that derives not from our own powers but from Christ's merit and gift.

"God could give us no greater gift than to establish as our Head the Word through whom he created all things and to unite us to that Head as members. The results are many The Head is Son of God and Son of Man, one as God with the Father and one as man with us. When we speak in prayer to the Father, we do not separate the Son from him and when the Son's Body prays it does not separate itself from its Head. It is the one Savior of his Body, the Lord Christ Jesus, who prays for us and in us and who is prayed to by us. He prays for us as our priest, in us as our Head; he is prayed to by us as our God. Recognize therefore our own voice in him and his voice in us." [Augustine, Enarrat. in Ps. 85, 1: CCL 39, 1176.]

[19] General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours no. 16:

When the Church offers praise to God in the liturgy of the hours, it unites itself with that hymn of praise sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven; [See SC art. 83.] it also receives a foretaste of the song of praise in heaven, described by John in the Book of Revelation, the song sung continually before the throne of God and of the Lamb. Our close union with the Church in heaven is given effective voice "when we all, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation redeemed by Christ's blood (see Rv 5:9) and gathered together into the one Church, glorify the triune God with one hymn of praise." [LG no. 50; SC art. 8 and 104.]

The prophets came almost to a vision of this liturgy of heaven as the victory of a day without night, of a light without darkness: "The sun will no more be your light by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine upon you, but the Lord will be your everlasting light" (Is 60:19; see Rv 21:23 and 25). "There will be a single day, known to the Lord, not day and night, and at evening there will be light" (Zech 14:7). Already "the end of the ages has come upon us (see I Cor 10:11) and the renewal of the world has been irrevocably established and in a true sense is being anticipated in this world." [LG no. 48.] By faith we too are taught the meaning of our temporal life, so that we look forward with all creation to the revealing of God's children. [See Rom 8:19.] In the liturgy of the hours we proclaim this faith, we express and nourish this hope, we share in some degree the joy of everlasting praise and of that day that knows no setting.

[20] Sacrosanctum Concillium no. 7:

Christ indeed always associates the Church with Himself in this great work wherein God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is His beloved Bride who calls to her Lord, and through Him offers worship to the Eternal Father. Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. In the liturgy the sanctification of the man is signified by signs perceptible to the senses, and is effected in a way which corresponds with each of these signs; in the liturgy the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and His members. From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of His Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree.

[21] Light of the World, Benedict XVI. Ignatius Press, 2010. Page 104:

One of the most controversial pronouncements of your pontificate so far is the motu proprio Summorum Pontificium, which was issued in July of 2007. Its purpose was to make access easier to the earlier Latin Mass, which until then could be celebrated only with the permission of the local bishop. In an accompanying letter you expressly stated that the new vernacular liturgy remains the ordinary form, whereas the Tridentine Mass is the extraordinary form. You also stated that the central issue for you was not the “often petty questions regarding this or that form”, but “the cosmic character of the liturgy”, as well as the broad continuity of the Christian liturgy with the heritage of the Old Testament. What did you mean by this?

This is a very big topic. The essential point is to avoid celebrating the liturgy as an occasion for the community to exhibit itself, under the pretext that it is important for everyone to involve himself, though in the end, then, only the “self” is really important. Rather, the decisive thing is that we enter into something that is much greater. That we can get out of ourselves, as it were, and into the wide open spaces. For the same reason, it is also very important that the liturgy itself not be tinkered with in some way.

Liturgy, in truth, is an event by means of which we let ourselves be introduced into the expansive faith and prayer of the Church. This is the reason why the early Christians prayed facing east, in the direction of the rising sun, the symbol of the returning Christ. In so doing, they wanted to show that the whole world is on its way toward Christ and that he encompasses the whole world. This connection between heaven and earth is very important. It was no accident that ancient churches were built so that the sun would cast its light into the house of God at a very precise moment. Nowadays we are rediscovering the importance of the interactions between the earth and the rest of the universe, and so it makes perfect sense that we should also relearn to recognize the cosmic character of the liturgy. As well as its historical character. Which means recognizing that someone didn't just one day invent the liturgy, but that it has been growing organically since the time of Abraham. These kinds of elements from the earliest times are still present in the liturgy.

Concretely, the renewed liturgy of the Second Vatican Council is the valid form in which the Church celebrates liturgy today. My main reason for making the previous form more available was to preserve the internal continuity of Church history. We cannot say: Before, everything was wrong, but now everything is right; for in a community in which prayer and the Eucharist are the most important things, what was earlier supremely sacred cannot be entirely wrong. The issue was internal reconciliation with our own past, the intrinsic continuity of faith and prayer in the Church.

[22] Light of the World, Benedict XVI. Ignatius Press, 2010. Page 156:

So liturgy is something that is given in advance?

Yes. It is not about our doing something, about our demonstrating our creativity, in other words, about displaying everything we can do. Liturgy is precisely not a show, a piece of theater, a spectacle. Rather, it gets its life from the Other. This has to become evident, too. This is why the fact that the ecclesial form has been given in advance is so important. It can be reformed in matters of detail, but it cannot be reinvented every time by the community. It is not a question, as I said, of self-production. The point is to go out of and beyond ourselves, to give ourselves to him. and to let ourselves be touched by him.

In this sense, it's not just the expression of this form that's important, but also its communality. This form can exist in different rites, but it must always contain that element which precedes us, that comes from the whole of the Church's faith, from the whole of her tradition, from the whole of her life, and does not just spring from the fashion of the moment.

[23] Sacrosanctum Concillium no. 12:

The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is indeed called to pray with his brethren, but he must also enter into his chamber to pray to the Father, in secret (Cf. Matt. 6:6.); yet more, according to the teaching of the Apostle, he should pray without ceasing (Cf . 1 Thess. 5:17.).

[24] Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Scott W. Hahn. Brazos Press, 2009. Page 167:

The Church’s worship, then, is far more than a congregational gathering. It is an act of priesthood, which has always been the duty of the people of God ... The essence of the priesthood of the Church is this adoration and glorification of God – “that the whole world may become a temple and a sacrifice pelasing to God, and that in the end God may  be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28)” (John F. Thornton and Susan B. Varenne, eds. The essential Pople Benedict XVI: His Central Writings and Speeches. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2007. Page 302-3.)

Liturgipandang Hari Raya Natal

Artikel ini saya tulis untuk sebuah mailing list, dan sekarang saya sertakan di blog saya ini dengan sedikit perbaikan
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Hari Raya Natal dalam kalender Gereja Latin dimulai sejak Ibadat Sore pertama Natal (Vesper I), yaitu tanggal 24 Desember senja hari.
Pada 24 Desember senja hari, dirayakan Vigili Natal, yang memulai seluruh rangkaian proklamasi dan Liturgi kelahiran Kristus, teofani Allah dalam daging.

Vigili Natal belum secara spesifik merayakan kelahiran Kristus, tetapi bercorak menanti proklamasi kelahiran Kristus.
Seperti seorang ayah menanti anak yang sedang dilahirkan, kita menanti jeritan tangis pertama anak yang sudah didamba-dambakan tersebut lahir ke dunia.
"Hari ini kamu akan mengetahui bahwa Tuhan datang untuk menyelamatkan kita, dan besok kamu akan melihat kemuliaan-Nya," demikianlah Introitus pembukaan Misa Vigili Natal, yang disadur dari Keluaran 16:6-7.
Dalam Injil silsilah Yesus Kristus dibacakan dan dikisahkan Yosef menerima Maria ke dalam rumahnya (Matius 1:1-25).


Ketika hari berganti, yaitu pada (menjelang) tengah Malam, Gereja merayakan Liturgi Natal Tengah Malam.
Amat disayangkan bahwa di kebanyakan paroki, Liturgi Natal Tengah Malam ini biasa dirayakan sebagai pengganti Vigili Natal. Biasanya Gereja-gereja sudah merayakan Liturgi ini sejak tanggal 24 sore, walau sebenarnya ini praktek yang tidak tepat.
Mungkin alasannya karena umat tidak rela kehilangan momen pada perayaan paling meriah ini. Biasanya dimulai dengan pembacaan Kalenda (Proklamasi Kelahiran Yesus Kristus) yang diambil dari Ibadat Bacaan (Ofisi Matins) Natal, kemudian tergantung tradisi lokal setempat patung kanak-kanak Yesus biasa di tahtakan.
Gereja dipenuhi kekaguman ketika seruan Allah Bapa bergema memenuhi Gereja, di tengah malam yang dingin dan gelap dan kilapan cahaya lilin:
"Ia berkata kepadaku: 'Anak-Ku engkau! Engkau telah Kuperanakkan pada hari ini! Mengapa rusuh bangsa-bangsa, mengapa suku-suku bangsa mereka-reka perkara yang sia-sia? Raja-raja dunia bersiap-siap dan para pembesar bermufakat bersama-sama melawan TUHAN dan yang diurapi-Nya: Mintalah kepada-Ku, maka bangsa-bangsa akan Kuberikan kepadamu menjadi milik pusakamu, dan ujung bumi menjadi kepunyaanmu." (Mazmur 2:7, 1, 2, 8).

Begitulah bunyi Introitus pembukaan kelahiran Yesus Kristus, sabda Allah Bapa kepada PuteraNya yang amat dikasihiNya.
Walau kelemah-lembutan, kesederhanaan, dan kemiskinan Kristus sering menjadi perhatian kita selama Natal, Introit Natal Tengah Malam sebenarnya memberikan nuansa yang sama sekali berbeda.
Di satu sisi, ini adalah pernyataan keilahian Yesus Kristus, kata-kata yang sama bergema pula saat Pembaptisan Yesus dan ketika Yesus dipermuliakan dengan berubah rupa di atas gunung Tabor.
Di satu sisi, memperlihatkan bahwa Yesus adalah raja Israel, keturunan Daud yang selama ini dinanti-nantikan, sudah tiba saatnya Israel dibebaskan dari perhambaannya. Kita berhadapan dengan seorang Raja yang sangat mulia. Mazmur 2, sebagai informasi, adalah Mazmur yang dinyanyikan ketika Raja Israel naik tahta.
Suara liturgi ini sering kali hilang, tertelan lantunan lagu-lagu Natal populer bahkan sekuler, yang walaupun mungkin tidak kehilangan seluruh semangat Natal, namun sepertinya malu menampilkan sisi rajawi-ilahi Kristus.

Drama Natal dan segala paradoksnya dimulai. Raja yang sedemikian mulia, yang dimaklumkan sendiri oleh Bapa, lahir di tempat tumpangan, diletakkan di palungan. KeberadaanNya yang lemah, membuat kita iba. Namun Ia penuh kuasa! Sia-sialah kuasa dunia dihadapanNya, Ia akan menaklukkan seluruh alam raya!

Injil malam ini, Lukas 2:1-14, menceritakan kelanjutan dari Vigili Natal yang dirayakan beberapa saat sebelumnya. Yesus lahir di Betlehem, dan isi surga merayakannya. Balatentara malaikat memproklamasikan kelahiranNya kepada para gembala di padang: "Jangan takut, sebab sesungguhnya aku memberitakan kepadamu kesukaan besar untuk seluruh bangsa: Hari ini telah lahir bagimu Juruselamat, yaitu Kristus, Tuhan, di kota Daud."


Namun, perayaan kita belum selesai sampai di sini. Walaupun ini mungkin liturgi Natal yang paling banyak kita ikuti dan kita nanti-nantikan.
Pada saat fajar merekah, Gereja kembali menghadap Kristus dalam Liturgi Natal Fajar.
Introitus Liturgi Natal Fajar diambil dari Yesaya 9:2,6: "Bangsa yang berjalan di dalam kegelapan telah melihat terang yang besar; mereka yang diam di negeri kekelaman, atasnya terang telah bersinar. Sebab seorang anak telah lahir untuk kita, seorang putera telah diberikan untuk kita; lambang pemerintahan ada di atas bahunya, dan namanya disebutkan orang: Penasihat Ajaib, Allah yang Perkasa, Bapa yang Kekal, Raja Damai."

Seperti merekahnya fajar dan mulai bersinarnya cahaya mengenyahkan kegelapan, demikian juga harapan dan sukacita yang dibawa pada perayaan Natal Fajar ini. Semalam kita telah menantikan dan telah melihat sendiri sang Terang. Kita telah menyaksikan "Terang yang besar," sang Putera telah diberikan kepada kita, seorang Raja yang akan memerintah kita.

Bagaimana tanggapan kita? Apa yang pantas kita berikan kepadaNya? Mari kita bersama para gembala, seperti dikisahkan pada Injil pada fajar ini (Luk 2:15-20), datang menghadap Dia. Mereka menceritakan perbuatan ajaib Allah kepada mereka, tentang para malaikat yang memberitakan kelahiran Kristus, dan mereka pulang kembali dengan sukacita sambil memuliakan Allah.


Fajar telah usai, dan Gereja merenungkan misteri besar ini dalam Liturgi Natal Siang. Tepatnya ini adalah Liturgi Natal yang dirayakan pada tanggal 25 Desember setelah fajar, entah siang hari, sore, atau malam.
Sekali lagi Gereja menyerukan perbuatan besar Allah, "seorang anak telah lahir untuk kita, seorang putera telah diberikan untuk kita; lambang pemerintahan ada di atas bahunya, dan namanya disebutkan orang: Penasihat Ajaib. Nyanyikanlah nyanyian baru bagi TUHAN, sebab Ia telah melakukan perbuatan-perbuatan yang ajaib."  (Introit Pembukaan Yesaya 9:6, Mazmur 98:1).

Seruan terhadap karya ajaib Allah ini menjiwai seluruh Liturgi Natal Siang, terutama dalam Injil Liturgi Natal Siang, yang kedalaman dan keindahannya begitu menjiwai Gereja, Yohanes 1:1-18: "Pada mulanya adalah Firman; Firman itu bersama-sama dengan Allah dan Firman itu adalah Allah..."


Kita telah sekilas pandang ambil bagian dalam perayaan Liturgi Hari Raya Natal HARI PERTAMA.

Mengejutkan? Natal adalah salah satu hari raya yang pada kalender Liturgi Latin dirayakan sebagai Oktaf (satu lagi yang dirayakan sebagai Oktaf adalah Hari Raya Paskah). Artinya Hari Raya Natal dirayakan selama 8 hari sebagai satu perayaan.
Secara Liturgis, hari-hari dari tanggal 25 - 31 Desember dirayakan sebagai Hari Raya Natal, dalam setiap perayaan Liturgi Gereja (Ekaristi, Ibadat Harian).
Pada Oktaf Natal jatuh beberapa pesta: 26 Desember Pesta St. Stefanus, martir pertama. 27 Desember Pesta St. Yohanes, pengarang Injil. 28 Desember Pesta Kanak-kanak Suci, martir. Juga dirayakan Pesta Keluarga Kudus pada hari Minggu dalam Oktaf Natal (atau dirayakan tgl 30 Desember jika tidak ada hari Minggu yang jatuh pada Oktaf Natal).
Oktaf Natal ditutup dengan perayaan Hari Raya Maria Bunda Allah pada tanggal 1 Januari (Pesta Yesus Disunat menurut kalender liturgi lama, seusai tradisi Yahudi, seorang anak disunat pada hari ke-8).

Memandang Masa Natal

 Artikel ini saya tulis untuk sebuah mailing list, dan sekarang saya sertakan di blog saya ini dengan sedikit perbaikan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Mungkin banyak yang terkejut kalau saya mengatakan hal ini: Bahwa fokus Natal, dan masa Natal dalam tahun liturgi Gereja, bukanlah pada "Ulang Tahun" atau "Kelahiran Yesus." Walaupun Hari Raya Natal, tanggal 25 Desember secara praktis merupakan hari yang diperingati secara paling meriah selama masa Natal.

Tanpa masuk ke dalam paparan sejarah mengenai perayaan Natal dalam sejarah Gereja, Timur dan Barat, fokus keduanya satu dan sama, yaitu "Pewahyuan Diri Allah kepada seluruh dunia dalam diri Kristus," atau istilah Yunaninya, "Teofani/Theophany," penampakan diri Allah.

Selama Masa Natal, kita memperingati dimana Yesus, sebagai pewahyuan diri Allah, ditunjukkan kepada manusia, kepada dunia, kepada Israel dan orang-orang non-Yahudi sebagai perwujudan Allah yang benar yang dinantikan seluruh manusia. Salah satu wujud teofani ini adalah lahirnya Yesus sebagai manusia. Tetapi tidak berhenti di situ, Gereja melanjutkan refleksinya tentang bagaimana teofani Allah ini ditanggapi manusia.

Secara singkat, masa Natal membuka kepada kita drama ini kepada kita. Kita melihat Maria dan Yosef yang menerima Wahyu Allah itu dengan gembira. Diikuti para gembala yang menerima misteri ini dengan sukacita, mereka mewakili Israel dan orang-orang yang sederhana, yang miskin, yang berkehendak baik. Kita juga melihat bagaimana Israel yang menantikan Penyelamatnya menyongsong Yesus, dalam diri Simeon dan Hannah.

Namun tidak selalu demikian, bersama Natal ada dukacita besar. Gereja memperingati dalam masa Natal ini kemartiran para kanak-kanak Betlehem (Pesta para Kanak-kanak suci, 28 Desember) yang dibunuh Herodes yang mencari Kristus. Juga kita memperingati bagaimana Keluarga Kudus, harus melarikan diri ke tanah Mesir dan tinggal sebagai orang asing di negeri orang.

Di Gereja Latin, Pesta besar kedua dalam masa Natal adalah ketika para Majus datang menemui Yesus, yang dalam kalender Gereja Latin dikenal sebagai pesta Epifani (Penampakan Kemuliaan Tuhan). Dalam pesta ini, dirayakan pewahyuan diri Allah bagi bangsa-bangsa bukan Yahudi. Bahwa akhirnya, bangsa-bangsa yang tinggal dalam kegelapan melihat cahaya terang yang menuntun mereka.

Dalam kalender Gereja Latin, perayaan Natal ditutup dengan Pesta Pembaptisan Kristus. Dalam kalender Gereja Timur, ini adalah pesta besar. Bagi mereka inilah pesta Epifani. Banyak dari kita berpikir apa hubungannya pembaptisan Yesus pada masa Natal? Apa sekedar menyatakan bahwa sekarang Yesus sudah dewasa dan masa kanak-kanak sudah lewat?

Tidak sepenuhnya salah. Pembaptisan Yesus adalah awal mula masa pelayanan Yesus. Dia yang selama ini tersembunyi dari orang banyak, besar seperti anak-anak lainnya, sekarang menyibakkan tirai yang menyembunyikan diriNya, menampakkan kemuliaanNya. Ini adalah teofani Allah dalam diri Yesus kepada orang banyak, "Inilah Anak yang Kukasihi, yang kepadaNya aku berkenan." Misteri yang selama ini dibukakan pada sedikit orang (Maria, Yosef, para gembala, Herodes, para Majus, Hannah dan Simeon), sekarang dinyatakan secara publik kepada seluruh dunia ketika Allah memperkenalkan AnakNya terkasih kepada orang banyak.

Namun juga pada Pembaptisan Yesus, Teofani, penampakan diri Allah yang lebih mengejutkan diwahyukan kepada seluruh dunia: Bapa, Putera dan Roh Kudus. Pewahyuan diri Allah yang tersembunyi sejak awal mula, siapakah Allah, diwahyukan kepada dunia dalam Pembaptisan Yesus. Dalam Gereja Timur, teofani Tritunggal secara istimewa dan meriah dirayakan pada hari ini.

Pada artikel selanjutnya, kita akan melihat bagaimana Gereja membawa menelusuri Hari Raya Natal lewat 4 Perayaan Ekaristi Natal sepanjang 24 Desember - 25 Desember dan selama Oktaf Natal.

Bagaimana Forma Extraordinaria Memperkaya Forma Ordinaria - Uskup Pascal N'Koué

Bagaimana forma extraordinaria membantu kita merayakan forma ordinaria dengan lebih baik? Berikut beberapa point:

1) Reevaluasi Misa sebagai korban (Liturgi Ekaristi, bagian kedua dari Misa). Selebran dan koor harus hilang dihadapan Tuhan, menghilangkan kreatifitas berlebihan yang menarik perhatian manusia. Ekaristi adalah Kristus yang mempersembahkan diriNya kepada Bapa. Pada puncak perayaan dalam tahun liturgi, seperti Adven dan Prapaskah, mengapa tidak kita rayakan dengan kembali berfokus, menghadap Salib, versus dominum, atau ad orientem. Ini mendorong rekoleksi, memusatkan perhatian kita pada misteri Salib yang sekarang mengarahkan kehidupan setiap murid Kristus. Sejujurnya, rubik perayaan (forma ordinaria) menyatakan bahwa posisi liturgi Ekaristi (bagian kedua dari Misa) tidak saling berhadapan.

komentar: dalam buku TPE ada bagian-bagian khusus, seperti ketika memberi salam kepada umat, dimana imam diminta secara spesifik menghadap umat. Pada bagian-bagian lain, dan utamanya bagian Liturgi Ekaristi, rubik berforkus pada imam berhadapan dengan Altar dan Tubuh dan Darah Tuhan. Walau pun dalam Misa dimana imam menghadap umat ("versus populum"), fokus liturgi pada bagian itu bukanlah umat.

2) Memberi lebih banyak ruang untuk bahasa Latin dalam perayaan. Ingat bahwa nyanyian Gregorian adalah nyanyian proper liturgi Romawi. Nyanyian yang hanya menggugah indera akan sangat berguna jika dirombak supaya layak disebut musik liturgi. Mari kita hindari kebisingan alat-alat musik, lirik yang kering dan irama yang terlalu profan dalam liturgi kita.

3) Jangan meletakkan kursi selebran di depan Altar. Liturgi bukan tempat untuk pagelaran.

Bagi para Imam:

4) Beri Komuni dengan membuat tanda salib dengan Hosti. Dapat diterima umat berdiri atau berlutut.

5) Persiapkan diri dalam keheningan sebelum Misa mulai, yang juga berarti imam yang datang terlambat jangan berkonselebrasi ketika Misa sudah mulai.

6) Kembalikan kehendingan yang suci dalam perayaan, seperti misalnya tidak menyanyikan refren lagu sewaktu Tubuh dan Darah Tuhan diunjukkan.

7) Gunakan Doa Syukur Agung I pada hari Minggu atau Hari Raya. DSA I lebih agung dan lebih "inkulturatif."



Teks lengkap bahasa Inggris (terjemahan New Liturgical Movement):

Specifically, how the extraordinary form may help us to better celebrate the ordinary form? Here are some points:

1) Revaluate the sacrificial moment or second part of the Mass. The celebrant and choir should disappear before God, eliminating the fabricated and pernicious creativities that draw the eyes on man. The Eucharist is Christ who offers Himself to His Father. During the climaxes of the liturgical year such as Advent and Lent, why not celebrate all turned towards the Cross, "versus Dominum," or "ad orientem". This encourages recollection, draws our attention to the mystery of the Cross (our East), which now orients every life of a disciple of Christ. Truth be told, the rubrics prescribee that the position for the sacrificial part of the Mass be not face to face.

2) Give a little more room to Latin in our celebrations. Remember that Gregorian chant is the singing proper to the Roman liturgy. The songs which are just good to stir our senses would benefit from being reworked in order to deserve to be called sacred music. Let us avoid the din of musical instruments, the banality of lyrics and the shallowness of beats too profane in our liturgies.

3) Do not put the seats of celebrants before the altar of the Holy Sacrifice anymore. The liturgy is not a place for exhibition.

For Priests:

4) Give Holy Communion, making the sign of the cross with the consecrated Host. The faithful may receive it standing or kneeling.

5) In silence, prepare before the start of the Mass; which presupposes the non-concelebration of priests who are late, when Mass has already begun.

6) Reintroduce sacred silence in our celebrations, for example by suppressing the refrains sung at the elevation of the Body and Blood of Christ.

7) Use the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer No. 1 on Sundays or Holy Days. It is more solemn and more "inculturated".


Referensi: An African Bishop on Summorum Pontificum, Mutual Enrichment, and the Reform of the Reform
Teks asli dalam bahasa Perancis: Réforme de la réforme : les propositions de Mgr N’Koué

Laporan Implementasi Summorum Pontificium dari Afrika

Dalam Summorum Pontificium (2007), yang membebaskan secara luas pelaksanaan Liturgi tahun 1962 (Tridentin), Paus meminta para uskup memberikan laporan implementasi 3 tahun setelah diterbitkannya dokumen tersebut.

Salah satu laporan diberikan oleh Uskup dari Diosis Natitingou, Benin, Yang Mulia Pascal N'Koué. Laporan ini diterbitkan dalam surat kabar Keuskupan.

Ringkasan:
Beliau berpendapat bahwa kedua forma bisa hidup berdampingan dan saling melengkapi. Pelaksanaan Misa forma Ekstraordinaria (Tridentin) membuat para imam muda di keuskupan semakin menghayati dan menghormati Altar, keheningan, doa-doa liturgi proper, tindakan-tindakan liturgis (seperti tanda salib dan berlutut) dan orientasi liturgi (bersama umat menghadap Salib - posisi ad orientem). Secara singkat, ritus Tridentin memberi kesempatan untuk semakin memahami dan semakin menghargai ritus Paulus VI (forma Ordinaria pasca Konsili Vatikan II).

Beberapa dari imam-imam di keuskupan secara spontan mempelajari dan mulai mempersembahkan ritus Tridentin ini. Terjadi saling memperkaya antara kedua forma. Terjadi internalisasi makna rubik. Hal-hal yang tadinya diperdebatkan (seperti makna misteri, kekudusan, adorasi, kemuliaan Ilahi, partisipasi aktif) sekarang mengalir secara natural.



Berikut teks lengkapnya dalam bahasa Inggris, diterjemahkan oleh New Liturgical Movement:

Natitingou, June 15, 2010

Your Eminence,

It is with joy that, upon request of the Apostolic Nunciature to Benin, I inform you of our experience concerning the Motu Proprio of Pope Benedict XVI, "Summorum Pontificum".

At the outset I would like to say that the Extraordinary Form of Roman Rite has been introduced in my diocese in October 2003, i.e. before the Motu Proprio. My conviction that these two forms can coexist peacefully and enrich each other is beyond doubt and long held. In my humble opinion, the two forms have no problem (sc. with each other). The conflicts come from our sick and intoxicated hearts or our ideologies arising from the narrowness of our minds and our formation courses which are too set in their ways.

As you will read in the report - delivered herewith, prepared by Father Denis Le Pivain, parish priest of St. John the Baptist - there have been no waves in Natitingou, but still a little turbulence ... The priest does not undertake anything without consulting the bishop. This is one of his great merits. The unity of the Church obliges. In fact, there is a remarkable sympathy and harmony among all the priests on this subject.


Personally, I must profess that the celebration in the old form is an opportunity for my young clergy and the entire diocese. It allows one to value more highly the altar (prayer at the foot of the altar), the sacred silence, the secrets, the multiple signs of the cross and genuflections and even the fact that we are all turned towards the Cross (ad orientem position). In short, the Tridentine rite offers us an opportunity to better understand and better appreciate the rite of Paul VI.

Several of my priests, without any pressure from my part, have spontaneously begun to learn to celebrate the Mass of St. Pius V or more exactly the mass of Pope John XXIII. Obviously the more one emphasizes the "ars celebrandi", the more both forms influence each other positively. When the rubrics are internalised, the liturgy touches the faithful with its beauty and depth; and one no longer needs to quarrel about the mystery, the sacred, adoration, the majesty of God and active participation. It goes without saying. In addition, the Roman Canon and the liturgical gestures in the old rite are closer to our African religiosity and sensibility. I speak only for my diocese.

My wish is that one day every priest is able to celebrate in both forms. It is not impossible, especially if they are introduced in our seminaries. But here in Natitingou, we cannot apply the old rite pure and simple, ignoring the light of "Sacrosanctum Concilium". Everything is there. The extraordinary form cannot ignore the Second Vatican Council, just as the ordinary form cannot ignore the ancient rite without being impoverished. There is a balance to be kept. The Commission "Ecclesia Dei" seems to encourage us to continue in this direction.

I close by invoking the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on all priests. It is God's love which will save the world and not the rites as such. Let us work to awaken that passion for the Crucified who loved us and gave Himself for us.

In hopes of having answered somewhat according to your request, I assure you, Your Eminence, of my faithful cooperation in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.


Pascal N'KOUE


Referensi: An African Bishop on Summorum Pontificum, Mutual Enrichment, and the Reform of the Reform
Teks asli dalam bahasa Perancis: Application du Motu Proprio : le compte-rendu d’un évêque africain