Liturgy

About

1. Vision

The Church that finds its source and summit in the liturgy draws its energy from a liturgy that is participated fully, actively and consciously. This was the vision of the Council and this becomes the vision of the CCBI Commission for Liturgy. The liturgical renewal brought out by the II Vatican Council has not yet reached the vast majority of our people. The liturgical renewal launched by the Conference and the late Fr. Amalorpavadass needs to be reached to the people and the clergy. Therefore re-launching of the liturgical renewal should be the Vision of the Liturgy Commission. Everyone should be made to realize the importance of Liturgy as the summit and source of the life and ministry of the Church and of Christian life. This calls for continuous efforts on the part of the Commission to organize orientation programmes for clergy, religious and laity on liturgy in general and on renewal in particular. The liturgical documents should be made known not only to the clergy but to everyone. This vision will be realized through the Regional and Diocesan Commissions for Liturgy. Therefore the Commission looks forward to effective Regional and Diocesan Liturgy Commissions as foreseen by the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy (SC 44 & 45).

2. Priorities of the Commission

The CCBI Commission for Liturgy needs effective Regional Commissions in order to implement the Commission’s policies and programmes in the dioceses. With the exception of the Tamil Nadu Region, no other Region has a full time secretary or any infrastructure. Secondly, the Liturgy Commission considers as one of its tasks the promotion of comprehensive liturgical formation in the seminaries, institutes of theology and houses of formation. The Commission resolves to work towards having professors qualified in liturgy and the uniform syllabus for liturgy in all the Major seminaries and Theologates. This could be achieved through constant effort with the collaboration of the Commission for Vocation, Seminaries, Clergy and Religious.

Thirdly, there arises a need for a fresh look at the status of inculturation as practiced today and at the possibilities for promoting true inculturation according to the directives of the Church especially the 4th Instruction Varietates Legitimae on the Roman Liturgy and Inculturation (1994) and the recent document RedemptionisSacramentumart.27. We have the 12 Points of Adaptation approved by Rome for India.