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10. Appropriate Liturgical Formation

So that the faithful may be sure to receive from their priests an authentic and informed ministry and teaching, insistence will continue to be placed upon the stipulation of the Council’s constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, 16, that the sacred liturgy be regarded as one of the principal subjects in major seminaries, a requirement that is the subject of further guidelines offered by the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education’s Instruction In Ecclesiasticam (3 June 1979).

Such liturgical formation needs to be followed through in all the different sections of the Catholic community and at the various levels in a consistent and permanent fashion. Only in this way will communities and individuals be brought to a deeper understanding of the liturgy. Likewise, only by sustained programs of this kind can the Church in Australia be assured of a sufficient pool of resource persons to sustain the different areas of liturgical development.

COMMENTS

This is a positive and forward-looking conclusion to the whole section on liturgy.

Training in the Church’s liturgical tradition and in other theological disciplines is necessary in order to develop good liturgical attitudes in priests and those preparing for the priesthood. Moreover, such training is an important means of remedying liturgical abuses.

The Catholic universities have been encouraged to focus more on liturgical preparation of teachers.

The various theological institutes across the country could be encouraged to specialise in certain areas of liturgy, such as fundamental sacramental and liturgical theology, particular liturgical celebrations, Church music.

The “Certificate of Pastoral Liturgy” offered through the Catholic Institute of Sydney is an important initiative. It is highly desirable that more people be trained in liturgy within Australia.

Given the recent closure of some formation centres there may be resource personnel available from religious congregations to undertake specific tasks. Such people should not be lost or under-utilised.

National scholarships for liturgy studies could be offered as happens in the area of social justice. This could help assure a “sufficient pool of resource persons to sustain the different areas of liturgical development”.

The publication of a new edition of the Sacramentary will give us an opportunity to take a fresh look at our celebration of the Mass. It will provide an occasion for education about various aspects of liturgy, such as the elements of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the roles of the assembly and of particular ministries in the celebration

QUESTIONS

Have you attended any liturgy training programs? If so, what elements did you find most useful?

What kinds of liturgical formation would be suitable for parishioners as a whole?