In the sacred liturgy, “the participation of the faithful cannot be passive.”
Why did the liturgy change so much after Vatican II?
In this week’s Wednesday audience, Pope Leo XIV looks at the motivations behind the liturgical reform ushered in by the Second Vatican Council.
The liturgy is an experience of a true relationship with God, so our participation cannot be passive; we should not be there as “strangers or silent spectators.” Instead, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers, we should take part in the Mass conscious of what we are doing, with devotion and full collaboration.
From this conviction arose the desire to make biblical texts and prayers more accessible to all the faithful, in our own daily languages, so that we are able to understand them easily and take part in them fully and actively.
At the same time, we must reject the abuses that have occurred post-Vatican II—where some of the principles underlying the reform have been taken to extremes or misunderstood—and which still occur today.
“At every celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, let us ask for God’s help to be strengthened on our journey and to enter into a deeper relationship with the Lord.”
