Abstract
The Second Vatican Council and, in particular, its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, changed much in the daily life of the Church. In Ireland, a country steeped in the Catholic tradition but largely peripheral to the theological debates that shaped Vatican II, the changes to liturgy and devotional practice were implemented dutifully over a relatively short time span and without significant upset. But did the hierarchical manner of their reception, like that of the Council itself, mean that Irish Catholics did not receive the changes in a way that deepened their spirituality? And was the popular religious memory of the people lost through a neglect of liturgical piety and its place in the interior life, alongside what the Council sought to achieve? In this essay, Dr Gary Carville will examine the background to the liturgical changes at Vatican II, the contribution to their formulation and implementation by leaders of the Church in Ireland, the experiences of Irish Catholic communities in the reception process, and the ongoing need for a liturgical formation that brings theology, memory, and practice into greater dialogue.
Highlights
The Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, was the first document promulgated by Vatican II, on 4 December 1963
What was that memory in Ireland, and, importantly, what is that memory in the aftermath of the council? How did the emphasis on personal and communal participation in the liturgical rites integrate with the memory of a people formed by the emphasis on the personal journey to God, in the tradition of devotional practices of popular piety, and liturgies that were celebrated almost exclusively in a language incomprehensible to the great majority of them?
A survey of some of the findings shows that while some people favoured changes such as the epistle and gospel being read in the vernacular, there was a reticence on the part of many others towards change
Summary
The Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, was the first document promulgated by Vatican II, on 4 December 1963. The Church has celebrated this memorial as a mystery, known as the paschal mystery, because it was brought to completion at the celebration of the Passover, the first Easter. This shift in emphasis was to feature strongly in the post-Vatican II reforms. Rituals, such as a celebration of the Liturgy of the Word or the Prayer of the Church or devotions such as the rosary or benediction, ‘are either an anticipation or an extension of the eucharistic assembly’ (Collins 1987). What was that memory in Ireland, and, importantly, what is that memory in the aftermath of the council? How did the emphasis on personal and communal participation in the liturgical rites integrate with the memory of a people formed by the emphasis on the personal journey to God, in the tradition of devotional practices of popular piety, and liturgies that were celebrated almost exclusively in a language incomprehensible to the great majority of them?
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