The Impact of the Council - By Document
Document Name: Sacrosanctum Concilium
English Name: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
Date: December 4, 1963
Council Document 1 of 16
“We had struggled for a century and a half to bring our opinions to prevail within the Church and had not succeeded. Finally, there came Vatican II and we triumphed. From then on the propositions and principles of liberal Catholicism have been definitively and officially accepted by Holy Church.” (Monsignor Prelot, Le Catholicisme Libéral)
The Central Preparatory Commission had worked for two years prior to the council, drafting the schemas which would be the foundation from which the bishops would work. But already, prior to the opening of the council, there was tension.
Quotes from two of the men who served on the Preparatory Commission should suffice to sketch an outline of the internal struggle that was already brewing.
Archbishop Denis Hurley represents what could be called the more "progressive" faction in the Church at that time. Of the 70 original schemas drafted for the council, he says:
Hurley was in distress over the original schemas because they read too much like the classical theology books of old. Or, to use the words of the man who was then known as Fr. Joseph Ratzinger:
The only texts that Hurley says were worth anything were the two texts written by Bugnini (later to become the principle drafter of the Novus Ordo Missae) and Bea - both of whom were progressivists.
Contrast Hurley's remarks with the remarks made by another man who served on the Preparatory Commission, namely Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre - a staunch defender of the Church's orthodoxy by anyone's measure, a constant thorn in the side of the progressivists:
What happened to the original schemas is well-known to students of the council. Within moments of the council's opening, an extremely well-organized group of liberal bishops - through the mouth of Cardinal Liénart (mentioned by Archbishop Hurley above) - made a motion to have the schemas dismissed - and somehow succeeded in accomplishing the task, despite the failure to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority vote.
Since the schema on the Liturgy was one of the few original schemas deemed by the progressives to be in a useable state, it was retained and became the first topic for discussion.
The Evolution of the Revolution
The subject of reforming the liturgy was not new to the council fathers. Beginning with St. Pius X at the beginning of the 20th century, and so brilliantly undergirded by the great historian of the liturgy, Dom Prosper Gueranger, liturgical reform continued right up to the eve of the council.
Of course, this is not to say that "liturgical reform" has always meant the same thing. Under Pius X and Abbot Gueranger, it meant restoration; what was being called for was not so much change as active participation - and by this latter term was meant interior participation.
Pope St. Pius X complained openly that the faithful were treating the parish building as a place to come on Sunday mornings and say their own private prayers, while in the distance the priest was busy saying his own private prayer - the Mass. It was not uncommon during this time to see the layfaithful receiving Holy Communion before Mass had begun, so that neither their prayers nor the ritual of the Mass itself would have to be interrupted by the distribution of Holy Communion.
Pope St. Pius X put an end to this by encouraging people to receive communion during Mass, and to make frequent (even daily) communions. He restored the place of Gregorian Chant in the liturgy. He called for greater teaching and instruction of the faithful, so that they would begin to understand the Mass in all of its parts, and be able to follow along with it. His famous exhortation comes to mind: "Do not pray at Mass; pray the Mass."
Minor modifications to the liturgy continued at a walking pace, and then broke into a steady jog during the pontificate of Pius XII. In 1945, the liturgical Psalter was revised. In 1948, just three years later, a permanent commission, the Pontifical Commission for the Reform of the Liturgy, was established - with none other than Annibale Bugnini as its secretary. In 1953, the Eucharistic Fast was relaxed to three hours under special circumstances - it was later relaxed in 1957 so that the fast was fixed at three hours prior to any Mass. Also in 1953, a provision was made for evening Masses on Holy Days of Obligation.
In 1955, Pius XII reformed the rubrics of the Mass and the Divine Office. Rev. Francesco Ricossa writes:
Perhaps the greatest change that took place under Pius XII was the reform of the Holy Week liturgy in 1955. That this reform served as kind of a precedent for the New Mass is attested to by no less an authority than the man who promulgated the New Mass, Pope Paul VI:
Ricossa points out the similarities between the reform of the Holy Week liturgies and the introduction of the New Mass. In both reforms, the reading of the Last Gospel was suppressed; in both reforms, the Psalm Judica Me Deus was suppressed; the role of the priest was greatly diminished in both reforms, many of his duties (chanting the lessons, epistles, Gospels) being taken up by ministers instead; in both reforms, the role of the subdeacon was either eliminated or severely suppressed (for example, the choir took over the subdeaon's chant during the Good Friday Adoration of the Cross).
Other novelties of the new Holy Week reform included: introduction of the vernacular during the Baptismal Promises; the suppression of the Miserere in the Divine Office; alterations in the Exultet; the suppression of eight prophecies on Holy Saturday; the distribution of communion on Good Friday.
With the election of John XXIII, the changes continued, like a steady trickle. In 1960 he cut back the number of lessons during the Office of Matins; he reduced the number of saint's feast days that took precedence over the Sunday to only nine (it was once more than thirty); Ricossa estimates that John XXIII effectively eliminated approximately 80 feasts of saints through various means - suppressing some completely, demoting others in rank so that ferial offices would take precedence, etc.; he eliminated the second Confiteor from the Mass in 1960.
As if to prepare the way for the conciliar reform of the Mass, and to send a message to the council fathers that not even the Canon of the Mass was off limits (the Canon had not been altered since the days of Pope St. Gregory the Great in the 5th century), he added the name of St. Joseph to the Communicantes prayer in the Canon - this was done almost exactly one year before the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy was completed.
To be continued ...
English Name: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
Date: December 4, 1963
Council Document 1 of 16
“We had struggled for a century and a half to bring our opinions to prevail within the Church and had not succeeded. Finally, there came Vatican II and we triumphed. From then on the propositions and principles of liberal Catholicism have been definitively and officially accepted by Holy Church.” (Monsignor Prelot, Le Catholicisme Libéral)
The Central Preparatory Commission had worked for two years prior to the council, drafting the schemas which would be the foundation from which the bishops would work. But already, prior to the opening of the council, there was tension.
Quotes from two of the men who served on the Preparatory Commission should suffice to sketch an outline of the internal struggle that was already brewing.
Archbishop Denis Hurley represents what could be called the more "progressive" faction in the Church at that time. Of the 70 original schemas drafted for the council, he says:
By April/May of 1962 I was in despair and suffering a lack of faith in the Holy Spirit. How could the Council commence with the papers (called ‘schemas’) in such a condition? This was confirmed in conversations I had with several leading cardinals like Liénart, Alfrink, König, Frings, Döpfner and Suenens ... Only the schema on the liturgy was in a presentable state. This was due to the work of the Secretary of The Preparatory Commission on Liturgy, Annibale Bugnini. He was a brilliant liturgist and had brought together all the finest brains on liturgy to prepare the schema.
Another presentable document was that produced by the commission under Cardinal Bea, the German Jesuit who was the antithesis of Cardinal Ottaviani, Secretary of the Holy Office. Cardinal Bea became the figurehead for the progressive tendency within the Council. ("Council Reminiscences", Symposium at the Fortieth Anniversary of Vatican II)
Hurley was in distress over the original schemas because they read too much like the classical theology books of old. Or, to use the words of the man who was then known as Fr. Joseph Ratzinger:
The text was written in a spirit of condemnation and negation ... the content of the text was new to no one. It was exactly like dozens of text-books familiar to the bishops from their seminary days: and in some cases, their former professors were actually responsible for the texts now presented to them. (Theological Highlights of Vatican II, p.20)
The only texts that Hurley says were worth anything were the two texts written by Bugnini (later to become the principle drafter of the Novus Ordo Missae) and Bea - both of whom were progressivists.
Contrast Hurley's remarks with the remarks made by another man who served on the Preparatory Commission, namely Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre - a staunch defender of the Church's orthodoxy by anyone's measure, a constant thorn in the side of the progressivists:
I still possess the seventy-two preparatory schemas; in them the Church’s doctrine is absolutely orthodox. They were adapted in a certain manner to our times, but with great moderation and discretion. (Open Letter to Confused Catholics, chapter 14, "Vatican II is the French Revolution in the Church")
What happened to the original schemas is well-known to students of the council. Within moments of the council's opening, an extremely well-organized group of liberal bishops - through the mouth of Cardinal Liénart (mentioned by Archbishop Hurley above) - made a motion to have the schemas dismissed - and somehow succeeded in accomplishing the task, despite the failure to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority vote.
Since the schema on the Liturgy was one of the few original schemas deemed by the progressives to be in a useable state, it was retained and became the first topic for discussion.
The Evolution of the Revolution
The subject of reforming the liturgy was not new to the council fathers. Beginning with St. Pius X at the beginning of the 20th century, and so brilliantly undergirded by the great historian of the liturgy, Dom Prosper Gueranger, liturgical reform continued right up to the eve of the council.
Of course, this is not to say that "liturgical reform" has always meant the same thing. Under Pius X and Abbot Gueranger, it meant restoration; what was being called for was not so much change as active participation - and by this latter term was meant interior participation.
Pope St. Pius X complained openly that the faithful were treating the parish building as a place to come on Sunday mornings and say their own private prayers, while in the distance the priest was busy saying his own private prayer - the Mass. It was not uncommon during this time to see the layfaithful receiving Holy Communion before Mass had begun, so that neither their prayers nor the ritual of the Mass itself would have to be interrupted by the distribution of Holy Communion.
Pope St. Pius X put an end to this by encouraging people to receive communion during Mass, and to make frequent (even daily) communions. He restored the place of Gregorian Chant in the liturgy. He called for greater teaching and instruction of the faithful, so that they would begin to understand the Mass in all of its parts, and be able to follow along with it. His famous exhortation comes to mind: "Do not pray at Mass; pray the Mass."
Minor modifications to the liturgy continued at a walking pace, and then broke into a steady jog during the pontificate of Pius XII. In 1945, the liturgical Psalter was revised. In 1948, just three years later, a permanent commission, the Pontifical Commission for the Reform of the Liturgy, was established - with none other than Annibale Bugnini as its secretary. In 1953, the Eucharistic Fast was relaxed to three hours under special circumstances - it was later relaxed in 1957 so that the fast was fixed at three hours prior to any Mass. Also in 1953, a provision was made for evening Masses on Holy Days of Obligation.
In 1955, Pius XII reformed the rubrics of the Mass and the Divine Office. Rev. Francesco Ricossa writes:
For now it is enough to say that the reforms tended to shorten the Divine Office and diminish the cult of the saints. All the feasts of semidouble and simple ranks became simple commemorations; in Lent and Passiontide one could choose between the office of a saint and that of the feria; the number of vigils was diminished and octaves were reduced to three. The Pater, Ave and Credo recited at the beginning of each liturgical hour were suppressed; even the final antiphon to Our Lady was taken away, except at Compline. The Creed of St. Athanasius was suppressed except for once a year. (The Liturgical Revolution Before Vatican II, online here)
Perhaps the greatest change that took place under Pius XII was the reform of the Holy Week liturgy in 1955. That this reform served as kind of a precedent for the New Mass is attested to by no less an authority than the man who promulgated the New Mass, Pope Paul VI:
The beginning of this renewal was the work of Our predecessor, this same Pius XII, in the restoration of the Paschal Vigil and of the Holy Week Rite, which formed the first stage of updating the Roman Missal for the present-day mentality. (Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum, April 3, 1969, emphasis added)
Ricossa points out the similarities between the reform of the Holy Week liturgies and the introduction of the New Mass. In both reforms, the reading of the Last Gospel was suppressed; in both reforms, the Psalm Judica Me Deus was suppressed; the role of the priest was greatly diminished in both reforms, many of his duties (chanting the lessons, epistles, Gospels) being taken up by ministers instead; in both reforms, the role of the subdeacon was either eliminated or severely suppressed (for example, the choir took over the subdeaon's chant during the Good Friday Adoration of the Cross).
Other novelties of the new Holy Week reform included: introduction of the vernacular during the Baptismal Promises; the suppression of the Miserere in the Divine Office; alterations in the Exultet; the suppression of eight prophecies on Holy Saturday; the distribution of communion on Good Friday.
With the election of John XXIII, the changes continued, like a steady trickle. In 1960 he cut back the number of lessons during the Office of Matins; he reduced the number of saint's feast days that took precedence over the Sunday to only nine (it was once more than thirty); Ricossa estimates that John XXIII effectively eliminated approximately 80 feasts of saints through various means - suppressing some completely, demoting others in rank so that ferial offices would take precedence, etc.; he eliminated the second Confiteor from the Mass in 1960.
As if to prepare the way for the conciliar reform of the Mass, and to send a message to the council fathers that not even the Canon of the Mass was off limits (the Canon had not been altered since the days of Pope St. Gregory the Great in the 5th century), he added the name of St. Joseph to the Communicantes prayer in the Canon - this was done almost exactly one year before the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy was completed.
To be continued ...
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