Pope Pushes Liturgical Reforms

The always fascinating NLM translates a scoop by the always well informed Andrea Tornielli which goes a long way to explain some straws and rumours blowing from Rome earlier in the year, such a return to communion kneeling, refusal to renew the reception in the hand indult, the possibilty of imposition of sacramental formulas in Latin, ad orientem, well maybe it is true.

At least I think, the Pope will say all these things are normative and may not be impeded, even by a Bishop.

The newspaper [Il Giornale] today published a paper devoted to "propositions" voted on last March by the plenary meeting of the Congregation for Divine Worship, presented to Benedict XVI by Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera on April 4th. It contains a first outline of the "reform the reform" liturgy that Ratzinger would see implemented, underlining the importance of worship, putting a stop to creativity and abuse, giving more presence to the Latin language in the new rite, publishing bilingual missals (with the Latin text opposite), reconsidering the matter of the "versus orientem" [ad orientem] orientation at least during the consecration [i.e. during the Eucharist prayer], reiterating that the use of distributing Communion in the hand is an indult, an extraordinary fact, but that the [normative] custom of the law must remain to receive the host on the tongue. All this, however, will be prepared and presented in the Ratzingerian style: not any short-term document, no sudden imposition destined to go unheeded. Rather, a long and patient work from the grass roots ["from below"], that involves the episcopate. The point of departure and arrival is the conciliar Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium.