May 7, 2006

A couple of years ago in our parish, Father Uwe Michael Lang of the London Oratory of St. Philip Neri gave a lecture on his book Turning Towards the Lord. Drawing on his studies in Vienna and Oxford, Father Lang explained how, since the earliest times, the priest and people faced in the same eastward direction, ad orientem, in praying to God. In the Easter season we should remember this focus on "our common pilgrimage toward the returning Lord, the Sun of Justice and our hope in the resurrection and the world beyond the here-and-now, our pilgrimage to the Promised Land." Traditionally the priest faces the people (versus populum) when he addresses them: at the Opening Greeting and Penitential Rite, the Homily, the Orate Fratres (Pray, Brethren) before the Eucharistic Prayer, the Ecce Agnus Dei (behold the Lamb of God) and the Final Blessing.

It is wrong to think that in the traditional ad orientem posture the priest is "turning his back to the people" or "facing the wall." In the prayers, the priest, in the name of Christ the Good Shepherd, is leading the flock in the same direction. While the current form of facing the people certainly is licit, it has often led to an exaggerated focus on the priest, and this undue clericalization has also given the impression of entertainment rather than worship, with an overwrought concern for audibility, visibility, and unctuous affability, with the priest smiling like a TV game show host. Churches are refashioned as theatres, and musicians, frequently applauded, replace the Blessed Sacrament at the central axis.

Many of these points were also made by Cardinal Ratzinger in his books Feast of Faith and Spirit of the Liturgy, which are available in our book shop. When Father Lang spoke in our parish, Cardinal Ratzinger had just written the preface to his book. Little did we know that the cardinal would be our new Pope. Father Lang's book has just been translated into Italian and at a Vatican conference introducing it, Pope Benedict was represented by Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, the secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

I am delighted that our parish was a pioneer in this discussion. What will come of the developments remains to be seen, and of course we continue at present with the normative rubrical directions. Pope Benedict himself has lamented the radical disruption in liturgical practices some forty years ago, with their many sad consequences. It would be disingenuous of those who approved that disruption to say now that a "reform of the reform" would be too radical. In all things, whether we stand east or west or up or down, the most important thing is that our minds and hearts be consecrated to God. As Pope Benedict has said, the Liturgy is where "God and man meet in an embrace of salvation."

Fr. George W. Rutler