Cover: Liturgical Laws - Why They Matter Scripture Quote: "It is an act of charity to cry out against the wolf

When he is among the sheep." - St. Francis de Sales

Liturgy Lesson: (Source - www.ewtn.com)

The purpose of law is to give a stable structure to a society, in this

Case the highest act of the ecclesiastical society of the Church, the Mass.

Liturgical laws are not arbitrary constructions but are intended to

Protect important truths and realities of the faith according to the principle

Lex orandi lex credendi (the law of praying is the law of believing). For

This reason the authority in the Church which has the charism of protecting

The faith is uniquely responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the

Mass and other sacraments. On this matter the Second Vatican Council said in the

Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy:

22. 1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.

2. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established.

3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

The Code of Canon Law legislates this principle in c838, which

establishes,

Canon 838

1. The supervision (moderatio) of the sacred liturgy depends solely

on the authority of the Church which resides in the Apostolic See and,

in accord with the law, the diocesan bishop.

2. It is for the Apostolic See to order the sacred liturgy of the

entire Church (universa ecclesia), to publish (edere) the liturgical

books, to review their translations into the vernacular languages and to see

that liturgical ordinances are faithfully observed everywhere.

3. It pertains to the conferences of bishops to prepare translations

of the liturgical books into the vernacular languages, with the

appropriate adaptations within the limits defined in the liturgical books

themselves, and to publish (edere) them with the prior review by the Holy See.

4. It pertains to the diocesan bishop in the church entrusted to

him, within the limits of his competence, to issue liturgical norms by

which all are bound.

When the liturgical law is observed no one has any legitimate reason to complain. Justice,

order and peace, as St. Augustine noted, are interrelated. When the justice of obedience to

ecclesiastical law is Not rendered and thus the proper Order of the Mass is violated, there can

be no real unity in the parish and thus no peace. As a result, the Catholic

unity of communion with the bishop and with and through the bishop with Peter

is disturbed. Hierarchical Communion is one of the three marks of unity to

be found in the Church, the others being unity of faith and unity in the

discipline of the Sacraments. Liturgical disobedience uniquely disturbs

all three! This is not surprising since the Eucharist is the principal

source and sign of the unity of the Church. By its very nature, it MUST be

either a sign of unity or a sign of disunity.

Of course, many other evils enter in by liturgical disobedience,

Including the serious injustice of depriving the faithful of licit, and in some

Cases valid, sacraments, something to which as Catholics they have a right.

Canon 214 The Christian faithful have the right to worship God

according to the prescriptions of their own rite approved by the

legitimate pastors of the Church, and to follow their own form of spiritual life

consonant with the teaching of the Church.

When these evils occur they have the right, and even the

responsibility, to make their voices heard.

Canon 212

1. The Christian faithful, conscious of their own responsibility,

are bound by Christian obedience to follow what the sacred pastors, as

representatives of Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or

determine as leaders of the Church.

2. The Christian faithful are free to make known their needs,

especially spiritual ones, and their desires to the pastors of the

Church.

3. In accord with the knowledge, competence and preeminence which

they possess, they have the right and even at times a duty to manifest

to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good

of the Church, and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other

Christian faithful, with due regard for the integrity of faith and

Morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration of the

Common good and dignity of persons.