Vatican II and
the
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (CSL)
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The
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council was held in Rome in fo
ur
sessions from October, 1962 until December, 1965. Vatican II was the
first ecumenical council that included bishops from the whole
globe - 2,540 bishops were present at
the opening of the Council. Ecumenical councils are
not simply meetings of Church leaders. They are gatherings of the
Pope and all the world's bishops acting
together. This
kind of council produces the highest form of church law
The
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (CSL)
The first body of law to flow from the
Vatican II was
the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (CSL). The CSL
provides a blueprint for ongoing liturgical reform
in the Church. This reform, rather than beginning something new, builds
on the understanding and practice of liturgy in the early Church, and
yet is able to respond to the needs of the times. Its principles are
anchored in the unchanging mystery of our faith. The depth of the reform
outlined in the CSL cannot be implemented in
a mere 40 years. Even today we are still in the process of understanding
and implementing its liturgical
vision
Key
Principles of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (CSL)
The
key principles of the CSL are:
- The heart of the liturgy is the
celebration of the Paschal
Mystery of Jesus Christ — his
life, death
and resurrection by which we are redeemed. This means that there are
no "theme"
Masses. The "theme" of every Mass is the
Paschal Mystery. Throughout the year the liturgy
of the church reflects on various aspects of
this Paschal Mystery (CSL nos. 7, 102, 106).
- Every
liturgical celebration is an action of Christ
together with his body, the Church.
No
other type of prayer or devotion can equal this
sacred action (CSL no. 7).
- In the liturgy, which includes the
Mass, the Sacraments, and the Liturgy of the Hours, Christ is
present in many ways - in the person of the minister, in
the Holy Eucharist broken and shared, in the Word of God proclaimed,
and
in the assembled people of God who pray and
sing together (CSL no. 7).
- All the faithful should be led to full,
conscious and active participation in the liturgy. This aim
is to be considered above all else. Such participation is both their
right and duty by reason
of their baptism (CSL no. 14). This is not
just desirable, but demanded by the very nature
of liturgy.
- Catechesis (religious
education) of the clergy and
the faithful is critical if the community is to
be fully aware of what it is doing, actively
engaged
in the rite, and enriched by its effects (CSL nos. 15-19).
- The liturgy is made up of both
immutable (unchangeable) elements, divinely instituted, and of
elements subject to change. These not only may, but ought to
be changed with the passage
of time if
they no longer express the holy
things they signify (CSL
no. 21).
GIRM
Bulletin 2E Office for Worship, Archdiocese of
Los Angeles © 2003. Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM (used with
permission)
Main Menu
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Return to Index of
Articles on the Sacred Liturgy