Pope Francis Shifts Power From Rome With ‘Hugely Important’ Liturgical Reform
- 7 years ago
Pope Francis Shifts Power From Rome With ‘Hugely Important’ Liturgical Reform
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who has used his absolute authority in the Vatican to decentralize power from Rome, made a widespread change Saturday to the ways,
and words, in which Roman Catholics worship by amending Vatican law to give national bishop conferences greater authority in translating liturgical language.
In changing the law, which will go into effect on Oct. 1, the pope recalled
that the Vatican Council entrusted bishops with the “weighty task of introducing the vernacular language into the liturgy.” He added that “in order that the renewal of the whole liturgical life might continue, it seemed opportune that some principles handed on since the time of the council should be more clearly reaffirmed and put into practice.”
He also acknowledged the bitter feelings that the fights over liturgical language have produced, writing, “It is no surprise
that difficulties have arisen” between local churches and the Vatican.
With “Magnum Principium,” a papal Motu Proprio — or a document issued under the pope’s own legal authority – Francis altered a key 2001 instruction by Pope John Paul II
that empowered Vatican officials in Rome to ensure local translations adhered to the standard Latin.
A hero to Vatican conservatives — and for many, a desired candidate in the next conclave to choose a new pope — Cardinal Sarah has been
undermined by partisans of Francis who have worked on a committee to loosen the Guinean cardinal’s cherished Latin literalism.
Conservative opponents favored the Latin Mass, or at least more faithful translations to it in the local language,
and they wanted the church hierarchy in Rome to ensure global universality and unity by making all of those translations uniform.
It also came just weeks after the pope — not one to invoke his magisterial authority — did just
that when he announced that the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council was “irreversible
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who has used his absolute authority in the Vatican to decentralize power from Rome, made a widespread change Saturday to the ways,
and words, in which Roman Catholics worship by amending Vatican law to give national bishop conferences greater authority in translating liturgical language.
In changing the law, which will go into effect on Oct. 1, the pope recalled
that the Vatican Council entrusted bishops with the “weighty task of introducing the vernacular language into the liturgy.” He added that “in order that the renewal of the whole liturgical life might continue, it seemed opportune that some principles handed on since the time of the council should be more clearly reaffirmed and put into practice.”
He also acknowledged the bitter feelings that the fights over liturgical language have produced, writing, “It is no surprise
that difficulties have arisen” between local churches and the Vatican.
With “Magnum Principium,” a papal Motu Proprio — or a document issued under the pope’s own legal authority – Francis altered a key 2001 instruction by Pope John Paul II
that empowered Vatican officials in Rome to ensure local translations adhered to the standard Latin.
A hero to Vatican conservatives — and for many, a desired candidate in the next conclave to choose a new pope — Cardinal Sarah has been
undermined by partisans of Francis who have worked on a committee to loosen the Guinean cardinal’s cherished Latin literalism.
Conservative opponents favored the Latin Mass, or at least more faithful translations to it in the local language,
and they wanted the church hierarchy in Rome to ensure global universality and unity by making all of those translations uniform.
It also came just weeks after the pope — not one to invoke his magisterial authority — did just
that when he announced that the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council was “irreversible