Editorial

The recovery of the sacred

Michael Gilchrist

Contents - Mar 2000 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The recovery of the sacred - Michael Gilchrist English language Mass translation reform: should ICEL be wound up? - Michael Gilchrist English language Mass translation reform: should ICEL be wound up? - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World How the Salesians are helping to rebuild East Timor - Br M Lynch How the Salesians are helping to rebuild East Timor - Br Michael Lynch Priestly vocations increasing in Melbourne - Fr Paul Stuart Priestly vocations increasing in Melbourne - Fr Paul Stuart New York Scripture seminar affirms reliability of New Testament - Eamonn Keane New York Scripture seminar affirms reliability of New Testament - Eamonn Keane US Bishops favour prominence of tabernacle - AD2000 Report Religious education: putting the emphasis back on God - Br John Moylan CFC Education: Religious education: putting the emphasis back on God - Br John Moylan CFC Fulton J. Sheen: prophetic inspiration for today’s new evangelisation - Archbishop Barry J. Hickey Biography: Fulton J. Sheen: prophetic inspiration for today's new evangelisation - Archbishop Barry J. Hickey Books: ‘Covenant of Love: Pastoral Reflections on Marriage’ by Cardinal John O’Connor - Thérèse Chandrasegaran (reviewer) Books: ‘Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: Comforting Catholics in Their Time of Grief’ by Gl - Katie Forster (reviewer) Books: 'Building Family Prayer and Traditions' by Steve Givens - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: ‘Springtime of Evangelization: Addresses by John Paul II’ - Tracey Rowland (reviewer) Books: ‘Pius XII and the Second World War’ by Pierre Blet SJ - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Reflection: Does Lent retain its spiritual meaning today? - Mary Kenny

While the Mass and Eucharist are at the heart of the Catholic faith, there is no denying that numbers at weekend Masses throughout Australia continue to decline, as does the level of belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, along with signs of Eucharistic reverence. These trends are broadly similar in Western Europe, North America and Australia.

The causes of these declines are many and complex, not least the impact of secularisation and weakened family life. However, an added factor has been the succession of changes over the past 30 years in the liturgy, church interiors, fasting requirements, procedures for the reception of Communion, and so on - all having an unsettling effect on clergy and lay people alike.

It is therefore significant that many US bishops who participated in a discussion on church architecture at their latest annual conference (see page 9) took the opportunity to focus on possible reasons for the decline of Eucharistic faith. The question of tabernacle location was raised frequently, with a strong consensus that the Blessed Sacrament should be situated prominently in the centre of the sanctuary, so that Catholics attending Sunday Mass would be constantly reminded of Christ's Eucharistic presence.

Since Australia's liturgists tend to take their cues from the United States, it is to be hoped they will take note of the US bishops' call for a recovery of the sacred. This could entail a reversal of practices in parts of Australia, where tabernacles continue to be re-located in small side chapels, with emphasis placed on the "assembly" rather than the Real Presence.

A related matter remains the quality of English used in the Mass (see page 3). The banal character of some of the liturgical language has not been conducive to fostering a sense of the sacred. It is a question the Holy See is currently addressing with a sense of urgency.

Michael Gilchrist: Editor (email - freedom@connexus.net.au)

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 13 No 2 (March 2000), p. 2