The Bugnini-Liturgy and the Reform of the Reform - MusicaSacra

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nium without any action as early as the reforms of Pius XII. It is no wonder that the Bugnini reform had only one thing to do: to abbreviate it. The Roman rite gave more alternatives regarding the number and selection of the Old Testament readings. This fact entitles the people of our time to rearrangement. For the number of readings two systems are known. One is the remnant of the ancient whole-night vigils and requires twelve readings. The other, more general usage ordered four readings in proportion with the long, complex celebration. As to the content, both systems emphasized two readings of fundamental importance. The first is the reading about the Creation of the world, which stressed one of the main ideas of the liturgy, namely the interrelation between Creating and Re-Creating. The other was the description of the Exodus. In the four-reading system two further readings were added to them: the prophecy about the time of the Messiah and the admonition to the chosen people: they should now live worthily to what God has done to them. The liturgical reform defined the number of readings in seven, making only two of them obligatory. The pericope of the Exodus cannot be omitted, otherwise the priest has the right to choose. (In our experience the priests usually choose the shortest possible readings, hence they omit the reading about the Creation; besides, they strive to achieve "variety" from year to year.) In my opinion this night is not the liturgical moment in which "variety" should be sought. It is better to determine the best selection and associate it with the day so that it can aid the deeper involvement of the congregation in the mystery. Stability has more to offer to the faithful. When the great day returns again the next year, it brings back to memory everything that belongs to this day. Possibly, the selection of the traditional readings may not be the best one. Nevertheless, the disorder of our time can be justified neither by the content of the liturgy nor with its supposed pastoral benefit. The shorter, four-reading system given by tradition could be upheld. Of course, for somebody who does not regard this group of readings as an autonomous part of the vigil (which has its analogies in the old custom of vigils, the arrangement of the Beneventan rite, and also the separate celebrations with readings alone in the Eastern churches) but simply as an extension of the present part of Mass readings, even two lections appear to be too much. According to this concept, the Exsultet is no more than a substi- 40
tute for the Introit after which it would be enough to recite the oration and the reading about the Exodus, and then the Mass could continue in its usual course. The Vigil, however, is not an exceptional form of the Mass but an autonomous rite built up according to its own logic, different from any other celebration. The Old Testament readings with their "prefigurative" meaning are meant to help the catechumens and all the faithful who will receive the renewed grace of Baptism. They all have to understand better from these words what the mystery is that they share in and, I think, four readings is the minimum requirement for such an effect. In my opinion these readings should by necessity be always the same. The selection must be well weighed so that they clarify the complex meaning of Baptism from different angles. I cannot see why it is pastorally more effective if a priest picks a reading following his own whims. I think the reading about the Creation ought to be an obligatory first pericope and the Exodus the second. In the third place perhaps a more appropriate pericope could be selected instead of the prophecy of Isaiah (e.g. the paragraph from Ezekiel). The last reading ought to be the admonition of Moses. As an appendix, a series of further readings could be added for those who wish to prolong the Vigil. We have seen that the Litany within the Vigil of the Roman liturgy did not interrupt the dynamism of the Mass (as the new order does, as if going back from the Gospel to the Kyrie). The Litany put the rite in motion after the community had calmed down in the meditative atmosphere of the readings. Regarding its content, the Litany is not a Litania omium sanctorum: it is the sole liturgical Litany of the Church, an authentic and solemn form of the oratio jidelium. This Litany had a relatively free form which could easily adapt itself to the liturgical context. In this case it was not an extension or transformation of the list of saints that one ought to have aimed at, but the wording of the prayers belonging to the Vigil, before all else, to the baptismal rites. With a delicate sense for proportions it can be determined what the ideal length of the Litany is, short enough not to break the unity of the celebration and long enough to prepare proportionally the baptismal rite. The blessing of the font was a key text of our liturgy. This Preface is again an "effective" (and not a declarative) word, and it was accompanied by appropriate actions. I think the real solution was not to abbreviate it, but rather its text should have been used as the basis of catechetical instruc- 41
Page 1 and 2: in cooperation with the Church Musi
Page 3: THE BUGNINI-LITURGY AND THE REFORM
Page 6 and 7: Copyright © 2003 by Dobszay Laszlo
Page 9 and 10: Introduction The growing displeasur
Page 11 and 12: 2. The reason why I think that the
Page 13 and 14: whole spirituality of the clergy, o
Page 15 and 16: the hymn by linking the resurrectio
Page 17 and 18: In themselves, the contents of the
Page 19 and 20: The Constitution on the sacred litu
Page 21 and 22: sented to the public as the next st
Page 23 and 24: dition, but only from the Tridentin
Page 25 and 26: addition to the contents. They incl
Page 27 and 28: frame to the benediction (similar t
Page 29 and 30: with the other members of the Roman
Page 31 and 32: This statement will prove to be eve
Page 33 and 34: various church types. But the numbe
Page 35 and 36: The culmination of the Good Friday
Page 37 and 38: 7. The new arrangement of the EASTK
Page 39: many churches by a threefold intona
Page 43 and 44: lows us to sing anything during the
Page 45 and 46: 3. THE DIVINE OFFICE In the most sp
Page 47 and 48: ii. While the continuous psalmody w
Page 49 and 50: fulfillment, from Creation (psalms)
Page 51 and 52: day and the feasts is regulated by
Page 53 and 54: Within this framework the Roman Off
Page 55 and 56: the priests' spirituality. At the e
Page 57 and 58: weakly remained in effect, the basi
Page 59 and 60: unprepared for a well-founded respo
Page 61 and 62: the three Hours to one. In actual f
Page 63 and 64: I do not know what the "true spirit
Page 65 and 66: In the process of practical impleme
Page 67 and 68: 5. Is the Liturgia Horarum part of
Page 69 and 70: C. No other way? Could another way
Page 71 and 72: One solution could be the construct
Page 73 and 74: priests should be prepared to be ab
Page 75 and 76: velopment and tactful intervention
Page 77 and 78: The psalm selection of LAUDS goes b
Page 79 and 80: The best time for the continuous ps
Page 81 and 82: hymn at all. There is, however, a s
Page 83 and 84: Vigil antiphons for Sunday are sele
Page 85 and 86: 4. The Chants of the Proprium Missa
Page 87 and 88: munion chants in the Graduate Roman
Page 89 and 90: of our own day should not be unwort
Page 91 and 92:
selections from classical Christian
Page 93 and 94:
sies. Can we possibly say that toda
Page 95 and 96:
tui." The womb of Mary is the soil
Page 97 and 98:
With this in mind, I ask once more:
Page 99 and 100:
Exactly when and how this "properiz
Page 101 and 102:
As far as its formal aspect is conc
Page 103 and 104:
tence. The creation of individual p
Page 105 and 106:
efforts in recent centuries would h
Page 107 and 108:
Along with the other texts, the Pro
Page 109 and 110:
tion. General congregational partic
Page 111 and 112:
largely on recurring (and hence eas
Page 113 and 114:
the inner nature of the liturgy and
Page 115 and 116:
Masses" of a well-provided parish c
Page 117 and 118:
this permission is counterbalanced
Page 119 and 120:
oth the great and significant relig
Page 121 and 122:
5. The Readings of the Mass and the
Page 123 and 124:
Which are the "important and essent
Page 125 and 126:
ut adds the inquiry of the publican
Page 127 and 128:
showed the catechumens the image of
Page 129 and 130:
Pentecost now has a new Gospel, the
Page 131 and 132:
days). Peter's confession is on the
Page 133 and 134:
takes the scroll, reads it aloud, a
Page 135 and 136:
to appropriate analogies from the h
Page 137 and 138:
mitted in the Lectionary) do provid
Page 139 and 140:
week. The arguments on behalf of th
Page 141 and 142:
I also regret the new position of t
Page 143 and 144:
iods of the per annum season cannot
Page 145 and 146:
The rituals made a careful record (
Page 147 and 148:
6. The Tridentine Movement and the
Page 149 and 150:
I. What is the "traditional Roman l
Page 151 and 152:
The geographical (or rather, instit
Page 153 and 154:
And thus many rich elements of the
Page 155 and 156:
However, the conclusion is quite di
Page 157 and 158:
the whole of Catholic doctrine, and
Page 159 and 160:
Gospel is the Word of the Living Ch
Page 161 and 162:
merits, that moral life: fraternal
Page 163 and 164:
and doctrinally rich Sequences for
Page 165 and 166:
pie to the traditional Roman liturg
Page 167 and 168:
traordinary cases be read, the firs
Page 169 and 170:
We cannot postulate, of course, the
Page 171 and 172:
But on the other hand, it cannot be
Page 173 and 174:
emain unchanged, they are easy to l
Page 175 and 176:
5. The simple fact of translation h
Page 177 and 178:
In arguing both on behalf of the "T
Page 179 and 180:
permits absolutely no change. If ch
Page 181 and 182:
most frivolous music resounds witho
Page 183 and 184:
e concordant with the voice. It is
Page 185 and 186:
3. The third problem with the new s
Page 187 and 188:
the nouvelk theologie) of worship a
Page 189 and 190:
of the liturgical parts; allows the
Page 191 and 192:
efore the Mass: and introductory fo
Page 193 and 194:
music will be able to contribute to
Page 195 and 196:
But there is a more deeply rooted m
Page 197 and 198:
the liturgy has been abandoned, and
Page 199 and 200:
of compromises was fulfilled: what
Page 201 and 202:
they are not opposites. At the same
Page 203 and 204:
Urformen. the two 'opposite' qualit
Page 205 and 206:
melody (with a result unsatisfactor
Page 207 and 208:
the State became more liberal and t
Page 209 and 210:
side the liturgy: preaching, proces
Page 211 and 212:
case of Mozart's church music calle
Page 213 and 214:
text had its own melody. Choirs, or
Page 215 and 216:
abandoned by a new priest in favor
Page 217:
when the day of true reform dawns,
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