Moving Forward: Liturgical Transformations in the Roman Catholic Church

Abstract

The Hebrew Bible contains a story of the Israelites’ liberation from Egyptian captivity. Discouraged by dangerous trials on their journey to the Promised Land they became angry with God. Many wanted to return to Egypt where, although enslaved, they had food and housing. Others stood still, tired and fearful of the future. A remnant, undaunted by the probability of hazards ahead, moved forward in search of liberty. A similar situation exists in many places around our world today where there is restlessness and unpredictability. Totalitarian governments are preventing powerless people from moving forward with their lives. Millions of children, women, and men everywhere are stuck; held in modern slavery of some form. In search of future opportunities their dreams have turned to nightmares. The scenario is the same in many Christian faith communities. Not sure of what the future holds for them some are at a standstill. They are fractured over intramural issues such as ministerial roles, scandals, socio-political divisions, dwindling congregations, and prayer book formularies. Even brave pastoral leaders are not sure how to move forward in the face of dire forecasts. The old road maps are worn out. While many Christian denominations throughout the United States are thriving, others are experiencing decline. Recent projections from the Pew Research Center “indicate the U.S. might be following the path taken over the last 50 years by many countries in Western Europe that had overwhelming Christian majorities in the middle of the 20th century and no longer do.” Although there will always be new converts to Christianity, the Pew study indicated that “religious commitment could steadily weaken from generation to generation if people continue to identify as Christian but are less devout than their parents and grandparents.” Many in the X, Y and Z generations no longer go to church. According to one study, “The secularization of culture may impact religious belief, with greater value placed on the immanent, observable, and directly experience-able than on a transcendent worldview where mystery and trust in the unknowable are accepted. Millennials, for example, believe they can be spiritual and socially conscious without the constraints of pontificating clergy and catechetical ennui. “Broken promises, fallen leaders and exposed corruption have led Millennials to feel alienated from oncefoundational institutions.” Organized religions are among those establishments. Researchers claim structural clericalism, a self-righteous form of entitlement, is at the core of the problem in the Catholic Church. As theologian Massimo Faggioli observed, tensions have erupted into “the storm that the Catholic Church is going through today – the battle between