Varietates Legitimae 14: Peter and Paul Open the Gates

Two New Testament examples for inculturation. First, Peter’s dream of the blanket of unclean animals descending from heaven, leading to the initiative that Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism in order to embrace Christ. And Saint Paul, that pharisee, was largely responsible for spreading the Gospel to non-Jews:

14. Faith in Christ offers to all nations the possibility of being beneficiaries of the promise and of sharing in the heritage of the people of the covenant (cf. Eph. 3:6), without renouncing their culture. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, following the example of St. Peter (cf. Acts 10), St. Paul opened the doors of the church, not keeping the Gospel within the restrictions of the Mosaic law but keeping what he himself had received of the tradition which came from the Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 11:23). Thus, from the beginning, the church did not demand of converts who were uncircumcised “anything beyond what was necessary” according to the decision of the apostolic assembly of Jerusalem (cf. Acts 15:28).

 

Varietates Legitimae 13: Ascension and Pentecost Launch Evangelization

Jesus’ ascension into glory does not end God’s relationship of presence among believers:

13. At the moment of his going to his Father, the risen Christ assures his disciples of his presence and sends them to proclaim the Gospel to the whole of creation, to make disciples of all nations and baptize them (cf. Mt. 28:15; Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8). On the day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit created a new community within the human race, uniting all in spite of the differences of language, which were a sign of division (cf. Acts 2:1-11). Henceforth the wonders of God will be made known to people of every language and culture (cf. Acts 10:44-48). Those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and united in fraternal communion (cf. Acts 2:42) are called from “every tribe, language, people and nation” (cf. Rv. 5:9).

Commentary:

Christ gives the disciples a post-resurrection mandatum: spread the Good News everywhere in the world.

Pentecost speaks of the Church’s early awareness that despite cultural differences amongst human beings, the Holy Spirit transcends these barriers–language being one of the most obvious obstacles to understanding. In the Holy Spirit, the difficult becomes possible. The lesson of Acts 2 is not that God works miracles through the Third Person, but that human divisions are inconsequential to the life of the Gospel.

 

Varietates Legitimae 11-12: Christ in the New Testament and the Liturgy

Calling upon the New Testament, the Church continues to describe the history and tradition of the nature of Christ, his initiation of a universal evangelization, and also how liturgy rightly expresses and inspires these salvific actions to continue:

11. Christ, who wanted to share our human condition (cf. Heb. 2:14), died for all in order to gather into unity the scattered children of God (cf. Jn. 11:52). By his death he wanted to break down the wall of separation between mankind, to make Israel and the nations one people. By the power of his resurrection he drew all people to himself and created out of them a single new man (cf. Eph. 2: 14-16; Jn. 12:32). In him a new world has been born (cf. 2 Cor. 5:16-17), and everyone can become a new creature. In him, darkness has given place to light, promise became reality and all the religious aspirations of humanity found their fulfillment. By the offering that he made of his body, once for all (cf. Heb. 10: 10), Christ Jesus brought about the fullness of worship in spirit and in truth in the renewal which he wished for his disciples (cf. Jn. 4:23-24).

12. “In Christ … the fullness of divine worship has come to us.”(SC 5) In him we have the high priest, taken from among men (cf. Heb. 5:15; 10: 19-21), put to death in the flesh but brought to life in the spirit (cf. 1 Pt. 3:18). As Christ and Lord, he has made out of the new people “a kingdom of priests for God his Father” (cf. Rv. 1:6; 5:9 10). (Lumen Gentium 10) But before inaugurating by the shedding of his blood the paschal mystery, (Missale Romanum) which constitutes the essential element of Christian worship, (Paul VI, Mysterii Paschalis) Christ wanted to institute the Eucharist, the memorial of his death and resurrection, until he comes again. Here is to be found the fundamental principle of Christian liturgy and the kernel of its ritual expression.

Commentary:

- Christ’s example was of breaking down the walls of human separation. We can expect no less from ourselves as we spread the gospel to people who have not heard of or experienced Jesus Christ.

- Christ’s example was also bringing a fullness of worship to those with whom he spoke. The Scriptural note references his discussion with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus of the Gospel built on an existing tradition–he did not insist on eradicating what had been. One note missing here (but covered later in VL 14) is the Acts 15 notion that in reaching out to Gentiles, to those who had not even heard of the God of Israel, that no burden other than false worship, idolatry, or immorality was to be placed on new converts.

- VL 12 affirms the centrality of the Paschal Mystery and the Eucharist. As the foundation of liturgical inculturation, these are of the essence. Anything that draws out these to deeper spirituality–avoiding the negatives–must certainly be good.

Any comments from the readers?

 

Varietates Legitimae 10: Christ “Inculturates”

Jesus himself is the example of “alliance” from the Father to the human race:

10. “The law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms” (cf. Lk. 24:27 and 44) was a preparation for the coming of the Son of God upon earth. The Old Testament, comprising the life and culture of the people of Israel, is also the history of salvation.

On coming to the earth the Son of God, “born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal. 4:4), associated himself with social and cultural conditions of the people of the alliance, with whom he lived and prayed. (Ad Gentes 10) In becoming a man he became a member of a people, a country and an epoch “and in a certain way, he thereby united himself to the whole human race.” (Gaudium et Spes 22) For “we are all one in Christ, and the common nature of our humanity takes life in him. It is for this that he was called the ‘new Adam.’”(St. Cyril of Alexandria, In Ioannem, I 14: Patrologia Graeca, 73, 162C.)

Inculturation extraordinaire?

 

Varietates Legitimae 9: Inculturation of the Greek Into the Jewish

Let’s review carefully as we get into the meat of Varietates Legitimae. The next several posts will treat part I, Process of Inculturation Throughout the History of Salvation. In these twelve numbered sections, we’ll review with the Church salvation history as handed down to us in the Scriptures and in Christian history.

9.Light is shed upon the problems being posed about the inculturation of the Roman rite in the history of salvation. The process of inculturation was a process which developed in many ways.

The people of Israel throughout its history preserved the certain knowledge that it was the chosen people of God, the witness of his action and love in the midst of the nations. It took from neighboring peoples certain forms of worship, but its faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob subjected these borrowings to profound modifications, principally changes of significance but also often changes in the form, as it incorporated these elements into its religious practice in order to celebrate the memory of God’s wonderful deeds in its history.

The encounter between the Jewish world and Greek wisdom gave rise to a new form of inculturation: the translation of the Bible into Greek introduced the word of God into a world that had been closed to it and caused, under divine inspiration, an enrichment of the Scriptures.

VL alludes to the “apocryphal” books of the Old Testament–texts composed outside of Palestine by Jews in diaspora. We have evidence these writing made it to Judea, and that at the time of Jesus people were aware of them.

 

Varietates Legitimae 8: Formation/Inculturation

The Church does recognize the variety of challenges to preaching the gospel. We should attend, according to the CDWDS, to the situation in Christian countries. They leave aside the equally concerning situation where a culture is “indifferent” or “disinterested” in religion.

8. It is necessary to be equally attentive to the progressive growth both in countries with a Christian tradition and in others of a culture marked by indifference or disinterest in religion. (Cf. Discourse to the Pontifical Council for Culture, 5; cf. also Vicesimus Quintus Annus, 17.) In the face of this situation, it is not so much a matter of inculturation, which assumes that there are pre-existent religious values and evangelizes them, but rather a matter of insisting on liturgical formation (SC 19, 35) and finding the most suitable means to reach spirits and hearts.

The solution too often seems to be an intellectual one. But note that here the Church uses the term “formation,” and that this effort, however one defines it, should reach “spirits and hearts.”

Is the Roman Rite always capable of doing this? Clearly, revivals and innovations have been judged needful in the past forty years: rites for receiving baptized Christians, funerals of infants, prayers for the funeral of a person who committed suicide–none of these were available before Vatican II.

This concludes the introduction to Varietates Legitimae. Anything to note in the past several posts before we move on to a historical overview of inculturation (VL 9-20)?

 

Varietates Legitimae 6-7: A Variety of Cultures

More optimism about the Church’s past success with modern day efforts in mission lands:

6. The present instruction has different situations in view. There are in the first place those countries which do not have a Christian tradition or where the Gospel has been proclaimed in modern times by missionaries who brought the Roman rite with them. It is now more evident that “coming into contact with different cultures, the church must welcome all that can be reconciled with the Gospel in the tradition of a people to bring to it the riches of Christ and to be enriched in turn by the many different forms of wisdom of the nations of the earth.” (Discourse to Pontifical Council for Culture, 5)

7. The situation is different in the countries with a long-standing Western Christian tradition, where the culture has already been penetrated for a long time by the faith and the liturgy expressed in the Roman rite. That has helped the welcome given to liturgical reform in these countries, and the measures of adaptation envisaged in the liturgical books were considered, on the whole, sufficient to allow for legitimate local diversity (cf. below Nos. 53-61). In some countries, however, where several cultures coexist, especially as a result of immigration, it is necessary to take account of the particular problems which this poses (cf. below No. 49). 

It is generally conceded that the Americas would be areas where the mainstream culture has been long “penetrated” by Christian faith and Catholic liturgy. Therefore, the options given in the rites are considered “sufficient” for us.

On the other hand, the world’s people are mobile to a degree not envisioned by past centuries in the Church, or perhaps even at Vatican II. At any rate, we are not likely to see one continent overwhelm another in terms of immigration ever again. So the Church must deal with minority cultures arriving in Christian lands and assess if the mainstream culture is sufficient to allow for an effective evangelization of non-believers. As the note above suggests, VL 49 will address some of this issue.

 

Varietates Legitimae 5: Inculturation’s Place in the Church

This is a heavily footnoted section with more than just references. So as not to chop up the text, I’ll leave the full notes at the end of today’s paragraph:

5. Inculturation thus understood has its place in worship as in other areas of the life of the church.¹⁴ It constitutes one of the aspects of the inculturation of the Gospel, which calls for true integration¹⁵ in the life of faith of each people of the permanent values of a culture, rather than their transient expressions. It must, then, be in full solidarity with a much greater action, a unified pastoral strategy which takes account of the human situation.¹⁶ As in all forms of the work of evangelization, this patient and complex undertaking calls for methodical research and ongoing discernment.¹⁷ The inculturation of the Christian life and of liturgical celebrations must be the fruit of a progressive maturity in the faith of the people.¹⁸

Inculturation in liturgy must connect to the permanent, rather than the transient. Plus it needs to be part of a coordination in other aspects. well-discerned and researched. So far so good on this one.

14. Cf. Eastern Code of Canon Law, canon 584.2: “Evangelizatio gentium ita fiat, ut servata integritate fidei et morum Evangelium se in cultura singulorum populorum exprimere possit, in catechesi scilicet, in ritibus propriis liturgicis, in arte sacra in iure particulari ac demum in tota vita ecclesiali.”
15. Cf. Catechesi Tradendae, 53: “concerning evangelization in general, we can say that it is a call to bring the strength of the Gospel to the heart of culture and cultures…. It is in this way that it can propose to cultures the knowledge of the mystery hidden and help them to make of their own living tradition original expressions of life, celebration and Christian thought.”
16. Cf. Redemptoris Missio, 52: “Inculturation is a slow process covering the whole of missionary life and involves all who are active in the mission ad gentes and Christian communities in the measure that they are developing.” Discourse to Pontifical Council for Culture plenary assembly: “I strongly reaffirm the need to mobilize the whole church into a creative effort toward a renewed evangelization of both people and cultures. It is only by a joint effort that the church will be able to bring the hope of Christ into the heart of cultures and present- day ways of thinking.”
17. Cf. Pontifical Biblical Commission, Foi et culture a la lumiere de la Bible, 1981; and International Theological commission, “Faith and Inculturation, 1988.
18. Cf. John Paul II, Discourse to the Bishops of Zaire, April 12, 1983, No. 5: AAS 75 (1983), 620: “How is it that a faith which has truly matured, is deep and firm, does not succeed in expressing itself in a language, in a catechesis, in theological reflection, in prayer, in the liturgy, in art, in the institutions which are truly related to the African soul of your compatriots? There is the key to the important and complex question of the liturgy, to mention just one area. Satisfactory progress in this domain can only be the fruit of a progressive growth in faith, linked with spiritual discernment, theological clarity, a sense of the universal church.”

 

Varietates Legitimae 4: Preliminary Observations

The remaining five sections of the introduction to VL consist of the CDWDS’s “Preliminary Observations.” As we run through them, we can ask: are they accurate? An inaccurate diagnosis may well lead to principles unsupported by what is true.

First up, based on Sacrosanctum Concilium, Pope John Paul offered a definition of inculturation:

4. The constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium spoke of the different forms of liturgical adaptation. (SC 37-40) Subsequently the magisterium of the church has used the term inculturation to define more precisely “the incarnation of the Gospel in autonomous cultures and at the same time the introduction of these cultures into the life of the church.” (John Paul II, encyclical Slavorum Apostoli, 1985, No. 21; his 1987 discourse to the Pontifical Council for Culture plenary assembly, no, 5) Inculturation signifies “an intimate transformation of the authentic cultural values by their integration into Christianity and the implantation of Christianity into different human cultures.” (John Paul II, encyclical Redemptoris Missio, no. 52)

Inculturation, then, is a dialogue. It presumes a mutuality of enrichment: the Gospel borrows means and expressions from the culture, which is, in turn, transformed by the Gospel. The Church rejects the term “adaptation,” which not only gives the sense of something transitory, but also implies the Church changes to adapt to the culture, and no movement on the part of the culture or its people is expected:

The change of vocabulary is understandable, even in the liturgical sphere. The expression adaptation, taken from missionary terminology, could lead one to think of modifications of a somewhat transitory and external nature. (Cf. ibid and Synod of Bishops, Final Report Exeunte Coetu Secundo, 1985, D 4.) The term inculturation is a better expression to designate a double movement: “By inculturation, the church makes the Gospel incarnate in different cultures and at the same time introduces peoples, together with their cultures, into her own community.” (Redemptoris Missio, no. 52) On the one hand the penetration of the Gospel into a given socio-cultural milieu “gives inner fruitfulness to the spiritual qualities and gifts proper to each people …, strengthens these qualities, perfects them and restores them in Christ.”(Gaudium et Spes 58)

The optimism of Vatican II, especially as it was incarnated in Gaudium et Spes, leads one to think that Christian-compatible values encountered in non-European cultures serve well to be incorporated into the Church and its liturgy:

On the other hand, the church assimilates these values, when they are compatible with the Gospel, “to deepen understanding of Christ’s message and give it more effective expression in the liturgy and in the many different aspects of the life of the community of believers.” (Gaudium et Spes 58) This double movement in the work of inculturation thus expresses one of the component elements of the mystery of the incarnation.(Cf. John Paul II, apostolic exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, 1979, No. 53)

Nothing really surprising here. John Paul II built on the foundation of the Vatican II. The Church affirms a mutual development of its own liturgy in the context of a non-European culture. So far, so good.

 

Varietates Legitimae 3:

Under the subheading “Nature of this Instruction,” the CDWDS explains it will take as a starting point the treatment of inculturation at Vatican II, to set out a more precise interpretation and plan for 1994 and beyond, to examine theological principles, to assess the current state of affairs, and, within the bounds of law, make necessary arrangements.

3. By order of the supreme pontiff, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has prepared this instruction: The norms for the adaptation of the liturgy to the temperament and conditions of different peoples, which were given in Articles 37-40 of the constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, are here defined; certain principles expressed in general terms in those articles are explained more precisely, the directives are set out in a more appropriate way and the order to be followed is clearly set out, so that in future this will be considered the only correct procedure. Since the theological principles relating to questions of faith and inculturation have still to be examined in depth, this congregation wishes to help bishops and episcopal conferences to consider or put into effect, according to the law, such adaptations as are already foreseen in the liturgical books; to re-examine critically arrangements that have already been made; and if in certain cultures pastoral need requires that form of adaptation of the liturgy which the constitution calls “more profound” and at the same time considers “more difficult,” to make arrangements for putting it into effect in accordance with the law.

Curia watchers will note: “in future this will be considered the only correct procedure.” You have here the first evidence in a liturgical document that the CDWDS is interested in more than just implementation, but that they will determine what is “right” and “correct.” I don’t know how that takes place with competence and without consultation. I’m thinking of the people on the ground in mission lands primarily, but also bishops and pastors who struggle to re-evangelize the West.

I’d say there are a lot of questions about this. Can the curia do this? Should they? We should be talking about directives that are effective in spreading the gospel and respectful of the liturgy. As Liam pointed out yesterday, how these are defined: this is the challenge.

What do the readers see?

 

Varietates Legitimae 2: “Substantial Unity”

Pope John Paul gets a reference in his approval of inculturation as a principle of liturgical reform:

2. In his apostolic letter Vicesimus Quintus Annus, the Holy Father Pope John Paul II described the attempt to make the liturgy take root in different cultures as an important task for liturgical renewal.[cf. no, 16] This work was foreseen in earlier instructions and in liturgical books, and it must be followed up in the light of experience, welcoming where necessary cultural values “which are compatible with the true and authentic spirit of the liturgy, always respecting the substantial unity of the Roman rite as expressed in the liturgical books.”[cf no. 16]

Lived experience with the liturgy must be applied to reform. In other words, if liturgical aspects work or don’t work for the cause of evangelization, they must be applied. Faith and belief should always trump the particulars of liturgy.

At the same time, John Paul wants the substance of the Roman Rite to remain as a substrate. That is where the discussion and occasional tussling occur. What is the substantial unity of the Roman Rite? Certainly the seven sacraments and the structure of their liturgies. Some might say translations, but I wouldn’t–and I wouldn’t be alone.

What would you readers see as areas of “substantial unity” and what can be adapted for the sake of belief?

 

Varietates Legitimae 1: “Legitimate Differences”

Let’s start the Easter season fresh with another liturgical document, Varietates Legitimae (VL). As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we have seventy numbered sections to tackle. The first eight form an introduction, through which we will be exposed to the curia’s thinking on inculturation and liturgy.

From that foundation, we can assess together (with ample comments from readers, I hope) how VL has been fruitful or not the past seventeen years. Keep in mind I’d also like to assess whether inculturation is only a basic principle for “mission lands,” or if it has any traction in the post-Christian West.

1. Legitimate differences in the Roman rite were allowed in the past and were foreseen by the Second Vatican Council in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, especially in the missions.(cf. no. 38; no. 40.) “Even in the liturgy the church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters that do not affect the faith or the good of the whole community.”(cf. no. 37) It has known and still knows many different forms and liturgical families, and considers that this diversity, far from harming her unity, underlines its value. (Orientalium Ecclesiarum, 2; Sacrosanctum Concilium, 3 and 4; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1200-1206, especially 1204-1206)

This occasional tension between unity and uniformity causes a bit of confusion among Catholics, from catechumens all the way out to bishops. Diversity is a strength of Catholicism and the Roman Rite. The curia has said so. Vatican II backs them up. We would do well to consider the point, if not outright agree.

Otherwise, see anything worth speaking up about? What do you expect to see in a Roman document on inculturation?

 

Varietates Legitimae: Inculturation and the Roman Liturgy

In 1994 the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) released its first Vatican II implementation document in over two decades, Varietates Legitimae, covering the topic “Inculturation and the Roman Liturgy.”

Church scholars nearly always refer to Roman documents by the first few Latin words in the original text. In English, “legitimate differences” seems an unusual first salvo, but there we have it. Over the next two months, we’ll cover its 8600-some words and 70 sections. If you’ve found other liturgy documents interesting, I’m sure this will not disappoint.

To give some context, remember other post-conciliar liturgy documents coming from Rome that treat the implementation of Vatican II. Three documents were released in 1964-1970 that were described as instructions ”on the Orderly Implementation of the Constitution on the Liturgy.” These are:

1. Inter Oecumenici, 1964, on which we blogged four years ago.
2. Tres Abhinc Annos, 1967, covered here too.
3. Liturgicae Instaurationes, 1970, ditto.

Musican Sacram (1967) is simply titled an “instruction.” I would count it as being of the same likeness as the other three, though with a singular and important theme. Not unlike a topical document treating inculturation or translation principles, I suppose.

Varietates Legitimae, like its younger and more famous sister Liturgiam Authenticam, is listed as an “Instruction for the Right Implementation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council.” Many have noted the change in language from “orderly” to “right.” Make of that as you will.

I confess I have yet to read this document, so I will be learning with you as we go along in this series. If you’re not sure what inculturation is, no worries: the document will define it, then address concerns of Rome as the Church engages the notion of adapting liturgy for the pastoral benefit of non-European believers. Given the hand-wringing over the state of affairs in the Christian (post-Christian?) West, it might be that a renewed European/North American Church may well need to embrace the principles of inculturation.

Christianity may well remain the cultural substrate of Western civilization. But there is no argument other philosophies and influences have layered in on top of that foundation. More, one can soundly argue that Christianity has, at its worst, already inculturated non-Christian values into the liturgy, if not other aspects such as governance, finances, and the like. I’d like this exploration to take Varietates Legitimae seriously, and that will include an honest assessment of the Church as it is today.

Ready for that adventure? I know I am.