Liturgy Newsletter

November 2002

News

New Prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments

Pope John Paul has appointed Cardinal Francis Arinze as Prefect to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. He replaces Cardinal Medina Estévez, who recently submitted his resignation to the Holy Father, upon reaching retirement age.

Until taking up his new appointment Cardinal Arinze has served as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. In this role he has had particular care for the Catholic Church’s relations with other faiths and denominations. Thus he has, for example, been actively involved in the Interreligious gatherings for prayer and reflection held in Assisi in 1986 and 2002.

In 1998, he formed the Committee of Muslim-Catholic Dialogue. It comprised representatives of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Al-Azhar Permanent Committee for Dialogue with Monotheist Religions. The committee has published statements against racism and terrorist violence, and in favour of dialogue between believers of the two religions.

Born to a non-Christian family of the Ibo tribe of Nigeria, Arinze converted to Catholicism at age 9. His parents later followed his example. His mother converted when her son was at seminary, and his father sometime after his son’s ordination as a priest.

Francis Arinze was ordained a priest November 23, 1958. From 1961-1962, he was professor of liturgy and also taught logic and philosophy at Bigard Memorial Seminary at Enugu, Nigeria. He was then appointed regional secretary for Catholic Education for the eastern part of the country. He later took courses at the Institute of Pedagogy in London, earning a diploma in 1964.

On July 6, 1965, he was named coadjutor to the archbishop of Onitsha, and consecrated bishop on August 29 1965. Two years later, he was entrusted with the pastoral government of the archdiocese and, on June 26, 1967, he was named archbishop.

In 1979 his brother bishops elected him president of the Nigerian bishops’ conference, a post he filled until 1984, when John Paul II asked him to head, as pro-president, the Secretariat for Non-Christians (now the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue). He was made a Cardinal by John Paul II in the consistory of May 25, 1985.

Forthcoming Liturgical Books

The ICEL translation of the General Introduction to the 3rd typical edition of the Roman Missal will be considered and voted on by the Bishops Conference at their November meeting. Subject to its approval by the Bishops the translation will then be submitted to the Holy See for its recognitio.

The current indication is that ICEL will have completed its work on preparing translations of all the other texts of the revised Missal within the next two years.

ICEL translations of the Rite of Dedication of a church, and the Martyrology are likely to be submitted to the Bishops for their consideration in the near future.

In April the Congregation for Divine Worship refused recognitio to the translation of the Rites of Ordination submitted to it by the Conference. Unusually the Congregation suggested various emendations to ICEL’s translation. These have been considered by various English speaking Conferences. A revised text is presently being prepared by ICEL in the light of the judgements expressed by these Conferences. The new text will then be submitted to Conferences for their further consideration.

Summer Conferences

The summer months sees many groups meeting for their annual conferences.

The RCIA Network met at Hinsley Hall, Leeds for its annual conference from 4th-6th October to reflect on the relationship between Liturgy and Catechesis in the Rites of Christian Initiation. The theme is likely to be developed further in future conferences, providing a welcome forum for developing a healthier relationship and deeper mutual understanding between those who are specialists in the distinct but complementary ‘disciplines’ of liturgy and catechesis.

The Society of St Gregory’s Summer School provided an opportunity for musicians, liturgists and others to follow a course based on the Music Syllabus. Those taking the course for certification will attend Days in the 2003 which will provide an opportunity to reflect on their application in their parishes of what they have learnt at the Summer School.

The National Network of Pastoral Musicians held a successful Conference at Newman College, Birmingham. Excellent workshops and good music was enjoyed by all. The plenary sessions to the Conference focussed on Christian response to the stranger in our midst. A concert of new works and Crossing Borders, Coming Home (Jaime Cortez) raised £1056 for the Birmingham based refugee charity Restore.

Praxis

which provides and supports liturgical education in the Church of England has moved to new offices at RSCM. Their newsletter can be read in electronic form on their website. Contact Praxis direct for full details of their formation programme for 2002-3. Particularly worthy of note are days on Christian worship in a multi-cultural and post modern setting, and on the use of the Scriptures in Liturgies of the Word.