Cardinal Danneels

Liturgy 40 Years After the Council

"The active involvement of the people in the liturgy is, of course, an unparalleled gift from the council to the people of God. As with every worthy reform, however, there is a shadow side. Active participation in the liturgy can lead imperceptibly to a sort of taking possession of the liturgy. The liturgy is not only set free of its untouchable quality—in itself not a bad thing; it also becomes in a sense the property of those who celebrate, a terrain given over to their “creativity.” Those who serve the liturgy—both priests and laity—become its “owners.” In some cases this can even lead to a sort of liturgical “coup,” by which the sacred is eliminated, the language trivialized and the cult turned into a social event."

The Cardinal just about begins to get it, sort of and only with a fair wind behind him but rather late in the day, when he himself has been responsible for so much damage. If you seek his monument, look around the Brussels Churches.

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