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Views from the Choir Loft

Liturgical Reflections of a Papal Master of Ceremonies

Fr. David Friel · June 12, 2017

ULL-TIME graduate studies have left me little time for non-assigned readings over the last year. Nevertheless, I took advantage of a free evening last week to read a short book that I only recently discovered. A collection of writings by Msgr. Guido Marini, the book is entitled Liturgical Reflections of a Papal Master of Ceremonies.

This slim volume (111 pages) gathers together a number of essays composed by Msgr. Marini during his time as Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, a post he has held since 2007. Collected and translated by Rev. Nicholas Gregoris of Newman House Press, these essays offer insights into the theological outlook of Msgr. Marini and his rationale for a variety of papal liturgical practices. Msgr. Marini continues to serve as papal MC for Pope Francis, but these essays, published in 2011, pertain more directly to the pontificate of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

Concerning his role as papal master of ceremonies and the consequent meaning of his own liturgical reflections, Msgr. Marini writes this:

I consider it a pleasant and urgent duty for me to be the faithful interpreter and echo of his authoritative liturgical orientation, which does not pertain to the realm of “personal taste” (although such personal taste is more than respected while not necessarily shared by all), but rather to a true and proper Magisterium to be shared with a spirit of faith and a genuine ecclesial sense. (Guido Marini, Liturgical Reflections of a Papal Master of Ceremonies, trans. Nicholas I. Gregoris [Pine Beach, NJ: Newman House Press, 2011], 14)

The best part of this book is the substantial first section, which was originally delivered as an address to a 2010 liturgy conference in Milan. The title of this address is “Entering the Liturgical Mysteries through the Rites and Prayers.” The remainder of the book is also interesting and insightful, and it covers such topics as: the distribution of Holy Communion, the pallium, the pastoral staff, the placement of the crucifix upon the altar (the so-called “Benedictine arrangement”), the Greek Gospel, silence, Latin, beauty, and the wearing of the dalmatic by cardinal deacons. Each of these issues is presented with theological, historical, and practical perspective.

Msgr. Marini teaches that “Christ the Eternal High Priest . . . is at the center of the liturgical action of the Church. The liturgy must be the celebrated transparency of this theological truth” (Marini, 67). He also gives a good perspective on the spirit of faith and obedience with which we must approach the liturgy and its reforms:

True fidelity to the reform willed by Vatican II demands . . . an ecclesial spirit . . . without ideologically preconceived notions. It is one and the same love that must animate everyone—love for the Lord and His Church, love for the liturgy, which is the action of Christ and the Church. (Marini, 43)

Y FAVORITE memory of the World Meeting of Families held in Philadelphia in 2015 is the opportunity I had to hear Msgr. Marini’s final encouragement to the servers before Mass in our cathedral and on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. I have tried to capture his profound reflections on that occasion here. I recommend reading these reflections just as highly as I am pleased to recommend this small book.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Msgr Guido Marini, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Fr. David Friel

About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at St. Anselm Parish in Northeast Philly. He is currently a doctoral candidate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America.—(Read full biography).

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Can You Spare 33 Seconds?

Here’s an audio excerpt (33 seconds) of a setting for Kyrie VIII which was recorded live last Sunday at our parish in Los Angeles. The setting (“Missa de Angelis”) is by composer Richard Rice, and you can download the free PDF if you click here and scroll to the bottom. I think Richard’s composition is marvelous. I missed a few notes on the organ, but I’ll get them right next time.

—Jeff Ostrowski
5 April 2021 • When Girls Sing

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

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“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

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Random Quote

They were not ashamed to lay their hands on Sedulius, on Prudentius, on St. Ambrose himself. Only in one or two cases does some sense of shame seem to have stopped their nefarious work. They left “Ave maris stella,” “Jam lucis orto sidere,” and St. Thomas Aquinas’s hymns alone (they would have made pretty work of “Sacris solemniis”). In 1629 their mangled remnants were published.

— Rev’d Adrian Knottesford Fortescue (25 March 1916)

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