The Council of Nicaea, says Father Daniel Eusterman, not only defined Christ’s divinity but also brought foundational unity to the liturgy. Not bad for a council celebrating 1,700 years.

Fostering fruitful devotion to the Mass is in no way a DIY project! We need a specialist—and his name is God. So, writes Andrew Chronister, let’s get out of the way and let him do his job.

Visit any church, it’s right there hiding in plain sight: the altar of sacrifice. Brant Pitre traces the whys and wherefores of this centerpiece of the Catholic liturgy back to its Jewish roots.

On this episode we speak with Fr. Uwe Michael Lang on the completion of his six-part series on the Council of Trent. This final installment is titled, "Trent and its Liturgical Reform: Compared with Vatican II (Part VI)."

The first article in this series raised the question whether the liturgical reform initiated by the Second Vatican Council could be likened to the liturgical reform that followed the Council of Trent. In the previous five entries, I have presented the historical events that led to Trent, the deliberations on liturgical and sacramental matters at the council itself, and the reform of the Roman Rite that was implemented by subsequent popes. We are now in a better position to compare the impact these two important ecclesial assemblies had on the liturgical life of the Catholic Church.

In this episode we speak with Fr. Aaron Williams about his recent article titled, "Plunged into Darkness: The Office of Tenebrae,"  You find this article and more at www.adoremus.org. 

Within the days of the Easter Triduum, another series of celebrations lurk in the shadows commonly known as Tenebrae—and Father Aaron Williams brings it all to light.

The previous entry of this series discussed the Breviarium Romanum of 1568 and the Missale Romanum of 1570. These new editions were only the first steps towards an unprecedented standardization of the Latin liturgical tradition. In 1588, as part of his reform of the papal curia, Pope Sixtus V created the Sacred Congregation of Rites, which was to ensure the observance of liturgical norms and to give binding answers to questions arising in liturgical practice. For celebrations of bishops, Pope Clement VIII promulgated the Pontificale Romanum in 1596 and the Caeremoniale Episcoporum in 1600. In 1614, Pope Paul V issued the Rituale Romanum for sacraments and sacramentals that were not reserved to bishops.1 Unlike in the late medieval period, the printing of liturgical books at this time was now effectively controlled by ecclesiastical authorities, and this meant that a single set of liturgical books could be produced and distributed in a global Church.

In this episode of Adoremus Interviews, we speak with Fr. Herman Joseph Johanneck, O. Praem. about his recent article titled, "The Changing of the Guard and the Sacred Liturgy." 

In the previous entry of this series, I have offered an overview of the discussions on the sacred liturgy at the Council of Trent, especially during its third and last period from January 1562 to December 1563. There was a consensus among the council fathers that a revision of liturgical books was needed, but it was felt that the conciliar assembly would not be able to carry out this work. Hence, the task was entrusted to the pope and his curia.