Pinoy liturgists seek use of vernacular

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the resurgence of the use of Latin in some Catholic masses, a group of Filipino liturgists yesterday called for the use of the vernacular during parish and community masses.

“We uphold the use of the vernacular in our parishes and communities and recommend translations that faithfully reflect both the spiritual doctrine of the texts and the linguistic patterns of our vernacular languages,” said the statement from the four-day National Meeting of Diocesan Directors of Liturgy (NMDDL).

The group urged the use of the vernacular to encourage more people to understand the mass.

The group also called on the Catholic Church to encourage women to act as lay ministers.

“Some dioceses in the Philippines still reserve to male persons ministries like serving at the altar and leading Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest. We believe that we should encourage the ministry of women where it is allowed by universal law,” they said.

The Filipino liturgists said that there should be a development of the spirituality of the liturgy, meaning that the “active participation should lead to deeper spiritual encounter with Christ and the Church.”

There should also be liturgical inculturation wherein “our rich cultural heritage has much to offer to make the Roman liturgy truly Filipino.”

They also stressed the need for those involved in the liturgy to study the history, theology of the liturgy and be familiar with the culture.

“We, therefore, recommend that those involved in liturgy, particularly the clergy, should be sent by their bishops or superiors to enroll in academic institutions that specialize in liturgical studies,” the organization said.

They are also asking the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Pilippines (CBCP) to regularly publish through print or the electronic media the recent liturgical norms, guidelines and other information related to the liturgy.