AN AFRICAN BISHOP GIVES AN EXAMPLE TO AMERICAN BISHOPS AS IT CONCERNS THE REFORM OF THE MODERN MASS AS IT IS CELEBRATED

Good taste in beautiful vestments that resemble the kingliness of heaven, similar to the king of hearts, the Sacred Heart, is highly encouraged:

While some of the reforms the good bishop is requiring pertain to African deformities of the manner in which the Mass is celebrated, there are parallels in the American experience. I copy this from La Croix, but embed my astute comments in the body of the text in RED:

African bishop warns against "unruly" liturgical celebrations

Archbishop Roger Houngbédji OP of Benin denounces liturgical abuses he's observed in his Archdiocese of Cotonou, especially inappropriate dress and rambling homilies

Archbishop Roger Houngbédji of Cotonou has moved to correct bad liturgical practices and habits that he has observed during his seven years as head of Benin's largest Catholic diocese. 

The 60-year-old archbishop, a member of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), issued an instruction at the end of October to remind priests, deacons, consecrated persons and laity of the archdiocese of numerous points concerning the attitude to adopt during Mass.

For instance, he says "the practice of sometimes proclaiming liturgical texts or singing the responsorial psalm from a cell phone" is "prohibited". He also says "untimely movements" during the liturgy – particularly during the sign of peace – should stop. (The cell phone thingy is a new one on me. I guess the “untimely movements” at the Sign of Peace means traveling around the church to greet people making a sign of peace not a sober symbol but rather a fundamentalist experience of physical contact and greeting with everyone. The USA seems to have nipped that in the bud back in the 80’s and 90’s.)

"Avoid vague homilies"

Archbishop Houngbédji's warnings also apply to the way people in the assembly are dressed.

"Avoid, as far as possible, outfits that are too brightly colored, too conspicuously printed or too imposing in shape," the archbishop urges in the new instruction. "Skirts and dresses should be of decent length and not too tight. Similarly, revealing tops, crop tops that expose the chest, stomach or back, shocking tattoos, aggressive piercings and ripped jeans are contrary to the spirit of the liturgy," he points out. (Yes, it is time for bishops to help pastors establish proper dress codes in the USA and start with wedding parties. We have a new culture of tattoos that is truly the sin of disfiguring the body, going way beyond enhancement, it is the mortal sin of mutilation. T-shirts with slogans and advertisements and sexual expressions. I’m seen these! Readers in short skirts, who when they bow to the altar, reveal it all leaving nothing to the imagination.)

"During the liturgical celebration of a funeral, closing speeches are forbidden, except for the word of thanks, which must be made by the presider," the Dominican archbishop says. "At Mass and before dismissal, no civil or military authority, and no well-known benefactor of a parish community, whatever the importance of the services rendered, may speak publicly," the archbishop reminds the roughly one million Catholics of Cotonou. (Thank you, Jesus, for this bishop in Africa, a role model for all bishops in the USA.)

And he is especially concerned about the quality of homilies in the archdiocese, instructing his priests to "avoid vague and abstract homilies, as well as useless ramblings that risk drawing attention more to the preacher than to the substance of the Gospel message". (He named the elephant in the room, bishops and priests, not just risking, but completely given over to making themselves the center of attention and not just with silly preaching but other liturgical antics not foreseen in the Roman Missal.)

Archbishop Houngbédji has also instructed the archdiocesan liturgical commission to "work to remove tendentious songs from the liturgical repertoire". He says these various reforms are necessary because "liturgical celebration cannot be content with unbridled ritual ordering, still less with individualistic attitudes left to the arbitrariness of each person". (I have no idea what those songs might be in Africa, but may I suggest that in the USA, the following ditties be removed: “On Eagles’ wings, Be Not Afraid, Hear I am Lord, Hail Mary, Gentle Woman, and anything by the Saint Louis 1970’s Jesuits and some others that fail to come to mind. How about mandating the propers!)

Observations made during pastoral visits

Houngbédji, who was appointed archbishop of Cotonou in 2016, says the instruction is based on observations he has made during pastoral visits to parishes and pastoral centers throughout the archdiocese. "Among the many questions I've been asked by the various parish communities is the question of harmonizing liturgical gestures and practices," he says. He asserts that he has been "repeatedly challenged by Catholics on the urgency and necessity of working towards a better understanding of the faith and its proper celebration in liturgy".

Maurice Hounmènou, the priest who heads the archdiocesan Commission for Liturgy and Sacred Art, notes the rise of a certain liturgical personalism, "typical of those who think that in the liturgy, everyone is free to do what they want". He says this attitude has led to introducing "all kinds of prayers and devotions, testimonies, and so forth" into the Mass. (I think one of the major problems in the USA is the Universal Prayer, made up or canned which are more political and “breaking news” than these should be. I think the Universal Prayer needs to be rethought with a formal “Litany of Prayer” found in the Missal and not be be adjusted. My suggestion would be a formal introduction, with four petitions: For the Church, we pray to the Lord; For the peace of the world, we pray to the Lord; For those who suffer, we pray to the lord. For the Faithful departed, we pray to the Lord. And then a formal written conclusion—based on the official offertory Antiphon which then makes sense not to repeat it. Creative liturgies initiated by the laity or the clergy should stop. Proper postures for the priest and laity should be followed. For example, the orans position is not the posture for the “Our Father” or any other part of the Mass pertaining to the laity and kneeling is the norm for Holy Communion and the Liturgy of the Eucharist facing the liturgical east.)