Archbishop of Sydney

Vatican Instruction welcome, says Cardinal Pell

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
23 April 2004

The publication of the Vatican instruction The Sacrament of Redemption, which lists the practical regulations to be followed in the celebration of the Eucharist, is very welcome.

This document was prepared by the Congregation for Divine Worship with the help of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the express request of Pope John Paul II, as he announced in his beautiful recent encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia on April 17, 2003.

In that letter the Holy Father repeated the central Catholic conviction that the Eucharist is the Church's most precious possession and stands at the centre of Catholic life. He also expressed his regret that abuses have developed in liturgical celebrations. This new instruction clarifies what is to be done and what avoided so that the Eucharist will be celebrated with appropriate faith and dignity and the proper regulations followed everywhere throughout the world.

This will be a useful reminder also here in Australia, where there are occasional lapses, confusing and disturbing practices.

Nearly everyone recognises that there must be regulations for the celebration of Mass to protect and enhance the great Eucharistic mysteries. In the Eucharist we celebrate the death of our Lord until He comes again, his unique redemptive sacrifice. In the Eucharist under the forms of bread and wine we have the Body and Blood of Christ. The Mass is not an informal, community meal.

We are all called to worship, prayer and reverence before this great Mystery of love and this document spells out for the Catholic world how this is achieved, how the Eucharist must be celebrated.

It is welcome, perhaps even overdue.

Note: The document will be found on the Vatican website here:
Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum on certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist

This document is also available in PDF format (300k)