Liturgia e società nel Novecento. Percorsi del movimento liturgico di fronte ai processi di secolarizzazione (review)

Liturgia e società nel Novecento. Percorsi del movimento liturgico di fronte ai processi di secolarizzazione. By Maria Paiano. [Biblioteca di Storia Sociale, 28.] (Rome: Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura. 2000. Pp. 314. Lire 68.000.)

This comprehensive and insightful work fills a long-standing void in studies of the liturgical movement of the twentieth century. Paiano's thesis is that the reform of the liturgy after Vatican Council II can only be fully appreciated when set against the concern of church leaders and theologians beginning at the end of the last century to revitalize the Church and in the process to "use" the liturgy as a powerful force against defects in society at large, in particular "secularization." The author helpfully summarizes the breadth of the thought of numerous (mostly European) authors from their original languages.

The book complements Paiano's doctoral thesis on the history of the redactions of the Liturgy Constitution of Vatican II from the University of Bologna (1995) and articles in journals such as Cristianesimo nella storia and Studi Storici. The book's four chapters deal with liturgy and the re-establishment of Christianity in society at the beginning of the twentieth century (one), debates about the liturgy's role in civil society between the world wars (two), the emphasis on the missionary dimension of the liturgy after World War II (three), and ways of interpreting the Vatican II reform in light of schools of thought within the "liturgical movement" and preconciliar debates about its contents (four). (This last chapter should be studied along with the articles by M. Lamberights and R. Kaczynski on the Liturgy Constitution in Volumes 2 and 3 of the History of Vatican II edited by G. Alberigo and J. Komonchak for necessary and important insight about the Vatican II liturgical reform.)

Historians of the modern liturgy will benefit from the author's judicious weaving of historical and cultural themes with the pre-eminent theological bases supporting the reform. They will also benefit from her distinguishing among currents (e.g., French, German, Belgian, Austrian, and Italian) within what is often too glibly termed a "European" phenomenon. Not surprisingly the author proceeds to frame the ecclesiology underscoring much of the literature of the liturgical movement within the assessment of many Catholic authors of the time that society itself needed revitalization and rechristianization with liturgy as a chief means toward this end. Liturgical theologians will be reminded of the importance of the establishment of the Feast of Christ the King in Quas primas (1925) and popular participation in the "offertory" rites of the pre-Vatican II Mass even though these do not withstand the legitimate critiques of contemporary liturgists about the triumphalism of Christ the King and the diminished significance now given to the rite of presenting gifts and preparing the altar at Mass. Such examples indicate the proper respect the author gives to the steps taken before Vatican II to make the liturgy a center of church and societal life (e.g., vernacular celebration of many sacraments).

Another contribution of this work is the way the author places well-known authors and movements (e.g., scouting and priest workers) in their historical and social context, thereby indicating that the move for the reform of the liturgy was really nothing short of a renewal of the Church as a leaven in a beleaguered society in desperate need of the challenge and power of the gospel. Thoroughly researched and documented, this work will stand as a standard and measure for others' work in the field.

 

Kevin W. Irwin
The Catholic University of America

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