DIRECTORY ON POPULAR PIETY IN PREPARATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 18, 2001 (VIS) - Made public late yesterday was a Message from the Pope to the participants in the plenary assembly of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments, which was celebrated at the Vatican from September 26 to 29. The theme of the reflection was: "The relation between the liturgy and popular piety."

John Paul II notes in his Message, dated September 21, that the assembly, "in view of the preparation of a Directory, has chosen popular piety as its central theme." This piety, "which is expressed in diversified and widespread forms, when it is genuine has faith as its source and must be, therefore, valued and encouraged. In its most authentic manifestations, it is not in opposition to the centrality of Sacred Liturgy, but rather, in encouraging the faith of the people who consider it part of their inherent religious expression, favors the celebration of the sacred mysteries."

"The expressions of popular piety," he writes, "sometimes appear polluted by elements not coherent with Catholic doctrine. In such cases they should be purified with prudence and patience, through contacts with those in charge and an attentive and respectful catechesis, unless radical inconsistencies make clear and immediate measures necessary. These evaluations are carried out primarily by the diocesan bishop or the bishops of the area concerned with such forms of piety."

Then, referring to the congregation's publication since 1996 of the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal, the Book of Exorcisms, the Roman Martyrology and the Instructions on liturgical translations, the Holy Father exhorted the bishops of the congregation "to take care that liturgical translations remain faithful to the original of the respective 'typical' editions in the Latin language. A translation, in fact, does not represent an exercise in creativity, but an accurate commitment to conserving the sense of the original without changes, ommisions, or additions. Lack of observance of this criteria sometimes makes the work of revision of certain texts necessary or urgent."

MESS;POPULAR PIETY;...;CCD;VIS;20011018;Word: 300;