The Vigil in Many Tongues
A parish in Marsa has a Saturday evening vigil Mass attended by about 180 people, including a growing Filipino community, Nigerian and Eritrean migrants, and long-standing Maltese parishioners. The parish priest, Fr Saliba, wants to celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent with a Tagalog hymn at the entrance, an English-language reading, a short liturgical dance by the Filipino youth group before the opening procession, and intercessions in Arabic. Josephine, the sacristan, has threatened to write to the Archbishop's Curia because 'the Mass is becoming a show' and 'we are losing our Maltese identity'. A visiting Nigerian priest is available to concelebrate. The parish liturgy committee meets in ten days, and Fr Saliba has asked a young catechist, Daniel, to prepare a short reflection for the committee that is both faithful to the Church's liturgical norms and sensitive to the community's diversity. Daniel has the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and a copy of Sacrosanctum Concilium.
1. What principles govern liturgical inculturation, and who has the authority to make such decisions?
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The principle. The liturgy is not the private property of the priest or the parish. It is the public worship of the whole Church. Sacrosanctum Concilium 37–40 allows for legitimate cultural adaptation, but it also insists that the substantial unity of the Roman rite be preserved. Inculturation is not the same as improvisation: it is a slow, organic process in which a local culture is baptised, not a performance of diversity for its own sake.
Who decides. The competent authority is the territorial episcopal conference, with the confirmation of the Holy See, for adaptations to the liturgical books. A parish priest may make limited pastoral choices within the rubrics - for example, the language of some readings, hymns, and the prayer of the faithful - but he may not rewrite the rite. Daniel should frame his reflection in terms of asking the diocesan liturgy office for guidance, not in terms of Fr Saliba's personal preferences.
Criteria. Four tests are useful: (1) unity - does it build up the one Body or divide it? (2) reverence - does it make the mystery more evident or turn it into entertainment? (3) active participation - can the people actually join in? (4) authenticity - is this genuinely from the culture, or a superficial import? Apply these to each proposal.
2. Evaluate each of Fr Saliba's four proposals against those principles.
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Tagalog entrance hymn. Music is one of the most adaptable elements of the liturgy. A Tagalog hymn could be a genuine expression of the Filipino community's faith, provided the congregation is helped to participate (a translation in the programme, a verse in Maltese or English). It should not wholly displace the entrance antiphon; a hymn is not a concert item.
English reading. The readings themselves are fixed by the lectionary; the language of proclamation is a pastoral choice. English is the second language of many in the congregation and is the language of the migrant communities. But the Word should be proclaimed in a language the assembly understands. A good solution might be: first reading in Maltese, second in English, Gospel in Maltese, with a printed sheet. That is not a gimmick; it is a sign of the one Body.
Dance before the entrance. A liturgical dance is not forbidden, but it must serve the liturgy, not replace it. A dance that delays the entrance procession or turns the assembly into an audience is problematic. A better place might be after the greeting or after Communion, and it should be prepared with the diocesan liturgy office. 'Performance' is the danger; 'prayer in movement' is the possibility.
Arabic intercessions. The prayer of the faithful is one of the most flexible parts of the Mass. Intercessions in Arabic, with a response in Maltese or English, could be a powerful sign of the Church's universality. But they should be intelligible to the assembly and not tokenistic. A short explanation before the Mass would help. The Nigerian priest could be invited to concelebrate and perhaps to preach, which is a more substantial sign of communion than a single hymn.
3. How should Daniel respond to Josephine's fear that the parish is losing its Maltese identity?
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Take Josephine seriously. Her fear is not simply racism or nostalgia. She has spent decades caring for the sanctuary; she senses that the liturgy is not a variety show. Daniel should begin by affirming her love for the Mass and her concern for reverence. Her instinct is a legitimate liturgical instinct.
Distinguish unity from uniformity. The Roman rite has always absorbed local cultures: think of the Ambrosian rite in Milan, the Mozarabic rite in Spain, the many musical traditions. Maltese Catholicism is itself a hybrid. A Tagalog hymn does not erase Maltese identity; it shows that the Maltese Church is part of a universal Church. But the Maltese community must not become a passive audience in its own parish.
Propose a process. A meeting with Fr Saliba, Josephine and the Filipino representatives; a trial period of three months; a short catechesis at Mass on why the Church prays in many tongues; a shared meal after the vigil. If Josephine still objects, she has the right to write to the Curia, and Daniel should not threaten her. The aim is communion, not victory.