Liturgy Encountering Non-Liturgical Forms of Cult. Liturgical Criteriology and the Imperative of Time

Suvremene »prigovore« o »neaktualnosti« kršćanskoga bogoslužja i prigovore o »neusklađenosti« liturgijske obnove s potrebama današnjega čovjeka autor uzima kao osnovno polazište svojim istraživanjima i promišljanjima tražeći prave razloge takvim pristupima bogoslužju Crkve kroz zadnja desetljeća. Prije svega naznačuju se misaona društvena gibanja, osobito sekularizacija te pluralizam kultura i religioznih iskustava koji ne dopuštaju stavljati liturgiju Crkve iznad drugih religioznih iskustava. Na unutarcrkvenom planu uočavaju se procesi dekristologizacije i desakramentalizacije kršćanskoga iskustva vjere, čemu je i bogoslužje dijelom podložno. Nakon analitičkoga promišljanja autor pokazuje nužnost poimanja liturgije kao \u27spasenjskoga iskustva\u27, ističući i obrazlažući razliku između obrednog i običajnog te liturgijskog i pučkog očitovanja kulta. Na kraju se nude temeljna promišljanja o komplementarnom usklađivanju liturgije Crkve s pučkim oblicima kulta i pobožnosti. Teološka promišljanja i smjernice crkvenoga učiteljstva ne dopuštaju ni međusobno suprotstavljanje ni izjednačavanje tih dvaju oblika kulta nego potiču na njihovo komplementarno suživljenje, pri čemu se uvijek ističe »primat« liturgije. Autor nudi i primjere takvoga usklađivanja.Contemporary objection of the Church because of a lack of »unactuality« in her liturgy demonstrates that actuality in liturgy endeavors to reduce contemporariness and modernity of ritual forms, forgetting the salvific reality required by liturgy to be actualis. Namely, liturgy is an actualization and contemporariness (repraesentatio) of Christ\u27s salvific work. As a symbolic happening of the Mystery of salvation, liturgy is under the influence of social and religious change which do not allow the separation and emphasis of liturgy over other forms of cult. It is also under the influence of intra-ecclesiastical cognitive and spiritual forms. Processes of secularization cause a person to become incapable of seeing and experiencing the transcendental and salvific in the ritual. An even stronger influence comes from the contemporary pluralism of cultures and religious experiences that do not satisfy only the recognition of pluralistic religious forms and spiritual values, but aspire towards a pluralism as s system, where all experience and values are recognized as equal. Imposing a »civil religion« and »laicity« as a new value, contemporary society causes the liturgy of the Church to become relativistic and rejects her competence in privileged and direct experiential communication with the Mystery of salvation. A process of dechristologization of liturgy within the Church is noticeable: in an attempt that it becomes acceptable and comprehensible to every contemporary person, a contemporary language of God (especially in catechesis, and also in liturgy) begins to loose the Christological and soteriological meaning which was clearer before. Hence, the believer becomes competent for a soteriological experience in liturgy. At the same time, the process of desacramentalization is noticeable: liturgy is seen as a socio-religious act while being emptied of the experience of the mysterious. Therefore, liturgy, instead of being a mystical encounter with salvation and the climax of the total endeavor of the Church, it becomes an instrument of secondary or peripheral pastoral action. An analysis of social religious movements and those within the Church, is the starting point upon which it is possible to correctly reflect on the problems and crises, liturgy and non-liturgical forms of cult and piety. Differentiating terminological and phenomenological, ritual and custom, as is »lay piety« and »lay religiosity«, it is possible to build up a starting point for their correct transfer in the spiritual experience contemporary man, and offering basic criteria for their healthy relationship with the liturgy of the Church. The history of custom attempts to research the continuity of forms that preserve the contents of the ritual, but the history of liturgical ritual seeks and follows the continuity of content, in other words, the mystery that becomes present in the liturgy of the Church. The Church in historical periods tried to make liturgy the summit of the life of believers and the source of spirituality of its believers, but the periods of crises in liturgy, allowed the condition for the flowering of the lay forms of cult and piety for the believer, and in liturgy itself. The fundamental criteria for the construction of a healthy relationship of liturgy and lay piety is the emphasis of the primate of liturgy as the source and summit of every form of cult in the Church. The relationship between liturgy and lay piety cannot be measured neither by the principle of interpersonal exclusion nor by the principle of equalization or substitution. Liturgy, valued and celebrated as a truly experiential encounter with Christ\u27s salvation, offers inspiration for the content of lay forms of piety and cult, and for their certain ritualistic forms. The possibility of integrating lay piety into the liturgy of the Church is obviously shown through the examples of piety Via crucis (the Stations of the Cross), and considering content, forms, ritual expressions and convenient time and place where this piety can be actualized. Contemporary liturgical renewal does not wish to satisfy itself with a renewal of the liturgical rite, but aspires for a liturgical life within the Christian community which shall find in liturgy the source of Gospel living, and also the content with which to evangelize its piety and lay expression of the cult