Liturgy Among Autocephalous Catholics

Perhaps the most difficult thing for Autocephalous Catholics (or Independent Catholics or within the ISM) is choosing a liturgy. Often times this is because what they would like to use can be at odds with what people will actually attend. Here are some different perspectives:

1. The traditionalist--this is a member of the movement who is committed to celebrating the traditional rites of the Church in whatever tradition they use. Usually they have a particular interest or focus on parts of the liturgy and liturgical adherence. This can be the use of the second Confiteor, the Pre-1955 Holy Week, etc. The positives of this perspective are that these individuals are often faithful to the rubrics and to the precise celebration of the liturgy. The downside can be that they care about things literally no one else does. The average person in the pew typically does not care about liturgical minutiae and there can be a danger of becoming the butt of the old joke (What's the difference between a liturgist and a terrorist? You can negotiate with a terrorist.)

2. The antiquarian--this is a person who is likely obsessed with the "Liturgy of St. Medard of Picardy" or some other obscure saint who used a rite from 564 that we don't quite know what it said but they want to recreate it. This is certainly attractive to people like myself who love historical liturgy and, in particular, liturgies from Early Christianity. They are often deeply interested in research and want to recreate the rites used by the saints and developed in holiness. The challenge can be attracting people to the Rite of Saint Cunigunde of Luxembourg and convincing them they should care about it or adjust their prayer to it.

3. The pragmatist--this is a person who uses whatever liturgy is requested by the congregation. This could be Novus Ordo, 1979 Prayerbook, etc. The benefit of this perspective is that the individual will be attractive to people who were not previously part of the Independent Movement (literally everybody it seems) and the liturgy used will be familiar to people. The challenge is that the liturgy is indistinguishable from the parish down the street. Furthermore, using liturgies which are familiar can be challenging to groups which claim a heritage that does not match the implementation of the liturgy (i.e. Old Catholics who started in the 1700's but are using a Roman liturgy implemented in 1969).

All of these approaches present very difficult questions. For example, do you want your jurisdiction to reach out to former mainstream members? What is your unique charism if that is the case--is it inclusivity, traditionalism, or something else? If you are called to a primarily historic or otherwise relatively unknown tradition (i.e. Western Orthodoxy) do you have the ability to properly catechize people as well as make these traditions attractive to them? 

It may appear that I am oversimplifying the lay response to new things, but I believe these are real issues to be addressed. We have seen the same challenges presented with mainstream clergy do things like turn the altar to ad orientem. It takes a concerted effort to explain why this is desirable and how it is to be done. For us, we have to explain it at the beginning of people coming which is even more difficult than having a standing group that we have to convince.

These words don't offer much guidance or comfort, I'm afraid, but more a realization of what we're up against in our ministries. How is it that we can foster genuine ministerial support without it becoming a "hobby?" Is it by being more flexible to people by adjusting our liturgical standards? Or is it by staying true to ourselves and sticking to something? That seems to be at least part of the answer--when in a public liturgical setting PLEASE DO NOT KEEP CHANGING THE LITURGY YOU USE. I'm not talking about slight differences between rites or using diverse rituals in sacraments outside the parochial Mass--I'm talking about when one week you're Byzantine and the next week you're using the Novus Ordo. It looks crazy.

Ultimately you have to use the tradition you feel called to use while understanding that it may be difficult to attract people to a "new" thing. Or you use a liturgy with which those assisting at Mass are familiar but it may not be your favorite. Or you use a liturgy that you love and that people love but you have to emphasize why you're different from the church down the street. Whatever you do, do it with sincerity and reverence.

“Novelty may fix our attention not even on the service but on the celebrant. You know what I mean. Try as one may to exclude it, the question "What on earth is he up to now?" will intrude. It lays one's devotion waste. There is really some excuse for the man who said, "I wish they'd remember that the charge to Peter was Feed my sheep; not Try experiments on my rats, or even, Teach my performing dogs new tricks.” ― C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer