In the years preceding the Second Vatican Council, the faithful felt the need to understand the Mass, which was still celebrated in Latin, and whose gestures and rites were often perceived as something “old” and distant from everyday life.
The Council Fathers listened to the requests coming from the people of God and responded through the constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, which, not by chance, was the first to be approved, with no fewer than 2147 votes in favor and only 4 against. With this document, the Council not only explained the doctrinal aspects of the liturgy, but officially launched an extraordinary renewal aimed at making Mass (and the entire liturgy!) a moment of genuine sharing and participation.
First of all, Latin was abandoned in favor of national languages. This brought about a genuine revolution, since Mass had been celebrated in Latin since the fourth century. Pope Paul VI celebrated the first Mass in Italian on March 7, 1965, in the parish of All Saints on the Via Appia Nuova in Rome, stating: «It is a great event, which must be remembered as the beginning of a flourishing spiritual life, as a new commitment to responding to the great dialogue between God and man».
The Church had finally recognized that the faithful were not mere spectators of a rite “performed” by the priest, but full participants in the celebration. This theological aspect was then expressed visually through a new position for the priest during Mass: no longer facing the altar with his back to the faithful, but facing those participating in the celebration.
The liturgy has the task of making the salvation brought by Christ more than two thousand years ago in Palestine present and effective in the “here and now” of the celebrating assembly; today, it does so through language and tangible signs that can finally be understood and shared by everyone.
Sacrosanctum Concilium was the starting point for a profound reform of the liturgy that is still unfolding.
The next Jubilee, called by Pope Francis, will take place in 2025 and will have hope as its theme (“Pilgrims of Hope” is the title).
At the Holy Father's request, preparation for this great event of the Church will begin this year, and 2023 will be dedicated to rediscovering the fundamental themes of the four constitutions of the Second Vatican Council.
The Dicastery for Evangelization, in collaboration with Shalom Publishing House, has produced 34 brief guides, written by experts in language that everyone can understand, to enable those who are not thoroughly familiar with the Council to discover its teachings.
Nine volumes of this valuable work are devoted to exploring Sacrosanctum Concilium in greater depth.
