Benedict XVI and the sacred liturgy

Neil J. Roy & Janet E. Rutherford, editors

‘The Fota Liturgical series represents an important contribution to the new liturgical movement called for by Joseph Ratzinger as early as 1989. This first volume in the series, Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy, brings together the reflections of liturgical scholars, drawn from North America and Europe, on several of the issues central to that renewal of Christian worship desired by the Second Vatican Council’s constitution on the sacred liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium’, Antonio Cardinal Canizares Llovera (Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments).

‘Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy sheds important light on Benedict’s vision of a reform of the Church’s liturgy', Alberto Carosa, Inside the Vatican (Aug/Sept 2010).

‘It is clear that the contributors bring to the topic evident expertise in their given fields and a familiarity with the theological and liturgical works of the pope, his love for the Sacred Liturgy and his profound understanding of its cosmic significance … this volume constitutes a comprehensive collection that succinctly and faithfully summarizes and presents the liturgical theology of Pope Benedict XVI. It serves as an excellent introduction to the Holy Father’s liturgical writings. All of the essays are well documented and the references provided in the footnotes will enable the serious reader to explore further the given topic. As such, this volume would be a welcome addition to the collection of any serious-minded student of the liturgy and most certainly of any university, seminary and religious house of formation. If heeded, the work of these scholars will most certainly help English-speaking Catholics to respond to the Holy Father’s liturgical reform; a reform that seeks to lead all the faithful to a return to mystery, to adoration, to the sacred and to the cosmic and eschatological character of the liturgy. The thematic unity of this volume facilitates a continuous reading of the texts. This unity is enhanced by the elegant prose and clarity of the text, which is both erudite and intelligible', Father Marco Testa, Adoremus Bulletin (October 2010).

‘Academic theologians and historians, and some pretty high officials of the Catholic Church, discuss changes in the liturgy the new pope has introduced, and trace some elements back to his earlier writing as Joseph Ratzinger', Reference & Research Book News (November 2010).

‘An impressive volume … Benedict XVI offers a valuable array of perspectives on the Holy Father’s liturgical theology and the new liturgical movement he has championed … [the book] amply illustrates the profundity of the Holy Father’s liturgiology and the numerous ways in which his writings can be mined to advance the cause of truly sacred liturgy … a fine introduction to the Pope’s liturgical thoughts as well as a useful resource for more advanced study', Michael P. Foley, USUS Antiquior (January 2011).

‘I especially enjoyed the Roy and Rutherford volume, which covered a fascinating range of issues, from Helen Hull Hitchcock’s anthropological look at ritual, to Uwe Michael Lang’s exposition on sacred art and the theology of beauty, to Neil J. Roy’s own exciting insight on the deëis – saints in supplication around Christ – in the literary arrangement of the Roman Canon. However, worth the cost of the book alone is Alcuin Reid’s analysis of Pope Benedict’s liturgical thought and programme of reform, which is expertly done. It is vital to understand what this Pope is doing and why, and I think Reid has his finger on the Papal liturgical pulse', Br. Lawrence Lew OP, Mass of Ages (February 2011).

‘All in all, this is a provocative collection of essays which should stimulate discussion on the vexed question of the form of the liturgy in our day', Gregory Collins OSB, The Furrow (June 2011).