Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy

Edited by Neil J. Roy and Janet E. Rutherford

Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy provides a general overview of some of the more important themes in Benedict XVI's liturgical writings. As the published proceedings of the first Fota International Liturgical Conference held in Cork, Ireland, in July 2008, it serves as a broad introduction to Benedict XVI's vision for authentic renewal of Catholic worship and to his critique of liturgical innovations that stray from the principles of Vatican II. The book explores some of the formative influences on Joseph Ratzinger's liturgical vision and points to the consistent application of those critically assimilated influences over a spectrum of issues facing modern liturgical scholarship: the recovery of the sacred, the cosmic and eschatological dimensions of Christian worship, advocacy of continuity rather than rupture in the liturgical tradition; the need for historical and intellectual honesty in discerning development (as well as in areas such as vernacular translations of the core texts of the Roman Rite); and the renewal of genuine scientific exploration of the sources of the Roman Rite. The book is aimed at a professional and general audience. For the most part, it is easily accessible and plots the map for a series of more specific issues to be dealt with in the Fota Liturgical Conference Series.

"Long before his ascent to the papacy, Joseph Ratzinger believed that the celebration of the liturgy was not only central to Catholic life, but that liturgical aberrations contributed mightily to post-Conciliar confusion and decline. Benedict XVI and the Scared Liturgy is an excellent starting point for exploring the Holy Father's liturgical vision and concerns as the Church moves to purify and renew the liturgy." ~ George Cardinal Pell, Archbishop of Sydney.

"Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy sheds important light on Bendedict's vision of a reform of the Church's liturgy."
- Inside the Vatican