Vatican issues guidance on liturgical discipline and innovation

The Vatican has issued a reminder regarding liturgical discipline, emphasizing that the liturgy belongs to Christ and the Church rather than individual priests or local communities. Archbishop Aurelio García Macías, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, delivered this message during a course for new bishops from mission territories in Rome.

Addressing the concept of inculturation, Archbishop Macías identified three specific risks: unnecessary innovations, syncretism, and the reduction of the liturgy to mere folklore or a cultural event. He cautioned against two extremes, stating that the liturgy should be neither a ‘museum of unchanging forms’ nor a ‘permanent laboratory.’

While the Church supports healthy tradition and justified progress as outlined by the Second Vatican Council, the guidance clarifies that no individual, including clergy, has the authority to unilaterally add to, remove from, or change the liturgy.