Introduction
The Church at worship is
God's priestly people called together and united with Christ in a sacred work
through which God is glorified and we are made holy (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, [SC] #7). In the eucharistic assembly, in the proclamation of the
Word, and in the celebration of the sacraments, God is present in our midst.
The Constitution on the
Sacred Liturgy reminds us that "all who are made children of God by
faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his
Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord's Supper" (SC, #10).
Yet being a part of the
Sunday worshiping assembly is not always possible for all members of the
community. Some people have been hospitalized, home-bound, or imprisoned and do
not have the opportunity to be physically present with a regular worshiping
community. For this reason, many dioceses telecast the Mass and other liturgies
as a way of reaching out to those who cannot be physically present for the community's
celebration of the eucharist. The televised Mass is never a substitute for the
Church's pastoral care for the sick in the form of visits by parish ministers
who share the Scriptures and bring Communion, nor is it ever a substitute for
the Sunday Mass celebrated within a parish faith community each week. However,
televising the Mass is a ministry by which the Church uses modern technology to
bring the Lord's healing and comfort to those who cannot physically participate
in the liturgical life of the local Church and who often experience a sense of
isolation from the parish and its regular forms of prayer and worship. In
addition, many regard televised liturgies as a means of evangelization, of
sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and promoting the Church's worship via
modern means of communication (cf. Inter
Mirifica, #14).
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy clearly
articulated the primary importance of the faithful's "full, conscious, and
active participation" which is called for "by the very nature of the
Liturgy" and which is their "right and duty" by reason of their
baptism (SC, #14).
As members of the worshiping assembly, we are called to join the offering of
ourselves with the offering of Christ. Thus, our participation in the eucharist
involves both internal and external expression including, but not limited to,
an attitude of prayer and attention, physical movement, sentiments of praise
and adoration, and joining in the sung and recited responses.
Telecasts,
by their very nature, attempt to connect people and places that are physically
separated. While there may be a tendency for the medium of television, with its
inherent lack of physical interaction, to lead people to more passive roles as
spectators, some elements of the telecasts can engage the viewers as
participants. Although the televised Mass is not a substitute for participation
in the actual celebration of the Church's liturgy, it does provide an
opportunity for those unable to be physically present 1) to identify with a
worshiping community, 2) to hear the Word of God, 3) and to be moved to
expressions of praise and thanksgiving.
Diocesan
liturgists and communication specialists who work to provide the televising of
the Sunday Liturgy offer a special service, often under very difficult
conditions. It takes special skills and pastoral sensitivity to produce a
televised celebration of the Mass that is liturgically sound, given the limits
imposed by the medium itself and the difficulties often associated with the
availability of air time and the funding of such broadcasts.
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy notes
that "Radio and television broadcasts of sacred rites must be marked by
discretion and dignity, under the leadership and direction of a competent
person appointed for this office by the bishops. This is especially important
when the service to be broadcast is the Mass" (SC, #20).
In many
instances, the Church does not have complete control over the televising of the
liturgy. The Church is a guest in an environment not its own and constraints
(length of air time, time of telecast, setting, etc.) are often imposed that
are less than ideal. In addition, dioceses and religious groups are finding it
very difficult even to be able to purchase air time for a telecast at an hour that
is reasonable for viewers who are sick or elderly. For these reasons, a joint
Task Force representing the Committee on Communications and the Committee on
the Liturgy of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops developed the
following considerations to assist bishops and to guide those who are
responsible for televising the liturgy.
Principles
The
first requirement for good telecast liturgies is good liturgical celebration.
When the Mass or other liturgies are televised, those responsible for the planning,
production, and celebration must make every effort to respect basic liturgical
principles, including:
·
giving careful attention to the modes of Christ's presence in
the liturgy, e.g., the Word, the eucharistic bread and wine, the assembly, the
priest (SC, #7);
·
following the directives of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM);
·
the full, conscious, and active participation of the faithful;
·
the integrity of the liturgical year;
·
a homily addressed to the assembly, while taking into account
those who watch on television (GIRM, #65);
·
the appropriate use of trained liturgical ministers;
·
the use of live liturgical music that fits the celebration;
·
a sense of noble simplicity;
·
the good use of liturgical space;
·
an unhurried, reverent pace;
·
an awareness of and visual contact with the viewing
congregation;
·
notification to the viewers when the Mass is pre-recorded.
Models
There are a number of
models that may be used when the Mass is televised. Each model will be further
enhanced if texts for the liturgy to be celebrated -- including scripture
readings and music -- are made available to viewers of the televised Mass, and
if local parishes arrange for communion to be taken to the viewers of the
televised Mass so that their reception of communion coincides with the end of
the televised Mass.
Live
Telecast
Ideally, the Mass is telecast "live," in real time, as it is
celebrated. Here, the viewer is able to join in the prayer of a worshiping
community as the liturgy is celebrated. The liturgical days and seasons are
respected and the worship setting as well as an actual praying community help
the viewer to participate with an attitude of prayerful attention and internal
participation.
Delayed
Telecast
A second model is that of taping the Sunday Mass as it takes place in a local
community and telecasting it at a later time that same day. This model is less
than ideal because the telecast is separated from the actual celebration of the
liturgy. However, it respects the nature of the liturgy and the liturgical
season when it is celebrated (and telecast) on the actual liturgical day and
allows those who watch and pray to identify with an actual community in its
worship. This form of telecast is more difficult for dioceses and television
stations because of the short time between taping and telecast and the limited
number of personnel available on the weekend.
Pre-recorded
Telecast
A third model is that of pre-recording the liturgy for broadcast at a later
date. While we understand that some dioceses may not be able to use either of
the first two models, using the third model will require greater care to be
able to overcome the following limitations of this model:
·
The liturgy that is pre-recorded is often celebrated outside the
liturgical day or season (e.g., taping "Christmas morning Mass" on
Monday of the fourth week of Advent).
·
The assembly is not a community which regularly gathers for the
celebration of the liturgy. Often it is a group of people who gather together
specifically for the purpose of televising the liturgy.
·
Time constraints that are placed on the liturgy often control
the flow of the liturgy (limiting the number of readings, length of homily,
choices of music and other options) rather than allowing the liturgy to flow at
an unhurried pace.
·
Editing the liturgy by cutting out particular elements of the
Mass, or by using special effects to enhance the liturgy artificially (e.g.,
superimposing a crucifix on the host during the elevation, the incorporation of
outside images), should not be done.
·
The studio format and techniques may be distracting for those
gathered to celebrate the eucharist in that setting and may make the priest and
other ministers appear to be actors rather than leaders of public worship.
Guidelines
Given
the communal nature of liturgical prayer, it may, at times, be preferable to
televise some forms of prayer other than the eucharist, such as Morning or
Evening Prayer, a Liturgy of the Word, or Scripture services. However, when a
liturgy (especially the Sunday Mass) is to be televised, the following
guidelines are suggested:
1.
Responsibility of the
Diocesan Bishop
The bishop of a diocese in which a televised Mass is produced has the
responsibility to see that liturgical law is carefully observed, especially
regarding the liturgical feasts and seasons, the use of approved liturgical
texts and translations of Scripture, proper vesture, and ministers fulfilling
their proper roles in the liturgy. Since these telecasts often cross diocesan
lines, collegial responsibility should be exercised by the bishops involved (SC, #22 and Inter Mirifica, #20).
2.
Live vs. Pre-recorded
Celebrations
Whenever possible, the liturgy should be telecast live. When this is not
possible, consideration may be given to pre-recording the liturgy. A liturgy
that is pre-recorded for delayed telecast should be taped as it is celebrated
in a local worshiping community and then be telecast at a later time on the
same day. Only when neither of these options is possible, should the liturgy be
taped in advance in a setting other than a regularly scheduled liturgy
celebrated by a local worshiping community. In order to reflect the integrity
of the liturgical year, a pre-recorded liturgy should be taped on a date as
close as possible to the date of the actual telecast. In order to preserve the
sacred character of the liturgical celebration, only one liturgy should be
recorded on a given day with the same group of people.
3.
Time Constraints
The celebration of the liturgy should not be rushed, nor should elements of the
liturgy be omitted. Those responsible for planning, production, and presiding
need to be sensitive to the requirements of the liturgy as well as the time
constraints of television. For the integrity of the liturgy, those who produce
the televised liturgy should be discouraged from editing out parts of the Mass
(e.g., the Gloria, one of the readings). Planning and the careful choice of
options can help to keep the celebration within the particular time frame.
4.
The Assembly
No other single factor affects the liturgy as much as the attitude, style, and
bearing of the celebrant (Music in Catholic Worship, #21;
see Sing to the Lord: Music
in Divine Worship [2007], #18). Therefore, the priest who is to preside at a
televised liturgy should be carefully chosen and properly prepared. Since the
liturgy is the work of Christ and the work of God's people, the televised Mass
should always be celebrated within a living community of God's people whose
presence reveals the full, conscious and active participation of the faithful.
Even when the liturgy to be televised is taped apart from a regularly scheduled
parish liturgy, there should always be a group of people who participate in the
liturgy as fully as possible by their prayer, song, and presence.
5.
The Word
Whenever possible, the Word of God should be proclaimed in its entirety. When
time is a concern, the short forms in the Lectionary may be used. Since the homily is an
integral part of the liturgy and necessary for the nurturing of the Christian
life, there should always be a homily for the televised Sunday Mass (GIRM, #65). The homilist needs to be sensitive to the needs of the
gathered assembly and of those who will be viewing the telecast.
6.
Music
Music is very important in televising liturgical celebrations. The televised
Mass, especially on Sunday, should normally include the sung acclamations;
i.e., Alleluia, Holy, Holy, Memorial Acclamation, Great Amen. Ideally, the
responsorial psalm should also be sung. Other appropriate songs may be sung as
time permits. Additional musical selections should correspond to their
placement in the liturgy and not simply be used as occasions for performance.
The use of pre-recorded music, even to accompany the congregation's singing, is
not appropriate for the liturgy (Music
in Catholic Worship, #54 and Liturgical
Music Today, #60; see Sing to
the Lord: Music in Divine Worship [2007], #93).
7.
Liturgical Environment
When using a setting other than a church or chapel, every effort should be made
to create an environment which is fitting and conducive to the celebration of
the liturgy (GIRM,
#288). Provision should be made for proper vesture, worthy vessels, appropriate
liturgical furniture, suitable musical instruments, and an arrangement of the
liturgical space that encourages a reverent posture and attitude of the
participants.
Conclusion
The
purpose of these guidelines is to assist the bishops in their role of
overseeing both the celebration and the telecast of the church's liturgy. In
addition, the principles will be helpful for those most directly involved with
the preparation and televising of the Mass. As noted earlier, the telecast of
the Sunday Mass offers a unique challenge to liturgists and communication
personnel. Limited access to air time, the constraints of time and personnel,
and the resources needed for a telecast that is liturgically and technically
effective create special difficulties for those who provide this pastoral
service. We are grateful to liturgists and communication experts who
collaboratively utilize their skills to make effective use of the medium of
television to help people connect with the Church's worship.
Much more could be said and greater specificity could be given
in these guidelines. The guidelines are intentionally limited, however, to
allow as much latitude as possible for the local bishop in overseeing the
telecasting of the liturgy. These guidelines are provided for bishops to use as
the basis for their important work of overseeing the celebration of the liturgy
in their dioceses.
Dive into God's Word
No comments:
Post a Comment