ANNUAL MEETING 2016

Hyatt Regency, Houston,TX

January 7, 2016

Schedule

9:00  Morning Prayer

9:15  Welcome and Introductions 

         Preaching Handbook Report (Ed Foley)

9:30 Presentation: Bruce Morrill 

                 “Liturgy and Healing: Service from and to Christian Poverty of Spirit”

10:30 Coffee Break

10:50 Presentation and Discussion

12:00 Lunch 

1:30 Business Meeting

Business Meeting Agenda (Non-members may not vote.)

1. Passing of the Hat  (in lieu of dues, recommended contribution: $25-30) 

2. Election to CAL Leadership Team 

     Candidates: Mary Frances Fleischaker, OP, Gil Ostdieck, OFM, Steve Wilbricht, CSC

3. Reports 

     A. Treasurer & Webmaster - Michael Driscoll 

     B. ICEL - Paul Turner 

     C. BCDW - Michael Flynn 

     D. CCCB - Terry Fournier 

4. New Business 

     A. List of 42 liturgical documents on the CAL website 

           • out-of-date (most recent document is Sing to the Lord, 2007) 

          • Is there still a need for this list? If so, who will keep it up-to-date? 

     B.  2017 Meeting, January 5 • Washington DC  

          • Joint Morning Prayer with the Lutheran Caucus (Reformation anniversary) 

          • Shall CAL consider the possibility of a joint morning session as well? 

          • From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017 

5. Open Forum 

6. Announcements

LITURGY AND HEALING: SERVICE FROM AND TO POVERTY OF SPIRIT

Plenary Session, Catholic Academy of Liturgy

Bruce T. Morrill, S.J., Vanderbilt University

I.               Introduction: Origins and Challenge of the Topic (Lengthy Reflection)

A.     Original invitation-cum-request of the CAL officers: what it means to teach liturgy in an age of extremism

B.     Slightly morphed into the description on the CAL: “Liturgy and Healing,” speaking “on some of the theological, ritual, and pastoral aspects of how liturgy might serve to heal various states of “brokenness” in the world.”

C.     To elaborate why this is such a troubling challenge, some theological and social-anthropological considerations

II.             Methodology: Building on the Symbolism of Pope Francis

A.     CAL leadership’s original concerns seem inspired by activity of Pope Francis.

1.     Question of whether and how healing functions as symbol in Roman Catholic contexts and a propos of Francis’s leadership. I’d propose that “healing” symbolism is episodic and, in that sense, reactive.

2.     The pope’s appeal from the start has been his symbolic activity bespeaking humility, poverty, and mercy. This is an ongoing proactive symbolism that is inspiring people.

B.     Pope Francis as symbol of Poverty of Spirit

1.     A (purposely elected) voice from the Global South for an emerging world church

2.     Pointing toward principles of liberation theologies, themselves mutually inspirational to Northern theologians addressing suffering and society

III.           Practicing Poverty of Spirit

A.     Gustavo Gutierrez on Three Types of Poverty, with emphasis on spiritual poverty and solidarity (and with that, Jon Sobrino on principle of mercy)

B.     J. B. Metz on poverty of spirit as the lost/neglected spirit of biblical faith, of “remembrancing,” and of a kenotic (practical) Christology

C.     Edward Schillebeeckx on the radical, negative experience of contrast at the juncture of mysticism and politics, liturgy and ethics

IV.            Practicing and Teaching Liturgy: Service from and to Poverty of Spirit

A.     The Open Flank: A Sacramental-Liturgical Expansion of Metz’s Symbol

1.     John’s image of the open side of the dead, but then risen Jesus

2.     Quoting Metz: “Whoever hears the message of the resurrection of Christ in such a way that the cry of the crucified has become inaudible in it, hears not the Gospel but rather a myth. Whoever hears the message of the resurrection in such a way that nothing more need be awaited, but only something confirmed, hears falsely. What does Paul mean, after all, when he says ‘if the dead are not raised, then neither has Christ been raised’ (1 Cor 15:13, 16)? Not even Christology is free of eschatological uneasiness. And the faith of Christians does not only sing, but cries out, as the final words of the Bible show. There is a hint of something unreconciled in Christianity. To banish this would be an expression not of faith, but of smallness of faith” (J. B. Metz, A Passion for God [Paulist, 1998) 56).

3.     This wounded character (open flank) of biblical (Jewish) Christian faith known in ethical life needs mystical formation and nurture—the mystical and ethical in constant dialogue (if not dialectic).

B.     The practical question: Can the church’s liturgy (the rites) practice and even empower believers’ (the church’s) suffering unto God?

1.     One part of the answer: the prophetic dimension of Christian liturgy

a.      Need to remember that God here refers to the biblical God of Jesus, whom word and sacrament (and related mystical practices) reveal.

b.     The prophetic word (entire Bible) both consoles and goads.

c.      But this will fail if excessively didactic in approach.

2.     Other part of the answer: the sacramental dimension of Christian liturgy

a.      The corporeal affirmation of the redemption of creation

b.     But do not so many come to the sacramental rites to “hear a word” or an affirmation of what they already know about themselves and God? Put another way: Can the theologian (theorist) be so sure that for these reasons people even come to celebrate the Mass and the rites?

C.     The meeting of the ethical and liturgical: Insights from cultural anthropology

1.     The misconception of understanding rituals only as expressing or representing beliefs or structures of a given society

2.     Kapferer’s effort to theorize ritual in its own right as “virtual practice” provides fresh insights into how the liturgical, as ritual, functions uniquely yet in relation to the theoretical (theology) and practical (pastoral) dimensions of Christian faith:

“The structures of life, relevant expectations, orders within which action is framed, the moods and senses of living are relatively seamlessly melding into each other, eased perhaps, and often subconsciously, by rules or mini-rites of entry and egress. This chaotic dimension (or chaosmos) of ordinary lived processes constitutes the reality of actuality. The virtual reality of ritual, in contrast, is a slowing down of tempo of everyday life and a holding in abeyance or suspension some of the vital qualities of lived reality. This is what Deleuze and Guattari point to as the descent into reality of the virtual, as they employ the concept. I suggest that this is a critical quality of the virtuality of rite. Thus, ritual as virtual reality is thoroughly real, even part of the reality of actuality. However, through its slowing down and temporary abeyance of dimensions of ordinary flow, it is an engagement with the compositional structuring dynamics of life in the very midst of life’s processes.” Bruce Kapferer, “Ritual Dynamics and Virtual Practice: Beyond Representation and Meaning,” in Ritual in Its Own Right: Exploring the Dynamics of Transformation, ed. Don Handelman and Galina Lindquist (New York: Berghahn Books, 2005) 35-54.

Minutes • Catholic Academy of Liturgy Annual Meeting

Thursday, January 7, 2016 • 56 members in attendance

Leadership Team: Vicky Tufano, Steve Janco, Katharine Harmon. Treasurer: Michael Driscoll; Clerk: Robert Daly. SJ

Vicky Tufano called the meeting to order at 1:35.

Seventy members, visitors, and guests attended the morning session.

Election to the Leadership Team
Vicky thanked those who agreed to put their names in nomination for the Leadership Team and read their biographies: Mary Frances Fleischaker, OP; Gil Ostdieck, OFM; and Steve Wilbricht, CSC. Steve Wilbricht was elected on the second ballot.

REPORTS
Treasurer and Webmaster

Michael Driscoll reported that the he met with Robert Daly. S.J., past treasurer, who imparted both wisdom and the CAL funds to Michael, who opened a Small Business Banking Account at the Key Bank in Mishawaka, IN. Michael noted that Bob expressed the need to keep a minimum of $2,500 in the account. Michael distributed a printed report of the CAL finances, noting an expected balance of approximately $3,500.00 after the expenses of the Houston meeting are met.

Regarding the webmaster’s task, Michael reported that Square Space has been selected as the provider for the CAL website. He noted that the website will not have a password-protected section for members only. Either the whole site or none of it can be so protected, so none will be.

International Commission on English in the Liturgy

Paul Turner reported on the activities of ICEL, noting in particular the progress of work on the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rites of Baptism for Children, of Christian Initiation of Adults, and of Confirmation, of Matrimony. He noted that Archbishop Roche reported that the atmosphere among ICEL, Vox Clara, and the Congregation for Divine Worship is improved.

Bishops Committee on Divine Worship  (USA)

Michael Flynn reported on the activity of the BCDW, noting in particular the recently approved Order for Celebrating Matrimony, including the various aspects that were and were not approved and some comparisons between the English and Spanish editions. He noted that the Misal Romano, the Spanish version of the U.S. missal, was at that point yet to be approved.

National Liturgy Office (Canada)

Terry Fournier reported on the activities of the National Liturgy Office, noting that the Marriage rite in French had been approved and that Confirmation was on hold. He also noted the progress of the other projects, including the Book of the Chair, the weekday lectionary, and the Book of the Gospels.

NEW BUSINESS

Liturgical Documents on CAL Website

It was noted that there are currently 42 liturgical documents on the website, the most recent of which is dated 2007. The members discussed the value of having these documents there and the concern over who would keep the list current if they were kept. The members voted that the documents should be removed from the CAL website. 

2017 CAL Meeting

Steve Janco reminded the members that CAL had already agreed to celebrate Morning Prayer with the Lutheran Caucus in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  It was proposed that Cal and the Lutheran Caucus have a joint morning session as well. The members voted in favor of the proposal.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:40 p.m.

Submitted by Steve Janco