Romano Amerio on Liturgy

The principle of creativity stems from the false presupposition that the liturgy ought to express the feelings of the faithful, and that it is something that they themselves produce. What it really expresses is the mystery of Christ, Christ being the true source of the liturgy. The new view implicitly reduces the liturgy to the level of poetry (p. 632).

The policy of creativity, which is intended to make the liturgy “more lively and participatory” produces two effects. Firstly, it changes a sacred action into a theatrical display. Secondly, it changes the celebrant’s activity into something private, or idiosyncratic, when in fact it always has a public and social character, even when it takes place in private (p. 633).

— Romano Amerio, quoted in Father Peter Joseph, review of OTA UNUM: A Study of Changes in the Catholic Church in the 20th Century, by Romano Amerio (English translation by Fr John Parsons)

One often gets the impression from liturgists that for them the body of Christ assembled in a church is more Christ than Christ himself.

Read also Sandro Magister, “La Civiltà Cattolica” Breaks the Silence – On Romano Amerio.

Dominican Idaho seems about to give excerpts from Amerio’s Iota Unum: A Study of Changes in the Catholic Church in the Twentieth Century.