Sacred Art Helps People Enter Into the Sacred Mystery

Inside Archbishop Buechlein . 4, 5 Editorial. 4 Question Corner . 15 TheCCriterionriterion Sunday & Daily Readings. 15 Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 www.archindy.org November 30, 2001 Vol. XXXXI, No. 9 50¢ Bishops’ meeting Sacred art helps people highlighted enter into the sacred mystery approaching By Jennifer Del Vechio liturgy changes WASHINGTON (CNS)—Liturgy dis- They are surrounded by sacred cussions and votes at the U.S. bishops’ images as they bow their heads and mid-November meeting highlighted sev- kneel in prayer. Vechio Del Jennifer Photos by eral changes U.S. Catholics can expect to An Infant of Prague doll enclosed in see in the liturgy in coming months. a glass case, statues of saints and the A number of minor changes will come Sacred Heart of Jesus and photos of the in connection with the Vatican’s new Blessed Mother are just a few of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, works of art in Danda Ramirez’s which is to take effect immediately when Indianapolis home. the third edition of the Roman Missal They pray the rosary and later the comes out in Latin. The instruction itself Divine Mercy Chaplet. has been public since July 2000. For the people in this Tuesday night The new edition of the Roman Missal prayer group, religious art plays an now is supposed to appear before the end important role in their faith. of the year, Archbishop Oscar H. “When your eyes light on these stat- Lipscomb of Mobile, Ala., chairman of ues and pictures, they remind you to say the Committee on Liturgy, told the bish- a short prayer,” said Ramirez, who hosts ops during their Nov. 12-15 meeting. the prayer group in her home. At the meeting, the bishops took steps Ramirez’s home is a showcase for her to work with the Vatican to assure that religious art collection. She has dozens U.S. adaptations to the new general of statues, relics enclosed in antique instruction can take effect at the same glass hutches and icons she’s brought time as the instruction. back from pilgrimages to Europe. Also coming up soon for American Ramirez isn’t alone. Many who attend Catholics is use of the new weekday the prayer group have adorned their Lectionary for Mass—as an option in homes with pictures of Jesus, statues of Above: Members of an U.S. parishes beginning Feb. 13 and as a the Virgin Mary and crucifixes. Indianapolis prayer group requirement beginning May 19. This Indianapolis prayer group is kneel in prayer before Father James P. Moroney, executive part of a growing trend of Catholics various images of the director of the bishops’ Secretariat for across the nation buying religious art. saints, Jesus and the Liturgy, said he hopes that a better under- Religious art sales are increasing and Blessed Mother. Many of standing of the liturgy will be “the have become the third largest segment of the members’ homes biggest change that anyone would notice” the Catholic retail market, accounting for have such religious art as the changes are implemented. 12 percent to 16 percent of sales, accord- and they said it helps “This latest edition of the Roman ing to a survey by the Catholic Market- them focus on prayer. Missal is intended to provide us with an ing Network in Irving, Texas. opportunity at the beginning of the new Many people also collect relics—a Left: Danda Ramirez millennium to deepen our understanding, piece of bone from a saint or objects displays several images theologically and spiritually and ritually, that have come in contact with a saint’s and statues in her home. of what has always been in the Roman mortal remains. This is one wall of a Missal,” he said. The market for relics has become so special collection of “The changes [in actual liturgical prac- lucrative that it has led to abuses. images of the Blessed tice] are few and far between,” he added. Relics—often with no authentication— Mother and various “It’s extraordinarily important that we not are being sold on Internet auction sites. saints. miss the forest for the trees.” The Church forbids the selling of The norms in the new instruction, as relics. Private relics, or those outside modified by U.S. adaptations, will involve the Church’s possession, should come few changes for most parishes. with a certificate of authentication One new norm calls on members of the made at the time a relic is created. assembly to act together in their gestures More Catholic art and Christian art in and posture as an expression of unity, general is being brought into homes, asking individual worshipers to avoid said Mark Gordon, executive director of “any appearance of individualism or divi- The St. Michael Institute of Sacred Art sion.” in Mystic, Conn. See BISHOPS, page 2 The institute, formed two years ago See ART, page 11 Vatican condemns cloning of human embryo by U.S. scientists VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The Vatican cloning, to develop genetically compati- condemned the cloning of human ble replacement cells for patients with ill- embryos by U.S. scientists, rejecting nesses like diabetes and Parkinson’s—not claims that the research produced simple human clones. cells and not human individuals. But the Vatican, noting that the scien- CNS photo from Reuters Despite the scientists’ stated humani- tists referred to what they produced as an tarian aims, the research represents a new “early embryo,” rejected the claim that no form of discrimination against defenseless human had been cloned. people, the Vatican said in a Nov. 26 It is “beyond doubt, as indicated by the statement. researchers themselves, that here we find Scientists at Advanced Cell Techno- ourselves before human embryos and not logy in Worcester, Mass., announced cells, as some would have [people] Nov. 25 in the online journal “E-Biomed: believe,” the Vatican said. The Journal of Regenerative Medicine” The Vatican said the determination of Michael West, chief executive officer of that they had cloned the first human when human life begins cannot be fixed Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., embryo. by convention to a certain stage of embry- announced on Nov. 25 that the company has The researchers said they would use onic development, but instead was found successfully cloned a human embryo for the the technique, known as therapeutic See CLONING, page 2 purpose of creating stem cells to treat disease. Page 2 The Criterion Friday, November 30, 2001 and most parishes already have been using Roman Missal says specifically that only document, then titled “This Holy and BISHOPS it for some time. the Book of the Gospels, not the Living Sacrifice,” on the celebration and continued from page 1 Earlier this year, the other three volumes Lectionary, is to be carried in the entrance reception of Communion under both kinds. received Vatican approval. Parishes can procession. No book is carried out in the At the Vatican’s request, since an earlier Another calls for processional crosses begin using them Ash Wednesday, Feb. 13, closing procession. U.S. directory on Communion under both or fixed crosses at the altar to be cruci- 2002. Publishers are expected to have the At the recent bishops’ meeting, kinds had the same title, the new document fixes, not plain crosses. new volumes available by the beginning of Archbishop Lipscomb said the Vatican was has been retitled “One Bread, One Cup.” One U.S. norm says standing is the February. making special efforts to help coordinate But final Vatican approval of its norms has norm for receiving Communion, but any- As of Pentecost, May 19, 2002, use of the implementation of new general liturgy not yet been received. one who insists on kneeling should not be the entire new Lectionary in four volumes norms in the new general instruction with One change U.S. liturgists had been denied Communion for that reason. will become mandatory, and any previous implementation of the American adapta- looking forward to for several years has The biggest concrete change in coming edition of the Lectionary can no longer be tions, so that both can take effect together. been delayed because of the imminent months will be the publication of the rest used. Such coordination would minimize dis- issuance of a new edition of the Roman of the new Lectionary, the book of The new Lectionary in English is ruption of U.S. worship practices under the Missal. In the 1990s, the bishops of the Scripture readings for Masses. But that based on the New American Bible. new general instruction, since the most United States and other English-speaking change really will be noticed only by Among volumes of Scripture texts for notable adaptations are those designed to countries worked extensively on adopting daily Mass-goers, not those who attend liturgical use, the ancient Book of the continue U.S. customs, such as kneeling a new Sacramentary—another name for only on Sundays or holy days. Gospels has been restored to prominence in throughout the eucharistic prayer, which the Roman Missal without the Lectionary The bishops gave final approval for a recent years. On Sundays and other solemn differ from the universal norms. readings—based on the second edition of new Lectionary for Sundays and some occasions, it is carried in the opening pro- Father Moroney told CNS no final the Roman Missal in Latin. major feasts in 1997 and for three addi- cession, placed on the altar until the word has been received yet on the bish- The U.S. version was sent to Rome for tional volumes, covering readings for Gospel, and then used for the Gospel read- ops’ requests for exceptions to the new approval in 1998.

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