Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Veneration for a "Venerable"
ROME, OCT. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
In the wake of our comments on the absence of any liturgical honors for a venerable (Oct. 6), there were inquires regarding the liturgical honors due to a blessed.
We addressed this issue on Dec. 21, 2004, and Jan. 18, 2005.
In synthesis we stated that according to the norms given in the 1970 instruction "Calendaria Particularia," Nos. 25-37: "The blessed are usually venerated with celebrations on a local level in places where they were born, where they died, where their relics are preserved. They are also venerated in places that had a long-term association with their activities, in a church dedicated to them, or within the confines of the churches and oratories of a particular religious order which has its own liturgical calendar.
"However, even in these cases, it is better to begin by inserting this celebration as an optional memorial and later expand, both territorially and in liturgical ranking as devotion spreads (No. 31).
"In some cases, especially in ancient dioceses, it might even be better to restrict this initial veneration to the church where his relics are kept or to his native town."
The restriction of veneration to certain locales means that the presence of a significant community from the same country as the blessed would not in itself constitute a sufficient motive to be able to celebrate the memorial.
The case of a saint is different as a saint's day may be celebrated throughout the world unless impeded by another celebration of higher liturgical rank.
In the wake of our comments on the absence of any liturgical honors for a venerable (Oct. 6), there were inquires regarding the liturgical honors due to a blessed.
We addressed this issue on Dec. 21, 2004, and Jan. 18, 2005.
In synthesis we stated that according to the norms given in the 1970 instruction "Calendaria Particularia," Nos. 25-37: "The blessed are usually venerated with celebrations on a local level in places where they were born, where they died, where their relics are preserved. They are also venerated in places that had a long-term association with their activities, in a church dedicated to them, or within the confines of the churches and oratories of a particular religious order which has its own liturgical calendar.
"However, even in these cases, it is better to begin by inserting this celebration as an optional memorial and later expand, both territorially and in liturgical ranking as devotion spreads (No. 31).
"In some cases, especially in ancient dioceses, it might even be better to restrict this initial veneration to the church where his relics are kept or to his native town."
The restriction of veneration to certain locales means that the presence of a significant community from the same country as the blessed would not in itself constitute a sufficient motive to be able to celebrate the memorial.
The case of a saint is different as a saint's day may be celebrated throughout the world unless impeded by another celebration of higher liturgical rank.
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10:16 AM
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