Lack of formation can see liturgy treated as entertainment

By CathNews New Zealand

March 11th, 2025

Cardinal Arthur Roche (Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales)

The Vatican’s liturgy chief has said that a lack of proper formation can lead to the Church’s liturgy being used as entertainment rather than worship of God. Source: The Catholic Herald.

Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, was asked by The Catholic Herald about the main challenges in his area of responsibility.

Cardinal Roche replied by naming two significant challenges, the first being a “deep lack of formation regarding the liturgy in recent years”, and the second “a growing tendency for individuals to believe they can worship in whatever manner they choose, rather than within the context of the Church”.

“We can only worship as a Church – there is no other way. Worship is given to us by apostolic authority and through Christ,” the cardinal said.

Without proper liturgical formation, the liturgy can be misinterpreted, or used as entertainment, rather than as worship of God.

Cardinal Roche said that Pope Francis had addressed the issue of liturgical formation in the apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi.

In that letter, the Pope urges Catholics to study carefully what the Church requires of them in its liturgy, and how it should be undertaken by the community as a great act of love for the Lord, the cardinal said.

“The liturgy is not a personal possession given by the Church. Priests should respect that – they are servants of the liturgy, not its creators. Cutting corners, omitting parts or reframing the liturgy is not my responsibility as a priest, cardinal or bishop,” Cardinal Roche said.

“My responsibility is to celebrate the liturgy as given, in faithfulness to Christ. I believe this point needs to be strongly emphasised today. In fairness, in my experience, the vast majority of priests do precisely that.

“When the liturgy is mistaken for entertainment, it never truly works and often comes across as shallow to people.”

In the Catholic Herald interview, Cardinal Roche also offered his perspective on the Traditional Latin Mass, considering its role in the modern Church and underlining the essential need for unity in worship practices.

FULL STORY

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Cardinal Arthur Roche – ‘If they only knew that most days I celebrate Mass in Latin’ – Catholic Herald (The Catholic Herald)

Apostolic Letter Desiderio desideravi, on the liturgical formation of the People of God (29 June 2022) | Francis (Desiderio Desideravi)