The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-07-19
Liturgical Movement In Europe
Had Origin In German
Countries 40 Years Ago;
Gets Varied Reaction
BY ERIK v. MISUNDERSTANDING

Many American Catholics know that the "Liturgical Move
ment' has taken its origin in the German-speaklng counules-
in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This happened about
forty years ago. What did it achieve? Where does it stand now!
The writer of this column lives in Austria, where ne was
born and grew up in the midst of the liturgical movement without
realizing that he did so. Entering high schoolcolege, the "Gym-
nasium," at the age of 10, he attended on Sundays a school Mass
where either the responses were made collectively in Latin by
the students, or the entire dialogue was recited in German with
an older student taking the role of the priest.
The students, needless to say, were drilled for nj purpose
because a carefully syncnronized chorus is something not TOO
easily achieved. This was in the early nineteentwenties and
with it went the insistence that everybody should own q MlSsal
1t ought to be noted that the Germant translation of the Latin
text is a very ancient one. How old it is exactly, is difficult to
say, but it was already used by Luther as a basis for his German
Mass almost $50 years ago.
In the meantime the Lturgical Movement as a movement"
has died down to a large extent t. and this for the simple reason
that the demands that brought it about were largely fulfilled.
The situation against which the Movement was fighting, one has
to admit, was indeed deplorable. Even today o. one stu I.nds'
tucked away in the mountains, small villages with old priests,
where the Rosary is prayed aloud during Mass. such terrible
practices are now rapidly dying out, but they were common IN
rural areas.
On the other hand, one must never forget, that for High
Mass a singing community Tor a chorus working in unison with the
whole community is very frequent. If you enter a Church in
Central Europe and you see a board with large numbers on "
visible to all, this does not mean that you have entered an Evan
gelical Church. Che only infaIible indication is the tabernacle
on the Altar, the Eternal Light, and the pamphlet rack, but not
even the confessionalsD There are Catholic hymnals containing
church songs in Latin and German Cor only in German) and,
more often than not, they are distributed at the beginning Of
Mass. The melodies, as well as the text, used at the Masses.
are of great diversity. Gregorian and non-Gregorian chant
roughly hold a balance. A very large number of beautiful songs
are of Lutheran origin and neither the tune nor the words have
been modified. Conversely, if you hear a TIE Deum sung by a
congregation, it does not mean in the least that these good people
are Catholics. Conventions for Church music are often held In
common by Catholics and Evangelcals. Many of our most beau
tiful versions of the Mass, or parts of them, have been composed
by Evangelicals such as Bach, Handel, or Brahms.
In order to illustrate how Mass is celebrated in an average
(uraD church in the Tyrol | will tell you what High Mass was
like on Trinity Sunday, in the church of 81. Lambert in LanS:
Four hymns were sung in German jointly by the choir ana
the congregation. OF the Mass is very solemn the choir, which is
excellent and has received international prizes, will esng
alone) These four hymns did not belong to a single composition,
but were chosen at random by the vicar. There were four re-
sponses made in Latin by the congregation. cThis included that
Greek Kyrie eleison) The Greed and the Lords prayer were
roSAoL IN Coro.p hv y ooporn0ofiOnA III his " a o
variety.
One word ought to be added about the use of the vernacular.
Over here in Europe there is also an increasing demand for use
of the vernacular, but it is stronger in some countries, much
weaker in others. People who travel little, who stay in their own
region. and do not move about much are frequently the most
"antiLatinists." 81
Yet the traveller dixie MYSELF views this problem in a very
different light. A Catholic American tourist in Holland, Sweden,
or Yugoslavia, much as he may advocate the use of the YER
nacular at home, will be quite happy to get his familiar Latin
Mass abroad.
And this all the more as the congregation will behave dit
ferently in different countries. Here in Lans, for instance, we
don't stand for the Greedy And then, there are countries where
the introduction of the vernacular would be criminal, because
it would mean carrying the national" antagonisms and tensions
right into the church.
In a pluralst Continent like Europe, with its intense diff
ferences and varieties, the Church, at least, has to provide an
element of unity and, maybe, even of uniformity.