A Roman Catholic Approach To Liturgical Inculturation

Roman Catholic liturgical inculturation begins with the texts that are approved for use in Catholic parishes around the world. Liturgists are charged with discerning how those texts and related ritual practices may be appropriately expressed in various cultural settings. Key issues include the translation of liturgical texts and the development of indigenous arts, music, vestments, and gestures. Our concern is not with inculturation and the liturgy but inculturation of the liturgy. The focus will be on the processes, methods, attitudes, and persons involved in assuring that the liturgy truly reflects the culture of those who celebrate it. While many aspects of the church's liturgy deserve attention, we will reflect for the most part on the eucharistic liturgy. The larger context, however, for a discussion of the inculturation of the liturgy must be the question of authentic living, giving witness to and celebrating the Christian faith. The liturgy is surely a privileged area of inc…