Liturgical Adaptation In The Roman Catholic Church In The Twentieth Century

One of the most significant developments in Roman Catholic worship in the twentieth century has been the increasing sensitivity to the cultural setting in which worship is offered. The landmark decision of the Second Vatican Council, which called for all worship to be offered in the vernacular language, is only one example of important developments in the process of liturgical inculturation. This article describes the process, concentrating on the important decisions of the Second Vatican Council. Prior to Vatican II The fifty years prior to the Second Vatican Council witnessed a renewed interest in matters liturgical and in making the liturgy truly the prayer of the church. Prompted by both the liturgical movement and the liturgical reforms of Pius X, Pius XII, and John XXIII, the liturgy once again became the object of serious study by theologians, historians, and missionaries. Since it was also during this period that the church was wrestling with the modernist controversy, which…