The Impact Of The Constitution On The Sacred Liturgy

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council is one of the most influential documents on worship renewal in the twentieth century. It has resulted in vast changes in Roman Catholic worship and has also made a noticeable impact on Protestant worship, especially in the mainline denominations. The intent of the document is to call the church back to early Christian worship and spirituality. The liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council has been the single most concrete and dynamic change within modern Roman Catholicism. The Magna Carta of this reform is the Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum concilium, issued on December 4, 1963 (referred to in this article as "S. C. "). This document was not only the first fruit of Vatican II, but also was one of its major contributions to the internal renewal of Christianity. Such importance, at least for the Catholic church, was stressed by Pope Paul VI when he promulgated the constitution: "Treated before others,…