AFRICAN JOURNAL OF CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY

Under the banner of abuses in the liturgy, worship today has been characterised by manipulations of horizontalism, man-centredness and even desacralization and banalization of the liturgy by both the clergy and lay people. This paper advocates for authentic spirit of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the liturgical life to be good and beneficial, if well harnessed for pastoral ministry to save souls which is the supreme law (salus animarum suprema lex-salvation of soul is the supreme law). Employing expository, and analytic methods, the paper argues that spirit of Charismatic Renewal can go a long way towards renewal of Catholic worship for both the celebrants and participants in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council and the synod on synodality. They must decide as a way of doing the will of God to abide prayerfully, devotedly and spiritually to the modus celebrandi of the liturgy. The major fuss of aberration is as a result of misguided sense of creativity, innovations and arbitrariness. This is against the backdrop that the liturgy that the people of God come together to celebrate is the most excellent place to experience and encounter the Spirit of God. In the liturgy, adequate efforts should be redirected towards a profound liturgical formation and reorientation of the clergy and faithful; yet, filial obedience and faithfulness to the liturgical norms and guidelines.

Open Full Text (PDF)