Br. Larson Kim Baltazar, OFMCap.

Fundamentals of Liturgy II

Five significant changes in the Liturgy after VATICAN II

1. Use of Vernacular in Liturgy

One of the greatest aims of this document was the participation of the laity in the Mass.

Prior to the close of Vatican II every Catholic Mass was conducted in Latin. As one might
suspect, many Catholics, especially in countries with high amounts of poverty and low
literacy rates, did not know Latin or have the opportunity to learn it. Thus, in order to make
the Mass more relatable, inclusive, and open to active participation, the Catholic Church
decided Mass should be held in the vernacular, or the language that the people of the area
spoke.

2. From Ad Orientem to Versus Populum

The reform of the Roman Rite of Mass that was carried out after the Second Vatican Council
has significantly altered the shape of Catholic worship. One of the most evident changes was
the construction of freestanding altars. The versus populum celebration was adopted
throughout the Latin Church, and, with few exceptions, it has become the prevailing practice
during Mass for the celebrant to stand behind the altar facing the congregation. This
uniformity has led to the widespread misunderstanding that the priest's "turning his back on
the people" is characteristic of the rite of Mass according to the Missal of Pope Saint Pius V
whereas the priest's "turning towards the people" belongs to the Novus Ordo Mass of Pope
Paul VI. It is also widely assumed by the general public that the celebration of Mass "facing
the people" is required, indeed even imposed, by the liturgical reform that was inaugurated by
Vatican II.

3. Elimination of Altar Rails

Many Roman Catholic churches have had altar rails, those of the late nineteenth century
being particularly decorative. Communicants receiving the Eucharist knelt at the railings to
be given communion by a priest. After the Second Vatican Council, a re-ordering of churches
led to the removal of many altar rails. Previously, only altar servers were allowed to join the
clergy within the sanctuary during the celebration of the liturgy. Now lay Readers of
Scripture and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion may enter the sanctuary
during Mass, symbolizing a greater access to heaven and the increased role of the laity in
priestly functions. Many bishops of the Church proposed the removal of altar rails because
they felt that the rails were inconsistent with the Vatican's desire to reduce the differentiation
of members of the Church.

4. Receiving Holy Communion (Body and Blood)

In its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium, No. 55), the Second
Vatican Council spoke to the question of Communion under both kinds. It began by saying,
“The dogmatic principles which were laid down by the Council of Trent [remain] intact.”
Communion under one kind is still the “law.” Yet Communion under both kinds “may be
granted when the bishops think fit, not only to cleric and religious but also the laity.”

In this and in all subsequent Church documents on this subject, whether Communion under
both kinds will be granted to all the faithful is left up to the discretion of the diocesan bishop.
The word “discretion” means “the power or right to decide or act according to one’s
judgment.” If the bishop has authority to allow Communion under both kinds, but has no
authority not to allow it, does the word “discretion” still carry its original meaning?

The constitution further specifies that the cases left up to the diocesan bishop’s discretion are
“to be determined by the Apostolic See.” It gives the following examples of instances for
offering Communion in both kinds: “To the newly ordained in the Mass of their ordination;
to the newly professed in the Mass of their religious profession; to the newly baptized in the
Mass which follows their baptism.”

5. Liturgical Cycles

The start of a new liturgical year, beginning with the first Sunday of Advent, also marks the
transition from one lectionary cycle (A, B, or C) to the next.

These cycles are a result of the Second Vatican Council, which ordered a change in the
Sunday readings at Mass so that Catholics would become more familiar with the text of the
Bible. As a result we now have a three-year cycle of readings built around readings from the
three synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke.