Most nights, from 9 p.m. to dawn, about a dozen priests, a smattering of registered pilgrims and a few cats have the sprawling, dark basilica of the Holy Sepulcher to themselves.
Liturgy
Posted inSpeeches
Full text: Pope Leo on liturgical music, Vatican II and inculturation
“Music, indeed, is part of the liturgical action and is not merely a decorative part of the celebration,” Pope Leo said at today’s general audience.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo calls on priests to ‘respect’ the post-Vatican II liturgies in new letter
Pope Leo’s letter to Cardinal Roche is the latest in a series of moves he has made this summer to affirm the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Posted inNews
Pope Leo explains why Sunday is the ‘foundation and kernel’ of the liturgical year
Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to gather in person for Sunday Mass and called for working conditions that allow people to attend.
Posted inNews
Pope Leo encourages Catholics to deepen prayer through Liturgy of the Hours
The Liturgy of the Hours is the church’s official daily prayer, consisting of psalms, Scripture readings, hymns and prayers recited at designated times throughout the day. Pope Leo said the tradition of prayer is “no longer passed on” even in many Christian families, even though prayer is a “fundamental dimension of our humanity.”
Posted inNews Analysis
Latin Mass, schism and cardinals in the media: The liturgy wars are back (and never really left)
As prominent prelates clash over the traditional Latin Mass, Pope Leo XIV’s response may reveal his deepest instincts about authority, unity and tradition.
Posted inNews
France’s traditionalist Catholics rally behind Pope Leo XIV after SSPX schism
Today, Philippe Darantière bears witness to the enthusiasm of the faithful attached to the traditional rite at the prospect of welcoming Pope Leo to France.
Posted inYour Take
Our readers on ‘performative piety’: Why liturgy is not a space for self-expression
”I will try and remember this essay and focus on a great gift I am about to receive rather than what other people are doing.”
Posted inFeatures
Major-League Mass: When chaplains, players and staff gather for prayer, ballparks become cathedrals.
Masses and other religious services are not what one might expect to find in a baseball stadium—but for many MLB players, they are a Sunday pregame staple.
Posted inNews
Pope Leo: The rites and symbols of the Mass are not arbitrary
While the structure of the liturgy may seem at odds with modern preferences for spontaneity, the pope said, its rhythms help believers step away from a culture focused on productivity and rediscover what is essential.