禮儀的精神與規範

過往幾天，一直思索著禮儀精神與禮儀規範之間的關係。

有人認為，梵二大公會議所頒佈的《禮儀憲章》，強調促進信友的主動參與－－

Pastors of souls must therefore realize that, when the liturgy is celebrated, something more is required than the mere observation of the laws governing valid and licit celebration; it is their duty also to ensure that the faithful take part fully aware of what they are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its effects. (SC 11)

這種意見甚至傾向於認為，為促進教友的參與，有些禮儀上違反禮規的舉措，仍屬正當。例如：

1. 主禮在禮規未有准許的情況下，加插個人（學習或默想所得、「受聖神感動下」說出）的說話。
2. 未有遵照禮規的要求，在指定的地方履行主禮的職務。

然而，大公會議在同一份文件中，亦強調了－－

Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority. (SC 22, 3)

小弟為此問題，重讀了教宗本篤十六世的《愛德的聖事》宗座勸籲。當中他提到「Ars Celebrandi」，即「慶祝的藝術」。他寫到：

38. In the course of the Synod, there was frequent insistence on the need to avoid any antithesis between the ars celebrandi, the art of proper celebration, and the full, active and fruitful participation of all the faithful. The primary way to foster the participation of the People of God in the sacred rite is the proper celebration of the rite itself. The ars celebrandi is the best way to ensure their actuosa participatio. The ars celebrandi is the fruit of faithful adherence to the liturgical norms in all their richness; indeed, for two thousand years this way of celebrating has sustained the faith life of all believers, called to take part in the celebration as the People of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-5, 9).

40. Emphasizing the importance of the ars celebrandi also leads to an appreciation of the value of the liturgical norms. The ars celebrandi should foster a sense of the sacred and the use of outward signs which help to cultivate this sense, such as, for example, the harmony of the rite, the liturgical vestments, the furnishings and the sacred space. The eucharistic celebration is enhanced when priests and liturgical leaders are committed to making known the current liturgical texts and norms, making available the great riches found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Order of Readings for Mass. Perhaps we take it for granted that our ecclesial communities already know and appreciate these resources, but this is not always the case. These texts contain riches which have preserved and expressed the faith and experience of the People of God over its two-thousand-year history. Equally important for a correct ars celebrandi is an attentiveness to the various kinds of language that the liturgy employs: words and music, gestures and silence, movement, the liturgical colours of the vestments. By its very nature the liturgy operates on different levels of communication which enable it to engage the whole human person. The simplicity of its gestures and the sobriety of its orderly sequence of signs communicate and inspire more than any contrived and inappropriate additions. Attentiveness and fidelity to the specific structure of the rite express both a recognition of the nature of Eucharist as a gift and, on the part of the minister, a docile openness to receiving this ineffable gift.

按照教宗的此一訓導，則讓教友們對禮儀規範有所知悉，以便於遵從，才是促進「主動參與」的正當途徑。

小弟常有感於堂區團體的禮儀生活中，神父們似乎被賦予了很多「額外」的權力，但往往都是缺乏法理基礎的。在四旬期最常見的例子，就是在某些人士的婚姻彌撒中，被主禮神父容許使用「亞肋路亞」（Alleluia）。這種現象，彰顯了個別教友和神職將禮儀私有化的傾向。當禮儀的形式受損時，則禮儀所本有的精神亦勢將被破壞。而「重私利、輕公益」的心態，最後亦令整個團體受到傷害。

在香港，不少教友對中國傳統婚姻禁忌，可謂「跟到足」，但對教會禮儀節期的禁忌，則「當佢冇到」。到底背後是隱藏著甚麼心態？

若細究這些事情得以發生並持久延續的各種原因，則往往得出令人更為憂心的結論。