What is Ecclesia orans?
February 2nd 1984, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, was significant for the coming to light of the maiden edition of the periodical Ecclesia orans. The first editor of the periodical, Fr. Adrien Nocent, OSB, of the Monastery of Maredsous in Belgium, described this development as a milestone that, with the passing of years, would bear abundant fruit of well-articulated discourses of liturgical theology and would contribute to the growth and foundation of liturgical thoughts and actions rooted on the sources and Tradition of the Church.
The Pontifical Institute of Liturgy, after its 22 years of commitment in the reflection and in the study of liturgical science, as well as in the formation of the future lecturers of liturgy, researchers, directors of liturgical commissions and animators of liturgy, supplying a solid formation that considered an approach that is historical and theological to liturgy, felt the need to give life to a periodical of the Institution that would serve as the official organ of its theological reflection and a platform for the exchange of liturgical knowledge.. The Periodical has clear principles and objectives founded on the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, with particular emphasis on articles 15, 16, 23 and 44.
Our Periodical has drawn from monastic wisdom while conserving a character that is decidedly scientific and international. Thirty years down the road, nourished by the reforms of Vatican Council II, the journal continues to offer invaluable service to the world of liturgical scholarship , opening windows of dialogue and exchange among lecturers, researchers and those who have a passion for the liturgy.
Ecclesia orans, with its biannual publication, remains the official organ of the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy and a place of comparison and growth for the development of a profound theological-liturgical reflection, beginning from the study of sources. It suffices to read the editorials of P. Andren Nocent, OSB, to understand how the Periodical, already from the first moment was entrusted to the lecturers of PIL, though the editorial office has always been disposed to receive scientific contributions from other institutions.
The website On the thirtieth anniversary of its service of scientia liturgica and at the beginning of my mandate as director of Ecclesia orans, I am pleased to inaugurate the website of the periodical in which you can find many materials and useful resources for your research and for your information. The website also allows our readers to do an online subscription to the journal. Your application will be directly shown on the EOS Verlag website, our publisher, where you can choose your preferred language and make the subscription with your credit card. Furthermore, you will find useful addresses to contact us or to send us proposals for your articles or contributions to the periodical, after having given a glance to the page on the website concerning ‘‘Norms for collaborators’’. You can also follow us on Twitter.
Certain that this effort will give pleasure to those who for years have collaborated in the publication of Ecclesia orans, I send to all cordial greetings. I leave you with the words that Fr. Anscar Chuppungco, OSB, formerly the Head (Preside) of the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy, and Fr. Adrien Nocent, OSB, who had written respectively in the Presentation and in the Editorial of the maiden edition of the Periodical in 1984.
Prof. Pietro Angelo Muroni
Editor Ecclesia orans (2012-2018)