Adnotationes
It has become the custom to use the heading Adnotationes as a way of sharing with our readers information concerning the life, activities and plans of both the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy and the Review itself.
Activities of the PIL
It would certainly be a mistake to think that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a paralysis in the Athenaeum or brought about a lock-down in the academic life. The experience of the last few months has in fact decisively shown the opposite. Despite much uncertainty and the various restrictions required by good sense, the academic and teaching activities have gone ahead in a regular way. Doctoral research, the lectio coram and license work have continued; defences and colloquia have been held as usual, in person as far as possible while not excluding the on-line mode. In addition, the courses of high specialization organized by the PIL have met with the usual lively interest.
As last year, both lectures and streamed events have introduced into the Athenaeum new and extremely significant methods of communication: numerous alumni of Sant’Anselmo formerly present in the lecture rooms, as well as students of recent matriculation have been able to participate in various meetings and lectures, thanks to the internet, despite time-zone differences and geographical distance. A notable example of this was the XII International Congress on the Liturgy, on the theme of “virtual liturgy”, held on 20 – 22 October 2021. The event had originally been planned for May 2021 but was postponed for health reasons; despite the postponement it was a great success, both for the high academic level of the various papers and for the number of participants: more than three hundred took part, whether in person or on-line. All of this indicates the value of such a Congress. The experts who came from all over the world, from the places where liturgy is studied in a serious academic way, were both welcomed and chaired in the discussions by the professors and students of the Athenaeum. The positive response to this academic event was confirmed by the large number of requests for the Congress Acts that will be published in the series linked to our Review, Ecclesia orans: Studi e Ricerche.
Another academic occasion that certainly deserves mention is the study day held each year around 4 December in commemoration of the promulgation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. The last, held on 2 December 2020 was entirely on-line and dealt with the theme of the translations of the Roman Missal and the problems that arise in various language contexts. This event saw the participation of numerous professors, students and practitioners of liturgy. The following gave presentations: Msgr. Claudio Maniago, the grand chancellor of the Athenaeum Prof. Gregory Polan OSB, Prof. Jaume González Padrós, Prof. Gilles Drouin, Prof. Thomas Pott OSB and our alumnus Dr. Agostino So.
On 9 June 2021, the PIL organized a convention on liturgical architecture entitled “Build a house of prayer: the celebrating community and the space of celebration”. Held both directly and on-line, it provided an opportunity for dialogue and discussion on the planning and adaptation of buildings dedicated to cult. Like the events previously mentioned, this too had great success.
Despite the pandemic, the year 2021-2022 saw 42 students beginning the propedeutic year in the PIL. There are 31 registered for the first year of the biennium and 52 in the second year of the license. In addition the Institute has 66 doctoral students and there are four in the cycle for the baccalaureate in liturgy. In all, the courses of high specialization include a total of 70 students.
Nominations
There have been various changes in recent months. First of all, in November 2020, the Congregation for Catholic Education confirmed the postulation of Prof. Jordi-Agustí Piqué i Collado OSB for a third term of four years as president of the PIL. On 4 February 2021 a new vice-rector for the Athenaeum was appointed in the person of Prof. Fernando Rivas OSB, already dean of theology.
On 27 May 2021 the Holy Father nominated as secretary of the Congregation for Divine Cult and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Msgr. Vittorio Viola OFM, teacher of the course “the sacrament of orders” and on the same day, as under-secretary, Msgr. Aurelio García Marcías, teacher of the courses on “the prayers of ordination: liturgical theology of orders” and “episcopal liturgy”. On 11 July, Prof. García was nominated titular bishop of Rotdon. And last but not least, the Pope appointed a new Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations and head of the Sistine Chapel Choir in the person of Msgr. Diego Giovanni Ravelli who in 2010 received his doctorate in sacred liturgy at the PIL.
In memoriam
We report with sadness the death of Prof. James Leachman OSB (1947-2021), monk of St Benedict’s Abbey, Ealing (London), emeritus professor of liturgical spirituality in the PIL and from 2013-2018 member of the editorial board of our Review.
Activities of the editorial board
The editorial board held a meeting on 11 October 2021 with the purpose of programming works to be undertaken. We are presently concluding the next volume of the series Studi e Ricerche that will bring together contributions from various alumni: Alessandro Bellezza, Łukasz Celiński, Andrew Menke, Radek Tichý and Giuseppe Trotta. After that will follow a manual on liturgical books by Prof. Cassian Folsom OSB and the Acts of the XII International Congress on the Liturgy.
Renewal of subscription
Before concluding, we are happy to inform you that with this second number of 2021 the Review will continue to appear with regularity and punctuality, despite the Covid-19 situation. We therefore invite you to renew your subscription for the year 2022, reminding you of the various ways to do so:
The annual subscription is 50 € and may be made directly via the website of our publishing house, www.eosverlag.de, compiling the relevant form.
The other possibility is to accede to our website, www.ecclesiaorans.com, on which the ordinary subscription may be made; there is a particular offer for students of the Ateneo Sant’Anselmo of a 20% discount (40 €). We thank you for your continued support!
DOMINIK JURCZAK
Assistant Editors
