Cardinal Sarah: ‘How to Put God Back at the Center of the Liturgy’ (11794) Translation of an interview with the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, published by the French magazine Famille Chretienne.

by TRANSLATED BY CHRISTINE BROESAMLE 05/30/2016 Comments (34)

Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

– Wikipedia/François-Régis Salefran/CC BY-SA 4.0

Editor’s Note: The French magazine Famille Chretienne published an online interview with Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea on May 23. The following is a Register-commissioned translation from the original French.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, calls us to a serious reflection on the Eucharist. He also invites priests and the faithful to turn and “orient” themselves towards the East, “the Orient” — that is, to Christ.

Several weeks ago, you discussed a desire to see “The Sacrament of Sacraments put back in the central place,” that is, the Eucharist. What is your reasoning?

I wish to engage a serious consideration on this question, with the goal of placing the Eucharist back at the center of our lives. I have witnessed that, very often, our liturgies have become like theater productions. Often, the priest no longer celebrates the love of Christ through his sacrifice, but just a meeting among friends, a friendly meal, a brotherly moment. In looking to invent creative or festive liturgies, we run the risk of worship that is too human, at the level of our desires and the fashions of the moment. Little by little, the faithful are separated from that which gives life. For Christians, the Eucharist is a question of life and death!

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/cardinal-sarah-how-to-put-god-back-at-the-center-of-the-liturgy/#ixzz4AXi3cUtW