Going Beyond the Rubrics?

Ars Celebrandi and Its Relationship to Ius Liturgicum

Abstract

The idea of an ars celebrandi has become increasing prominent in discussions about liturgical practice in general, and liturgical formation in particular. Whilst previous studies have approached this notion from a variety of perspectives, none has fully treated the history of the term or its technical relationship to liturgical norms. This essay examines the origins and development of the concept of an ars celebrandi from the theological literature of the immediately postconciliar period to its more recent adoption in formal Church teaching. From this historical vantage point, the essay draws on principles of canonical legal interpretation to consider, more precisely, how an authentic ars celebrandi demands both a certain going beyond the rubrics, and at the same time guarantees their faithful observance. It concludes with the English translation of an important intervention on the ars celebrandi given by Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J. (later, Pope Francis) in 2005.