Vatican II and the liturgical reform: Car. Kurt Koch

January 05, 2013: The Second Vatican Council and its 'correct interpretation' is and remains "the essential point of reference" for the mission of the Church today, reiterated Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. He said this in an interview a few days ago to Armin Schwibach of the Catholic Austrian Kath.net. during the interview the cardinal also addressed the question of liturgical reform. In particular, he explained the meaning of what now is called "reform of the reform". A definition, he stated that "can have no other purpose than to awaken the true heritage of the council and make it fruitful to the situation of the Church today." In this sense, he pointed out that, "the question of liturgical reform is closely connected with the question of the correct interpretation of the Council."

The cardinal in the early part of the interview focused on the significance of the Year of Faith chosen by Pope Benedict XVI, marking an important parallel with that intended at the time by Paul VI. The Cardinal said he " see more similarities than differences" adding that for both the popes the Second Vatican Council is the "point of reference".

So, if for Pope Montini the Year of Faith was "a result of the council" and the opportunity to address the urgency of the "confession of the true Catholic faith" in front of "serious problems" of the time, for Pope Benedict XVI's Year of Faith is connected to the 50^th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, "in order to achieve the main concerns of this Council."
And, as for the ecumenical responsibilities entrusted to him by the Pope, Cardinal Koch pointed out that the Year of Faith is meant to bring a "new awareness that Christian unity can only be found if we reflect together on the foundations of faith." Even so, the "deserts of the world today" mentioned by the Pope and the decrease of the Christian faith in today's society "affect all Christian Churches and ecclesial communities."

As for the reform of the liturgy of the Catholic Church, the cardinal did not fail to detect 'inflated use" of the word reform. In fact, he said, if reform means "a break with the past history," this "is not a reform." On the contrary, the liturgical reform draws its significance "with the fundamental service of Christian worship that is prescribed by the tradition of the Church." However, "the reform of the liturgy after the Council has often been considered and implemented with a hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture", especially considering the fact that it is "centered on the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ." However, "Pope Benedict XVI, when he was already a cardinal, found that most of the problems in the development of the post-conciliar liturgy is related to the fact that the council's approach to this fundamental mystery has not been sufficiently taken into account", added Cardinal Koch.