Paul Turner on the Development of the OCIA
This week we begin a new series on the Roman Catholic Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. We’ll be reviewing the introductory essays in A Pastoral and Theological Commentary on the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, edited by Victoria M. Tufano and published by LTP.
Why should Lutherans and other Protestants care about these matters? Simply put, because since Vatican II, we are no longer considered heretics but are “separated” siblings according to the Decree on Ecumenism (par. 3; “separated brethren” in the 20th century translation). Lutherans and other Protestants are indebted to the work of Roman Catholic liturgical scholarship for the hymnal revisions and liturgical renewal in our denominations in the latter half of the 20th-century. Paul Turner, author of the first essay, “The Development of the OCIA,” notes that the opening paragraph of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy outlines “the four aims of the entire council,” goals which are just as relevant today as they were in 1963 and are applicable to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
To invigorate faithful members of the Church, to adapt changeable institutions to contemporary needs, to foster unity among all Christians, and to call all humankind to the Church. A restored catechumenate fit these aims with its potential to evangelize the world, respect the baptism of other Christians, adapt the ceremonies for initiation then in force, and invite the faithful members of the Church to lead the way (6).
Turner’s essay, like Gaul, is divided into three parts. Part 1, “Seeds of Revision,” covers the period from the Council of Trent to the eve of Vatican II and highlights the attempts on the mission field in Asia and Africa to institute some form of adult catechumenate prior to baptism. He notes that concurrent with these pastoral efforts were advances in liturgical scholarship that gave new insights into early church practices. One hopes that current work in liturgical scholarship can also inform pastoral practice today.
The second part, “A Restored Catechumenate,” covers the development of the adult catechumenate called for in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (1963). Study Group 22, tasked with the “restoration of the catechumenate” (7) and guided by the principles set forth for the revisions, adopted “a single ceremony of initiation embracing the three sacraments, working largely from a proposal by [Joseph] Jungmann” (8). An early draft was field tested in 50 sites, and as a result of their feedback, revisions were made to allow for greater adaptations based on local needs and to increase “the roles for catechists, sponsors, and the community” (10). These are worthy goals for congregations seeking to implement a strong adult catechumenate today.
Part 3, “English Translations,” covers that topic from the publication of the Latin Typical Edition of 1972 through the new 2024 translation, which was guided by the principles for translation in the 2001 Liturgiam authenticam. Turner focuses on the work of ICEL (International Commission on English in the Liturgy) and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops; he also notes the apostolic letter of Pope Francis “which gave episcopal conferences more authority over the final translation of their liturgical texts” (13). Also noted in this section are the ongoing concerns about “mixed” catechetical groups–those preparing for baptism and those “validly baptized” being received into full communion in the Catholic church. We “separated siblings” need to be aware of the theological concerns raised here, and work toward elevating the significance of baptism as core to our Christian identity.