Cardinal Robert Sarah presided over pontifical vespers with Eucharistic blessing last Friday at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, the largest Catholic temple in Pennsylvania (United States). The event, organized by the Durandus Institute for Sacred Liturgy and Music, gathered more than a thousand faithful, with numerous young people, until completely filling the basilica on the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary.
“The prayer of the entire Church”: Sarah emphasizes the communion of saints
In his words prior to the office, the cardinal recalled that the Liturgy of the Hours does not belong only to those present, but to the entire Church extended in time and eternity.
“By solemnly celebrating vespers, we unite with the entire Church: with those here, with those who have already completed their pilgrimage on earth, and with those who form the suffering Church in purgatory or the triumphant Church in heaven”, he affirmed.
Sarah emphasized that the solemn prayer of the Office allows helping those who need our supplications and imploring the intercession of the saints. In reference to the Marian feast, he added that just as the Virgin was presented in the earthly temple, the faithful implore to be “presented worthily in the heavenly temple of God's glory”.
Liturgical beauty as a path to God
Among the testimonies gathered by Life Site, a large group of young Catholics stood out who expressed their deep impression at the solemnity of the celebration. David Gans, from Douglassville, noted that the ancient liturgy expresses the worship due to God with a beauty that touches the soul:
“The Church, in its ancient beauty and tradition, has established rites to give the Lord that love and worship He deserves as God”, he affirmed. For him, the splendor of the pontifical vespers demonstrates the universality and continuity of the faith: “The militant Church and the triumphant Church worship God together”.
Gans also noted that, although he recognizes the legitimacy of the Novus Ordo, he prefers the traditional Latin Mass for its character less exposed to liturgical abuses and for objectively expressing worship of the Lord:
“In the extraordinary form, you don't need to try to give more love to Christ: everything is there to honor Him”, he affirmed.
Sarah, defender of liturgical reverence against desacralization
Cardinal Sarah has been raising his voice for years in defense of traditional practices: Communion on the knees, celebration ad orientem, and sacred silence as a necessary condition for worship. In a recent homily, he recalled that the liturgy demands recollection:
“To worship God we must withdraw, in silence. There are sacred places, reserved for Him. They cannot be profaned with activities foreign to prayer and liturgy”, he said.
“Churches are not concert halls or cultural spaces; they are the house of God”, he added.
His words regain strength in a Church that, according to him, runs the risk of losing the sense of mystery.
Restrictions on the traditional Mass: a burden for the faithful
Gans expressed that many Catholics hoped that Pope Leo XIV would lift the restrictions on the traditional Mass imposed in 2021 by the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which have caused pain and confusion among priests, families, and entire communities:
“It is a real suffering for the faithful people and for the priests who want to love Jesus”, he lamented.
Cardinal Sarah has been critical of these restrictions and recently revealed that in a private audience in September, Pope Leo XIV expressed his concern for the faithful attached to the traditional Mass. In a subsequent interview, Sarah affirmed that preventing them from this liturgical form would not be fair:
“When we look at the Christians who really practice today, they are the ones who attend the traditional Mass. Why prohibit it? On the contrary, we should encourage them”.