Pope Leo calls for liturgical formation, fidelity to rubrics of the Mass
August 14, 2026
Pope Leo XIV called for a greater emphasis on liturgical formation during Sunday Mass, as well as fidelity to the rubrics of the Roman Missal.
“The first practical opportunities for liturgical formation occur in our regular practice of gathering every Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist,” Pope Leo wrote in a letter to Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, on the occasion of a liturgical conference at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon. “These celebrations are anchored in the annual rhythm of the liturgical year, with the Paschal Mystery at its center.”
“For this reason, it is essential that they also be profoundly formative, promoting an ever deeper understanding of the ars celebrandi [art of celebrating], expressed not only by the celebrant of the liturgy, but also by the entire assembly,” Pope Leo added in his letter, dated June 29 and released today.
The Pontiff also spoke of the “need for fidelity to the approved texts and instructions. In my recent catecheses on the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, I have called attention to the respect that all those called to prepare the celebration of the divine mysteries, and priests in particular, must show toward the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II.”
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