Pope: Sunday Mass must form Catholics through reverent worship

Vatican City, August 15, 2026: Pope Leo XIV has urged priests and lay Catholics to respect liturgical norms and ensure that Sunday Mass serves as a profound opportunity for liturgical formation.

The Pope made the appeal in a message to participants in a meeting organised by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the Benedictine Abbey of Mount Angel in Oregon, United States, from August 14 to 19.

The meeting focuses on the “liturgical formation of God’s people” and follows Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi, which reflected on the beauty and theological and spiritual depth of the liturgy.

Pope Leo said liturgical formation should not be limited to specialists but should become an “inner disposition of all the People of God”. He identified Sunday Mass as the most frequent and practical opportunity for this formation.

“These celebrations are anchored in the annual rhythm of the liturgical year, with the Paschal Mystery at its center,” the Pope said, stressing the need for celebrations to be “profoundly formative”.

He said the ars celebrandi — the art of celebrating the liturgy — involves not only the priest but the entire assembly. Through Sunday Mass, Catholics are formed “both for the liturgy and by the liturgy”.

Recalling his recent catechesis on the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, Pope Leo stressed the importance of fidelity to approved liturgical texts and instructions.

He called on those who prepare and celebrate the divine mysteries, especially priests, to respect the rites promulgated by Pope St Paul VI and Pope St John Paul II.

“It is vital that this respect springs from an inner attitude of openness and trust in God,” Pope Leo said, adding that such fidelity should reflect humility before God and commitment to ecclesial communion.

The Pope entrusted the Oregon meeting to Mary, Seat of Wisdom, and prayed for those taking part as they discern practical ways to strengthen the Church’s liturgical life.

Courtesy: Vatican News