Pope Leo: Vatican II’s liturgical reform ‘necessary’ for greater participation

The Pope firmly defended Vatican II’s text regarding the liturgy, and argued that the need for active participation demanded a reform in the Church’s rites.

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Herald) — Pope Leo has firmly defended the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, stating that it was deemed “necessary” in order to make the liturgy “more accessible”.

Closing his series of catechetical talks on Vatican II’s Sacrosanctum Concilium, Pope Leo tackled a chief underlying element behind the previous number of speeches – namely examining the rationale behind Vatican II’s promotion of a liturgical reform. In doing so, he drew from the Council text itself, but also from Pope Paul VI’s writings while still Cardinal Montini, along with Pope Pius XII’s reforms to the Holy Week liturgies.

Michael Haynes 🇻🇦@MLJHaynes

JUST IN: Pope Leo today praised Vatican 2's liturgical reform as necessary & in order to make liturgy “more accessible” The Novus Ordo is “firmly rooted in the living tradition of the Church” he added Understanding such reform is key to resisting liturgical abuses that “still

9:36 AM · Aug 26, 2026 · 33K Views

---

106 Replies · 36 Reposts · 203 Likes

In Leo’s assessment, the liturgical reform is built around Montini’s argument that the liturgy must demand more specific participation from the congregation. Quoting directly from the future Paul VI’s 1962 letter, Leo stated that Catholics “cannot and must no longer remain silent and passive. Their physical presence cannot be reconciled with their spiritual absence.”

The rest of this correspondent’s report, originally published on the Catholic Herald, is found at this link.