Vatican website translation:
19. With zeal and patience, pastors of souls must promote the liturgical instruction of the faithful, and also their active participation in the liturgy both internally and externally, taking into account their age and condition, their way of life, and standard of religious culture. By so doing, pastors will be fulfilling one of the chief duties of a faithful dispenser of the mysteries of God; and in this matter they must lead their flock not only in word but also by example.
Latin text:
19. Liturgicam institutionem necnon actuosam fidelium participationem, internam et externam, iuxta ipsorum aetatem, condicionem, vitae genus et religiosae culturae gradum, animarum pastores sedulo ac patienter prosequantur, unum e praecipuis fidelis mysteriorum Dei dispensatoris muneribus absolventes; et gregem suum hac in re non verbo tantum, sed etiam exemplo ducant.
Slavishly literal translation:
19. May pastors of souls diligently and patiently foster liturgical instruction as well as active internal and external [liturgical] participation/engagement of the faithful, according to their age, condition, style of life, and rank of religious culture, [thus] completing one of the foremost offices/tasks/duties of a faithful steward of the mysteries of God; and let them lead their flock in this matter not only by word but also by example.
Having considered in turn the liturgical education and formation of seminarians and their equivalents and of active clergy, the Council Fathers charge the clergy with the liturgical education and formation of the laity in article 19, a process that I have earlier entitled a “trickle-down” theory of liturgical formation. Note that they categorize “actuosa participatio” as having both external and internal components. They wisely remind pastors that there is no “one size fits all” liturgical education/formation program, but that initiatives in pastoral liturgy must take into account worshipers’ wide variety of educational backgrounds, interests and depth of catechesis/mystagogy. Finally they insist that pastoral liturgy will be ineffective if it remains a matter of “do as I say, not as I do” among the clergy.
Readers of Pray Tell might want to consider: 1) how effectively clergy have undertaken this liturgical education and formation task in the last fifty years, especially if there are any trends that can be recognized; 2) what means have been tried and found effective for such education and formation of the faithful and what means might be tried; 3) to what persons or institutions the clergy might delegate this responsibility (I think, for example, of the extraordinary work women religious did in liturgical education and formation of students in Catholic schools and what catechists have wrought, working in various settings); 4) what we might think the ideal and the minimum education/formation necessary might be for various categories of the faithful: general worshipers at various ages; singers and instrumentalists in church music ensembles/choirs; directors of music ministry; lectors/readers (those charged with the proclamation of God’s Word in liturgical settings); servers/acolytes; ministers of holy Communion; ushers/ministers of hospitality; those responsible for the visual adornment of the place(s) of worship; planning team members; parish liturgy committee members, etc.; 5) how this liturgical education/formation can be best undertaken and achieved in today’s circumstances.
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