Edited By: William J. Harry, O. Carm

Text in English, Italian and Spanish

2024 | 210 p. | ISBN: 978-88-7288-225-2

The International Carmelite Liturgical Congress, recorded in this book, was held from April 16-20, 2018. It was hosted at Il Carmelo, the Carmelite retreat center in Sassone, Italy, near Rome. Participants from all parts of the Order participated.

The theme chosen for the conference was The Role and Place of the Liturgy in the Carmelite Order. During the opening Eucharist, the Prior General, Fr. Fernando Mi116n Romeral, invited the participants to recognize and deepen the link between Carmelite spirituality and the liturgy, as is called for in the Carmelite Constitutions (no. 72 and 74). Through the choice of speakers, the Commission sought to offer an overview of how the liturgy and the liturgical experience have helped the prayer and spiritual life of the Order throughout its history. Emphasis was also placed on the need to strongly encourage the liturgical participation of the Carmelite religious community and the Christian community from a pastoral liturgy perspective.

The speakers at the conference presented the spiritual dimension in the development of the liturgical life of the Order from its origins on Mount Carmel and down the centuries through its various reforms. The mariological aspects of Carmelite liturgy were also discussed and some insights on initial and permanent formation in the Church and Carmel were offered.

The importance of a proper liturgical formation in the Order was highlighted and the means and modalities were made available so that liturgy can be an expression of the encounter with the Word of God, of the encounter in community, and in the midst of the people of God. The final message of the Conference states: "Our spirituality is expressed in the Liturgy, not only because of what we do, but through what God accomplishes in the mystery of the Liturgy and through the Liturgy." For this reason, special attention was also given to the Christocentric life of Carmel, which is characterized in the Church and in the world as a praying fraternity following the example of Mary, our Mother and Sister, and the Prophet Elijah.