Mediator deiThis encyclical marks the beginning of a defining moment in the history of the Church. It was promulgated by Pope Pius XII and became the first papal encyclical devoted specifically and entirely to the liturgy. Its relevance is still felt to this day, and this is evident in the chain of events that followed it; for Mediator Dei serves as the foundation of the movement toward liturgical reform that culminated with the Second Vatican Council. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayPope Pius XII was faced with a congregation that lacked interest in the liturgy and played a passive role in the liturgy. This prompted him to provide the faithful with tools to foster a better understanding of the Mass, the liturgical year, and a more tender devotion to the Holy Eucharist, as he himself maintained a fervent devotion to the sacrament and many of its speeches are focused on this. Pius XII saw the solution to the passive role played by the congregation in “active participation” in the liturgy, in the divine life; “Thanks to this active and individual participation, the members of the Mystical Body not only become each day more similar to their divine Head, but the life which flows from the Head is communicated to the members” for the work of sanctification of the world (MD, 78). The encyclical can be divided into four aspects: The first aspect should deal with the explanation of the nature and development of the liturgy. The liturgy as a result of the incarnation of the Lord and as a means by which the Lord continues and extends his presence to the Church in the world. It is also defined as the public worship of the Church. The second aspect deals with the explanation of the nature of the Eucharist and our worship in the mass. It summarizes the Church's teaching on the Eucharist. The third aspect of the encyclical is devoted to the Divine Office and the liturgical year. By means of the Divine Office, or liturgy of the hours, the Church's worship of God, which has its source and origin in the Eucharist, is "directed and organized in such a way that it embraces... the hours of the day” ( MD, 138). The final section of the encyclical deals with practical pastoral instructions. Here, Pope Pius encourages the multiplicity of legitimate devotions and reiterates his teaching that there can be "no real opposition between the sacred liturgy and other religious practices, provided that they are kept within legitimate limits and fulfilled for a legitimate purpose” (MD, 173). It was the intention of Pope Pius XII to restrain the excesses of certain liturgists and to encourage the timid and lukewarm to greater efforts. The encyclical also sought to affirm and clarify the authority of the Holy See in liturgical matters. Furthermore, Pope Pius XII deplored efforts “aimed at reducing everything to antiquity by all possible means” (MD, 62). This attitude ignores the capacity and timeliness of the development of liturgical doctrine and practice. It is one of four constitutions in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, focusing on the Sacred Liturgy. And as a dogmatic constitution, it contains the principles on which the teachings and liturgical practice of the Church would be guided in its renewal of the sacred liturgy. It is not out of place to say that the Mediator Dei anticipated and was part of the founding of the Sacrosanctum Concilium, although this is not immediately apparent from the notes of the Constitution. The seven chapters concern all aspects of the liturgy, including the Eucharist, prayer, Church furniture, the liturgical calendar as well as music. One could almost feel the progression of the Mediator Dei to the Sacrosanctum.