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Faith Facts
The Answers You Need
Popular Piety in the Spiritual Life
Issue What place does popular piety have in the spiritual life? Does the
Church promote popular devotions?
LW November/December 2007 Response While participation in the liturgy is the preeminent form of worship, popular piety manifests a thirst for God in ways that help sustain a life of
faith.
Genuine forms of popular piety, expressed in a multitude of different ways,
derive from the faith and, therefore, must be valued and promoted. Such authentic expressions of popular piety are not at odds with the centrality of the sacred
liturgy. Rather, in promoting the faith of the people, who regard popular piety
as a natural religious expression, they predispose the people for the celebration of
the sacred mysteries.1 According to the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution
on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963), “Popular devotions of the
Christian people are to be highly commended, provided they accord with the
laws and norms of the Church, above all when they are ordered by the Apostolic
See” (no. 3).
Discussion All people have been created by God with religiosity and a tendency to give expression to that interior sense of the transcendent in words and
action. In the context of the Christian faith, the sacred liturgy, in the offering of
sacrifice and praise, surpasses all other sacred actions. There is no better way for
the faithful to place themselves before God, to be heard by God, and to receive
God’s blessings. “Every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the
priest and of His Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to
the same degree” (SC, no. 7). At the same time, the liturgy does not exhaust the religiosity of the faithful.
There is a welling up of piety that finds expression in multiple ways, usually according to the specific culture and environment of a group of people. In turn,
these expressions sustain and challenge those who live in that same environment.2
The term used by the Church for such pious expression is “popular piety,” which
the 2001 Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy3 calls “those diverse cultic expressions of a private or community nature which, in the context of the Christian
faith, are inspired predominantly not by the Sacred Liturgy but by forms deriving
from a particular nation or people or from their culture” (no. 9).
November/December 2007 27
The Superiority of the Liturgy
If the Liturgy Is Far Superior,
Why Do We Need Devotions?
Many of the following principles can be found in the
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy as notated:
1. Popular piety informs and enriches the liturgy.
Throughout the centuries, the liturgy has had to various degrees a cultural element. The first liturgies were
a composite of precepts given by Jesus Christ and His
Apostles and popular piety in its beginning forms. Various expressions of praise and thanksgiving that were
already present outside of the liturgy spontaneously
found their way into the liturgy. Later, many liturgical
rites were added that honored Mary and the saints, who
had always been objects of popular piety. The earliest
declarations of sainthood for martyrs were generated
from popular piety and ratified by bishops and incorporated into the liturgy (see inset on devotion to the
Divine Mercy).
2. By being ordered to the liturgy, popular piety extends
the liturgical life of the Church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The religious sense of
the Christian people has always found expression in
various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to
sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of
the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.
“These expressions of piety extend the liturgical life of
the Church, but do not replace it” (nos. 1674–75).
28 Lay Witness / www.cuf.org
3. Popular piety, called by Pope John Paul II “a treasure of
the people of God” (no. 9, footnote 14), imparts great
virtue. In their thirst for God, focusing on God’s paternity and providence, the faithful are capable of generosity, sacrifice, and suffering.
The documents of the magisterium highlight
certain interior dispositions and virtues particularly consonant with popular piety that, in turn,
are prompted and nourished by it: patience and
“Christian resignation in the face of irremediable
situations”; trusting abandonment to God; the capacity to bear sufferings and to perceive “the cross
in every-day life”; a genuine desire to please the
Lord and to do reparation and penance for the offences offered to Him; detachment from material
things; solidarity with, and openness to, others;
“a sense of friendliness, charity and family unity.”
(no. 61)
4. Popular piety preserves cultural heritage while enculturating Christian principles. As there is a harmonious
relationship between popular piety and the liturgy, each
acting on the other, so there is a relationship between
popular piety and the particular culture in which the
faithful live. The faithful, formed by language, culture,
and custom, express the Gospel message in forms particular to their culture. These cultural forms can be assimilated and thus preserved in the traditions of that
particular Church. At the same time, the Gospel is
made more accessible to the culture.
The transmission of this cultural heritage from
father to son, from generation to generation, also
implies the transmission of Christian principles. In
some cases, this fusion goes so deep that elements
proper to the Christian faith become integral elements of the cultural identity of particular nations.
(no. 63)
5. Popular piety preserves faith when pastoral care is lacking or where sects are particularly active.
It is impossible to overlook “those devotions practiced in certain regions by the faithful with fervor
and a moving purity of intention”; that authentic
popular piety “in virtue of its essentially Catholic
roots, is an antidote to the sects and a guarantee of
fidelity to the message of salvation”; that popular
piety has been a providential means of preserving
the faith in situations where Christians have been
deprived of pastoral care; that in areas in which
evangelization has been deficient, “the people for
the most part express their faith primarily through
popular piety.” (no. 63)
6. A lack of authentically Christian popular piety can lead
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While distinct from the liturgy, popular piety properly
maintains a harmonious relationship with the liturgy to
the betterment of both. The liturgy, “a sacred action surpassing all others,” is primary. While participation in the
liturgy is necessary for the life of faith, the various devotions (such as chaplets, novenas, medals, scapulars, etc.)
emanating from popular piety are optional. Furthermore,
the liturgy is the font and summit of Christian activity
(SC, no. 10). Thus, popular piety is both subordinated to
and directed toward the liturgy. Subordination to the liturgy ensures that forms of piety benefit from the fruits
of the liturgy. Directed toward the liturgy, popular piety
promotes the liturgy, ensuring a deeper level of participation in the sacred mysteries. As Sacrosanctum Concilium
instructs, “These devotions should be so drawn up that
they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with
the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and
lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very
nature far surpasses any of them” (SC, no. 13).
An excellent example is the Rosary, in which meditation
on the mysteries of Christ can be a “preparation for the celebration of the same mysteries in the liturgical action and
can also be a continuing echo thereof.”4 The Rosary, however, is not recited during the celebration of the liturgy.
to interest in oriental practices. While necessary, the
liturgy does not provide all forms of pious expression
conducive to the spiritual life:
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Moreover, liturgical action, often reduced to participation at the Eucharist, cannot permeate a
life lacking in personal prayer or in those qualities communicated by the traditional devotional
forms of the Christian people. Current interest in
oriental “religious” practices, under various guises,
clearly indicates a quest for a spirituality of life,
suffering, and sharing. The post-conciliar generation—depending on the country—often has never
experienced the devotional practices of previous
generations. Clearly, catechesis and educational
efforts cannot overlook the patrimony of popular
piety when proposing models for the spiritual life,
especially those pious exercises commended by the
Church’s Magisterium. (no. 59)
What Are Some Vital Elements
of Popular Piety?
We turn again to the Directory on Popular Piety and the
Liturgy. Popular piety, an expression of the faithful, has
as its source the Holy Spirit, is focused on the mystery of
Christ, and ultimately directs the faithful to God and salvation. Authentic popular piety incorporates the following
values:
1. A sense of the transcendent—experiencing the infinitude and perfection of God beyond man’s natural existence. Popular piety is a response to God’s presence:
“Popular piety has an innate sense of the sacred and the
transcendent, manifests a genuine thirst for God and
‘an acute sense of God’s deepest attributes: fatherhood,
providence, constant and loving presence,’ and mercy.”
(no. 61)
2. Focus on the Passion of Christ and the afterlife: “Popular piety can easily direct its attention to the Son of
God who, for love of mankind, became a poor, small
child, born of a simple humble woman. Likewise, it has
a particular sensibility for the mystery of Passion and
death of Christ.
“Contemplation of the mystery of the afterlife is an
important feature of popular piety, as is its interest in
communion with the Saints in Heaven, the Blessed
Virgin Mary, the Angels, and suffrage for the souls of
the dead.” (no. 62)
3. Emphasis on the Trinity: “From the principles already
outlined above, popular piety should always be formed
as a moment of the dialogue between God and man,
through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Despite some deficiencies—such as confusion between God the Father
and Jesus Christ—popular piety does bare a Trinitarian mark.” (no. 79)
4. Based on Scripture: “The Bible offers an inexhaustible
source of inspiration to popular piety, as well as unrivalled forms of prayer and thematic subjects. Constant
reference to Sacred Scripture is also a means and a criterion for curbing exuberant forms of piety frequently
influenced by popular religion which give rise to ambiguous or even erroneous expressions of piety.
“Prayer should ‘accompany the reading of Sacred
Scripture, so that a dialogue takes place between God
and man.’ Thus, it is highly recommended that the
various forms of popular piety normally include biblical texts, opportunely chosen and duly provided with a
commentary.” (nos. 88–89)
5. Theocentric: “‘You are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.’
Let everything, therefore, have its proper place and arrangement; let everything be ‘theocentric,’ so to speak,
if we really wish to direct everything to the glory of
God through the life and power which flow from the
divine Head into our hearts.”5
6. Guided by the Holy Spirit: “Christian worship originates
in, and draws impetus from the Spirit. That same worship begins, and is brought to completion, in the Spirit.
It can therefore be concluded that without the Spirit of
Christ there can be neither authentic liturgical worship,
nor genuine expressions of popular piety.” (no. 78)
Possible Dangers of Devotions
The Church in her history has seen devotions arise that
led to a lack of balance in the spiritual life, either through
deficiencies or use. Sometimes undue weight is given to
one aspect of the Christian mystery to the exclusion of
others. Sometimes particular devotions were practiced to
the neglect of liturgical, family, and community life. Some
practices were simply not pious, either in intent or through
error. The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (no.
64) presents dangers that can affect popular piety:
• Lack of a sufficient number of Christian elements
such as the salvific significance of the Resurrection
of Christ, an awareness of belonging to the Church,
the person and action of the Holy Spirit
• A disproportionate interest between the saints and
the absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ and his
mysteries
• Lack of direct contact with Sacred Scripture
• Isolation from the Church’s sacramental life
• A dichotomy between worship and the duties of
Christian life
• A utilitarian view of some forms of popular piety
• The use of “signs, gestures and formulae, which
sometimes become excessively important or even
theatrical”
• In certain instances, the risk of “promoting sects, or
even superstition, magic, fatalism or oppression”
November/December 2007 29
Popular piety can neither be ignored nor treated
with indifference or disrespect because of its richness and because in itself it represents a religious
attitude in relation to God. However, it has to be
continually evangelized, so that the faith which it
expresses may become more mature and authentic. The pious exercises of the Christian people and
other forms of devotion can be accepted and recommended provided that they do not become substitutes for the Liturgy or integrated into the Liturgical celebrations. An authentic pastoral promotion of
the liturgy will know how to build on the riches of
popular piety, purify them and direct them toward
the Liturgy as an offering of the people. (no. 18)
1 John
Paul II, Address to the Plenaria of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (September 21, 2001), no. 4,
as found in the September 2001 Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy
Newsletter.
2 Ibid.
3 Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments,
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001), available online at
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_
con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html.
4 Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation for the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Marialis Cultus (February 1974), no. 48.
5 Pope Pius XII, Encyclical on the Sacred Liturgy, Mediator Dei (1947), no. 33.
Devotion to the Divine Mercy
Incorporation of Popular Piety
and Devotions into the Liturgy
Sr. Faustina’s spirituality was summed up in the
inscription on the image Jesus had asked her to
paint: “Jesus, I trust in you”—simple, childlike trust
in the compassionate love of God. Not only was she
to practice this herself, but she believed Jesus had
entrusted to her the mission to spread devotion to
His merciful love.
After several years of testing and discernment, Sr.
Faustina’s confessor, Fr. Michael Sopocko, became
more and more convinced of the supernatural authenticity of her prophetic revelations. Later, Christ
gave St. Faustina the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, a
prayer said on simple rosary beads that extends the
offering of the Eucharist with an intercessory intention.
Devotion to the Divine Mercy spread throughout Poland—and then throughout the world with
the dispersion of the Poles during and after World
War II. After a Vatican ban on the devotion from
1958–78 (based on faulty translations of her diary
received by the Holy See) the devotion reemerged
with renewed vigor.
On the Sunday after Easter, Mercy Sunday, 1993,
Sr. Faustina was beatified by Pope John Paul II in
St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Then on Mercy Sunday,
2000, she became the first canonized saint of the
new millennium. The following month the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments issued a decree proclaiming the Second Sunday of Easter also as Divine Mercy Sunday.
In 2002 a plenary indulgence was attached to the
devotions honoring the Divine Mercy on Mercy
Sunday, “to ensure the faithful would observe this
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day with intense devotion.”
Excerpted from “A Sign for the New Millennium” by Robert Stackpole in
the March/April 2002 issue of Lay Witness magazine, available online at
www.cuf.org/LayWitness/online_view.asp?lwID=972.
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The primary concern with popular piety throughout the
history of the Church has been in relation to the liturgy.
Popular piety does not substitute for the liturgy but rather
enriches and extends it. This relationship can become distorted. Problems arise when the faithful weaken in their
sense of what actually takes place in the liturgy. The importance of the Paschal Mystery, made present in the liturgy,
is diminished, and less central mysteries are favored. The
faithful’s sense of their priesthood weakens, as does their
participation in the Church’s worship. Much is due to a
lack of catechesis, including in the language and prayers of
the liturgy. The faithful turn to more familiar or comfortable forms of spiritual expression or practices they feel better meet their daily needs.
In response to these problems, some pastors resort to
simply oppressing popular piety and presenting the liturgy
as a sufficient form of pious expression. This ignores the
reality of popular piety as naturally emanating from the
faithful as a legitimate expression of worship in harmony
with the liturgy. The appropriate approach to popular piety
by pastors is presented by Pope John Paul II in his 1988
Apostolic Letter Vicesimus Quintus Annus: