CEREMONY. — In the liturgical sense, a c. is a gesture, an action, a movement, or a combination of these, instituted by the competent authority to accompany prayer or the public exercise of divine worship. The ensemble and order of the various c. rite (v.). The etymology of the word is uncertain.
The origin of c. is grounded in human nature itself, since the gestures that accompany speech naturally manifest the feelings and movements of the soul. Indeed, there is no religion that does not possess a whole array of rites and c. This intimate connection between religion and c. is amply illustrated in the Old Testament: the last four books of the Pentateuch, especially Leviticus, set forth the various ritual practices of the Jewish people. In the Christian religion, c. are as ancient as Christianity. Jesus himself initiated them; then the Apostles, and subsequently the Church, constituted the first nucleus of the liturgical ritual, which, completed, modified, and expanded over the course of the centuries, constitutes the entire ceremonial of the Church and contributes so admirably to making the faithful appreciate and venerate its holiness and dignity.
With regard to the origins of the various c., it will suffice to mention the different causes that determined their beginning or disappearance, since at times this is the only way in which they can be properly understood. As historical causes, one may recall the influence of the Mosaic religion on Christian worship; the Church’s adoption of certain pagan rites, transformed and sanctified; and finally the fact that many c. and rites are common to all religions, being by their nature suited to express the intimate sentiments of the human soul.
The purpose pursued by the Church in the sacred c. is first and foremost to render the worship offered to God worthy through the splendour of the sacred rites, and to draw people toward heavenly things by elevating their spirits and fostering their piety. In this way, the intrinsic and spiritual action of the sacrifice of the Mass and of the Sacraments is made perceptible through c. and rites, whose real meaning can be readily grasped. But beyond this moral meaning, we can and must find another, mystical meaning in many c. The symbolic interpretation of rites, while it should not be neglected, must not be carried to excess. Unfortunately, abuses were not lacking, and throughout the entire Middle Ages until the seventeenth century, mystical interpretation was extended beyond all propriety and reason.