CEREMONY. – In the liturgical sense, a ceremony is a gesture, an action, a movement, or a complex of these, instituted by the competent authority to accompany prayer or the public exercise of divine worship. The ensemble and order of the various ceremonies constitute what is called a rite (v.). The etymology of the word remains uncertain.
The origin of ceremonies is rooted in human nature itself, since gestures that accompany speech naturally manifest the sentiments and movements of the soul. Indeed, there is no religion that does not possess a full array of rites and ceremonies. This intimate connection between religion and ceremony is amply illustrated in the Old Testament: the last four books of the Pentateuch, especially Leviticus, expound the various ritual practices of the Hebrew people. In the Christian religion, ceremonies are as old as Christianity itself. Jesus Himself is their originator; thus, the Apostles and later the Church established the first nucleus of the liturgical ritual, which, completed, modified, and expanded over the centuries, now constitutes the ceremonial of the Church that so admirably helps the faithful to appreciate and venerate its holiness and dignity.
As for the origins of the various ceremonies, it suffices to mention the different causes that determine their beginning or disappearance, for often only thus can their meaning be understood. Among the historical causes, one may recall the influence of Mosaic religion on Christian worship; the Church’s adoption of certain pagan rites, transformed and sanctified; and finally, the fact that many ceremonies and rites are common to all religions, being naturally suited to express the intimate sentiments of the human soul.
The purpose intended by the Church in its sacred ceremonies is primarily to render the worship offered to God worthy through the splendor of sacred rites and to elevate men’s spirits to heavenly things, fostering piety. In this way, the intrinsic and spiritual action of the Mass and the Sacraments is made perceptible through ceremonies and rites, easily grasped in their true significance. Yet beyond this moral sense, another mystical meaning can and must be found in many ceremonies. The symbolic interpretation of rites, while not to be neglected, must not be pushed to excess. Unfortunately, abuses were not lacking, and throughout the Middle Ages up to the 17th century, mystical interpretation was extended beyond all propriety and reason.