Australia’s Catholic bishops have approved a liturgy incorporating elements of Aboriginal language and culture, in a motion at the plenary meeting of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in Sydney on Tuesday.
The Mass of the Land of the Holy Spirit (Missa Terra Spiritus Sancti) was approved for use in the Diocese of Broome in Western Australia and will now be submitted to the Dicastery for Divine Worship for what is known as “recognitio”, or official recognition by the Vatican.
“We have to walk with Aboriginal people. I am so pleased that after such a long period of use the Missa Terra Spiritus Sancti has been given official recognition by the bishops of Australia,” Bishop Administrator of Broome, Michael Morrissey, said.
“We recognise there are many Aboriginal cultures in Australia and we pray that they all be guided by the Holy Spirit to develop the best way of celebrating the Eucharist in the most appropriate ways with their people, within the life of the Church.”
The Mass has a history of use in Diocese of Broome for over 50 years. It is celebrated in multiple local languages.
It has been celebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, Archbishop Charles Balvo, and has over many decades been known to and discussed by officials of the Holy See without any objections to it having been raised.
It was given official permission for use by the Bishop of Broome in May 1973 as a culturally adapted liturgy to be used “ad experimentum”.
Since that time, the Mass has been known as Missa Bidjadanga/Indigena/Kimberley and has been celebrated weekly in remote communities.
It originated at Bidyadanga in the Western Kimberley region of Western Australia.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council described it as a “distinctive Mass that beautifully amalgamates Catholic tradition with Aboriginal culture, thereby creating a unique celebration of faith that has served the diocese for over five decades”.