Father Joseph, assistant priest of Sao Mai Parish in Vietnam, celebrates a livestreamed Mass on March 18. (Photo supplied)
One of the features of Catholic Christianity is its rich tradition of the sacraments and liturgy.
Since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), the Roman Church has tended to administer or celebrate the sacraments within the context of a liturgy, usually the Mass.
That was not always the case. And in some places, lamentably, it is still not. Before the Council, for instance, children were not usually baptized during Mass. Now they almost always are.
That's not because the pre-Vatican II baptismal ceremony was aliturgical or non-liturgical. It was a true baptismal liturgy. But it tended to be a small affair that included only the parents, godparents and maybe a few immediate family members.
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