“Mass Should Not Become a Routine,” Indonesian Prelate Tells Priests

Archbishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko of Semarang has urged Indonesian priests to rediscover the Eucharist as a source of spiritual renewal and ensure that celebrating Mass does not become a routine obligation.

Archbishop Rubiyatmoko made the appeal on August 20 at the opening of the 2026 National Plenary Meeting of the Commission for the Liturgy of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) in Jakarta, Indonesia. The four-day meeting, running through August 23, brings together priests and representatives of diocesan liturgical commissions from across the country.

As chairman of the KWI Commission for the Liturgy, Archbishop Rubiyatmoko said liturgical formation should go beyond learning the proper rites and rubrics. It should lead priests to a deeper encounter with Christ and transform their lives.

One of the challenges, he said, is ensuring that frequent celebration of the Eucharist does not gradually become routine.

Priests are invited to ask whether they continue to experience the Eucharist as the Body and Blood of Christ or whether repeated celebrations have become merely an obligation.

“We need a renewal from within,” Archbishop Rubiyatmoko said, emphasizing that priests must allow the mystery they celebrate to shape their own spiritual lives.

He also stressed that the interior life of the priest affects the faithful. A priest who approaches the liturgy with faith, attentiveness and genuine preparation can help the congregation enter more deeply into prayer and encounter with God.

The meeting is being held under the theme “Liturgical Formation of Priests” and includes sessions on the spiritual and canonical dimensions of priesthood and liturgy, liturgical music, regional discussions and practical approaches to priestly formation.

Fr. Fransiskus Yance Sengga, executive secretary of the KWI Commission for the Liturgy, said formation should not be limited to acquiring knowledge about liturgy. Rather, it should enable people to live according to the spirit of the liturgy.

He described this as not merely formation for liturgy, but formation through liturgy, in which the celebration itself becomes a means of spiritual growth and transformation.

For Archbishop Rubiyatmoko, therefore, the goal is not simply for priests to celebrate Mass correctly, but to allow the Eucharist to transform those who celebrate it.

The plenary will conclude with a Mass at Jakarta Cathedral on August 23. Archbishop Rubiyatmoko said the success of the gathering should ultimately be measured not only by its resolutions, but by whether priests return to their dioceses with renewed hearts and a deeper commitment to serving the liturgy.

He expressed hope that priests would become faithful servants of the sacraments, helping the faithful encounter Christ through the Eucharist.