When Liturgy Gets Out of Hand

In the conclusion to her seminal chapter on the role of liturgy in the shaping of Frankish society, Rosamond McKitterick astutely remarked that: Throughout the ninth century … the Frankish clergy made every effort both to provide each church and priest with a reliable text of the Mass and offi ces necessary for the ministry, and to encourage the laity to come to the church. The state of the liturgy at the end of the eighth century and the process of liturgical text production and compilation throughout the ninth century, made it apparent that there was a concentrated purposeful operation directed towards the provision of a liturgy which would not only conform to the highest standards, and be a fi tting form of worship, but also serve to edify and instruct clergy and people.