Pope Francis wrote much in his apostolic letter, Desiderio desideravi, about how the liturgy is not meant to be something focused on the individual.
Furthermore, Pope Francis explained how, "it is necessary to know how the Holy Spirit acts in every celebration. The art of celebrating must be in harmony with the action of the Spirit. Only in this way will it be free from the subjectivisms that are the fruit of individual tastes dominating."
St. John Paul II reflected on a similar theme in his encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, writing that the liturgy is not "private property."
St. John Paul II believed many of the abuses seen in the liturgy were the result of an individualistic view of the Mass, where either the priest or the community took possession of it and failed to abide by the norms laid out by the Church.
This requires a more universal view of the Mass, where the priest acts "in the person of Christ."
As the Church continues to implement the reform of the liturgy, it is important to note how the Mass should not be left to the individual tastes of the priest or community. The Church herself has already given us norms as to how the Mass should be celebrated, and that will help us keep the liturgy a universal action.
