Posted on 06/27/2006 10:00:12 AM PDT by Ebenezer
The Pope has demanded an end to electric guitars and modern music in church and a return to traditional choirs.
The Catholic Church has been experimenting with new ways of holding Mass to try to attract more people. The recital of Mass set to guitars has grown in popularity in Italy; in Spain it has been set to flamenco music; and in the United States the Electric Prunes produced a "psychedelic" album called Mass in F Minor.
However, the use of guitars and tambourines has irritated the Pope, who loves classical music. "It is possible to modernise holy music," the Pope said, at a concert conducted by Domenico Bartolucci the director of music at the Sistine Chapel. "But it should not happen outside the traditional path of Gregorian chants or sacred polyphonic choral music."
His comments prompted the newspaper La Stampa to compare him with Pope Pius X, who denounced faddish classical and baroque compositions and reinstated Gregorian chants in 1903.
The Pope's supporters argue that the music played during Mass is a vital part of the communion between worshippers and God, and that medieval church music, with the liturgy, creates the correct ambience for perceiving God's mystery.
Cardinal Ersilio Tonini, the Archbishop of Ravenna, said:"Mass is the presence of Christ and the music adds so much more when the harmony allows the mind to transcend the concrete to the divine."
But Cardinal Carlo Furno, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, said it was "better to have guitars on the altar and rock and roll Masses than empty churches". The use of modern music was a "sign of the vitality of the faith".
The argument is part of a wider debate about the Latin Mass, restricted in the Vatican II reforms of the 1960s because it was seen to be putting worshippers off going to Church.
The Pope believes that if Latin Masses are reintroduced, more Catholics will learn the words to the Gregorian chants that he advocates.
How very tragic. I feel sorry for you and the poor souls who attend this rock concert and have absolutely no clue that they are supposed to be "proclaiming the DEATH OF THE LORD, UNTIL HE COMES AGAIN", (I Cor. 11:26).
BTW, the Latin Mass doesn't play 'funeral songs', that's pure nonsense. But in any case, when I'm at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass I'd prefer to be reminded of my parents' funeral than be reminded of the Beach Boys.
Selective hearing and vision. Revisionist history. Call it what you want, but these guys haven't sat in a congregation lately or they would know that the congregations are more likely to sing the older stuff that is written in the middle register of the voice and is paced so that the words are easy to pronounce. Truly. It belies everything we've been told in the last 30 years.
What would Jesus sing?
Scott Hahn...Letter and Spirit
The Bible is an ecclesial and liturgical document. As we see it, this is a statement of historical fact, not an article of faith. The Bible exists because the apostolic Church composed, collected, and preserved this Word, even to the shedding of blood by its martyrs. The Church constinues to proffer this Word as essential for making disciples of the God revelaed in iots pages and for worshipping that God, revealed finally and fully by Jesus Christ (John 20:31; 1 Thess 2:13)
The Word of God was proclaimed before it was written, heard before it was read. The site of this proclmation and hearing, since the first Easter night, has been the divine liturgy of the Church (Luke 24:13-49). The earliest Scripturews were composed to be read and interpreted in the Eucharistic assembly. And Scripture from the start has always been proclaimed and interpreted in order to anticipate a liturgical act - baptism of the Euccharist, for instance - b y which the hearer of the Word is granted entry into the salvation promised in the Scripture. There would be no Bible without the liturgy and there could be no liturgy without the Bible
That's just the way it is.
But the same God. And do you mean the OT is only for Jews?
I go to church to be uplifted and praise a God who loves me and not to honour any type of "tradition".
I don't blame you for not wanting to relive such times, but that was the luck of the draw. We all have those Masses and moments.
That doesn't change that Mass is for everyone all the time. My preference is late Renaissance a cappella chorale, but we only get that during Holy Week. Se la vie.
Mike, none of us are "good enough". "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof." Remember that?
The Mass is not about us, it is not about what or how we feel. It is Christ's Sacrifice. That we are invited to participate in this should lead us to humility. And then, just maybe, we might recover a sense of reverence for the Mass.
Still searching the article for the Pope's scriptural references to Holy Music. Can't seem to find any.
The Mass is about the Pluperfect Sacrifice of the New Covenant. It is, in its essence, a re-presentation of the events of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion on Calvary.
We Christians gather with the priest at the altar to offer the perfect New Covenant Sacrifice to God as an act of propitiation. And, we Christians participate in eating the New Covenant meal, the Heavenly Banquet.
Music appropriate to that Divine Liturgy is not rock and roll, electric guitars etc etc.
The Divine Liturgy is, among other things, an event which LIFTS US UP and OUT of the mundane.
The VERY WORST aspect of the unauthorised Liturgical Changes is to make the New Covenant Sacrifice/New Covenant Heavenly Banquet banal and wordly.
Um... I'm 39.
There simply is no such thing as "Christian" music. Music is tone, tempo, volume and melody. Instrument choices are irrelvant.
LET ALL THE EARTH KEEP SILENCE BEFORE HIM.
Habakkuk 2:20
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
*As a Christian you are too good to be satisfied with rock and roll Mass. You are called to far greater things.
Let's be patient with each other. You begin by being patient with your Father, the Pope. He has a Doctorate in Theology and is an expert in Patristics and Liturgy.
I am not sure what expertise you have, brother, But, I am willing to bet the orthopraxic experience and educational expertise of the Holy Father surpasses yours.
News that you go to Mass is good to hear, but, if the music was imspirational in the way consistent with Catholic thought, it would inspire you to obedience in regards the POpe, no?
Don't be so quick to oppose the Pope. He is, after all,guided by the Holy Spirit, and all he wants to do is have the Liturgy comply with what was decided during the most recent Ecumenical Council.
Folks like myself can be patient with you for one or two posts and then we'll jump down your throat :)
Which is my point entirely. What are you there to worship? Jesus' death AND RESURECTION (which, last time I checked, was a joyous event), or the traditions of the Church?
Good discussion on music:
http://www.mgilleland.com/music/moratorium.htm
*Jesus used to chant and sing hymns. Nothing there about drums, cymbals, guitars etc
I am speaking from personal experience. Everyone's is different. I hadn't gone to Mass regularly since graduating from Catholic High School over 20 years ago. It had become a chore. I started attending again recently when I got my old job back and met my current girlfriend. And while the pastor's homilies in the more traditional mass were still excellent, it was only going to the so-called "youth mass" that I actually started looking forward to Mass.
So again, what is more important? For someone to go back to Mass every Sunday after a 20 year abscence, or to still be looking on Mass as a chore. And I know you or someone will say that Mass shouldn't be a chore, but that is the state I was in for a long time.
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