[Ebenezer]

"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'."

I beg to differ with His Eminence. Churches that restore tradition to their liturgy and sacred music are the ones that attract faithful and show much vitality.

[Ebenezer]

ping

[ConorMacNessa]

The moore I see of this Pope, the more I like him.

[ConorMacNessa]

The moore I see of this Pope, the more I like him.

[Ebenezer]

"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."

If the Council Fathers thought translating the Mass to vernacular tongues would bring more people to church, their well-intentioned efforts backfired, at least in the United States.

[mikemach5]

I will have to respectively disagree with His Holiness on this one. We have a "youth orented" mass on Sunday afternoons that uses guitars, drums, piano/keyboards, and singing. It is vibrant, uplifting, and inspirational (not to mention packed). Contrast with the traditional mass I went to this past week-end (which was still rather full) which played 3 of the 4 songs from my Father's funeral from this past March and my Mother's funeral from 3 and a half years ago. I was bawling my eyes out by the presentation of the gifts and had to leave at the recessional. Call me weak, but I would rather not relive the funerals of my parents every Sunday.

Not only that, but my girlfriend and I really look forward to the youth Mass, partially because of the music, partially because the priest is really good.

[Convert from ECUSA]

"The Pope has demanded an end to electric guitars and modern music in church and a return to traditional choirs. "

Amen, right on and yeeeeeeeeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Ping!

[livius]

Sheese. The good Cardinal has just provided the very recipe for empty churches: "guitars on the altar and rock and roll Masses." Or maybe he hasn't noticed what has happened over the last 40 years.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Aquinasfan]

and in the United States the Electric Prunes produced a "psychedelic" album called Mass in F Minor.

What, in 1969? What the?

[DJ MacWoW]

and that medieval church music, with the liturgy, creates the correct ambience for perceiving God's mystery.

1Ch 15:16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

Psalm 100:1 & 2 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness: come before him with joyful songs.

[Brad C.]

I am not Catholic, but I occasionally attend mass with my wife. Nor do I understand much Latin, but I have a collection of Gregorian Chants that I love to listen to.

Hearing the Local Priest attempt to sing the English versions during mass makes me wish I had stayed home. I like the fact that in Latin, they sound so powerful, like the God they praise.

[bornacatholic]

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 Pope should do to his guitar what John Belushi did to the folk singer's guitar in Animal House.

[subterfuge]

Still searching the article for the Pope's scriptural references to Holy Music. Can't seem to find any.

[Nihil Obstat]

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!

[franky]

Good discussion on music:

http://www.mgilleland.com/music/moratorium.htm

[AxelPaulsenJr]

"Sister Act", must have really po'd him............

[RobbyS]

What we need is good music. We don't see much classical guitar but basic stuff more appropriate to hillbilly music.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"Be not afraid...
The Pope no longer wants your goofy music.
Come follow me...
It's time to give it a rest..."

http://www.mgilleland.com/music/moratorium.htm

[Mrs. Don-o]

Oh, by the way, did you notice that the London Telegraph chose to spin the story that the Pope proposes to "silence" something, rather than saying that he proposes to give voice to something more beautiful. I've read a few of the Pope's comments on music, and they are very cogent, and not a mere reflection of personal taste (again, typical reporting, implying that he is opposing popular music because he likes classical music: it's all just an opinion you see).

Actually, he doesn't argue that popular music is fundamentally "bad" but rather that it is not the optimal medium for communicating intact sacred texts in a meditative manner.

That being said, let me retire from the discussion with a bit of encouraging advice I once got from a confessor: "Pray as you can; not as you can't."

[Salvation]

**However, the use of guitars and tambourines has irritated the Pope, who loves classical music.**

I don't think Pope Benedict XVI is the only one who has been perburbed by this kind of music.