Francis Cardinal Arinze on Liturgical Dance

[japhy]

I don’t check the Francis Cardinal Arinze podcast all that often, but I came across the web site today, and noticed this article: Video: Want to Dance? (Q & A 2007 - part II). I watched the video. The first set of questions had to do with proper procedure during Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; the second set of questions were about dance and secular music in the liturgy; the third had to do with a priest’s lack of concern about relativism.

Here are a couple nuggets of what Cardinal Arinze said in response to the question about dance (starting at 3:30 in the feed, about a third of the way in):
In the strict liturgy – that means the Mass, the sacraments – Europe and America should not talk of liturgical dance at all because dance as known in Europe and North America is not part of worship. So they should forget it and not talk about it at all.

[W]e think that the dance should not enter the liturgy at all, and the people discussing liturgical dance should spend that time saying the Rosary. [laughter and applause] Or they should spend that time reading one of the documents of the Pope on the Holy Eucharist. We have already enough problems; why banalize more, why desacralize more? Haven’t we already enough confusion? If you want to admire a dance, you know where to go. But not Mass.
Read more at my blog.

 

[pjn6444]

Good to hear. I am glad the Cardinal is speaking out against this problem. The problems today remind me of the problems in Corinth from the New Testament. Paul spoke out against the divisions and the self serving nature of many at the Eucharistic celebration. Maybe if people just got on board with the Magisterium and were more concerned with praising Christ and fostering community, then we would have less problems.

 

[valient_Lucy]

GMaybe if people just got on board with the Magisterium and were more concerned with praising Christ and fostering community, then we would have less problems.

They might just find that praising Christ fosters community.

 

[benedictgal]

Cardinal Arinze also made some very specific references to Liturgical Dance in this article from Adoremus:

Has liturgical dance been approved for Masses by your office?

There has never been a document from our Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments saying that dance is approved in the Mass.

The question of dance is difficult and delicate. However, it is good to know that the tradition of the Latin Church has not known the dance. It is something that people are introducing in the last ten years – or twenty years. It was not always so. Now it is spreading like wildfire, one can say, in all the continents – some more than others. In my own continent, Africa, it is spreading. In Asia, it is spreading.

Now, some priests and lay people think that Mass is never complete without dance. The difficulty is this: we come to Mass primarily to adore God – what we call the vertical dimension. We do not come to Mass to entertain one another. That’s not the purpose of Mass. The parish hall is for that.

[Edited by Moderator]

If anything, Cardinal Arinze is very consistent in what he says. I’m so happy that he was kept as Prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He pulls no punches and is very direct in his statements. This makes me wonder: What part of “no” don’t some people understand?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have only seen live “liturgical dancing” once. It was intensely embarrassing to even be there witnessing it.

 

[truthsilence]

Would dancers who come in ahead of the the procession be considered liturgical dancers? Sincere question, I honestly do not know.

I saw this at mass yesterday. It’s a little bit like the first time I experienced a full rock band at mass. It just seemed a tad strange to me.

 

[japhy]

Would dancers who come in ahead of the the procession be considered liturgical dancers? Sincere question, I honestly do not know.

Oh, is your church playing “let’s cram the abuses in immediately prior to the technical beginning of Mass” game? It seems to me like those dancers are still “part” of the procession, and they’re still “liturgical” “dancers”.

 

[THurifer2]

Oh, is your church playing “let’s cram the abuses in immediately prior to the technical beginning of Mass” game? It seems to me like those dancers are still “part” of the procession, and they’re still “liturgical” “dancers”.

WHY have dancers. I have talked to men about this issue and we have come to the conclusion that liturgical dancers are a feminine element. Its hard enough to get men at Mass…why make it worse.

 

[po18guy]

I love this man! Such clarity! Such purpose! Such Holiness. There is a deficit of holiness in the church. Talking, joking, entertainment. I am the first guilty. We need this strong admonition, in the style of Saint Paul, to keep us from completely losing the solemnity of Calvary, which we visit at mass.

I am reading Francis Cardinal Arinze’s book Celebrating the Holy Eucharist. Many of his teachings are stressed there. He is a brilliant man, and a worthy successor to the Apostles.

Thank you very much for the link. I have bookmarked it.

Christ’s peace.

 

[japhy]

WHY have dancers. I have talked to men about this issue and we have come to the conclusion that liturgical dancers are a feminine element. Its hard enough to get men at Mass…why make it worse.

Either that, or the dancers are dressed inappropriately, and you have men spending the rest of Mass thinking about things that shouldn’t be thought about in a church, no matter what is taking place.

We need this strong admonition, in the style of Saint Paul, to keep us from completely losing the solemnity of Calvary, which we visit at mass.

I agree! Try telling that to the people who’d like to see less solemnity and more frivolity.