Is it okay to sing pop and rock Christian songs inside the church?

  • Thread starter Thread starter souldiver
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

souldiver

Guest
I know the Pope is making a rock album, but I know they are not sung inside Catholic churches.
 
Which church? This is posted in non-Catholic religions.
Liturgical music is not the same as Christian radio/pop music.
 
souldiver said:
I know the Pope is making a rock album, but I know they are not sung inside Catholic churches.
Click to expand...
As a confessional Lutheran, I do not prefer it, but our confessions allow for varying traditions in worship music. That said, music is always expected to be doctrinally sound, and that would exclude some contemporary Christian music.

Jon
 
Cardinal Arinze - former Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith in the Catholic Church gives a brief explanation regarding secular music in the Catholic Church (see youtube clip below).

youtube.com/watch?v=BIjys5NuPwY

"Music in the CC must be theologically deep, liturgically rooted and musically acceptable.

The music should mean: adoration of God; Praise of God; asking pardon for our sins and reparation or begging God for for what we need not what we want."

He mentions that it is disappointing that some Catholic Churches use inappropriate music.
 
SAVINGRACE said:
Cardinal Arinze - former Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith in the Catholic Church gives a brief explanation regarding secular music in the Catholic Church (see youtube clip below).

youtube.com/watch?v=BIjys5NuPwY

"Music in the CC must be theologically deep, liturgically rooted and musically acceptable.

The music should mean: adoration of God; Praise of God; asking pardon for our sins and reparation or begging God for for what we need not what we want."
Click to expand...
He was addressing the liturgy in that video. Also, the thread question is not about secular music, but Catholic rock, a category which is undefined. Does the original poster mean to ask about the music that is acceptable for liturgical purposes, or just what is acceptable inside a church building, outside of Mass? The two have different answers, sort of.
 
The “praise music” wave has overtaken many Baptist Churches. I am not a fan, but i am also an old guy so… Anyway, i believe that the use of modern praise music is an attempt to draw younger people and young families to Church. Again, i am not a fan of this mindset, but no one asked my opinion. Thankfully my Church has an early service where mostly old standards are sung by the congregation and used by the choir.
 
The Pope is making a rock album? This sounds like a troll post.
 
pianistclare said:
What is your source?
Click to expand...
Yes, the pope rock recorded a rock album. Not a hoax. Not a troll. Here are but a few corroborating sources, including from when the news broke a couple months ago:

Billboard: billboard.com/articles/news/6707929/pope-francis-wake-up-go-go-forward

Breitbart: breitbart.com/national-security/2015/11/29/pope-francis-releases-prog-rock-album-wake/

Rolling Stone: rollingstone.com/music/news/pope-francis-to-release-pop-rock-album-wake-up-20150925

Wall Street Journal: blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/11/30/pope-franciss-wake-up-prog-rock-album-what-critics-are-saying/

Here’s The Guardian’s album stream, so you can hear it for yourself:

The Guardian: theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/26/pope-francis-wake-up-exclusive-album-stream
 
pianistclare said:
What is your source?
Click to expand...
Here is the track listing as listed on The Telegraph’s web stream of the album:

Tracklisting:
  1. Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum! (Italian);
    First greeting from the central loggia of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on 13 March 2013.
    Music: Tu Es Petrus with an insert of Adonai (Jewish traditional prayer)
  2. Salve Regina (Spanish and Italian);
    Meeting with young people from Argentina in the Cathedral of St Sebastian, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 25 July 2013.
    Music: Salve Regina
3.Cuidar el planeta (Spanish);
Speech during pope visit to FAO in Rome, Italy on 20 November 2014.
Music: Cuidar El Planeda (Cantico delle creature in Spagnolo)
  1. ¿Por qué sufren los ninos? (Spanish);
    Speech given to young people at St Thomas university in Manila, Philippines on 18 January 2015.
    Music: Jesu dulcis memoria
5.Non lasciatevi rubare la speranza! (Italian);
Speech to students of Jesuit schools of Italy and Albania in Vatican City on 7 June 2013.
Music: Christe Redemptor Omnium
  1. La Iglesia no puede ser una ONG! (Spanish);
    Meeting with young Argentinians at the Cathedral of St Sebastian in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 25 July 2013.
    Music: Ubi Carita et Amor, Deus ibi est
  2. Wake up! Go! Go! Forward! (English);
    Homily during the closing Mass for the sixth Asian youth day at Haemi castle, South Korea on 17 August 2014.
    Music: Ego sum Resurrectio et Vitam
  3. La fe es entera, no se licua! (Spanish);
    Speech delivered meeting young people from Argentina at the Cathedral of St Sebastian in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 25 July 2013.
    Music: Vexilla regis prodeunt
  4. Pace! Fratelli! (Italian);
    Invocation for peace, given with Israeli president Shimon Peres and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican Gardens, Vatican City on 8 June 2014.
    Music: Veni Sancte Spiritus
  5. Santa famiglia di Nazareth (Italian);
    Family Day prayer at St. Peter’s Basilica square, Vatican City on 27 October 2013.
    Music: Santa Famiglia di Nazareth
  6. Fazei o que Ele vos disser! (Italian and Portuguese);
    Holy Mass Homily at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida, Brazil on 24 July 2014.
    Music: Ave Maris Stella
Source: theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/26/pope-francis-wake-up-exclusive-album-stream
 
Prog-rock mixed with Gregorian chant? I don’t know what Pope Francis is thinking but this certainly does not appeal to me as a young person:eek: Why does the ancient faith need to be made hip and groovey all of a sudden? I was once in St Anthony’s chapel in Pittsburgh, a famous reliquary, when my Orthodox friend and I heard pop music through the stereo system they had in there. It was quiet but we still heard it and I was emberassed that was the image of Catholicism he received–a discordant juxtaposition of ancient and modern. Gregorian chant does not mix with progressive rock.
 
The pop/rock album will appeal to some. Each to their own tastes. I prefer Gregorian chant on its own, in it’s purest form but I can understand that it doesn’t suit everyone.
 
SAVINGRACE said:
The pop/rock album will appeal to some. Each to their own tastes. I prefer Gregorian chant on its own, in it’s purest form but I can understand that it doesn’t suit everyone.
Click to expand...
I reject the “each to his own tastes” argument when it comes to worship. It’s fine reasoning when you place it in the right context–listening to music for enjoyment or for studying. Here’s my problem: certain objects demand an appropriate affective response. Worship of God should never be something casual and fun, like joining a party with your high school buddies. Rock and pop engender a casual fun loving emotional response. The saints of the Church make it very clear that to grow closer to God, we have to endure suffering (St. John of the Cross). It is not good enough to keep doctrinally sound lyrics but also have them played to the tune of just any instrument whatsoever. The emotional response becomes more governed by the sound than the content of the lyrics. Rock music brings you down to earth. It does not lift you up to Heaven. I am deeply sorrowful that the RCC has given in to the urge to modernize. It introduces a “hermeneutic of discontinuity” in my opinion. Now, those who love the old ways are regarded as no more than quaint individuals with outdated “tastes”.

Again, think to yourself: is it appropriate to have pop music playing in a reliquary as I experienced or is that not rather a mockery of a holy place? Also modernizing the Church’s worship is definitely not a good way to improve ecumenical relations with the Orthodox.
 
Jon_Mallory said:
I reject the “each to his own tastes” argument when it comes to worship. It’s fine reasoning when you place it in the right context–listening to music for enjoyment or for studying. Here’s my problem: certain objects demand an appropriate affective response. Worship of God should never be something casual and fun, like joining a party with your high school buddies. Rock and pop engender a casual fun loving emotional response. The saints of the Church make it very clear that to grow closer to God, we have to endure suffering (St. John of the Cross).
Click to expand...
Suffering = Gregorian Chant ??? If you did not mean this, what possible reason could there be for bringing up suffering.

I agree that “to each their own taste” is not the way to choose worship music, but neither is whatever is the oldest and most traditional. The proper way to choose worship music is to rely on the bishops and the priests in each local parish do determine what is most proper for their particular Masses, within the very generous boundaries the Church allows.
 
pnewton said:
Suffering = Gregorian Chant ??? If you did not mean this, what possible reason could there be for bringing up suffering.

I agree that “to each their own taste” is not the way to choose worship music, but neither is whatever is the oldest and most traditional. The proper way to choose worship music is to rely on the bishops and the priests in each local parish do determine what is most proper for their particular Masses, within the very generous boundaries the Church allows.
Click to expand...
Pardon my heated post. I get very emotional when it comes to these topics. I have no problem with the guitar or piano accompaniment so I am not in the rigid traditionalist camp. I mentioned suffering in connection to chant because while chant itself does not cause suffering, it puts one in a somber mindset that is more accepting of the role of suffering in the Christian life. Music affects our way of thinking. Fasting and pious living is the last thing on my mind when I listen to a pop or rock song.
 
Jon_Mallory said:
**I reject the “each to his own tastes” argument when it comes to worship. It’s fine reasoning when you place it in the right context–listening to music for enjoyment or for studying. Here’s my problem: certain objects demand an appropriate affective response. Worship of God should never be something casual and fun, like joining a party with your high school buddies. Rock and pop engender a casual fun loving emotional response. **The saints of the Church make it very clear that to grow closer to God, we have to endure suffering (St. John of the Cross). It is not good enough to keep doctrinally sound lyrics but also have them played to the tune of just any instrument whatsoever. The emotional response becomes more governed by the sound than the content of the lyrics. Rock music brings you down to earth. It does not lift you up to Heaven. I am deeply sorrowful that the RCC has given in to the urge to modernize. It introduces a “hermeneutic of discontinuity” in my opinion. Now, those who love the old ways are regarded as no more than quaint individuals with outdated “tastes”.

Again, think to yourself: is it appropriate to have pop music playing in a reliquary as I experienced or is that not rather a mockery of a holy place? Also modernizing the Church’s worship is definitely not a good way to improve ecumenical relations with the Orthodox.
Click to expand...
👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top