Pope Urges Attn to Liturgical Music

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Pope Calls for More Efforts in Liturgical Music
In a Message to Experts Gathered at the Vatican

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 5, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI appealed for greater attention to sacred liturgical music, in a message sent to the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

In his brief message to Cardinal Francis Arinze, the Pope greeted the participants in a day of study organized today by that Vatican dicastery on the topic “Sacred Music: A Liturgical and Pastoral Challenge.”

“Echoing the call of my beloved predecessor, I would like to encourage those who cultivate sacred music to continue this journey,” said Benedict XVI said.

In particular, the Holy Father suggested that the Vatican congregation reflect “on the relationship between music and liturgy, while remaining attentive to practical applications and experimentation, and maintaining constant understanding and collaboration with national episcopal conferences.”

www.zenit.org
Code: ZE05120506
Date: 2005-12-05
 
I love these statements, but they are also frustrating because it seems as if they are spoken or published, but then nothing is done to turn them into reality with our Bishops and priests.
 
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Elzee:
I love these statements, but they are also frustrating because it seems as if they are spoken or published, but then nothing is done to turn them into reality with our Bishops and priests.
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Give Benedict time. He’s been Pope for less than a year and things are already changing. Just wait.
 
Vatican Radio quoted him saying: “In no way must it give way to shallowness, superficiality or theatricality.”
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cardinal arize is a awesome guy. but much of what he says about the liturgy is very subjective. all of these terms are subjective in that they are not universal. my shallowness is diffrent then say someone who enjoys the charismatic movement.
 
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totustuusmaria:
Give Benedict time. He’s been Pope for less than a year and things are already changing. Just wait.
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Can you tell me how things are already changing…that may help my impatience! And you’re right…it has only been less than a year…I need to be more patient. :tiphat:
 
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Elzee:
Can you tell me how things are already changing…that may help my impatience! And you’re right…it has only been less than a year…I need to be more patient. :tiphat:
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I’m too lazy to provide quotations and citations, but here’s brief overview:
  1. The ethos is changing.
    This is really really important. Everyone around Pope Benedict XVI is beginning to think differently.
  2. The Pope chose a new master of liturgies to plan his liturgies
    This sends a powerful message that he’s taking the task of changing things seriously.
  3. The Pope has suspended and defrocked certain priests.
    Any willingness to discipline speaks well of Benedict.
  4. The Pope has eliminated the autonomous nature of the folks in Assisi
    No more Assisi meetings
  5. The Pope has thus far kept his word. He has released the document on homosexuality and has seemed to indicate that he intends to enforce it as well.
  6. The Pope is a German: he is practical, pragmatic, and keeps his word.
  7. The Pope has acted more like previous Popes did.
    He’s taken more control, written his own documents, spent more time consentrating on running the Church and the Vatican, and even dressed and behaved more like previous Popes did. This speaks well of his willingness to bring more order to the Church because it illistrates his veneration for Tradition and his personal care to fullfill all the requirements of the Papacy.
  8. People in the Vatican are very nervous.
    The Pope has kept to himself a lot. This makes the people in the Vatican very nervous. Most people believe he is preparing for some pretty major leadership changes.
  9. The Pope strongly corrected the Austrian hiearchy.
Basically, Benedict has done that much empiracally, but the little things he has done has been a big change in the way people around him thing, and he’s given every indication that he’s much more willing than his predecessor to enforce the law.

Things won’t change immediately (Benedict isn’t going to remove every priest who introduces bad music or liturgical novelties), but things will change because he has a strategy and he’s following it very well.

I heard one person say just today that Benedict is prepared, if necessary, to strip the name Catholic from every institution which dissents. I don’t know how immediate his actions will be, but I think they’ll be calculated. You can bet that after the theoretical and abstract thinking and leadership of the Polish John Paul the Second, Benedict’s German practicality is going to be very very evident.

That’s my opinion, at any rate.
 
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totustuusmaria:
  1. The Pope chose a new master of liturgies to plan his liturgies
    This sends a powerful message that he’s taking the task of changing things seriously.
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Didn’t know a new one had already been chosen. Who is it?
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totustuusmaria:
  1. The Pope is a German: he is practical, pragmatic, and keeps his word.
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😃
 
oat soda:
cardinal arize is a awesome guy. but much of what he says about the liturgy is very subjective. all of these terms are subjective in that they are not universal. my shallowness is diffrent then say someone who enjoys the charismatic movement.
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The use of subjective vs. objective is evidence of intent that there are areas for discretion for Bishops, esp. in areas of culture. For instance, what an African diocese would consider reverant and appropriate is different that what Americans would consider reverant. Additionally, while organs/pianos are common place in Europe and North America, this is not so in Africa (drums are the preferred available instrument) or Mexico (guitars are the preferred available instrument). Finally, the Liturgy already has accepted accommodations/adaptations for Masses targeted to children/teens and the charismatic movement (as you point out).
 
May I humbly reveal my ignorance and ask what the Assisi comment means? Thanks in advance!
 
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totustuusmaria:
I’m too lazy to provide quotations and citations, but here’s brief overview:
  1. The ethos is changing.
    This is really really important. Everyone around Pope Benedict XVI is beginning to think differently.
  2. The Pope chose a new master of liturgies to plan his liturgies
    This sends a powerful message that he’s taking the task of changing things seriously.
  3. The Pope has suspended and defrocked certain priests.
    Any willingness to discipline speaks well of Benedict.
  4. The Pope has eliminated the autonomous nature of the folks in Assisi
    No more Assisi meetings
  5. The Pope has thus far kept his word. He has released the document on homosexuality and has seemed to indicate that he intends to enforce it as well.
  6. The Pope is a German: he is practical, pragmatic, and keeps his word.
  7. The Pope has acted more like previous Popes did.
    He’s taken more control, written his own documents, spent more time consentrating on running the Church and the Vatican, and even dressed and behaved more like previous Popes did. This speaks well of his willingness to bring more order to the Church because it illistrates his veneration for Tradition and his personal care to fullfill all the requirements of the Papacy.
  8. People in the Vatican are very nervous.
    The Pope has kept to himself a lot. This makes the people in the Vatican very nervous. Most people believe he is preparing for some pretty major leadership changes.
  9. The Pope strongly corrected the Austrian hiearchy.
Basically, Benedict has done that much empiracally, but the little things he has done has been a big change in the way people around him thing, and he’s given every indication that he’s much more willing than his predecessor to enforce the law.

Things won’t change immediately (Benedict isn’t going to remove every priest who introduces bad music or liturgical novelties), but things will change because he has a strategy and he’s following it very well.

I heard one person say just today that Benedict is prepared, if necessary, to strip the name Catholic from every institution which dissents. I don’t know how immediate his actions will be, but I think they’ll be calculated. You can bet that after the theoretical and abstract thinking and leadership of the Polish John Paul the Second, Benedict’s German practicality is going to be very very evident.

That’s my opinion, at any rate.
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Very well put! Thank you. I’ve heard of some of these, but putting them all together does give me encouragement and I never thought of them collectively. I was ecstatic when Ratzinger was elected, and I guess hoped he would come in and move swifly - based on my definition of ‘swiftly’. All in God’s time…and I’m sure Benedict is more tuned in to that timing than I am…!.

One question…do you know if the Church ‘owns’ the name ‘Catholic’. Is it copyrighted, so to speak, by the Vatican, or can anyone use the name ‘Catholic’ on any church or institution they wish?
 
Deo Gratias! Habemus Magnam Papam!

Starting right now: Benedictus XVI fan club!
 
I do hope this does come through, then church I am techincally supposed to go to has played David Bowe songs in the past, needless to say, I don’t go there anymore.
 
Additionally, while organs/pianos are common place in Europe and North America, this is not so in Africa (drums are the preferred available instrument) or Mexico (guitars are the preferred available instrument).
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i totally understand what you are saying and it may well be the case. but, you also can interpret sacrosanctum concilium and many of the writings of the popes as suggesting that sacred music is universal and subsits in the latin rite as gregorian chant and to maybe even sacred polyphony.

while they may be “western” in their development, chant has its roots in the temple in the hebrew liturgy and is truely apostolic in origin. all the rites of the catholic church have chant associated with their liturgy. and in sacrosanctum concilium, it says music is more important then the art inside the church.

my problem is the church needs to write specific prohibitions and requirements in this reguard and not leave everything in these vauge terminologies. in fact, i think much of the confusion following VII has a lot to do with the interpretation of vauge documents outside of the tradition of the church.
 
oat soda:
i totally understand what you are saying and it may well be the case. but, you also can interpret sacrosanctum concilium and many of the writings of the popes as suggesting that sacred music is universal and subsits in the latin rite as gregorian chant and to maybe even sacred polyphony.

while they may be “western” in their development, chant has its roots in the temple in the hebrew liturgy and is truely apostolic in origin. all the rites of the catholic church have chant associated with their liturgy. and in sacrosanctum concilium, it says music is more important then the art inside the church.

my problem is the church needs to write specific prohibitions and requirements in this reguard and not leave everything in these vauge terminologies. in fact, i think much of the confusion following VII has a lot to do with the interpretation of vauge documents outside of the tradition of the church.
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I don’t agree that when the Church intends absolute uniformity the instructions must be clear. However, when the Church intends flexibility to the Bishop to accommodate the culture and spiritual needs of the faithful in the area, we need to trust that the Bishop’s best understand what is most appropriate in this regard.
 
I do hope this does come through, then church I am techincally supposed to go to has played David Bowe songs in the past, needless to say, I don’t go there anymore.
Click to expand...
Whoa! My friends and I had joked that once I become a priest (by the Grace of God) that I should use one of his songs that has for one of the lyrics,

"Modern love - gets me to the church on time

Church on time - terrifies me

Church on time - makes me party"

To encourage folks to quit coming to Mass late. However, it was only a joke! I never thought any church would actually play Bowie during Mass! :rolleyes:
 
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