Protestant cantor

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Markongcatholic

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We have a protestant couple that play the organ and piano with our choir/congregation. Our choir director is having him cant the responsorial psalm at Mass. Is this liturgically correct?
 
I don’t know if it is liturgically correct or not. I think it is an abuse of trust. Catholics should demand that their liturgy be lead by other Catholics. You have to ask, why would a Protestant want to sing at a Catholic liturgy? It is because they truly believe in the beauty and the sacredness of the Mass? Of course not!! They want to use their music skills & get paid for them. It’s employment to them & a chance to show off their musical talent. Could you get any further away from the true meaning of song at Mass? It is to lift our voices in praise of our God.

It’s extremely frustrating. Why would you put Protestants in charge of the prayers for Mass? The songs are not some sort of entertainment. Song is a form of prayer to God.
 
We have a protestant couple that play the organ and piano with our choir/congregation. Our choir director is having him cant the responsorial psalm at Mass. Is this liturgically correct?
In my old parish in Austin, we had a Lutheran who served both as our director of music as well as our organist. He was actually very good and more orthodox than the order staffing the parish. He believed in good, solid music and made every effort to use sound hymns rich in Catholic theology. He wrote a setting for the propers of the Mass that sounded very high-Church, if you will. Ditto for his settings for the responsorial psalms (which he gave me for use in our cathedral).

I’m frankly surprised that he never converted. In fact, his wife played at my late grandmother’s former parish in South Austin. She was also of the same stock, but, she didn’t compose any music, at least not to my knowledge.

I can’t tell you about the cantoring part, but, I don’t know if that would be an issue or not.
 
I think its wrong.

From the Directory on Ecumenism at vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_25031993_principles-and-norms-on-ecumenism_en.html :

“126. Catholics may read lessons at a sacramental liturgical celebration in the Eastern Churches if they are invited to do so. An Eastern Christian may be invited to read the lessons at similar services in Catholic churches.”

But in this case the person is not an Eastern Christian, so this part of the directory applies:
“133. The reading of Scripture during a Eucharistic celebration in the Catholic Church is to be done by members of that Church. On exceptional occasions and for a just cause, the Bishop of the diocese may permit a member of another Church or ecclesial Community to take on the task of reader.”

It would be true to say that the role of cantor is not the same as that of lector. But I think its reasonable to say they are similar enough for the instruction to apply to both.

The 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) has:
“107. The liturgical duties that are not proper to the priest or the deacon and are listed above (cf. nos. 100-106) may also be entrusted by a liturgical blessing or a temporary deputation to suitable lay persons chosen by the pastor or rector of the church.”
 
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