Singing obligatory?

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If singing is “obligatory” (it’s not), then not having insipid hymn/song texts should also be “obligatory.”
 
We’re supposed to generally make an effort to participate in the parts of the Mass where the congregation is called upon to sing, speak, or gesture, to the best of our ability.

There are a million reasons why someone might not want to sing, ranging from laryngitis to not knowing the song to finding it difficult to sing to not being able to find it in the hymnal in time to join in.
I’ve had all these issues and more, such as being upset and wanting to go to Mass but not wishing to sing while I am grieving over a death or something.
Just do your best and don’t worry about it.
 
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There was an older woman who used to sit near us at the 1100 Mass who could neither carry nor unload a tune. Nevertheless, she would sing out, and I loved to hear it. Her health has been deteriorating, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen (or heard) her. I miss her.

As for me, I am a trained Southern Gospel singer, bass-baritone range, and I almost always improvise a bass line to whatever is being sung. There are a few songs that I won’t sing, such as some of those from the hootenany era, and the occasional non-Christian song (“Simple Gifts” comes to mind), but I join in on most of the songs, and all of the sung prayers. If other people don’t want to sing, I consider that to be their business, and I will not criticize.

D
 
I say that if God wanted me to have a beautiful singing voice, I would have it. The voice I have is for Him.
 
Edmundus1581 said:
This question has a “canonical” answer, from church teaching, which is that yes, one is obliged to join in the singing, however all of your concerns are valid, which I’ll sum up as “The state of contemporary music (in most parishes) discourages singing”.
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That is NOT a “canonical obligation” to sing.

You could easily confuse someone with this post.

There is no obligation to sing.
 
Here’s the text. Although it doesn’t EXPLICITLY say that one is “obliged” to sing, it certainly says that it’s greatly important, and should not be absent on Sundays and holy days. So, interpret that as you will. IMHO, I think it means that everyone ought to sing unless you have a grave reason not to…not simply because you don’t feel like it, or think your voice worthy enough.

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There is nothing in that canon making it obligatory to sing at Mass.

Obligation in canon law means it’s a sin not to do it, usually.

We have many scrupulous people on CAF… Implying not singing at Mass is sinful is no good.
 
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I think I just said it doesn’t say it’s obligatory. And I never said it was a sin, either.
 
That’s what I was wondering: Is it a sin to not sing? Perhaps it’s only a sin to not sing the important prayers (Kyrie, Gloria,…) when they are meant to be sung by the people. That’s at least what I understand from the answer of PeterT.
 
opop said:
Perhaps it’s only a sin to not sing the important prayers (Kyrie, Gloria,…) when the
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No, it’s not even a sin to not sing those parts.

You could show up to Mass and sit in the pew, never stand, never kneel, and never speak a word - just sit there and follow silently in your heart, and this would fulfill the obligation to assist at Mass.

We should not lay burdens on people which the Church herself does not lay - it is NOT a sin to not sing ANYTHING in Mass, or even to not speak anything.
 
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Agreed. In my first post I said that one is “obliged” to sing, but you are correct that singing is not strictly obliged however it very strongly encouraged in church documents of the highest level (your and my references). These documents say that participation in singing is very important both for the beauty of the liturgy itself, and also for the faithful being united in active participation in the Mass. The principle of “unity” means that we should sing even if we dislike the particular musical setting. If we really can’t sing, then we should at least make some sign of participating.

I used the word “obliged” because that was in the first post. I didn’t realise that the OP was more interested in a legalistic argument about the word “obliged” and what the church doesn’t say (ie. the Church doesn’t say “obliged”) than what the Church does say about congregational singing.
 
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KMG said:
If singing is “obligatory” (it’s not), then not having insipid hymn/song texts should also be “obligatory.”
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Neither singing nor having hymns at Mass are obligatory. The Mass of the Roman rite has an entire set of propers (as opposed to the ordinary of the Mass, noted above) to each Mass which should be chanted instead of or with the hymns, which, as you already noted, are sometimes of dubious quality - in both lyrics as well as tunes.
 
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Okay that’s more reassuring. But do you a have a source to say it’s not a sin?
 
opop said:
source to say it’s not a sin?
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Yes.

Since the Church has not articulated that it is an obligation for the faithful to sing anything during Mass under pain of sin, that means it is not a sin to not do such a thing - the Church has not bound the faithful under such an obligation.

You will find nothing in the Magisterium, Canon Law, or General Instructions which mandate the laity to sing at Mass under pain of sin - so the Church teaches it is not a sin to not sing.

http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM
 
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Spyridon said:
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opop:
Perhaps it’s only a sin to not sing the important prayers (Kyrie, Gloria,…) when the
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No, it’s not even a sin to not sing those parts.

You could show up to Mass and sit in the pew, never stand, never kneel, and never speak a word - just sit there and follow silently in your heart, and this would fulfill the obligation to assist at Mass.

We should not lay burdens on people which the Church herself does not lay - it is NOT a sin to not sing ANYTHING in Mass, or even to not speak anything.
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Hmm…

You created a straw-man argument that you promptly knocked down.

No one, including me, ever stated on this thread that it was a sin NOT to sing at a Mass. But the main purpose of every Mass is to worship God to the very best of our ability as the gathered mystical Body of Christ and that includes worshiping God in song (if there are songs sung) and in words, including words spoken (or sung) by the assembly. Not to say (or sing) the words that the liturgy of the Mass expects us, the assembled Body of Christ, to say or sing (if we’re physically able to do so) is not to worship God to the best of our collective ability.

Now — for the record — I am NOT saying that is a sin. But it is something that is indeed contrary to the spirit and the purpose of the Mass itself.

(Nor should most anyone — who is physically able — find singing or saying the appropriate prayers and responses of the liturgy burdensome.)
 
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Further to the lady that I mentioned in #24, I learned from my wife that she eventually got to the point where she had to have help, and now she’s living with one of her children in another city 😦

D
 
PeterT said:
Now — for the record — I am NOT saying that is a sin. But it is something that is indeed contrary to the spirit and the purpose of the Mass itself.

(Nor should most anyone — who is physically able — find singing or saying the appropriate prayers and responses of the liturgy burdensome.)
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Well, I’ve been to Masses where I was so tired or depressed that pretty much all I did was sit in my seat and cry silently through the whole thing. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

You might not find something “burdensome”, but everybody is not like you, and we don’t all live up to expectations on all days. Better to be at Mass doing what one can do, even in the face of judgments like you seem to be handing out, than to not be there at all and distancing themself from Jesus.
 
Yeah. The way my week is scheduled, I’m coming straight from a call center shift at the end of my workweek, and then going to Mass. I don’t sing much for the simple reason that my voice is worn out by the end of it.
 
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