Taizé

[JReducation]

They’ve had a Taize service the past few months at my Parish and I’ve been invited to attend several times. I don’t know the details about it, but generally don’t like the idea. I’ve heard the chants and overall mood and spirit of reflection would be a wonderful experience, but I told my fellow parishioners who i love dearly I’d feel have a much more spiritual connection with God with our own Gregorian chant in a Latin Mass. I’m not even a hard core traditionalist, but something about this makes me uneasy. This unity accepting disunity seems at odds with one another.

Taize is approved by the Sacred Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. It’s life and work received pontifical approval from Bl. John Paul II. They are as legitimate as are Benedictine monks, Camaldolese monks, Trappist monks, Cistercian monks and Carthusian hermits.

Their chant is actually taken from the Franciscan tradition. It’s very old. It goes back about 800 years. St. Clare banned Gregorian Chant from the Franciscan Order. Some houses followed the Benedictine rule. Those houses still use Gregorian Chant. Those houses that follow the Rules of Francis and Clare do not. When there was a need for chant, a very simple form of chant, which was almost recto-tone, surfaced.

With the Protestant Reformation, those Franciscans who became Protestants evolved the form of chant to the form that is used in Taize today. The Franciscans who remained Catholic also evolved their form of chant to a moral simple which is what you will usually hear at mass on EWTN when the priest or the congregation chant. The chant of Taize as grounded in Catholic tradition as is Gregorian. Gregorian was developed by the Benedictine tradition and this form by the Franciscan tradition.

There was a very good reason to develop this chant. The old custom was that you could not sing Gregorian chant unless you were a choir monk or male member of a schola. Gregorian chant divided religious communities. Those who used it were choir monks and those who did not were lay brothers or lay sisters. Clare opposed the idea of a divided religious house, because Francis opposed the notion. Francis opposed it verbally and she codified into written law to this day.

No big deal here. Taize is approved and promoted by the Catholic Church. Many monks of Taize are Catholic. Their current superior is Catholic. Their music is approved for use in Catholic worship including mass. It has the approval of the Catholic ordinary of their diocese. That’s all that is needed. The ordinary has the authority to approve anything for a religious community in his jurisdiction and the community can carry it with it wherever it goes until another bishop says that the approved form of music is not allowed in his diocese. I don’t foresee any Catholic bishop prohibiting this form of chant, since it is of Catholic origin and because the community involved has Vatican approval.

Just for the record, Taize is not under the jurisdiction of the Vatican. However, the Holy Father approved it for Catholic membership. In other words, Catholics my join Taize and make vows there. Those individuals come under the Sacred Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, because they are truly consecrated religious. They are not laity.

 

[Joannm]

I have prepared and led Taize prayer services. What can be more Catholic than kneeling before a crucifix and singing praises to God surrounded by icons of Jesus, Mary and the saints.

 

[JReducation]

 

[Alfonsus]

If I get it right, a Taize Mass is an ordinary Mass with music and song of Taize Community.
They don’t only have meditative songs or psalms, but they also have complete repertoire of Ordinary of Mass in Taize way.
How is it done?
The people sing a short response over and over while a cantor sing the verses, such as Gloria, Creed, Our Father, Agnus Dei, etc.

 

[Joannm]

A Taize service is not a mass. I have been to Masses where they have used some Taize music but not an entire Mass. The services I have been involved with consist of chanting several pieces while in front of the crucifix and icons. There are usually lots of votive candles in the sanctuary and the lights are off or turned down very low. After several chants there is a reading from scripture and another chants to aid in meditation, then petitions. Then the people are invited to come up and venerate the cross. This is done very slowly, not in a line like on Good Friday. People come up when they feel like it and can spend as much time as they need to at the foot of the cross. Usually more than one person can come up at one time. All the time more chants are being sung. At the end we have the Lord’s Prayer and if a priest or deacon is present there is a blessing and dismissal. It takes about an hour. I have seen it done with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament as well, but I like the idea of the focus on the crucifix alone.

 

[JReducation]

This is correct. I’ve been to many of them in the USA and in Taize. Think of it as Lectio Divina with music.

 

[Joannm]

Think of it as Lectio Divina with music.

That’s a great way to think of it. I find the words of the chants are wonderful for meditation, and the slow pace and calming melody aid in meditation. “The Lord is my light, my light and salvation, in Him I Trust.” “Stay here and keep watch with me, watch and pray.” “O Lord hear my prayer. When I call answer me.” These are just a tiny sample of the beautiful texts that are the Taize chants.

 

[Pilgrim1701]

how can a non-catholic receive communion?

That is a legitimate question. As often is the case with Catholicism, there’s a general rule, applied to Catholics with exceptions made for non Catholics.

Actually there are specific but rare occasions when a non Catholic can receive, but they need permission of the priest and must fully believe in the Real Presence. I would have to look for the specific documentation.

If they fully believe in the real presence, would that not make them, we’ll, catholic.
Or is it that they can believe in the real presence in their own way and by their own definition, because there are a lot of denominations that would assert their belief in the real presence, but are denied inter-communion:shrug:

CCC 1401 When, in the Ordinary’s judgment, a grave necessity arises, Catholic ministers may give the sacraments of Eucharist, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick to other Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church, who ask for them of their own will, provided they give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding these sacraments and possess the required dispositions.

I’m not sure that a funeral, even that of a pope counts as grave necessity:shrug: it seems it was more a gesture of good will and charity, but I don’t think the canon you quote provides for that. But then perhaps the pertinent clause is the ordinary’s judgement, not mine, rather than grave necessity.
Still, hard to ask some Catholics struggling with different issues, like those for whatever reason are remarried , to not approach to receive the Eucharist, when non Catholics can receive as and when they choose. This is the problem with ecumenism. How far can you legitimately reach out to others while still maintaining doctrinaire positions with your own?

That’s a great way to think of it. I find the words of the chants are wonderful for meditation, and the slow pace and calming melody aid in meditation. “The Lord is my light, my light and salvation, in Him I Trust.” “Stay here and keep watch with me, watch and pray.” “O Lord hear my prayer. When I call answer me.” These are just a tiny sample of the beautiful texts that are the Taize chants.

That answers my question about the chants, I always get suspicious of ‘chanting’, unduly so perhaps, but at times there’s the connotation that they are in a foreign language, and that people don’t know what the word mean in their own mother tongue. I’ve had experience of it, where you are asked to join in, just doesn’t feel right. I wouldn’t have any problems with the one you quote though.

 

[bcuster]

What do you think of the Taizé Mass?

I am not sure what qualifies as a “Taize Mass.” We do have a contemplative Mass on Sunday evenings where music from the Taize community and traditional Latin Chant is mostly sung. I find it restful and reverent. Since the lights are dim and candles are lit, the repetitive verses in easy to sing without song books.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I am not sure what qualifies as a “Taize Mass.” We do have a contemplative Mass on Sunday evenings where music from the Taize community and traditional Latin Chant is mostly sung. I find it restful and reverent. Since the lights are dim and candles are lit, the repetitive verses in easy to sing without song books.

Oh, I’d love to attend a Mass like that.