The Mass Isn't Entertainment, Says Cardinal Arinze

[contemplative]

**The Mass Isn’t Entertainment, Says Cardinal Arinze

****In Interview, He Gives His Perspective on the Liturgy

**VATICAN CITY, NOV. 16, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The Mass is a moment of reflection and encounter with God, rather than a form of entertainment, says Cardinal Francis Arinze.

In an interview with Inside the Vatican magazine, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments made a comprehensive assessment of the recent Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist and of developments in liturgical practice 40 years after the Second Vatican Council.

Regarding “music in the liturgy, we should start by saying that Gregorian music is the Church’s precious heritage,” he said. “It should stay. It should not be banished. If therefore in a particular diocese or country, no one hears Gregorian music anymore, then somebody has made a mistake somewhere.” Read more

Code: ZE05111621
Date: 2005-11-16

 

[contemplative]

“When they want entertainment, they know where to go – parish hall, theater, presuming that their entertainment is acceptable from a moral theological point of view,” added the cardinal, 73, who this year celebrated the 40th anniversary of his episcopal ordination.

**A Holiday Concert with The Dady Brothers **
Saturday evening, December 10, 2005 at 7 p.m. is sure to be an evening of fine music and fun at St. Matthew Church, Route 20A in Livonia, New York. The well known Dady Brothers along with Roxanne Ziegler will perform a holiday concert for the community.
Tickets are available at the St. Matthew Parish Office, (585) 346-3815, West Shurfine in Livonia, The 1812 Country Store in Hemlock, Livonia Pharmacy in Lakeville and Julie’s Floral and Gifts in Conesus. Adults are $9. Seniors and children 4-12 are $5. and children 3 and under are free.
The Dady Brothers have been entertaining audiences for almost 30 years with rousing Irish ballads, toe tapping reels, and silly children’s songs for the child in all of us. Roxanne Ziegler has inspired many as she entertains audiences as an accomplished harpist.
All are invited to come and enjoy an evening of great family entertainment. Refreshments will be served.
From a parish bulletin
This concert has been and will be held again in nave of the church. With the tabernacle off to the side. This group will be center stage where the altar table would rest.

I suppose because there is no Mass at this time this is OK to do?

 

[the_phoenix]

I’ve seen the Dady Brothers perform live when I lived in Western New York. One of the highlights of the show was when one of the brothers played the tin whistle through his nose.

While I’m a huge fan of the Dady Brothers and love their music, I would vastly prefer seeing them perform somewhere other than inside a church where Jesus is present in the tabernacle.

I’ll now close this post by quoting from one of my favorite rollicking song renditions by the Dady Brothers that I had the pleasure of hearing live and in person at an Irish Festival.

"And it’s no, nae, never … no nae never, no more,
Well I played the wild rover, no never, no more …

I’m a rambler, I’m a gambler, I’m a long way from home
If you don’t like me then leave me alone.
Eat when I’m hungry, Drink when I’m dry,
If the whiskey don’t kill me I’ll live 'till I die!"

~~ the Irish phoenix

 

[JKirkLVNV]

I enjoyed reading what the Cardinal had to say, esp. this bit:

***"Contrary to what many think, he said, “even when there was the Tridentine Mass there were abuses. Many Catholics did not know, because they did not know Latin! So when the priest garbled the words, they were not aware of this.”

---

 

[contemplative]

the phoenix:

I’ve seen the Dady Brothers perform live when I lived in Western New York. One of the highlights of the show was when one of the brothers played the tin whistle through his nose.

While I’m a huge fan of the Dady Brothers and love their music, I would vastly prefer seeing them perform somewhere other than inside a church where Jesus is present in the tabernacle.

While I’ve never heard them…and I would have liked to, I too would vastly prefer they not perform in the nave of church. This new church actually has a good sized hall but it is not large enough or I suppose grand enough as the nave.
I was thinking of purchasing a single $9.00 ticket to get into church :whacky: ( get it? pay $9.00 to get into church) and take a digital picture to post here. Maybe I could catch a pic of the ‘nose whistle’ part.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Excellent article! Thanks for posting that!

 

[viktor_aleksndr]

Thanks God that He choose cardinal Arinze as the prefect of the congregation. He doesnt want to be influenced by the wants of the people but he is after the wants of the Holy Mother Church.

He is correct when he said that there were also abuses in the TLM those days but i think nowadays it will be prevented because of the technology in printing.

May God bless Cardinal Arionze for he is doing great things in the congregation.

 

[mjdonnelly]

I could have sworn this was a blessing when I was 7 and went to a latin mass:

priest making sign of the cross while chanting: domino, nabisco, austin, purina

 

[Catholic29]

JKirkLVNV:

I enjoyed reading what the Cardinal had to say, esp. this bit:

"Contrary to what many think, he said, "even when there was the Tridentine Mass there were abuses. Many Catholics did not know, because they did not know Latin! So when the priest garbled the words, they were not aware of this."

---

Now that one is very good, as well as the article!:clapping:

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

Among my favorite clips:

Regarding “music in the liturgy, we should start by saying that Gregorian music is the Church’s precious heritage,” he said. “It should stay. It should not be banished. If therefore in a particular diocese or country, no one hears Gregorian music anymore, then somebody has made a mistake somewhere.”

And this on Sacred Music:

“I will not now pronounce and say never guitar; that would be rather severe,” Cardinal Arinze added. “But much of guitar music may not be suitable at all for the Mass. Yet, it is possible to think of some guitar music that would be suitable, not as the ordinary one we get every time, [but with] the visit of a special group, etc.”

And this on Adoration and the Eucharist:

“But the sacrament does not finish after Mass,” the cardinal observed. “Christ is in the tabernacle to be brought to the sick, to receive our visits of adoration, praise, love, supplication. The synod fathers did not only talk about adoration – they did adoration, every day. Christ exposed in the monstrance in the chapel near the Synod Hall, one hour in the morning, one hour in the afternoon.”

“The synod also stressed the importance of good preparation for the holy Eucharist; to receive Communion,” he noted. “Therefore, confession of sins, for those who are in mortal sin and in any case encouraging the sacrament of penance as a way of growing in fidelity to Christ. And also that not everybody is fit to receive holy Communion, so those who are not fit should not receive.”

On homilies…

The “synod fathers recognize that many Catholics don’t have correct faith in the real presence of Christ in the holy Eucharist,” he said. "This was mentioned in one of the propositions as well.

Therefore, “although the homily should be on the Scripture readings and the other liturgical texts, some way has to be found to cover the whole area of Catholic faith in a period of three years because many Catholics are really ignorant of fundamental matters. That is a fact nobody can deny.”

And…Oh, how sweet it is!!!

There has been a bit of neglect of the holy Eucharist outside Mass," he said. "A lot of ignorance. A lot of temptations to showmanship for the priest who celebrates facing the people.

"So there are problems. However, some of the problems were not caused by Vatican II, but they were caused by children of the Church after Vatican II. Some of them talking of Vatican II push their own agenda. We have to watch that. People pushing their own agenda, justifying it as the ‘spirit of Vatican II.’" …cha-ching!

---

---

“So, if only people would be more faithful to what has been laid down, not by people who just like to make laws for other people, but what follows from what we believe. ‘Lex orandi, Lex credendi.’ It is our faith that directs our prayer life, and if we genuflect in front of the tabernacle it is because we believe that Jesus is there, and is God.”

 

[Elzee]

Among my favorite clips:

Regarding “music in the liturgy, we should start by saying that Gregorian music is the Church’s precious heritage,” he said. “It should stay. It should not be banished. If therefore in a particular diocese or country, no one hears Gregorian music anymore, then somebody has made a mistake somewhere.”

And this on Sacred Music:

“I will not now pronounce and say never guitar; that would be rather severe,” Cardinal Arinze added. “But much of guitar music may not be suitable at all for the Mass. Yet, it is possible to think of some guitar music that would be suitable, not as the ordinary one we get every time, [but with] the visit of a special group, etc.”

And this on Adoration and the Eucharist:

“But the sacrament does not finish after Mass,” the cardinal observed. “Christ is in the tabernacle to be brought to the sick, to receive our visits of adoration, praise, love, supplication. The synod fathers did not only talk about adoration – they did adoration, every day. Christ exposed in the monstrance in the chapel near the Synod Hall, one hour in the morning, one hour in the afternoon.”

“The synod also stressed the importance of good preparation for the holy Eucharist; to receive Communion,” he noted. “Therefore, confession of sins, for those who are in mortal sin and in any case encouraging the sacrament of penance as a way of growing in fidelity to Christ. And also that not everybody is fit to receive holy Communion, so those who are not fit should not receive.”

On homilies…

The “synod fathers recognize that many Catholics don’t have correct faith in the real presence of Christ in the holy Eucharist,” he said. "This was mentioned in one of the propositions as well.

Therefore, “although the homily should be on the Scripture readings and the other liturgical texts, some way has to be found to cover the whole area of Catholic faith in a period of three years because many Catholics are really ignorant of fundamental matters. That is a fact nobody can deny.”

And…Oh, how sweet it is!!!

There has been a bit of neglect of the holy Eucharist outside Mass," he said. "A lot of ignorance. A lot of temptations to showmanship for the priest who celebrates facing the people.

"So there are problems. However, some of the problems were not caused by Vatican II, but they were caused by children of the Church after Vatican II. Some of them talking of Vatican II push their own agenda. We have to watch that. People pushing their own agenda, justifying it as the ‘spirit of Vatican II.’" …cha-ching!

---

“So, if only people would be more faithful to what has been laid down, not by people who just like to make laws for other people, but what follows from what we believe. ‘Lex orandi, Lex credendi.’ It is our faith that directs our prayer life, and if we genuflect in front of the tabernacle it is because we believe that Jesus is there, and is God.”

Magnificent! But I have to ask…what weight is there in this?

 

[contemplative]

Elzee:

Magnificent! But I have to ask…what weight is there in this?

Great Hope!

In an interview with Inside the Vatican magazine, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments made a comprehensive assessment of the recent Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist and of developments in liturgical practice 40 years after the Second Vatican Council… read more.

 

[Walking_Home]

As long as there are people like the ones I see here, speaking for the holiness and sacredness of our mass, there will always be hope.

 

[fix]

JKirkLVNV:

I enjoyed reading what the Cardinal had to say, esp. this bit:

***"Contrary to what many think, he said, “even when there was the Tridentine Mass there were abuses. Many Catholics did not know, because they did not know Latin! So when the priest garbled the words, they were not aware of this.”

---

I am not certain that would even be considered an authentic abuse. Even if everyone agrees it is, that hardly compares to the nonsense that often goes on today.

 

[oat_soda]

some of what he says is good, some is too vauge. it seems he is playing both sides like a politician but in the end says very little. for instance, he says that gregorian chant should be heard but then says it is up to the bishops conference. that leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

However, “the Church is not saying that everything should be Gregorian music,” the cardinal clarified. "There is room for music which respects that language, that culture, that people. There is room for that too, and the present books say that is a matter for the bishops’ conference, because it generally goes beyond the boundaries of one diocese.

what we need are more specific guidelines that say how much and how often.

“I will not now pronounce and say never guitar; that would be rather severe,” Cardinal Arinze added. "But much of guitar music may not be suitable at all for the Mass. Yet, it is possible to think of some guitar music that would be suitable, not as the ordinary one we get every time, [but with] the visit of a special group, etc

again, what exactly isn’t suitable. who decides? i guess the bishops conference. so he ends up not saying anything.

"If he is not very disciplined he will soon become a performer. He may not realize it, but he will be projecting himself rather than projecting Christ. Indeed it is very demanding, the altar facing the people. Then even those who read the First and Second Reading can engage in little tactics that make them draw attention to themselves and distract the people.

ok, so why not just say priests should face the altar. but wait, that would be too servere. again, he says nothing in the end other than generalities.

Contrary to what many think, he said, "even when there was the Tridentine Mass there were abuses. Many Catholics did not know, because they did not know Latin! So when the priest garbled the words, they were not aware of this.

“Therefore, the most important area is faith and fidelity to that faith, and a faithful reading of the original texts, and their faithful translations, so that people celebrate knowing that the liturgy is the public prayer of the Church.”

ok so you are saying latin is bad? certainly the pre-VII mass had problems, but the problem wasn’t with latin, it was that people either didn’t take the time to learn the parts of the mass in latin that pertains to them, or the priests and bishops never educated the faithful. sacrosanctum concilium says very clearly that latin is to be preserved in the latin rite. but wait, it also says a suitable part of the mass may be alloted to the mother tounge to be determined by the bishop conferences. once again, more ambiguity.

 

[MrS]

JKirkLVNV:

I enjoyed reading what the Cardinal had to say, esp. this bit:

"Contrary to what many think, he said, "even when there was the Tridentine Mass there were abuses. Many Catholics did not know, because they did not know Latin! So when the priest garbled the words, they were not aware of this."

You can do better than that… The good Cardinal is refering to potential abuse by the priest.

The NO abuses/norms are, in the vast majority, abuses started by the uninstructed laity, and then eventually “allowed” by bishops who may well value the collection basket, more than the liturgy.

 

[fix]

oat soda:

some of what he says is good, some is too vauge. it seems he is playing both sides like a politician but in the end says very little. for instance, he says that gregorian chant should be heard but then says it is up to the bishops conference. that leaves a lot of room for interpretation. what we need are more specific guidelines that say how much and how often. again, what exactly isn’t suitable. who decides? i guess the bishops conference. so he ends up not saying anything. ok, so why not just say priests should face the altar. but wait, that would be too servere. again, he says nothing in the end other than generalities. ok so you are saying latin is bad? certainly the pre-VII mass had problems, but the problem wasn’t with latin, it was that people either didn’t take the time to learn the parts of the mass in latin that pertains to them, or the priests and bishops never educated the faithful. sacrosanctum concilium says very clearly that latin is to be preserved in the latin rite. but wait, it also says a suitable part of the mass may be alloted to the mother tounge to be determined by the bishop conferences. once again, more ambiguity.

Good points. It is very political. Too bad.

 

[emsvetich]

This entire issue is very political. The selection of bishops, priests and even lay persons within the various dioceses is fraught with politics of various kinds. Can you imagine the posturing at the international level? Given the chance, everyone’s competitive nature can rear its head a bit. Look at what can happen in our own little parishes among ushers, readers and the EMHC. The posturing and petty issues can almost be amusing if they were not so sad at times.

I am pleased to see that some of the first communications that are coming forward are at least from a more traditional bent. There are too many issues that need attention to tackle them all at once. My list of priorities may differ from yours. Therefore, I am trying to refrain from making subjective judgements about what will come out of the synod or even the bishop’s conference. I know that I will not agree with some of the decisions but I have to believe that the holy spirit will guide them to make the right choices to get the ball rolling.

I am more interested in watching who squeals the loudest. It truly is like politics, when the democrats scream, I figure that the republicans must have done something right!

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

emsvetich:

I am more interested in watching who squeals the loudest. It truly is like politics, when the democrats scream, I figure that the republicans must have done something right!

 

[Orionthehunter]

oat soda:

some of what he says is good, some is too vauge. it seems he is playing both sides like a politician but in the end says very little. for instance, he says that gregorian chant should be heard but then says it is up to the bishops conference. that leaves a lot of room for interpretation. what we need are more specific guidelines that say how much and how often. again, what exactly isn’t suitable. who decides? i guess the bishops conference. so he ends up not saying anything. ok, so why not just say priests should face the altar. but wait, that would be too servere. again, he says nothing in the end other than generalities. ok so you are saying latin is bad? certainly the pre-VII mass had problems, but the problem wasn’t with latin, it was that people either didn’t take the time to learn the parts of the mass in latin that pertains to them, or the priests and bishops never educated the faithful. sacrosanctum concilium says very clearly that latin is to be preserved in the latin rite. but wait, it also says a suitable part of the mass may be alloted to the mother tounge to be determined by the bishop conferences. once again, more ambiguity.

The Cardinal is trying to give guidance on the norm (not Norm) that should be practiced. However, he is leaving room for the prudential judgment of the Bishop’s and Priest’s for what is proper for a particular circumstance, parish, conference, diocese and even the make-up of the congregation.

If every Mass were exactly uniformly solemn, how could we distinguish the Masses in ordinary time with the High Masses of the High Holidays?

In another thread, I read a post by Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict that said taht the drums and practices of certain African dioceses are not liturgical dance because of the culture and rhythm of the Mass they communicate to the worshippers.

It is so typically American I guess to say “This is what I think so everyone else should agree with me.”