Time for the Counter-Reform?
There seems to be a certain … something in the liturgical air. Anyone who has read Pope Benedict’s book on the liturgy knows him to favour more traditional liturgies than what generally passes for Sunday Mass in most parishes in the United States. Some Traditionalists have been upset that he hasn’t moved quickly (or perhaps at all) in correcting a whole host of dodgy practices and outright liturgical abuse that has infected the Church, particularly in the US, lo these thirty years.
And yet, the new ICEL translations seem to be getting off the ground, certains bishops are now at least challenging the prevailing “wisdom” on liturgical music, and Cardinal Arinze at least is pushing Latin:
In an hourlong, often humorous, address that received several standing ovations, Arinze suggested that, in order to give Catholics options, large parishes offer the Mass in Latin at least once a week, and in smaller, rural parishes, at least once a month.
Rumours of a “universal indult” to liberalize the Mass of St. Pius V (the so-called “Tridentine” or “Latin” Mass) have advanced enough that the French Bishops have begun to panic. Rumours abound that the Anglican Use will be extended, in part I assume to prepare for an influx of traditionalist Episcopalians into the Tiber.
Even Gregorian chant seems to be making a comeback of sorts. Not in my parish, of course, where I’m currently on strike from the music of Häagen-Dazs Haugen and Haas. I haven’t sung a hymn in two weeks. When I talked with some of our choir about this, I was told that nobody wants to go back to the “old music” because “it’s hard to sing” and “we don’t want to dictate, like they used to”. The fact that they were dictating was lost on them.
Ain’t it wonderful?
“There is NO Such Thing as Truth.”
And they tell you that with a straight face…
This attiutude is symptomatic of what we witness in many parishes. Regardless of whether a hymn was composed in 1895 or 1995, if it is not sung in time or tune it will sound awful. This is not an acceptable attitude towards the sacred liturgy. Furthermore, no musician worth their salt would call a composer a ‘dictator’, nor should they presume to know better than the composer. That is not their job. It’s time the Bishops started to spend an acceptable amount of money on employing professional musicians in parishes. It’s also time for parish priests to realise the value of good musicians, and not treat them with irrational distrust.
Thank you for sharing!
I, too, am sick to death of the ditties of Haugen and Haas. The Mass of Creation, Gather Us In, We Have Been Told, Now We Remain, etc., are played into the ground as if it is the only music in over 1000 years of sacred music.
Please know that I wish neither of these men any ill will; I’m just tired of being force-fed their music.
For centuries, people didn’t have a problem with the music sung in church; now, all of a sudden, it’s a problem, and we faithful are treated as if we are too stupid to know otherwise. We’re treated this way by DRE’s, music ministers (who think they own the Sacred Liturgy) and the Bishops, the American Bishops in particular resembling CEOs more than priests and shepherds.
In truth, I wish Pope Benedict would get his tail over here and clean house. I’m tired of my faith, my mother’s faith, my grandmothers faith, etc., turned into a laughing stock, and turned into another politically correct lobbyist convention.
Come to my parish.
Not that you will not from time to time be exhorted to sing the odd Haugen song or two, but I keep them to a minimum (and none pop up in Advent, absent a funeral request,) merely so that no one will be able to claim songs they love were completely torn away from them, as my parent’s and grandparent’s generation can and do.
And nothing will be programmed ambiguous enough to support heresy (and nothing outright heretical, although such songs, Deo gratias, are few and far between.)
For Advent we will be chanting the psalms and introits (albeit, in English,) and some of the ordinary (in Greek and Latin,) and will he or nil he, my pastor is going to hear his flock sing at least some of what they Church intends.
And the congregation sings or not, as they choose, I would NEVER try to “force” them the wqay so many music directors and DREs (my personal nemesis,) do.
As far as I am concerned, any song substituted for a proper is just a manifestation of somebody’s personal piety (mine, for instance,) and as such, is DEVOTIONAL, and can be _required_ of nobody.
I think, God willing, that leaving future music publishing to some extent, in the hands of the diocesan bishop, may turn out to be a blessing, if Cdl. George has the time and energy, because he certainly has the faith, taste and orthodoxy. (So, GIA’s taken care of OCP, another matter entirely.)