In Interview, He Gives His Perspective on the LiturgyIf one mentions Gregorian Chant at my registered parish, I can only surmise that the response would be, "Gregory who???"
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."
Instead we are "entertained" by such things as the following: For All Saints Day, the Entrance Hymn (or in progressive parishes, the "Gathering Song") was a medley of some obscure song which I had never heard before (probably composed by the liturgy 'director'), plus "When the Saints go Marching In", plus "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". And this was for starters!...What an evening! Sad fact is that it only got worse from there...Right before the homily the 'music director, composer, liturgy director, etc' called eight preselected children from the assembly to the "stage" in front of the altar and 'interviewed' each one about a particular saint, much like Art Linkletter would have done, I suppose. Trouble is, this skit or act should have been done after Mass and not during the time reserved for the homily.
I seriously considered leaving and heading over to St. Joseph's but I was afraid I'd miss fulfilling the Holy Day of Obligation. And this puzzles me, why isn't this Holy Day moved like Ascension Thursday? Is it less of a mortal sin to miss this Mass on this day than Ascension Thursday...Doesn't the USCCB have any compassion for the working man or woman?
What should not be the case, insists the Nigerian cardinal, is "individuals just composing anything and singing it in church. This is not right at all -- no matter how talented the individual is. That brings us to the question of the instruments to be used.Curious...I guess my parish never got the word - or - they don't care about directives from Rome.
"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."We got geetarz and drums and bongos and a piano but we got no organ! We don't need no steeenkin' organ!!! That's basically what the thinking is many places, including here, I guess...Organ music may inspire some to want to sing holy hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God, rather than the feel-good guitar and piano lounge music we are forced to endure.
"People don't come to Mass in order to be entertained. They come to Mass to adore God, to thank him, to ask pardon for sins, and to ask for other things that they need."Hmmm...That's right - we don't want to be entertained! But it seems like a sizeable number of guitar strumming, bongo beating "American Idol" wannabees do come to entertain the faithful at Mass...But then, I'm probably a bit biased since I think for the most part that guitars at Mass should be verboten.
"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...I guess I need to fax this article to the parish...I think someone might find this article interesting - probably about as interesting as Redemptionis Sacramentum (which has been completely ignored).
The complete Zenit article is here.
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