Announcements

I am very happy to announce the resumption of my regular blogs and podcasts on the renewal of Catholic sacred music, beginning on January 6th (the traditional date of the Epiphany.) The rather long hiatus since my last post has been due to the strict pandemic restrictions placed upon us, as most parishes and choirs have been prohibited from singing, and many people's minds have been focused on other more pressing issues. But now, thanks to the kind requests and encouragement of readers and listeners, near and far away, I look forward to re-embarking upon this journey together. We will now begin to consider the practical issue of liturgical music “repertoire”, going step-by-step through each sung part of the Mass.

On this same date, Wednesday, January 6th, I am scheduled to be in Irondale, Alabama, for a live interview with Fr. Mitch Pacwa on “EWTN Live” at 8pm EST. I hope that you can watch this program, either live or on EWTN's YouTube channel; your questions and/or comments will be much appreciated!

Then, on Friday, January 8th at 8pm EST, EWTN will be airing a documentary entitled The Song of the Longing Heart. This hour-long film was produced by French journalist and filmmaker François Lespes, and deals primarily with my work as a composer of sacred music for the Catholic Liturgy. For those of you who are in France, or who speak French, the French version of this film is also slated to be broadcast on the French Catholic television network KTO sometime in early 2021 – we will let you know as soon as we have the specific dates and times for this.

Q & A

In the meantime, I am always grateful for the thoughtful questions and other feedback which I've received through our website, email, YouTube comments, and in person. Typically, the “hard” probing questions are among the most fruitful ones. But another kind of question which is often just as helpful for everyone, is the one which asks for a simple clarification or explanation. Here is such a question which recently came up in an informal conversation, along with my response.

Q. You speak of very clear parameters of what sacred liturgical music should and should not be. But from my perspective, I have learned to appreciate all kinds of liturgical music, both old and new, from Gregorian chant on the one hand to contemporary Christian music on the other. Isn't such an “eclectic” approach a more realistic, reasonable, and healthy one to take regarding these issues?

A. Thank you for this excellent question. The first part of my answer is that whatever parameters I have presented are not my own original ideas, but rather are those presented explicitly or implicitly by the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. The most explicit of these are found in the teachings of Pope St. Pius X, which have been re-affirmed by Vatican II and all of our most recent Popes. These explain (among other things) that sacred liturgical music, being an “integral part of the Liturgy”[i], must share in the Liturgy's inherent qualities of holiness, beauty, and universality. Pius X goes on to show how this has clear and precise implications for the form of the sacred music and the way in which it is to be sung or played; certain kinds of music are good models, he says, and other kinds (while possibly quite beautiful in themselves and totally appropriate in other contexts) do not fit the nature of liturgical worship and therefore must be excluded.

But however clearly these guidelines have been presented by Church teaching, they have not been followed, as a general rule, by those responsible for their implementation. This means that the average Roman Catholic church-goer, especially over the past fifty-five years since the Second Vatican Council, has been exposed to a wide variety of liturgical music, very little of which has been chosen on the basis of its integration of holiness, artistry, and universality. It is true that there has been a general awareness of the need for music to contribute to our “full participation” in the Mass, which was one of the major emphases of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican II. But this participation has often been pursued in a way that has neglected the liturgical integrity and spiritual depth which the Church's other guidelines have sought to guard. (I will be developing this theme a little more deeply in my next blog and podcast.)

And so what is the responsibility of the normal Catholic lay person in the midst of this situation? The person who is not necessarily a musician or an intellectual, but who simply desires to be faithful to Christ and his Church? For those who have sensed and been deeply disturbed by a perceived disconnect – which has often been not only in sacred music but also in other related vital issues – the solution has often been to seek relentlessly for a parish or religious community where they can find liturgical, theological, and spiritual sanity.

But what about the person who, through no fault of their own, does not have an acute sense of there being a problem? The person who in good faith trusts their Pastor and Bishop in liturgical matters, and therefore does not see any need for reading the Church documents on sacred music, or delving any deeper into the subject? I am guessing that you may know many such people, just as I do. And some who fit in this category are among the most radiantly devout and loving people I have ever met. They allow themselves to be led by their pastors and church musicians, rather than venturing into realms beyond their competence. Who can condemn such a person for learning to appreciate the liturgical music which they have been offered? Are they not rather exercising a virtue in being able to give thanks in all things?

Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of Bishops, Pastors, and church musicians to go beyond their gratitude for such wonderful people, to exercise their offices with wisdom and diligence. Just because a house is standing, looks good, and seems to be functional, doesn't mean that the owner should not heed a building inspector's warning of dangerous structural deficiencies. Just because food is edible and enjoyable, doesn't mean that parents should ignore its level of nutritional value or health risks for their children. The principles which the Church has given us for sacred liturgical music are not arbitrary, or designed to entrap us in an antiquated tradition. Rather, they are meant to keep our liturgical “house”, so to speak, not only functional and pleasant but also structurally sound; and to keep the “food”, so to speak, of our sacred music not only beautiful and enjoyable but also healthy and nutritious. They are given so that we may continue to participate, year in and year out, even in the humblest of our Liturgies, in the fullness of life and joy which belong to the Gospel of Christ.

I hope that you can join me in these continuing blogs and podcasts, as we reflect on these and other vital issues related to the renewal of sacred music in our Church today. If you are new to this conversation, it might be helpful for you to catch up by reading or listening to my previous posts found here. Wishing everyone a most blessed Advent and Christmastide, and on this particular day, a joyous celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

[i] Pope St. Pius X, Tra le sollecitudini, articles 1 and 2

Announcements and More Q & A