The minute this becomes about taste is the minute this becomes a losing battle. Refined musical sensibilities have nothing to do with it.

I think the humility bit also applies to using musical instruments and songs in a homily...

Here are the relevant passages from the documents:

SC 28:

In liturgical celebrations each person, minister or layman, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to his office by the
nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy.

SC 52:

By means of the homily the mysteries of the faith and the guiding principles of the Christian life are expounded from the sacred text, during the course of the liturgical year; the homily, therefore, is to be highly esteemed as part of the liturgy
itself; in fact, at those Masses which are celebrated with the assistance of the
people on Sundays and feasts of obligation, it should not be omitted except for a
serious reason.

GIRM 65:

The Homily is part of the Liturgy and is highly recommended, for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life. It should be an explanation of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners.

Since I am not at this time immediately informed as to the content of the Scripture for that day (if indeed the Scripture for the day was read, and specific passages not chosen due to the nature of the Confirmation Rite), the argument could be made that the song was part of the message pertaining to the Scripture, which would conform to the passages listed above.

Still, I think it is a self-centered and poor decision to attempt to include such a song, as if people needed it to get their attention, or to make the message more agreeable.

However, from GIRM 124:

Ordinaries, by the encouragement and favor they show to art which is truly
sacred, should strive after noble beauty rather than mere sumptuous display.

I would think the type of performance to which we are referring would fall under the category of "sumptuous display."

I'm equally sure that he takes seriously his responsibility to catechise all people in the area

No, he doesn't, unless Tiny Tim is also a catechist. What you have here is a serious breach of the "sacred time, sacred space, sacred language, sacred music" boundaries of the Mass.

According to the link,
the Bp D H has offered mass in the E F.
An E F community had to ask no ukulele.

Someone familiar with E F rubrics please
tell me what instruments are permitted during E F.
And yes I want to be edified by citations.

Someone familiar with E F rubrics please
tell me what instruments are permitted during E F.
And yes I want to be edified by citations.

In the EF the homily is considered outside of the Mass.

Here's a question: If the people in the congregation had started laughing, singing along and clapping and dancing during the sermon, would that have been frowned upon as much as what the organist did?

Here's a question: If the people in the congregation had started laughing, singing along and clapping and dancing during the sermon, would that have been frowned upon as much as what the organist did?

Yes -- that's what I always wonder, on those occasions when they break out the bongos / tambourines at Mass. If they're going to play dance music, they should expect to get...dancing, right? But then I'm afraid that that would embolden the musicians even more, if I ironically snap my fingers in the pew...

P.S. It seems to me that once the celebrant goes off the page, the rules break down, and it all becomes uncharted territory.

Where have I sensed the truth of this staterment before? Hmmmm

I still think the best way is to get up and walk out

Well, it's less forceful than Imposition of Full Organ With Reeds. But either one is fine.

What a curious and quaint notion of when "Mass" begins.

Thanks, I meant to write restarts...

"many times mass is suspended at the homily"

Just send the Mass to corner and tell it to come back in 5 minutes. Suspending it means its mom or dad has to work from home during suspension.

It’s so bizarre not to take off the maniple. It would distract everyone who knows what the routine is.

It's possible...

Let us hope that he wasn't 'joining in the fun'! This would make him definitely more culpable by far than he already might (in the eyes of some, but not mine) be.

P.S. It seems to me that once the celebrant goes off the page, the rules break down, and it all becomes uncharted territory.

When exactly did the celebrant go off-page? He gave his homily, and it included showing people a song about the holy spirit which he used at bible camp (or somesuch - I haven't watched again to double check he words). He didn't ask people to join in. He didn't play during any other part of the liturgy. He simply used a teaching tool during the time allocated for preaching.

Sorry, Richard, you need to keep up with current events. Ukelele's have been a consistent growing market in music retailing for the last few years. You might want to Google "Kamaka Ukelele's" to see how fashionable and investment level pricy they've become.
In addition, you might want to 'Youtube' Hawaiian Jake Shimabukuro, whom I had the pleasure of seeing in concert this last March.
Of course, I don't think they're cut out for liturgy, but I know a few Hawaiians and Portuguese that would differ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gaWuadgL3g&list=RD0gaWuadgL3g

The repetitive little song is suited for children much younger than the average group of confirmation candidates.

While I get where @chonak is coming from, I just want to interject...

I have never, and will never, teach my toddler this song, or songs like it.

I'm always annoyed when people categorize bad music in this sort of way. People are always saying such-a-such a song is suitable for "church camp," and I always want to say NO, NOT EVEN THEN.

Children, and campers, can do much better.

Opportunistic tangent:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMbQsKJ64S0

For movie buffs:

The song came from the Gold Diggers of Broadway (1929), one of the most fascinating productions of the early talkie era - one of the last cinematic glimpses of Broadway's true Golden Age in the Roaring Twenties before The Crash - here's a wonderful production number in two-color Technicolor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwuuqBVECkw

The bishop's homily lacked . . . production values.

Melo, I actually know about the uke fad; I just spent four years as a music undergraduate and saw students pick up the instrument when it happened. That little phenomenon supplements but doesn't contradict my points above.

I have never, and will never, teach my toddler this song, or songs like it.

You might just be surprised - and horrified - by what your toddler learns from sources other than you, and likes.

The elitist attitude also carries an assumption: since the (parish staffer, music director, priest, etc.) didn't learn Latin, other people in the parish who are less expert about religion than themselves wouldn't know it.

I once had a priest tell me that "the educational level of the congregation precludes the use of Latin."

Which translates to "the pedagogical level of the priest precludes him instructing his congregation in the Mother Tongue of the Church."

The comment just above needn't have been in purple!

About those priests whose opinions about the faithful are that they can't appreciate Latin and other highly desirable things is typical of Catholic clericalism, which holds the 'laity' in very low regard. An Anglican would teach the people what they don't know and lift them up. The (typical) Catholic priest would throw anything out the window that he thought the people didn't know or wouldn't like. This thinking saw its greatest triumph in the years following Vatican II. Where the council specifically stated 'preserve' and 'foster' (Latin, chant, sacred music, and much else) most priests, bishops, and seminaries translated as 'reject' and 'forbid'. And many of them are still doing it. And most of this many don't know themselves and don't want anyone around who does - it would put their (cherished and cultivated) ignorance in the spotlight.

What Jackson said above!! In spades!!!

Always thought that (after the Sacraments) the first duty of a priest is to teach.

"The church is now a business . . . "

Not just now. It was even MORE of a business when it was a significant landowner, landlord (and huge rent-and-tithe collector) and sovereign ruler of church-states. For many centuries.

maybe a business, more in the sense of "sheep need to be sheared, as well as fed".

Growing up, I always heard that to be ordained a priest, a man needed a certain sanctity; but that one consecrated bishop would be on his way to becoming a saint. sigh

Wow, we may have a 1700-year old commenter here....