translation of MS
  • Lorelei MacDonald
    Posts: 1
    I'm new to this forum and out of necessity the music director for our small schola. Our parish has baned Latin and now the modernists are implementing their interpretation of Musicam Sarcam. Are their orthodox resources one could obtain to learn the interpretation and enforce our bastille? I need concrete evidence to hand the Liturgy Committee.
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Lorelei, I feel your pain. I must say that I've never heard of an instance in which someone who has gone as far as banning Latin, after seeing the text of ANYTHING from Rome, has turned around and said, "Well, in that case, we need to do things that way!"

    I'd happily be proven wrong.

    My guess is that, even if B16 himself were to show up at the Parish and say, "I want you to do this", after he was gone they would find reasons to go back to the old way.
  • TCJ
    Posts: 966
    Well, people who twist things will continue to do so, but something from GIRM:

    ____"41. All other things being equal, Gregorian chant holds pride of place because it is proper to
    ____the Roman Liturgy. Other types of sacred music, in particular polyphony, are in no way
    ____excluded, provided that they correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster
    ____the participation of all the faithful.

    ____Since faithful from different countries come together ever more frequently, it is fitting that they
    ____know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin    , especially
    ____the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, set to the simpler melodies.

    Since GIRM states that the faithful should know how to sing some parts of the Mass in Latin, that's a pretty strong argument NOT to ban Latin.

    And from Sacrosanctam Concilium:

    ____"36. 1. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.

    ____2. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters.

    The second line makes it rather tricky as it's readily apparent that it's been interpreted by many parishes to exclude Latin entirely despite the fact it gives no such indication. Hope this helps a bit.
  • incantuincantu
    Posts: 989
    The USCCB's "Sing to the Lord" (2007) goes so far as to say

    In many worshiping communities in the United States, fulfilling this directive [of the Second Vatican Council] will mean introducing Latin chant to worshipers who perhaps have not sung it before.


    and that

    Each worshiping community in the United States, including all age groups and all ethnic groups, should, at a minimum, learn Kyrie XVI, Sanctus XVIII, and Agnus Dei XVIII.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Lorelei

    I am printing a booklet this week which I wrote for liturgy committees such as yours.

    You will find information and the link to the book here:

    Go To Thread

    You can download the PDF file of this publication, and I will be taking orders soon if you would like some for your parish liturgy committee and others who might want to know what Sacred Music in the RC Church is truly supposed to be. Click on my name to email me.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,021
    "Our parish has banned Latin and now the modernists are implementing their interpretation of Musicam Sarcam."

    What they need to understand, and then admit to themselves, is not found in the Church's documents. But rather it is found in any reasonable dictionary. To actively protest what the Church teaches or wishes makes such a group protest-ant. It's a simple and logical definition. Further, and grass-roots group, like a liturgy committee, that attempts to recreate the liturgy at the parish level is using a historical hallmark of Protestant denominations. This is exactly opposite of how the Church was ordained by Christ to work. In the same way that our Protestant brethrens' liturgies have been created, this group is not observing "say the black, do the red." They are rather following "paraphrase the black, redefine the red."

    I believe that components of "Am-church" have as their ultimate goal complete schism. To me, maybe that can't come too soon.
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