Pray for our priests and thank God for them
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    In the past week, in two different parishes, a priest has said to our schola almost exactly the same thing: "You are doing what is right, and what the Holy Father has asked us to do." In one case this was spoken to the entire congregation at the end of an OF Mass, in the other it was in response to someone (I will avoid a near occasion of sin by not describing further) who said, "We should sing what people know; what they have been doing for years. Chant is old and not needed anymore. We need new music for new Christians."

    Both of these priests are young, and reminded me of what the priest (who is Gavin's Pastor, if I'm not mistaken) said concerning the music at Nationals' Stadium, that almost all the priests ordained in the last 10 years are sympathetic to the Reform of the Reform.

    Deo Gratias!
  • Praying The Mass
    Posts: 70
    "We should sing what people know; what they have been doing for years. Chant is old and not needed anymore. We need new music for new Christians."

    Hmm, in that case, better get a new Christ too, and a new Church to go along with it.
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Right. You can just Sing a new church into being.

    (Sound of retching offstage)
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 756
    We should sing what people know; what they have been doing for years. Chant is old and not needed anymore. We need new music for new Christians

    We must exercise caution in commenting on second-hand representation of the views of those with whom we disagree. The internal inconsistency of this statement is so glaring as to make me suspect its veracity. Also, I assume that a priest's education makes it unlikely that he would put such a flawed argument.

    On the other hand ...
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    IanW, this person is the member of a religious order and is responsible for liturgy planning. This is what passes for "normal" in many, many places.
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 756
    Gregp,

    Ah. Sad to say, my main experience of members of a religious order is such as to accept that we might, sometimes, reluctantly, have to understand that their closed worlds and diminishing numbers have sometimes combined wit the spirit of the times to produce closed and diminished minds. No names, no pack-drill (though they're not Dominicans!).

    Regards,

    Ian
  • MaryMagdalen
    Posts: 8
    open minds recognize all genres of song. there are some real gems in the last few centuries. i am delighted that chant and ancient composers are being revisited. i am glad the sacred is being redefined.

    may we leave no note unturned
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Greg,
    It's good to see you posting. As we've discussed here and over dinner, our priests bring all sorts of baggage that influences how they will carry on their duties as the primary liturgists.
    Despite my own inclinations after our diocesan presbyteral convocation experience, I would hesitate to paint any specific generation of priests with a broad brush. For example, our parish's second vicar was very recently transferred. He is over 50, Fijian by birth, and conservative by liturgical nature. His replacement is 29, from Mexicali, and gives every indication that his liturgical education did not stress rubrical formality.
    I would offer that in addition for praying for a conversion of heart of priests and parishioners who apparently cannot escape the bonds of personal taste and preference, that we also pray for our bishops. They, after all, sat at Nationals' Stadium and couldn't have been so enamored with the trappings that they remained unaware of the uncomfortable contrast between what they were hearing there and what they heard and prayed at the previous evening's Vespers; they also likely have paid some attention to the more solemn liturgies that followed the D.C. experience. The bishops could and, it must be said, should examine their own consciences as to whether they are faithfully following the letter as well as what they perceive the "spirit" of Vatican II in their Sees. They should somehow feel compelled to acknowledge that their benign neglect and failure to communicate proper liturgical catechetical (sp?) instructions to their priests has resulted in blatant inconsistency from church to neighbor church. And it's not just about song and hymn selection.
Add a Comment