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Posted on 03/13/2007 4:44:58 PM PDT by Stoat
By Philip Pullella
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict, who last week told the world he does not care much for Bob Dylan, said on Tuesday he would like Gregorian chant to make a comeback.
The 79-year-old German Pope said the Catholic faithful should learn more of the chanting traditionally sung in Latin by choirs of monks since the Middle Ages.
"The better-known prayers of the Church's tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung," he said in part of a 140-page booklet on the Mass.
He lamented that Latin, the Church's official language, was disappearing and said he wanted future priests to study Latin.
"Nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy in Gregorian chant," he wrote.
The 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council ended the general use of the old-style Latin Mass in favour of local languages and some parishes allowed the singing of popular songs during the Mass.
In countries such as the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, it was not uncommon for the faithful to sing songs such as Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" or Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" during the Mass.
Still today, some Catholic couples getting married ask that music from a popular love song, such as "Lara's Theme" from the film "Dr. Zhivago" be played as part of their church wedding.
The Pope, a lover of classical and sacred music and an accomplished pianist, clearly is opposed to that.
"Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another," the Pope wrote. "Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided."
He said Church should not jettison the rich heritage of sacred music it has created in 2,000 years of history.
Last week, the Pope disclosed in a new book that in 1997 he was opposed to Bob Dylan appearing at a youth event with the late Pope John Paul because he considered the pop star the wrong kind of "prophet".
At that concert in central Italy, Dylan sang "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", his 1960s anti-war classic "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall", and "Forever Young".
It's unfortunate that your family never sent you for religious instruction, but it is never too late to learn. You might want to begin now.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
I loved the incense and the ritualism and the sounds and music of the traditional mass, but it was like watching a foreign movie with no subtitles – it was pretty but I had no idea what it meant.
Dr. Scott Hahn has written an excellent book on this topic.
Here is an extract from his book.
The Lamb's Supper - The Mass as Heaven on Earth.
Foreword by Fr. Benedict Groeschel.
Part One - The Gift of the Mass
Hahn begins by describing the first mass he ever attended.
"There I stood, a man incognito, a Protestant minister in plainclothes, slipping into the back of a Catholic chapel in Milwaukee to witness my first Mass. Curiosity had driven me there, and I still didn't feel sure that it was healthy curiosity. Studying the writings of the earliest Christians, I'd found countless references to "the liturgy," "the Eucharist," "the sacrifice." For those first Christians, the Bible - the book I loved above all - was incomprehensible apart from the event that today's Catholics called "the Mass."
"I wanted to understand the early Christians; yet I'd had no experience of liturgy. So I persuaded myself to go and see, as a sort of academic exercise, but vowing all along that I would neither kneel nor take part in idolatry."
I took my seat in the shadows, in a pew at the very back of that basement chapel. Before me were a goodly number of worshipers, men and women of all ages. Their genuflections impressed me, as did their apparent concentration in prayer. Then a bell rang, and they all stood as the priest emerged from a door beside the altar.
Unsure of myself, I remained seated. For years, as an evangelical Calvinist, I'd been trained to believe that the Mass was the ultimate sacrilege a human could commit. The Mass, I had been taught, was a ritual that purported to "resacrifice Jesus Christ." So I would remain an observer. I would stay seated, with my Bible open beside me.
As the Mass moved on, however, something hit me. My Bible wasn't just beside me. It was before me - in the words of the Mass! One line was from Isaiah, another from Psalms, another from Paul. The experience was overwhelming. I wanted to stop everything and shout, "Hey, can I explain what's happening from Scripture? This is great!" Still, I maintained my observer status. I remained on the sidelines until I heard the priest pronounce the words of consecration: "This is My body . . . This is the cup of My blood."
Then I felt all my doubt drain away. As I saw the priest raise that white host, I felt a prayer surge from my heart in a whisper: "My Lord and my God. That's really you!"
I was what you might call a basket case from that point. I couldn't imagine a greater excitement than what those words had worked upon me. Yet the experience was intensified just a moment later, when I heard the congregation recite: "Lamb of God . . . Lamb of God . . . Lamb of God," and the priest respond, "This is the Lamb of God . . ." as he raised the host. In less than a minute, the phrase "Lamb of God" had rung out four times. From long years of studying the Bible, I immediately knew where I was. I was in the Book of Revelation, where Jesus is called the Lamb no less than twenty-eight times in twenty-two chapters. I was at the marriage feast that John describes at the end of that very last book of the Bible. I was before the throne of heaven, where Jesus is hailed forever as the Lamb. I wasn't ready for this, though - I was at Mass!
Didn't find a Maryland parish that has the Tridentine, but there are a few in nearby states.
Pequannock, New Jersey
Our Lady of Fatima Chapel 32 W. Franklin Ave. Pequannock, NJ 07440 USA
Tel. 001/973/ 694-6727
Scranton, Pennsylvania
St. Michael’s Church 1703 Jackson Street Scranton, PA 18504 USA
Tel. 001/570/961-1205
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Cathedral Parish of St. Patrick Saint Lawrence Chapel 110 State Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 USA
Tel. 001/717/ 761-7228
Elmhurst, Pennsylvania St. Gregory’s Academy (Boarding School for Boys) Griffin Road, Elmhurst, Pennsylvania Box 8214, Moscow, PA 18444 USA
Tel. 001/570/ 842-8112
District house
St. Peter’s House Griffin Road, P.O. Box 196 Elmhurst, PA 18416 USA
Tel. 001/570/842-4000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzq6_IkqWrI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CriCJtlMsns
Some chant videos from youtube.
Wow. That is so cool. Thanks!
*************
Perhaps, but everyone has to start somewhere.
Thank you very much for relating your life experiences and perspectives regarding issues of faith and religion.
It's unfortunate that some here have chosen to speak to you in an unkind way, but I think that you will find many more who are gentle, friendly and helpful to others.
Please know that you are welcome here, and I hope that you will not be shy about asking any questions of the more courteous posters who, I'm sure, will be delighted to help as much as they can.
that's a lovely picture!
don't believe I've seen it before...thanks
If you get a Latin Missal with the English printed on the facing page, you can follow right along.
Our parish is using Latin once a month for the Mass Ordinaries (that is, the parts that don't change - the Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy), Gloria in Excelsis (Glory to God in the Highest), Credo (I Believe (the Creed)), Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy Lord), and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)). So we're introducing the Latin a little bit at a time. The congregation is actually starting to sing along! (we have the words and music printed out in leaflets for everyone to follow along).
We're fortunate that our church has GREAT acoustics -- the "hang time" or reverb is something like 9 seconds when the church is empty, less when it's full. Perfect for chant and Renaissance polyphony. . . . that music was designed to be sung in this sort of room.
Well-stated and demonstrably true. I think that the proof of what you say can be seen in the hysteria on the Left whenever discussions relating to the Church or the Pope come up. You know that things are headed in the right direction when the Left and various haters of religion become apoplectic :-)
I love the Mass in Latin and I love Gregorian Chant.
Agreed.....they touch the human soul in very special ways.
Thank you so very much for those inspiring selections! And thank you also for changing my way of thinking..... I hadn't been aware that there are so very many videos of a faith based or religious nature on YouTube and was pleasantly surprised. I sincerely appreciate your opening up this new, worthwhile avenue for me :-)
Reading the Bible puts me to sleep.
WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for posting! It's a breath of fresh air to see worthwhile things like this at YouTube.
Well when I read the bible at home I fall asleep. But during mass we only read for about 10 minutes before breaking open the word so it isn't so bad.
Please see post #62 in this thread for a fine audio contribution showcasing this essential ritual :-)
I have a fascination for old churches. It really doesn't matter what denomination. I always felt that if I had the money I would love to just drive all over the country and photograph them. So when I see a picture like that of a beautiful old church burning it just breaks my heart.
There was a (traditional) Solemn High Mass celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis on March 7th, which is the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas in the traditional calendar. You can see several video clips from it on YouTube.
Part I: Prelude
Part II: Procession and Introit
Part III: Kyrie
Part IV: Gloria, Collect and Commemoration
Part V: Epistle
Part VI: Tract
Part VII: Gospel
Another attendee has posted photographs (click on them to see larger images) from the Mass.
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