Please tell me if you think this papal letter will have positive affects in your typical parish. Or will it be ignored and dismissed as just mere, personal opinion of the Pope?
The article starts out with this statement: “Pope Benedict XVI has reminded church musicians of the primacy of Gregorian chant in the Mass, describing it “as the supreme model of sacred music.”
Full article here:
By her silence, ‘Cestus’ , concedes that what she said is just malicious slander.
As if it were not already obvious to every reader.
You ask me to be professional.
First of all, you come here to attack with unfounded slander against me and my friends. You call that “professional”? That certainly is not Catholic, nor professional.
You obviously are biased because you admit to knowing the liturgical coordinator, one who has given us faithful Catholics one big headache.
If you really want to be ‘professional’, please answer the questions posed to you. Why did you say I abhor Protestants? Exactly what is it that we “pick and choose” that would make us “cafeteria Catholics”?
And after you answer that, I would like to ask you a few more.
I do know the liturgical coordinator, but I am not he. Please leave him out of it. Be professional.
Blog Readers, Dear Friends in Christ,
The IP number of Cestus traces him to the same town from whence the liturgical ‘coordinator’ lives, in Indiana.
Be wary of comments from Cestus.
Cestus, I think you need to take a step back and view things from a different perspective. Try the perspective in light of tradition, for example. The Church stands on the three pillars: The Magisterium, Scripture, and Tradition. When Tradition is tossed aside, then there’s something wrong, and that is what has happened to the Church in this day and age. Traditions is as infallible as is Scripture (which some people are trying to remove as well!)
This is how we Traditionalists view things, because without doing so, we might as well just have started a new religion fifty years ago. We cannot dump Tradition. One cannot be too ready to assume that any novelty that enters the Church is good. In music we’ve seen deviation from what the Church has always taught (both prior to and after Vatican II) to extremes. Our Holy Father wants us to return to the roots of Church music, and this begins with Gregorian Chant – something which is almost invisible in the Church this day despite numerous documents and writings by popes constantly reminding us of what is and is not appropriate.
Again, the above has not been stated by just a man here and there. You can go back and look. Read what Pope St. Pius X had to say about music, or Pope Pius XII, or Blessed Pope John Paul II, or our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Read the documents of Vatican II regarding Church music. Everything you can read will point to Gregorian Chant being the first choice in church music.
So, while I can see your comment was more generalized than just referring to the one post about our Holy Father’s recent statement, I have to ask…. why do you pick and choose what you like to hear from the popes? I have noticed a trend among many Catholics who consider themselves conservative to cherry pick what they like and then dispense with everything else as personal opinion. And then they turn around and say that Traditionalists are cafeteria Catholics.
In the end, I have to say that your comment was made because you truly don’t understand and are just following what you have been erroneously taught. Sometimes, you need to do a little research for yourself and find out what the Church really teaches. Any honest person who searches with an open mind will find out the truth in time. I encourage you to do so.
You, a faithful Catholic? How so?
What makes you faithful, but not those who believe and worship as the saints of ages past?
Could you please also answer my questions which I posed in my previous comment?
I’m no liturgical coordinator. I’m just a faithful Catholic, nothing more.
Cestus Dei has his say.
O.K. Cestus,… so I abhor Protestants???? Could you please provide the evidence from this blog that I abhor Protestants?
… Cafeteria Catholics???? We believe and worship as your grandparents did. You would condemn them, too?
Thank you, Lord, for people like Cestus. It is they who polish our crowns and would make us saints.
Are you the liturgical ‘coordinator’? It sure sounds like you.
This is a general post relating to this blog:
You know, based on what I’ve read on here you all are the ones who have a problem with the Church. You pick and choose what you want to believe; you’re the typos of “cafeteria Catholic.” In the end you give a bad name to those who have an appreciation of the Tridentine Mass (and you also give a bad name to home-schoolers). It seems that whether it is in regard to music, or whatever else, you are the divisive one. You and your comrades in arms are dangerously close to schism it appears. It is sad to think that now you feel vindicated by the widespread celebration of the 1962 Missal as directed by Pope Benedict. I fear he isn’t aware that he gives your types ammunition.
You might want to go back to the drawing board and reconsider your approach. You take this statement from a Pope which doesn’t bear any doctrinal weight nor any magisterial authority and you elevate it to just that. However, when it regards Vatican II you demote the conciliar teachings to being something optional. You need to do a lot of praying and try to avoid becoming the Protestants you abhor.
I know that some semblance of propriety in liturgical music is slowly being reinstated. But certainly not in “these parts.”
St. Cecelia, pray for us!
My guess is that it will be ignored for the most part. When an organist loses his job because he strictly follows the teachings of the Church, it’s a sad state of affairs. Maybe there are some positives happening because of what the Pope has said, but I’ve yet to see a concrete result. I think that these statements have to come as official directives, otherwise they will be dismissed by pastors as “mere opinions.”