Whispering-Thunder

The plot, she thickens, I think. I have been referred to the likely source of my recent consternation. It’s a news article from the Catholic News Agency. It’s dated 03/20/2006. It references the June release of the Apostolic Exhortation – June of 2006!

Next, I went to the Vatican web site. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/index.htm
The site lists the document with 02-22-2007 date…nothing about June at all. And even if June was mentioned, the C.N.A. article obviously refers to June 2006.
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Presentation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father Benedict XVI "Sacramentum Caritatis" on the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church's Life and Mission (March 13, 2007)
[Italian, Portuguese]

 Sacramentum Caritatis (February 22, 2007)
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Taken one step further, I scanned the document for the segment(s) in question. The best I could find was
under a section called Ars celebrandi [38] and within a segment entitled “Liturgical song [42]”

Liturgical song

42. In the ars celebrandi, liturgical song has a pre-eminent place. (126) Saint Augustine rightly says in a famous sermon that "the new man sings a new song. Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love" (127). The People of God assembled for the liturgy sings the praises of God. In the course of her two-thousand-year history, the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs which represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration (128). Consequently everything – texts, music, execution – ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons (129). Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).

So, there it is. It’s not the text C.N.A. spoke of – not even relatively close to what C.N.A conjectured. Not that they were necessarily entirely wrong – but the wording was definitely different than the article leads the reader to believe. As close as it comes is to veil a slam on “generic improvisation” which in context is coupled with “introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided.” These comments were preceded earlier in the paragraph with “…the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs which represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another.”

The wording is a far cry from condemning drums, electric guitars and ‘rock and roll music.’ The parting sentence, however, reveals that it is the desire of the Pope “…that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).”

This is where the Pope seems to signal that something to do with music might be encouraged to return to an earlier time period rather than to generate an immediate need to create wholesale changes in all the varying musical options the church employs the world over.

For now, drums, electric guitars and ‘rock and roll music’ are not out, but that does not mean they will ultimately be retained. The earlier version of the document shows where some of the hierarchy wants with respect to music in the church. That the Pope had to indicate “…that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131)” suggests further crafting of other various documents. They might use this phrase as fodder to execute changing music in the church to reflect a strong bent towards using all Gregorian chant. Perhaps this will even lead to all or nearly all musical selections to become consistent with Gregorian chant. This would mean all or nearly all music coming from a limited number of genres such as the Medieval, Renaissance, Classical and/or Romantic periods only.

A direct volley in effect was indirectly fired. That March ’06 report reflects the desired outcome of at least a few of the members of the church hierarchy. There exist those who would like nothing better than to have a forum to ban contemporary music. The final document – or what appears to be the final document – certainly removes that particular option. But it also seems to have begun the process of using words carefully to ultimately gain a desired outcome. Its a sort of gerrymandered effort to ultimately recognize music choices within a framework that is built around Gregorian Chant alone rather than remain open to the many varied options that exist amongst the faithful.

The reality really may be that the hierarchy is trying to say that they no longer desire to put up with poorly performed music that was ill-conceived from the start. Music from earlier eras has the luxury of huge amounts of time behind it so as to effectively lose the compositions that were poorly written and/or composed. Poorly performed music would ordinarily be eliminated with the use of professional performers, however this is not a choice likely to be made by the Church hierarchy any time soon, if ever.

Given the current state of music in most parishes, adding a requirement to perform only Gregorian chant is very likely to badly backfire. Current volunteer musicians are not prepared to perform this style of music intermittently, much less as any kind of regular diet of musical fare. The effort will be there in the same way it currently is present, which to me means that it will be poorly performed versions of Gregorian chant. Poorly conceived and written versions of same, too. All that will be able to be said will be that “Well, at least its Gregorian chant…or at least it is supposedly Gregorian chant.”

Yikes! Next thing you know, the Catholics will be compared unfavorably to the Amish.

There’s a reason nobody has ever heard of an Amish Tabernacle Choir. Don’t get me wrong, the Amish are wonderful, God-fearing people…but singers they are not. Its been my experience in having heard the sound that emanates from an Amish church that cats fighting or a moose in heat sounds more religious. I hope for their sake that those I’ve heard are anomalies. I really do. If not, we have a one way ticket to mediocrity in at least the music department of our faith.