Houston, we have a problem with our liturgical music.
Over the past 60 years, the Church has become more entrenched in debates about music than perhaps any other topic surrounding the sacred liturgy.
Why? The hardness of our hearts. The subjectivity of the Church’s teachings and understanding has allowed individuals, congregations, pastors and so many others to have an entrenched view that won’t be swayed. And rather than see the beauty of 2,000 years of musical tradition, we dig our heels in and say, “This is the only way.”
The question, then, is how do we fix it? And by fix, I mean, how do we bring forth sacred, holy and universal liturgical music at parishes across the country? From a schola to classical guitar, how can we, as liturgical musicians, congregations and pastors, bring forth the best with the tools we have?
In April 1970, the Apollo 13 astronauts embarked on a journey to be the third mission to land on the moon. Dedicated men and women in the NASA program worked together to make this possible. Tireless hours and training committed to the common goal of exploring the moon and space. To grasp the cosmos, if only for a moment. To see the beauty and vastness of space.
However, we all know that the Apollo 13 mission would never set foot on the moon. Because of technical problems and an explosion of their module, they would be forced to return to earth. But how?
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From traditional documents to modern performances, liturgical music is a topic for in-depth investigation. In his session for The NASA engineers, staff and anyone who was anyone worked around the clock to bring them home by using only the limited items that the astronauts had on their ship. The engineers had to fit a square peg into a circle, so to speak, to make this work. The mission lasted a total of five days, the majority of which was spent under unfathomable stress, with NASA not knowing if they would indeed save these three astronauts. The ingenuity of NASA allowed these men to return safely. It required thinking out of the box, dedication and the ability to be malleable.
The Church, led by the Holy Spirit, has instituted various documents and teachings on how to implement excellent and sacred liturgical music throughout its history. And without a doubt, the most significant debate is on the documents surrounding liturgical music that came about during the Second Vatican Council. There seems to be an opinion or perspective that the documents and changes that came from Vatican II are not valid. Opposing sides have hardened their hearts to believe that there is only one correct way for music to accompany the liturgy, but if Pope St. John Paul II and St. Mother Teresa can worship within the liturgical changes that were made in the 1960s, then so can we.
The Church teaches that sacred music is the highest form of sacred art. Since liturgical music is oriented toward God, above all, “the musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater than that of any other art. The main reason for this is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1156, quoting Sacrosanctum Concilium, No. 112). Therefore, great care must be taken to ensure that whatever direction the musical charism of a parish is, it is brought forth correctly.
Liturgical music comes in all styles and genres. There is no denying that music has had various forms and styles throughout the 2,000-year history of our sacred liturgy. From polyphony, Gregorian chant, full orchestras, soloists, scholas and contemporary music, the Church has always made use of music of the time. Please note that while the music of the time was incorporated, it did not take away from the liturgy. Perhaps this is what some take issue with. They see modern music in various parishes as distracting to the liturgy or, worse, diminishing it. In some cases, they would be correct. And in some cases, Gregorian chant and scholas are distracting, as well. It’s all in the approach.
Like the Apollo 13 astronauts and engineers, how can we — liturgical musicians as well as members of a parish community — bring forth the best with the tools we have. For many, the idea of starting Gregorian chant, scholas or even contemporary music is daunting and scary. That’s OK. It’s important to take baby steps. To the parishes with only one organist/guitarist/pianist/cantor who is doing the best he or she can do, we understand, and we applaud them. Not every parish has a large budget, abundant volunteers or staff, different ensembles, etc. Cultivating fruit in the vineyard can be an uphill battle, and the challenge to pastors and musical ministers is this: How can we take the next steps at making the music we lead more efficacious? Can you imagine how the astronauts felt when they knew they had to think outside the box to get home? Change is scary, but sometimes, it’s necessary.
The fathers of Vatican II encourage us to hold to the past while utilizing new music. For example, Sacrosanctum Concilium tells us: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services” (No. 116).
A simple but important change — though one that can take some time — is to teach the congregation the importance of Latin. While it’s true that there is no official language of the Church, Latin certainly holds a traditional place of prominence in the liturgy and in liturgical music. Unfortunately, many people see this as the “old way” or “outdated,” but remember, it is our tradition and history. The congregation in every parish should at least be able to sing the Latin/Greek parts of the Mass from the Roman Missal with ease.
Another change we can make is to utilize a contemporary piece that is liturgically sound in whatever genre of music your parish uses. For example, the song “Your Grace is Enough” by Matt Maher is both liturgically sound and accessible to the congregation, whether played on guitar or on the organ.
So yes: Houston, we have a problem. But we also have solutions. The first is to soften hearts by encouraging our congregations to see the beauty in diverse styles and sounds of music. The second is to recognize that there is a crisis within the Church and act accordingly by taking the tools we have and figuring out, through music, how we can help those in our parish communities, ultimately, return home to the Father.
In the coming months, we’ll continue to discuss ways in which liturgical music can be a source of unity rather than division.
Justin Dery writes from South Carolina.
