Happy anniversary Most Holy Father! Ad multos annos!

Pope Benedict Asks For Greater Composure in the Liturgy

From the NLM:

Last Sunday, the Holy Father visited the Italian cities of Viterbo with its papal palace, where the first papal conclave was held, and Bagnoregio, birthplace of St Bonaventure, about whom Pope Benedict wrote his habilitation treatise (which is being published these days, for the first time in its original version, as the second volume of his opera omnia). In Viterbo, he celebrated Mass in the Faul Valley, immediately below the walls of the papal palace. According to several reports in the Italian press (cf. here, here or here), at lunch that day with the local bishops, the Holy Father made some interesting remarks about the attitude of the faithful attending that Mass. While they are not new or surprising, they certainly bear highlighting. According to the reports, Benedict XVI explained to the bishops present that "he desires a greater composure in the liturgies, in which, he finds, applause and acclamations are out of place." In that sense he commended Sunday's celebration, because the more than ten thousand faithful attending "were very devout and composed." In this, the faithful also followed an invitation made through the speakers installed for the occasion "not to applaud and to remain recollected."

On clapping during the Holy Mysteries

“It is not fitting to applaud the servant in the house of his Master.” --Pope St. Pius X

“Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment.” --Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)

Some observations of the Papal Masses in the USA

I was tempted to watch the Papal Masses available via EWTN after reading many comments on the various blogs that keeps track on this apostolic journey of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States. I will concur with the general observations that Washington D.C. had the better vestments and altar arrangement, while New York had better music, the Solemn Vespers at Washington notwithstanding. That's the good part.

Now to the bad part. I'm sure most would have heard by now how ridiculous the music was at the Nationals Stadium, Washington D.C. Nothing further needs to be said about that. I'll stick to the other two Masses in New York (St Patrick's Cathedral and Yankee Stadium). Forgive me for the rant and often uncharitable comments....but here goes:

1. What's with the ugly chasubles and mitres in New York? Didn't we hear about Msgr. Marini bringing along worthy vestments from the Vatican?
2. Is this a pop concert? What's with the clapping and wolf-whistling inside the House of God? Probably many don't believe that anymore, rather they think a church is nothing more than a community hall where everyone gathers together to celebrate, eat, drink, and be merry. Dear Holy Father, please don't encourage the people to clap further. Just get on with the Mass. We are to orientate towards Our Lord Jesus Christ, not to ourselves, right?
3. Cantors, cantors....stop drawing attention to yourselves by singing at a faster pace compared to the congregation. And what's with the outstretched arms? It's the organist's job to prompt the congregation to sing, not the cantor! Come to think of it, the organist(s) did a great job, but the cantors were out of sync.
4. Please spare us this Novus Ordo monstrosity called the Responsorial Psalm. Use the Graduale instead!
   
5. Dear deacons, the gospel sung would be nicer if you had sung it properly according to the right tone. A sung gospel is supposed to be smooth-flowing, not broken into bits and pieces.
6. Horror of horrors, the sacrilege of communion in the hand continues. But I suppose this is already a 'norm' in the Novus Ordo, just like having women as lectors. So I guess you would have been 'numbed' to this outrage if you frequent the Novus Ordo. This reminds me of the frog in the pot of water being heated slowly. Hmmm....
   
7. And of course, last but not least, with sadness we hear about "pro-choice" politicians (read that as PUBLIC sinners) openly defying the Pope and the Church regarding the reception of Holy Communion. Refusing to be confrontational, the bishops, priests and deacons who distributed communion to them are equally responsible for this blasphemy and horrible sacrilege against the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. And all this happening at Papal Masses. Kyrie eleison!

It was a great opportunity lost for Pope Benedict to show by example his vision for reforming the Novus Ordo, be it through the celebration of a Latin Novus Ordo, or (wishful thinking) even a Traditional Latin Mass. Most American neo-conservatives might be gushing over the inclusion of some chant and sacred polyphony. To me however, nothing major really changed from the days of Pope John Paul II's mega Masses in stadiums. How sad.

Papal Address to the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music

VISIT TO THE PONTIFICAL INSTITUTE FOR SACRED MUSIC

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Via di Torre Rossa, Rome
Saturday, 13 October 2007

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Professors and Students of the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music,

On the memorable day of 21 November 1985 my beloved Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, went to visit this "aedes Sancti Hieronymi de Urbe" where, since its foundation by Pope Pius XI in 1932, a privileged community of Benedictine monks has worked enthusiastically on the revision of the Vulgate Bible. It was then that the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music moved here, complying with the Holy See's wishes, although it retained at its former headquarters in Palazzo dell'Apollinare, the Institute's historic Gregory XIII Hall, the Academic Hall or Aula Magna which still is, so to speak, the "sanctuary" where solemn academic events and concerts are held. The great organ which Madame Justine Ward gave Pius XI in 1932 has now been totally restored with the generous contribution of the Government of the "Generalitat de Catalunya". I am pleased to greet the Representatives of that Government who are present here.

I have come with joy to the didactic centre of the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music, which has been totally renovated. With my Visit I inaugurate and bless the impressive restoration work carried out in recent years at the initiative of the Holy See with the significant contribution of various benefactors, among whom stand out the "Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra", which has overseen the total restoration of the Library. My intention is also to inaugurate and bless the restoration work done in the Academic Hall, in which a magnificent piano has been set on the dais next to the above-mentioned great organ. It was a gift from Telecom Italia Mobile to beloved Pope John Paul II for "his" Institute for Sacred Music.

I would now like to express my gratitude to Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and your Grand Chancellor, for expressing his courteous good wishes to me also on your behalf. On this occasion, I gladly confirm my esteem and pleasure in the work that the Academic Board, gathered closely around the Principal, is carrying out with a sense of responsibility and appreciated professionalism. My greetings go to everyone present: the relatives, with their children, and the friends accompanying them, the officials, staff, students and residents, as well as the representatives of the Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae and the Foederatio Internationalis Pueri Cantores.

Your Pontifical Institute is rapidly approaching the centenary of its foundation by the Holy Father Pius X, who established with the Brief Expleverunt Desiderii, the "Scuola Superiore di Musica Sacra" in 1911. Later, after subsequent interventions by Benedict XV and Pius XI, with the Apostolic Constitution Deus Scientiarum Dominus, once again promulgated by Pius XI, it became the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music, and is still today committed actively to fulfilling its original mission at the service of the universal Church. Numerous students who have met here from every region of the world to train in the disciplines of sacred music become in their turn teachers in the respective local Churches. And how many of them there have been in the span of almost a century! I am pleased here to address an affectionate greeting to the man who, one might say, represents with his splendid longevity the "historical memory" of the Institute and personifies so many others who have worked here: the Maestro, Mons. Domenico Bartolucci.

I am pleased in this context to recall what the Second Vatican Council established with regard to sacred music. In line with an age-old tradition, the Council said it "is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 112). How often does the rich biblical and patristic tradition stress the effectiveness of song and sacred music in moving and uplifting hearts to penetrate, so to speak, the intimate depths of God's life itself! Well aware of this, John Paul II observed that today as always, three traits distinguish sacred music: "holiness", "true art" and "universality" or the possibility that it can be proposed to any people or type of assembly (cf. Chirograph Tra le Sollecitudini, 22 November 2003; ORE, 28 January 2004, p. 6). Precisely in view of this, the ecclesiastical Authority must work to guide wisely the development of such a demanding type of music, not "freezing" its treasure but by seeking to integrate the valid innovations of the present into the heritage of the past in order to achieve a synthesis worthy of the lofty mission reserved to it in divine service. I am certain that the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music, in harmony with the Congregation for Divine Worship, will not fail to make its contribution to "updating" for our times the precious traditions that abound in sacred music.

As I invoke upon you the motherly protection of Our Lady of the Magnificat and the intercession of St Gregory the Great and of St Cecilia, I assure you on my part of a constant remembrance in prayer. As I hope that the new academic year about to begin will be filled with every grace, I cordially impart a special Apostolic Blessing to you all.

© Copyright 2007 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Source: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2007/october/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20071013_musica-sacra_en.html