Sinfonia Sacra and Fr. Skeris

Recently I was contacted by a member of SINFonia Sacra (a German group which focuses upon traditional Catholic Church music.

On their site, I noticed the following article by Fr. Robert Skeris which is of interest:

Participatio actuosa in theological and musical perspective - Documentary considerations

Please note, the site itself is in German, but this document is in English. Actually, some of the articles on the site look very interesting, including one on Josef Pieper, the late Catholic philosopher, and active/actual participation. Check it out.

Here is a statement of what SINfonia Sacra stands for:

The Society SINFONIA SACRA e.V. is an independent and free association
of persons who share common attitudes and interests directed toward the
promotion and cultivation of liturgical music within the rite of the
Latin Church. The members view themselves as a regulative factor, in
the sense of the Church's tradition, for the restoration of church music
and in particular from general worship practice. The members regard this
main purpose as a service which they as baptized Christians perform for
the Church and for the Christian musical culture of the West, which is
so intimately connected with the Church. The goal of the Society is to
gather and unite all those forces which feel a responsibility for
rendering this service to the Church on theological, musical, pastoral
and (not least!) moral grounds. Decisive for membership is ultimately
the acknowledgement, support and realization of the Society's goals:
the preservation and promotion of church music (in particular liturgical
music) in the sense of ecclesiastical tradition, and the further
development of such music only on the basis of this tradition. The
members recognize in principle the statements and determinations of
Vatican II regarding church music. They are convinced that the
conciliar texts on the liturgy and its music can and should be interpreted solely
in the light of ecclesiastical tradition. Furthermore, they are also
convinced that such an interpretation of Vatican II is the only
legitimate possibility of restoring and preserving church music in the
Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church. Because of the stated purposes
of the Society, these convictions stand in opposition to all efforts
which, in particular after Vatican II, attempt to undo Western
Christian musical culture and along with it musica sacra. The Society gives ideal
and material support and promotion to Catholic Church music by
financial subventions for institutions which in an exemplary way cultivate
Catholic sacred music in the liturgy, and by financial support of media
presence for Catholic church music in word, sound, and image. Any
person who supports the goals and tasks of the Society "Sinfonia Sacra" is
cordially welcome to join. And the work of our Society is at the same
time a grateful recalling of all those church musicians who, in similar
difficult times for the Church during and after the last Council,
untiringly defended the genuine liturgical music of the Catholic
Church.