The Politics of Liturgical Music

Recently on CNS, the following article was posted: "Music ministers urged to focus on unity, not their own agendas"

At this conference David Haas was quoted as saying:

"We need to resist going down the black hole of anger regarding how we translate our texts, what we will sing, or which musical styles are most appropriate for our Masses..."

A few personal thoughts.

Indeed, anger, disrespect and genuine lack of charity should be avoided in any matter. At the same time, let us remember that these questions, such as what "musical styles" we use in Mass, are quite important -- important enough that Pope Benedict addressed that precise matter only recently.

As such, while we must avoid a lack of respect, we must not sacrifice the importance of these questions, nor the integrity of our responses to a kind of "false god" of relativism or indifferentism, merely for the sake of trying to appease. In so doing, we do not truly create a unity, nor real peace, and we sacrifice something of great importance in the process.

The real key is seeking to find what is acceptable "liberty" and what is not. That which preserves our tradition and also that which organically builds upon it in the way the Church would have it.