February 2007, Adoremus Bulletin

The February 2007 edition of the Adoremus Bulletin is now online.

The issue includes a great deal of reflection on chant and also the continuing question of missal translations.

One interesting piece by Susan Benofy takes to task the view of some (such as John Allen Jr.) as to what constitutes the "liturgical mainstream" and also the problem of polarization in the Church with regard to the question of the liturgy:

"What John Allen calls “mainstream” organizations -- like the FDLC and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) -- have supported this almost exclusive horizontalism and have consistently promoted and defended it in their publications and conventions. The FDLC has also advanced this agenda in its “position statements” given to the bishops’ conference every year.

"However, defenders of the “vertical” dimension -- distinctively sacred music, sacral language and architecture -- are almost completely absent from “mainstream” publications, do not appear as speakers at “mainstream” liturgical conferences. Their perspective has been systematically, selectively blocked.

"Thus, it is these “mainstream” organizations that have been the polarizers of discussions on liturgy. Their members and subscribers get discussions of liturgy with all the “vertical” views filtered out: in other words, they get a horizontally polarized presentation.

"Father Burton is correct that “polarization” is a problem. But it is not the Church that is polarized. It is the kind of information on the liturgy that is transmitted by the “mainstream” liturgical organizations. If they are to play a truly useful role in the catechesis on the new translation of the Missal they must, at a minimum, cease to be polarizers -- filtering out all positive mention of the vertical dimensions of liturgy."