Colombo Statement on Liturgy as it relates to Sacred Music

From September 16 through 20, 2008, the representatives of 19 Bishops' Conferences of Asia met together a Convention with the Cardinal Prefect, the Secretaru, and others from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and issued the statement here. It emphasized the unity of the Roman Rite, the need to stop liturgical abuses, and pointedly stated the following on music:

Music in Sacred Liturgy should be truly liturgical, that is, the Church's loving praise of God. While it also promotes active participation, it should not be left to the whims and subjective initiatives of individuals. It would be appropriate to promote local tradition music and also the Gregorian chant and to discourage hymns that do not represent the deep sense of sound doctrine and the sacred.