God and the Human Experience Final

Before Vatican II

• Vernacular hymnody sung by the congregation.

• Mass was said in Latin by the priest.

Solutions to Vatican II Problems

1. Eliminate the hymns and keep the Mass in Latin.

2. Have the Mass and music in the vernacular.

Active Participation

• The faithful are encouraged to engage fully in the Mass, both in prayer and song.

• A balance between interior and exterior elements.

• More radical reformers took this as to pray and sing in the vernacular.

Vernacular Liturgy

• Earlier compositions can be performed if they can still serve the liturgy.

• Overall quality of parish pieces can decline if the vernacular pieces are poorly written.

Poorly written vernacular composition impacts

• Decreased liturgical quality.

• Decreased engagement.

Inspiration for congregational singing and worship

• Liturgical chant (Gregorian chant).

• Traditional hymnody.

• Polyphonic and Renaissance polyphony.

• Contemporary sacred music with a liturgical focus.

Sides of the Vatican II debate

Traditionalists and reformers.

Challenges of the modern world

• Advances in technology.

• The behavioral and social sciences.

• Politics.

• Threat of nuclear destruction.

• Tensions of the world superpowers.

The Church in the world.

• The Church is “in the world, but not of the world.”

• Pius X made the church seem like a ‘beacon of light in the darkness of a modern culture that was becoming increasingly secular and anti-religious.

Changes in the liturgy

1. The priest no longer celebrated the Mass with his back to the people; he now faced them.

2. Change in the language from Latin to the vernacular

3.  Change in the musical styles that could be used.

4. Composers were encouraged to write music for the congregation to sing and participate in the liturgy.

Vatican II reforms

• Changes in how the Church viewed itself in the world.

• Changes in attitudes and practices towards other Christians.

• Promotion of dialogue with the modern secular world.

Lex ordandi, lex credendi

• The rule or way we pray determines what we believe.

• It forms us in our relationship with one another and with Christ.

Belief on Church reform

• The Church should always be in some kind of reform because it is a human institution— fragile, sinful yet capable of following the teachings of Jesus Christ.

  • This is the function of the Holy Spirit.

Church submission

• The Church has to submit to the will of Christ.

• “I have come not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me.” (John 6:38)

• This does not mean to never question the mandates.

Chant and the Sung Mass

• Bring back the Propers and use them as these prayers are recited or sung daily throughout the world.

  • This unites the church.

Composers

• Continue to ask them to write artistic music for the choir.

• Adds beauty to the liturgy.