Vatican, Dec. 04 (CWNews.com) - In a new document released December 4, Pope John Paul II has emphasized that liturgical music must convey a sense of reverence and appreciation for the sacred.
The new document takes the form of a "chirography"-- an administrative directive bearing the papal signature, and containing specific instructions. It was released for the 100th anniversary of Tra le Sollectitudini, the document on sacred music by St. Pius X. The Pope's new document is dated November 22: the feast of St. Cecilia, the patron of music.
All liturgical music "must have sanctity as its point of reference," Pope John Paul writes, adding that "not all musical forms are appropriate for liturgical celebrations."
While acknowledging that music can express different cultural traditions, the Pope cautions that all sacred music must "respect specific criteria," and stresses that the music must avoid "any concession to frivolity and superficiality." The liturgy of the Catholic Church, he writes, "must never become a laboratory for experimentation."
Pope John Paul confirms the teaching of Vatican II that Gregorian chant "should be preserved in the first lace for liturgical ceremonies, with hymns that are celebrated in Lain."
The Pope urges the Congregation for Divine Worship to "pay closer
attention" to the issue of liturgical music. He repeats that exhortation in
a plea for episcopal conferences to "pay close attention" to the music
used in the liturgy in their respective countries.