The Mass Isn't Entertainment
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ZENIT News Agency, The World Seen from Rome
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The Mass Isn't Entertainment, Says Cardinal Arinze
In Interview, He Gives His Perspective on the Liturgy
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 16, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The Mass is a moment of reflection and
encounter with God, rather than a form of entertainment, says Cardinal Francis
Arinze.
In an interview with Inside the Vatican magazine, the prefect of the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments made a comprehensive
assessment of the recent Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist and of developments
in liturgical practice 40 years after the Second Vatican Council.
Regarding "music in the liturgy, we should start by saying that Gregorian music
is the Church's precious heritage," he said. "It should stay. It should not
be banished. If therefore in a particular diocese or country, no one hears
Gregorian music anymore, then somebody has made a mistake somewhere."
However, "the Church is not saying that everything should be Gregorian music,"
the cardinal clarified. "There is room for music which respects that language,
that culture, that people. There is room for that too, and the present books say
that is a matter for the bishops' conference, because it generally goes beyond
the boundaries of one diocese.
"The ideal thing is that the bishops would have a liturgical music commission
which looks at the wording and the music of the hymns. And when the commission
is satisfied, judgment is brought to the bishops for approval, in the name of
the rest of the conference."
What should not be the case, insists the Nigerian cardinal, is "individuals
just composing anything and singing it in church. This is not right at all -- no
matter how talented the individual is. That brings us to the question of the
instruments to be used.
"The local church should be conscious that church worship is not really the
same as what we sing in a bar, or what we sing in a convention for youth.
Therefore it should influence the type of instrument used, the type of music
used."
Suitability
"I will not now pronounce and say never guitar; that would be rather severe,"
Cardinal Arinze added. "But much of guitar music may not be suitable at all for
the Mass. Yet, it is possible to think of some guitar music that would be
suitable, not as the ordinary one we get every time, [but with] the visit of a
special group, etc."
"The judgment would be left to the bishops of the area. It is wiser that way,"
he pointed out. "Also, because there are other instruments in many countries
which are not used in Italy or in Ireland, for instance.
"People don't come to Mass in order to be entertained. They come to Mass to
adore God, to thank him, to ask pardon for sins, and to ask for other things
that they need."
"When they want entertainment, they know where to go -- parish hall, theater,
presuming that their entertainment is acceptable from a moral theological point
of view," added the cardinal, 73, who this year celebrated the 40th anniversary
of his episcopal ordination.
The synod
In the course of the interview, Cardinal Arinze, who in the recent Synod of
Bishops on the Eucharist was one of the delegate presidents, subsequently made a
summary of this ecclesial event which gathered 252 bishops.
Speaking of the positive points of the synod, the cardinal said there were many:
"Strengthening our faith in the holy Eucharist. No new doctrine, but freshness
of expression of our Eucharistic faith. Encouragement in the celebration in the
sense of good attention; a celebration which shows faith."
"The synod thanked priests for their ministry and also deacons and others who
assist at the celebration of Mass, and underlined the importance of Eucharistic
adoration outside Mass which has its fruits in the Mass itself because the Mass
is the supreme act of adoration," he continued.
"But the sacrament does not finish after Mass," the cardinal observed.
"Christ is in the tabernacle to be brought to the sick, to receive our visits
of adoration, praise, love, supplication. The synod fathers did not only talk
about adoration -- they did adoration, every day. Christ exposed in the
monstrance in the chapel near the Synod Hall, one hour in the morning, one hour
in the afternoon."
"The synod also stressed the importance of good preparation for the holy
Eucharist; to receive Communion," he noted. "Therefore, confession of sins,
for those who are in mortal sin and in any case encouraging the sacrament of
penance as a way of growing in fidelity to Christ. And also that not everybody
is fit to receive holy Communion, so those who are not fit should not receive."
Protestant view
Referring to a negative tendency in the Western world, the cardinal revealed
that an increasing number of Catholics have "a more Protestant concept of the
Eucharist, seeing it mainly as a symbol."
The "synod fathers recognize that many Catholics don't have correct faith in
the real presence of Christ in the holy Eucharist," he said. "This was
mentioned in one of the propositions as well.
"It was recognized so much that many of the synod fathers suggested that there
be themes suggested for homilies on Sundays. Seeing that for many Catholics the
Sunday homily is about the only religious instruction they get in a week, the
synod fathers suggested that the four major areas of Catholic faith should be
covered by the homily in a three-year cycle."
The four areas correspond to the parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
"First part, what we believe," Cardinal Arinze said. "Second part, how we
worship, i.e., sacraments. Third part, what we live, life in Christ, so the
moral law, the Ten Commandments, the Christian life lived; and the fourth part,
prayer."
Therefore, "although the homily should be on the Scripture readings and the
other liturgical texts, some way has to be found to cover the whole area of
Catholic faith in a period of three years because many Catholics are really
ignorant of fundamental matters. That is a fact nobody can deny."
Showmanship
"Vatican II brought many good things but everything has not been positive, and
the synod recognized that there have been shadows," Cardinal Arinze
acknowledged.
"There has been a bit of neglect of the holy Eucharist outside Mass," he said.
"A lot of ignorance. A lot of temptations to showmanship for the priest who
celebrates facing the people.
"If he is not very disciplined he will soon become a performer. He may not
realize it, but he will be projecting himself rather than projecting Christ.
Indeed it is very demanding, the altar facing the people. Then even those who
read the First and Second Reading can engage in little tactics that make them
draw attention to themselves and distract the people.
"So there are problems. However, some of the problems were not caused by
Vatican II, but they were caused by children of the Church after Vatican II.
Some of them talking of Vatican II push their own agenda. We have to watch that.
People pushing their own agenda, justifying it as the 'spirit of Vatican
II.'"
The Vatican prefect continued: "So, if only people would be more faithful to
what has been laid down, not by people who just like to make laws for other
people, but what follows from what we believe. 'Lex orandi, Lex credendi.' It
is our faith that directs our prayer life, and if we genuflect in front of the
tabernacle it is because we believe that Jesus is there, and is God."
Abuses not new
Contrary to what many think, he said, "even when there was the Tridentine Mass
there were abuses. Many Catholics did not know, because they did not know Latin!
So when the priest garbled the words, they were not aware of this.
"Therefore, the most important area is faith and fidelity to that faith, and a
faithful reading of the original texts, and their faithful translations, so that
people celebrate knowing that the liturgy is the public prayer of the Church."
Cardinal Arinze concluded that the liturgy "is not the property of one
individual, therefore an individual does not tinker with it, but makes the
effort to celebrate it as Holy Mother Church wants. When that happens, the
people are happy, they feel nourished. Their faith grows, their faith is
strengthened. They go home happy and willing to come back next Sunday."
ZE05111621
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