The art and music, demonstrations of beauty, not even in the liturgy and extrinsic factors are purely decorative are rather integral parts of worship, as Benedict points out in his post-synodal apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, 22 February 2007: "The relationship between creed and worship is manifested in a particular way in the liturgical and theological value of beauty. The liturgy, like the rest of Christian Revelation, is inherently linked to beauty: it is veritatis splendor. In the liturgy shines the paschal mystery by which Christ draws us to himself and calls us to communion. In Jesus, as St. Bonaventure would say, contemplate the beauty and splendor at their source. This attribute, which we refer is not mere aestheticism, but how the truth of God's love in Christ encounters us, attracts us and delights us, making us out of ourselves and attracting us towards our true vocation, love " (number 35).
The spiritual value of music has been recognized in a manner distinct from St. Philip Blacks. In his retreat, which he called "oratorio," St. Philip used the word and music: the reading and discussion of a text of the Church Fathers or the classics of spirituality fostered the building and recollection of the listeners, while the music was added to console et recreate weary minds from earlier speeches. Maria Teresa Bonadonna Russo writes, "San Filippo said it (...) have taken the" practice "the idea of introducing" serious incidents between the years by people serious pleasing music spiritual. "The idea of including the spiritual music at its meetings, which conceived of as a "fishing nets souls," appears to be due to the experience gained during his youth in Florence, where the sacred song of praise was widespread among the people. Of these songs not only admired St. Philip formal simplicity, but also the emotional power thanks to it they could give. In the so called "great oratory and music in liturgical celebrations became more important and elaborate, but was never considered an end in itself: its purpose was the solemn worship offered to God and edification of souls. The New Church was a center of Roman musical world, and between friends and spiritual children of the saint are the greatest musicians of the sixteenth Anerio, Aston, Palestrina , Victoria. In all regions of Italy, the Congregation of the Oratory were places where the music flourished sacra.San Philip and his spiritual children put into practice what the church tradition has always said: the song and sacred music , offering praise to God in the solemnity of the liturgical celebration, prayer support and sharing in the sacred mysteries of those who attend. In sanctifying the faithful and educating the taste, sacred music also makes explicit the mysterious unity of the Mystical Body . St. Augustine in his Confessions, describes the deep emotion felt in Milan to take part in celebrations in which the faithful performed the singing of psalms and hymns of St. Ambrose (IX, 7, 15-16). In a sermon the same sant 'Augustine says: "The new man is the new song. Singing is an expression of joy and, if we think that with a little' more attention, is an expression of love" (Sermon, 34, 1). In Thus, Benedict XVI said during his visit to the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music October 13, 2007: "How much is rich in biblical and patristic tradition stress the effectiveness of song and sacred music, to move hearts and to elevate penetrate, so to speak, in the same intimate life of God. "Many papal and conciliar documents of the last century recall the celebration of divine offices and singing in a solemn way. As a result of this renewal of sacred music, the faithful came to familiar with the more common Gregorian melodies, and this happened in many regions of the world. In recent decades, has instead proposed a variety of chants and songs to encourage the involvement of the Assembly, but unfortunately they often lack in form and content. also shows the problem that many new compositions are so ephemeral and tied to his own time to be replaced after a few years.
It must be stressed that the teaching does not require un'indistinta participation of all the people in the chant, but recommends a smooth coordination of all, each according to his tasks and ministries, which "flows the proper spiritual atmosphere that makes it really intense moment in the Liturgy , attended and fruitful "(John Paul II, on sacred music chirograph Motivated by a strong desire, November 23, 2003). The Church documents speak especially of Gregorian chant, because it is closely joined to the sources biblical, patristic and liturgical and is part of the lex orandi Church. This is the track from the motu proprio of St. Pius X. Among the cares (1903) today, through the encyclical Musicae Sacrae discipline Pius XII (1955), the sixth chapter of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican II Sacrosanctum Concilium ( 1963), the next instruction of the then Congregation of Rites (1967), and chirograph Motivated by a strong desire of John Paul II (2003) in commemoration of the centenary of Among the worries.
In Sacramentum Caritatis, Benedict XVI said: "The Church in its two thousand year history, has created and still creates, music and songs which represent a heritage of faith and love that must not be lost. Indeed, in the liturgy can not say that one song is another. In this regard, it should avoid Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy. As part of the liturgy, song should be integrated into the overall celebration. Consequently everything - texts, music, execution - ought to correspond to the sense of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons. Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I would, as requested by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and, as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy "(number 42).
It is not only possible, it is also desirable that the assembly in the celebration of Holy Mass, participate in singing the Gregorian parties that are assigned. This would be a return to seriousness of the liturgy, the holiness and goodness of form and universality which should characterize every liturgical music worthy of the name, as taught by St. Pius X and reaffirm both John Paul II is Pope Benedict XVI. You could start by the cheers from the Pater Noster, and the chants of the Mass Ordinary. We should not underestimate the capacity of the faithful to learn a repertoire minimum. We can learn much from the experience of African countries, where the Christian people sing Gregorian melodies easy now well assimilated.
Not surprisingly, sacred music is in crisis because "without Gregorian chant music church is mutilated, (...) there can be even church music without Gregorian chant," as Monsignor Valentín Miserachs Grau, president of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. "The great masters of polyphony are even greater when they are based on Gregorian chant, borrowing themes, the manner and polyrhythm. To this spirit that informs the refined technique, this faithful adherence to the sacred text and the liturgical moment, were great Palestrina, Lassus, Victoria, Guerrero, Morales, and so on. " Even the new compositions, both in Latin and the vernacular are all the more valuable the more inspired by the Gregorian chant. John Paul II made his well-known principle of Saint Pius X: "A composition of the church is more sacred and liturgical, as in patterns, inspiration and flavor approaches the Gregorian melody, much less is worthy of temple, as from that supreme model recognizes dissimilar "(Among the concerns, number 3; Motivated by a strong desire, number 12).
Despite the pronouncements of Vatican II and the papal magisterium, the church music is in crisis, suffers hermeneutics of discontinuity and rupture, which Benedict XVI spoke in his Address to the Roman Curia, 22 December 2005. To retrieve the great treasure that the Church's tradition passed down to us, we must begin with Gregorian chant, which is able to communicate God's people the sense of catholicity and drive straight towards inculturation. The German writer Martin Mosebach remember that this music was also unusual to the ears of Charlemagne or St. Thomas Aquinas, Monteverdi and Haydn. And it was so foreign to their times as it is today. Today, however, was better disposed toward the music of other cultures than they were Christians many centuries ago. Indeed, the melodies of the various local traditions, even of different cultures from ours, are close relatives of Gregorian chant, and in this sense, the Gregorian chant is truly universal.
Michael John Zielinski
Vice-President of the Pontifical Commission
for Cultural Heritage of the Church
(© L'Osservatore Romano - January 10, 2008)
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