A reader writes:
At our Church the pastor says the Eucharistic prayers and also has the organist accompany him during this time. This is very distracting and I have expressed this concern both with the music director and the pastor. The music director told me that the pastor wants this because it "helps him know what to say next." The pastor did not reply to my letter of concern and has continued this practice.
Is this a situation that I should take further to try to stop? We have many problems at our church including inclusive language and we don’t know what to stand up for and what to just offer up for the Church. Like I said, the music during Consecration is very distracting to me and others and I believe the Church has given us a gift in calling for silence during this time.
As to whether you should take further action to help deal with the situation, that is something that will have to be up to your best judgment. The practice is certainly contrary to the Church’s liturgical law and in itself worthy of action, but there may be "bigger fish to fry" in your parish (i.e., other problems that need more urgently to be solved). Make your best guess after reflecting on the situation and then act accordingly.
If you do conclude that the matter does need to be pursue further, I would talk to the priest directly about it rather than starting by going over his head. Work the steps that Jesus outlines in Matthew 18 to the extent that this is possible: talk to him privately, talk to him with a group, etc.
So that you know you’re on safe ground her legally, here is what the current (2002) General Instruction of the Roman Missal has to say on the matter:
30. Among the parts assigned to the priest, the foremost is the Eucharistic Prayer, which is the high point of the entire celebration. Next are the orations: that is to say, the collect, the prayer over the offerings, and the prayer after Communion. These prayers are addressed to God in the name of the entire holy people and all present, by the priest who presides over the assembly in the person of Christ. It is with good reason, therefore, that they are called the “presidential prayers.”
32. The nature of the “presidential” texts demands that they be spoken in a loud and clear voice and that everyone listen with attention. Thus, while the priest is speaking these texts, there should be no other prayers or singing, and the organ or other musical instruments should be silent.
Our PP asked the choir to sing in the background (“Amazing Grace” melody, sung to “ah”) during the Consecration. Our Choir Directors were all for it, but as organist I expressed reservations about it. We did it for a while, then stopped. Thank God. I’m totally against anything else going on at the moment of Consecration. All attention should be focused totally on what’s going on on the Altar. As for the priest using the music as guide for what to say next, well, that’s another story. But I can say that my current parish (one of around six or so I’ve lived in since I was a kid) is the only one where this situation has come up. My gut feeling is that the total attention of the congregation belongs on the words and actions of the priest who is consecrating the sacred elements into the Body and Blood of Our Lord.
Liturgical reasons aside, for those with hearing problems having background music while the priest is praying makes it really hard to hear him. That might be another point to bring up with the priest.
The Divine Liturgy may be sung, but it does not have a soundtrack. Accompanying the presidential prayers imitates a soundtrack.
And, when dealing with progressive liturgists, it also helps to remind them that the practice also is a bastard descendent of Tridentine Low Mass practice where music covered the silent prayers…and then ask said liturgist why he or she is so intent on undoing the Reform….
Greetings,
These emphasize that the presidential prayers be spoken in a loud voice. However, they can also be chanted. The music for chanting the Eucharistic prayers is in the sacramentary. The Entire mass could be chanted.
peace
At my parish during Advent and Lent the congregation sings or says prayer responses during the Eucharistic prayers. I find it very distracting and irritating, especially since it is plainly against GIRM. I was relieved when we finally got back to Ordinary time and things got back to normal.
I remember my previous pastor would perform the entire liturgy of the Eucharist in a style reminiscent of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. At the end, I didn’t know whether to go and receive communion or sit there and clap. Incidentally, he was also responsible for the multi-million dollar unnecessary “reconfiguration” of our church and of course today, we are broke. Gotta love it.
Cases like this remind me to pray for the restoration of the ancient Mass.
Tim —
You mean the one in Aramaic, right? Nothing newfangled like Greek or vulgar like Latin.
What? You don’t mean that? 😉
touche, maureen– and if you haven’t seen the spoof site “society of st. Pius I”, you should– its a hoot. http://www.ancillapress.com/SSPI/SSPIIndex.html
I know at least one of the Mass settings used by my parish — from a major publisher of Catholic liturgical music — *recommends* playing music softly during the EP, *and* has CHOIR PARTS during the final doxology (“Through him, with him”, etc.) My choir director told me that all such published liturgical music must be approved by the appropriate people at the USCCB. So maybe part of the problem is failure by the USCCB (and/or its lay employees) to enforce the GIRM?
The Mass could be sung I believe but only by the Priest. Music my a choir or instument detracts wholly from the Eucharistic prayer.