Our seminarians, LM and NO, should be taught Sacred Music. It would be wonderful to hear our priests explain its beauty and how it inspires faith and contemplation. Thank you for this discussion.
Beautiful! I found Aurelio Porfiri's love and respect for sacred music very consoling, because I lived through the revolution from the beginning. I was raised with Gregorian Chant and sacred music through my entire 16 years of Catholic education, but then in my adulthood, it was all thrown out, so to speak, and replaced with the guitar and "Here I am, Lord", etc. By the grace of God, I found Tradition a number of years ago, and with it, Gregorian chant and sacred music. So now, with musicians and composers like Porfirio, we have more hope that this repertoire of sacred music that was abandoned by the mainstream, may be restored once again to its place of honor in the Church. Deo gratias! Great interview!
Assisting at mass to the tune of really exquisite music is what can be an amazing experience. The Italian gentleman maintains this is possible with the new rite. But shouldn't we remain watchful about being seduced by the senses? The problem for me has not ever been an absence of Latin or incense or Gregorian chant in the new rite. Of course, I missed these aesthetic qualities in the post-Vatican II era, particularly when my own mother had requested a traditional (read 'Tridentine') funeral in the months preceding her painful passing away, which was denied by the priest who had worked in South America. Instead, he performed some kind of simulacre, even going through the motion of incensing the coffin when there was no incense in the incensor. Yes, an invalid funeral due to the lack of intention of the priest.
For me, the absence in the new mass of the elements of a sacrificial offering to G-d, namely a decent preparation for that sacrifice such as a valid Offertory, and not some table prayer lifted out of the Talmud, the altering of the original words of consecration ( "...which shall be shed for you and for MANY.." and not 'shall be shed for you and for ALL which is the Novus Ordo version), and other innovations such as turning the altar around to so that the congregation and the celebrant can admire each other.
I want to suggest that the real problem is not the 70's, it is that the New Mass is inherently not something offered to God. Luther said about his revolt that, 'Henceforth the Mass will be offered to the people.' That is an underlying pillar of the Novus Ordo. Similarly, if we do think of offering something to God, it's whatever - casual, like we're doing God a favor.
Our seminarians, LM and NO, should be taught Sacred Music. It would be wonderful to hear our priests explain its beauty and how it inspires faith and contemplation. Thank you for this discussion.
Beautiful! I found Aurelio Porfiri's love and respect for sacred music very consoling, because I lived through the revolution from the beginning. I was raised with Gregorian Chant and sacred music through my entire 16 years of Catholic education, but then in my adulthood, it was all thrown out, so to speak, and replaced with the guitar and "Here I am, Lord", etc. By the grace of God, I found Tradition a number of years ago, and with it, Gregorian chant and sacred music. So now, with musicians and composers like Porfirio, we have more hope that this repertoire of sacred music that was abandoned by the mainstream, may be restored once again to its place of honor in the Church. Deo gratias! Great interview!
Assisting at mass to the tune of really exquisite music is what can be an amazing experience. The Italian gentleman maintains this is possible with the new rite. But shouldn't we remain watchful about being seduced by the senses? The problem for me has not ever been an absence of Latin or incense or Gregorian chant in the new rite. Of course, I missed these aesthetic qualities in the post-Vatican II era, particularly when my own mother had requested a traditional (read 'Tridentine') funeral in the months preceding her painful passing away, which was denied by the priest who had worked in South America. Instead, he performed some kind of simulacre, even going through the motion of incensing the coffin when there was no incense in the incensor. Yes, an invalid funeral due to the lack of intention of the priest.
For me, the absence in the new mass of the elements of a sacrificial offering to G-d, namely a decent preparation for that sacrifice such as a valid Offertory, and not some table prayer lifted out of the Talmud, the altering of the original words of consecration ( "...which shall be shed for you and for MANY.." and not 'shall be shed for you and for ALL which is the Novus Ordo version), and other innovations such as turning the altar around to so that the congregation and the celebrant can admire each other.
The Italian gentleman laments the "disaster" in so many RC churches. Rightly so, but it seems to me the Roman Catholic Church had it coming.
I want to suggest that the real problem is not the 70's, it is that the New Mass is inherently not something offered to God. Luther said about his revolt that, 'Henceforth the Mass will be offered to the people.' That is an underlying pillar of the Novus Ordo. Similarly, if we do think of offering something to God, it's whatever - casual, like we're doing God a favor.
Wonderful interview. Many thanks. 🙏🙏🙏