“The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially
suited to the Roman liturgy”
This is part 5 of 8 on Chapter VI “Sacred Music” taken from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on December 4, 1963. Please also read Vatican II and Sacred Music by Kurt Poterack, Ph.D found in the Spring 1999 issue of Sacred Music.
The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.[i]
What does “other things being equal” mean? If we were to tell someone, “All things being equal I will be to class on time” or “All things being equal I will be home on time”. This means that if everything is normal, if all circumstances are as usual, they will arrive on time. They are assuming that traffic will be as usual, etc. Gregorian chant should be the norm within the Roman liturgy. Pride of place means that it has first priority. All things would not be equal if a parish did not have the resources or knowledge necessary to implement Gregorian chant in the liturgy. If the knowledge and resources are not at a parish it should be a priority to gain both the knowledge and resources necessary.
If a parish does not have the resources or knowledge of Gregorian chant what should they do?The Council and Church documents prior to the Council answers this question. The parish should choose music that is as close to Gregorian chant as possible. In other words move in the direction of Gregorian chant. One resource that is extremely helpful is Corpus Christi Watershed (https://www.ccwatershed.org) which has published the Vatican II Hymnal. This link and others are available on the packet page.
What is the norm for music in most American parishes? Gregorian chant and polyphony is not the norm. There are three categories of music that appear to be the standard.
Hymns such as “Faith of our Fathers” or “Holy God we Praise Thy Name”.
Glory and Praise music such as “Gather us in” or “City of God”.
Praise and Worship such as “Open the Eyes of My Heart” or “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”.
Of these categories which are most like Gregorian chant movement, inspiration, and feeling? Which of these categories are most like Gregorian chant in being true to Sacred Scripture and the teachings of Christ and His Church? Some of these songs are heretical in their text and some are based not on the eternal or unchanging, but rather on an emotional, personal experience of God, similar to secular music.
“But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.”[ii]Article 30 states: “To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.”
If these acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs are not Gregorian chant they should be as close to Gregorian chant as possible.
The following three documents are taken from 1903, 1928, and 1947. What is the consistent message of these three documents?
“These qualities are found most perfectly in Gregorian chant, which is therefore the proper chant of the Roman Church, the only chant which she has inherited from the ancient Fathers, which she offers to the faithful as her own music, which she insists on being used exclusively in some parts of her liturgy, and which, lastly, has been so happily restored to its original perfection and purity by recent study. For these reasons Gregorian chant has always been looked upon as the highest model of Church music, and we may with good reason establish as a general rule that the more a musical composition for use in the church is like Gregorian chant in its movement, its inspiration, and its feeling, so much the more is it right and liturgical, and the more it differs from this highest model so much the less is it worthy of the house of God. Wherefore this ancient Gregorian chant should be largely restored in divine worship, and it should be understood that a service of the Church loses nothing of its solemnity when it is accompanied by no other music than Gregorian chant. Especially should this chant be restored to the use of the people, so that they may take a more active part in the offices, as they did in former times.”[iii]
“So that the faithful take a more active part in divine worship, let Gregorian chant be restored to popular use in the parts proper to the people. Indeed it is very necessary that the faithful attend the sacred ceremonies not as if they were outsiders or mute onlookers, but let them fully appreciate the beauty of the liturgy and take part in the sacred ceremonies, alternating their voices with the priest and the choir, according to the prescribed norms.”[iv]
“As regards music, let the clear and guiding norms of the Apostolic See be scrupulously observed. Gregorian chant, which the Roman church considers her own handed down from antiquity and kept under her close tutelage, is proposed to the faithful as belonging to them also. In certain parts of the liturgy the Church definitely prescribes it; it make the celebration of the sacred mysteries not only more dignified and solemn but helps very much to increase the faith and devotion of the congregation.”[v]
Gregorian chant belongs to the Church and to the faithful and must be promoted among the faithful. The Council of Vatican II, therefore does not depart from this intention but rather it continues the tradition saying that Gregorian chant should have pride of place.
[i] Sacrosanctum Concilium; Section 116
[ii] Sacrosanctum Concilium; Section 116
[iii] Tra le sollecitudini: article 3, Pope Pius X, 1903
[iv] Divini cultus sanctitatem: article 9, Pope Pius XI, 1928
[v] Mediator Dei: article 191, Pope Pius XII, 1947