Liturgical stupidity knows no borders.
Rorate Caeli identifies this tragedy as
“Misa Criolla”, performed by a Peruvian folk music group during a Paul VI Mass celebrated in the Cathedral of Pereira, Colombia (2009, “liturgical action” going on in the background).
February 12, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Yikes! This obviously has no place at Mass, much less during the consecration. I have to say, though that the quality of the music is much better than at the contemporary Mass at my parish.
February 12, 2010 at 4:16 pm
I didn't even realized that the priest was in the back ground until I read your comment. That's bad!
February 12, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Yes, but I (even though I am a bit of a trad my self) could do with out Rorate's comments like "a Paul VI Mass" and the tag they ascribed to the post "A Vatican II Moment"
That being said this video is ridiculous. Maybe the FSSP could recruit this band, to retaliate against the SSPXers who graffitied that Fraternity Parish in Mexico. It would make their day…
February 12, 2010 at 7:34 pm
I'm Latina and I'm appalled by this. That type of singing is more appropriate for a restaurant or public event – not the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! Poor Jesus… The Mass has become an entertaining celebration rather than the commemoration of His sacrifice for the salvation of many. Lord, have mercy on us.
February 12, 2010 at 7:44 pm
It's not the consecration. It's the offertory.
February 12, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Pardon me but the biggest mistake isn't the Band (yes it is a band)and its aweful music, it is, rather, that the Priest is facing the wrong direction. Were the priest to offer the "Paul VI" Mass ad orientum, then the band would appear ridiculous in facing the Faithful or even in appearing at the front of the church.
Once the Priest faced the people, the choir came out of their loft in order to "minister" by "actively participating" in the performance of the Mass. For perfomance is what so many Masses have been reduced to and this video is no excpetion. I am certain that were we to be treated to more of this same Mass in the video that all manner of liturgical showmanship would be evident.
From Sacrifice to performance – It matters deeply and profoundly which way the priest faces.
February 12, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Well, at least our "church" is not alone in this mess they call the Mass.
February 12, 2010 at 10:59 pm
I think you folks are overreacting a bit. While the musical genre may not be the best, it's hardly unusual to play something lively for the offertory (not the consecration). And "amor" is not an entirely inappropriate theme for a Catholic liturgy.
Aside from the music, the liturgy seems to be kosher. And the only reason that the band appears to overwhelm the priest is because the video was taken from right in front of them.
February 13, 2010 at 1:50 pm
You should know that this is NOT the norm for Colombia.
February 13, 2010 at 6:13 pm
This has come up at the NLM and CMAA blogs periodically, and should be noted in this thread-the "Liturgical Stupidity" tag should be applied to whichever individual or group misappropriated a legitimate "Theatre Work" more akin to Bernstein's "Mass" for licit sacral usage at Mass. Ultimately, that should have been the celebrant's call. I wouldn't hang it on the "band," I hear much worse on a weekly basis in all sorts of languages.
I'd actually wager that if 90% of the "liturgical ensembles" in this country took the time to rehearse and refine the better pieces of their own chosen idioms, while at the same time respecting the directives of the prevelant documents, you'd have a significant reduction in the kvetching and grousing that spews into comboxes when such clips are, without context, splashed onto YouTube and then here.
February 13, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Yeah, I have to agree with Charles and Karen. Not my cup of tea, but neither is the Novus Ordo to begin with. This is nowhere near the worst of it (think "Lifeteen" or whatever). And for those who don't speak Spanish, the lyrics were appropriate. I don't see the issue here for anyone who supports the Novus Ordo. And for those of us who don't, the issue is not the choice music.
February 13, 2010 at 11:18 pm
I grew up during the worst of these liturgical abuses ("Lean On Me" sung as an offertory, clown masses, women preaching when the priest should be giving the homily, etc.), and this one doesn't hit my radar . . . but then again, I couldn't understand a word they were singing. As long as the words are appropriate, I can cut them some slack.
February 13, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Anon, I'm with you there. And as I said, it was as appropriate as, say, "I will raise you up on eagles' wings" schlock.
February 14, 2010 at 2:47 am
For whatever reason the video isn't showing up for me, but I know of the Misa Criolla. I actually enjoy it for listening, especially the Gloria, but I could never imagine it in Mass, because it is so extravagant. That said, I think the intention behind its inception is fine–I'm of the opinion that is possible to write liturgically appropriate music using non-European styles, especially within the Ordinary form. It's just that often this is not done appropriately.
February 14, 2010 at 5:14 pm
They're pretty good. They are much better than the music I've heard at most of the parishes in my diocese. If I wanted someone to seranade me I'd hire them. However, I don't think what sounds like a grooving love song is appropriate for Mass.
February 14, 2010 at 5:16 pm
In the Novus Ordo Mass anything goes. I know that's not what the VatII documents say but it is what happened and it's what most Catholics beleive. Unitl that's corrected— and it will take decades to even make a dent– you will have funky stuff at Mass.
February 14, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Sorry Charlie et al, confining your commentary to the comparative quality of inappropriate music still leaves the Mass with innappropriate music. Yes, this band is good at what they play; better than most even. So was Sinatra, so is Ladysmith Black Mambazo – none are appropriate for the Mass. That you hear worse in multiple languages and in multiple places provides no quarter for this band and this Priest. Stop making room for this tripe and the Mass will begin a recovery. Continue making excuses for it and the Mass will continue to languish.
February 15, 2010 at 4:08 am
It's entertainment that happens to have a Mass going on. Stop making excuses for this please.
February 15, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Hilltop and romish,
You apparently ignored the points in both of my paragraphs:
First-I clearly said using Ramirez' THEATRE piece was inappropriate, but "blame" should be laid at the feet of a clerical authority.
Two- as an advocate of a universal chant/polyphony restoration to its legislated primacy at service, I only observed that performance practice and proficiency has an effect upon how whole genres of music are perceived. That's not making room or excuse, that's reality. An ill-equipped schola mangling "Beatus vir" or a Victoria "Sanctus" violates the "sacred, timeless and beautiful" criteria, though the principle remains in tact.
And as long as the IGRM allows for "alius cantus aptus" (which is within none of our provenances) we will be haggling over what exactly constitutes "tripe" versus treasure.
You're killing the messenger here, which is unnecessary. Try going to your bishop, as I have done, and having a face to face with him about these "issues" before you level an implied indictment at others.
February 15, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I have many gripes with the quality and style of music that accompanies many liturgies, but there is a great irony here to me. There was a time that almost all of the criticisms leveled at this music were leveled at Polyphony. Polyphony was once prohibited from being used in the mass because it was too secular, too extravagant, too emotional, and had no place in the sacred liturgy. Now it is a style to which we traditionalists cling. I think we should just keep that in mind.