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Views from the Choir Loft

“Battles” in the Church (Part 2 of 2)

Andrew Leung · June 18, 2015

CTL Battles in the Church 2 AST WEEK, I wrote a post about my observations and opinions on the Three “Battles” in the Church. Those three “battles” are tensions that already exist in the Catholic Church. They can be solved by dialogues and discussions. This week, I would like to write about two more “battles” that shouldn’t be fought. Just like the other three “battles”, these two tensions already exist. However, unlike the three “battles”, further debates on these two will divide the Church. That is why they shouldn’t be fought.

(1) Vetus Ordo Vs. Novus Ordo — I don’t know about you. But I have heard many times that people compare the two different Forms of the Mass in the Roman Rite. And when people compare the two, often they talk bad about one of the Forms. I do think that the two Forms can affect each other positively. The Ordinary Form is still pretty new and a lot of times it is not celebrated the way it should be. But as I said here, the Novus Ordo can be done well if it is celebrated according to the rubrics and the vision of the Council Fathers. If we continue to compare the two Forms negatively, saying one is better than the other, it will lead to division of the Church. On the other hand, positive comparison with an open mind can help us understand the Liturgy, the theology behind it and the history of the Mass.

(2) Traditional Vs. Charismatic — This tension happened due to misunderstanding of the terms. I have heard so many times that people compare the two and label others as “traditional” or “charismatic”. And when they do, it seems like one cannot fit into both categories. To be a Catholic is to be both. We are traditional, because we belong to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and we believe in Sacred Tradition; We are charismatic, because we all received the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. These two terms do not contradict with each other. We need to be faithful to the Liturgy and to have a good relationship with the Holy Spirit.

In conclusion, the first three “battles” from last week need to be solved through dialogues; the other two are unnecessary and we need to stop fighting them. Humility and prayers are the keys to solve these tensions.

“Battles” in the Church (Part 1 of 2)

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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