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Views from the Choir Loft

Pope Francis’ Address on Sacred Music: “Liturgy is the first ‘teacher’ of catechism.”

Richard J. Clark · October 4, 2019

OPE FRANCIS recently addressed the Scholae Cantorum of the Italian Santa Cecilia Association. I urge you to read it in its entirety. There are many gems, and it is not long!

      * *  Pope Francis’ Address to the Scholae Cantorum of the Italian Santa Cecilia Association

Francis notes the historic continuity from Pope Saint Pius X through the present day. Francis makes direct reference to Pius X’s 1903 Motu Proprio on sacred music, Tra le Sollecitudini which was the true catalyst for Vatican II reforms in music. Pius X is specifically named in Section VI on Sacred Music in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. (see §112)

As such, he is mindful of Pius X’s call for sacred music in the liturgy to possess three characteristics: beautiful, holiness, and universality. Francis’ address is filled with gems, but this stands out as a guiding light.:

Not just any music, but holy music, because rituals are holy; endowed with the nobility of art, because God must be given the best; universal, so that everyone can understand and celebrate. Above all, clearly distinct and different from that used for other purposes.

Perhaps most important of all is this reminder from Pope Francis:

“[Y]our dedication to the liturgy and its music represents a way of evangelization at all levels, from children to adults. In fact, the liturgy is the first ‘teacher’ of catechism. Do not forget this: the liturgy is the first ‘teacher’ of catechism.”

IKE BENEDICT XVI and John Paul II, Pope Francis reaffirms upholding both our treasury of sacred music alongside new compositions, using Gregorian Chant as the “first model.” But while contemplating the wide tent that is sacred music in the Universal Church, I would ask we consider these important questions (perhaps among others) in light of the liturgy being the “first teacher of catechism.”

1 • Is the theology in our music truly Roman Catholic?

2 • Are we singing scripture or personal thoughts and impressions? (There will be a follow-up article to this question!)

3 • Are we singing the Mass or singing songs at Mass?

4 • Regardless of style, is the music and its presentation reverent and prayerful?

5 • Are we preparing adequately and giving God our best as Pope Francis asks?

INALLY Pope Francis acknowledges the preparation, sacrifice, and hard work of church musicians. It is often a thankless and relentless job! I know I am nothing without my hardworking volunteers (and professionals who don’t get paid nearly enough!) Let us all be thankful for each other, be mindful that we are working towards the same goals: to praise God and uplift our communities in spirit and prayer.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Pope Francis Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Yahweh” in church songs?
    My pastor asked me to write a weekly column for our parish bulletin. The one scheduled to run on 22 June 2025 is called “Three Words in a Psalm” and speaks of translating the TETRAGRAMMATON. You can read the article at this column repository. All of them are quite brief because I was asked to keep within a certain word limit.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • Pentecost Sunday
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for Pentecost Sunday (8 June 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. Because our choir is on break this week, the music is relatively simple.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Truly Great Processional” • (Pipe Organ)
    I stumbled upon this live recording of a PROCESSIONAL I played on the pipe organ in 2002. It’s an excerpt from a much longer composition by Sebastian Bach. In those days, there weren’t sophisticated recording devices allowing one “fix” wrong notes. (Perhaps they existed, but we didn’t have machines like that.) So it was necessary to play the entire piece from beginning to end. If you’re a church organist, feel free to download the PDF score. I suppose it’s only a matter of time until some joker uses “artificial intelligence” to play music at church … but there’s something so satisfying about playing an organ in real life.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

“Naturally the accompaniment of the organ is merely tolerated during the office of the dead, but in fact, in nearly every parish this toleration has become a habit.”

— Henri Potiron, 1958

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Text by Saint Francis of Assisi” (choral setting w/ organ: Soprano & Alto)
  • “Yahweh” in church songs?
  • “Music List” • Pentecost Sunday
  • “Participation” • Recovering its Receptive Dimension
  • “Breathtaking Photographs” • First Mass of Father Michael Caughey, FSSP (Muskegon, MI)

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