AVE YOU EVER heard the word triggered ? A subject or concept that instantly makes people furious? I’m not fond that word—because it often escalates friendly conversations into sinful quarreling—but I think it applies to today’s topic. You see, certain souls become instantly “triggered” whenever somebody discusses whether particular musical styles are suitable for the Holy Mass. Over the past ten years, our blog has frequently discussed this question (e.g. 01 and 02). To be completely honest, I’m bored with it, because I’ve come to realize that some people refuse to admit certain musical styles are inappropriate for Mass…and yelling until I’m blue in the face can never change that. As a matter of fact, such people claim that all musical styles are okay for Mass: Rap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Polka, Disco, Country, Reggae, Bluegrass, Broadway—whatever you can think of. Our readers are aware we believe certain musical styles are too secular for the Holy Mass. Our readers also know we believe the Catholic Church is experiencing a liturgical crisis, and the most unthinkable sacrileges (e.g. 01 and 02) occur without any ecclesiastical sanction.
Not Just Catholic Churches :
Roman Catholics are not alone in this situation. I could easily post examples from Protestant sects—Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, and so forth—where any concept of “sacred” or “other” seems lost. 1
Here’s an example from the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. (which is not Catholic, although the building looks quite Catholic):
As I’ve said, I could easily post examples from many other Protestant sects.
I just wanted to make it clear these problems are not unique to the Catholic Church.
NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:
1 Not that I would ever seriously compare the Catholic Church to a Protestant sect, because Jesus Christ founded one Church; our Lord did not found many different churches. But I believe the Church teaches that even Protestant sects can contain elements of truth.
