•pring) 1995 Volume 122 Saint Matthew SACRED MUSIC Volume 122, Number 1, Spring 1995 FROM THE EDITORS A Light Shines in the Darkness Vespers 3 IDEOLOGY AND LITURGY Reverend Robert A. Skeris 5 A . W. PUGIN, PROPHET OR DREAMER? Giles Dimock, O.P. 13 THE CANONICAL MEANING OF THE RECENT AUTHENTIC INTERPRETATION OF CANON 230.2 REGARDING FEMALE ALTAR SERVERS Monsignor John F. Me Carthy 15 A LETTER TO A WOULD - BE REFORMER Kdroly Ko'pe 21 REVIEWS 24 NEWS 27 CONTRIBUTORS 28 SACRED MUSIC Continuation of Caecilia, published by the Society of St. Caecilia since 1874, and The Catholic Choirmaster, published by the Society of St. Gregory of America since 1915. Published quarterly by the Church Music Association of America. Office of publications: 548 Lafond Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55103. Editorial Board: Rev. Msgr. Richard J. Schuler, Editor Rev. Ralph S. March, S.O. Cist. Rev. John Buchanan Harold Hughesdon William P. Mahrt Virginia A. Schubert Cal Stepan Rev. Richard M. Hogan Mary Ellen Strapp News: Rev. Msgr. Richard J. Schuler 548 Lafond Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55103 Music for Review: Paul Salamunovich, 10828 Valley Spring Lane, N. Hollywood, Calif. 91602 Paul Manz, 1700 E. 56th St., Chicago, Illinois 60637 Membership, Circulation and Advertising: 548 Lafond Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55103 CHURCH MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA Officers and Board of Directors President Monsignor Richard J. Schuler Vice-President Gerhard Track General Secretary Virginia A. Schubert Treasurer Earl D. Hogan Directors Rev. Ralph S. March, S.O. Cist. Mrs. Donald G. Vellek William P. Mahrt Rev. Robert A. Skeris Members in the Church Music Association of America includes a subscrip- tion to SACRED MUSIC. Voting membership is $12.50 annually; subscrip- tion membership is $10 annually; student membership is $5.00 annually. Single copies are $3.00. Send applications and changes of address to SA- CRED MUSIC, 548 Lafond Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55103-1672. 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FROM THE EDITORS A Light Shines in the Darkness From many sides and often from remote places encouraging reports appear indicating that the Holy Spirit is active in the Church, stirring up grace to bring about a new life in the liturgy, activity that the Second Vatican Council called for but as yet has not been widely achieved. For the past thirty years since the close of the council, story after story of abuses, misunderstanding and even outright disobedience of conciliar directives have been reported from all countries. It hs been suggested that what we have witnessed so widely was deliberately planned and executed by a small group. There is an old adage that whenever the Holy Spirit is active in the Church, then Satan also is at work. Pope Paul VI spoke of the smoke of hell coming into the Church. If the liturgy is, as Pope Saint Pius X called it, the chief source of divine life in the world, then it is little wonder that Satan would attack it to destroy it and prevent its being the great source of grace that it surely is. At the opening of the council in 1963, the order of considering the various documents was upset when the schema prepared by the pre-conciliar commission for the discussion on the Church was removed from its place as the initial consideration of the fathers, to be rewritten. In its place, ahead of the logical order and development, while the constitution on the Church was being reformulated, the subject of liturgy was introduced for discussion The treatment of liturgy belonged after the discussions on the Church. Truly, the Church is the very person of Jesus Christ, living on in time and offering His redemption through the sacraments to each succeeding generation. The theology of the liturgy rests directly upon the theology of the Church. The correct order was the original one, to study the Church and then the activity of the Church, viz., the liturgy. The sacred liturgy is the action of Jesus Christ Himself, His activity in this world. Our response to Him must be an active participation in His life, the life of the Church, which is the liturgy. Much of what passed as active participation in the past years has proved to be far from what the mind of the conciliar fathers intended, and far from what the constitution on the Church (Lumen gentium) and the constitution on the liturgy (Sacrosanctum concilium) clearly teach. But now there are signs that the wishes of the conciliar fathers, as indicated in their documents, are coming into fulfillment. We hear of Gregorian chant being revived and used. A large number of parishes have begun perpetual adoration of the Blesssed Sacrament showing an increase in the reverence owed the real presence of Jesus on our altars. New catechetical and devotional materials are being published. Many parents are organizing their own schools for the specific purpose of teaching the truths of the faith. Various new groups are forming themselves according to the new Code of Canon Law as the religious life is truly renewed. Hopefully, even in church music there may soon be a break-through and a new music (truly a canticum novum) will appear. The dross of the past thirty years will eventually be swept away and forgotten, and the new springtime of the soul envisioned by the council will emerge. It has long been my conviction that, as in the sixteenth century, following the Council of Trent, a long period of turmoil and ferment would precede the full implementation of the conciliar directives and plans. During that time many ancillary documents and instructions would be given by the Holy See in forming the path of progress. Fulfilling the directives of the council has been the major activity of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. Finally a light is appearing, and the true renewal might be seen to be forthcoming. For too long we have been dominated by those who have had their own ideas of what the conciliar fathers ordered. The infamous "spirit of the council" and "in the name of the council" will fall before the truth as clearly expressed in the inspired documents. As Sacred Music has so often urged, "Let us just do what the council asked of us." The light is shining in the darkness. We must pray that the darkness does not comprehend it. R.J.S. FROM THE EDITORS Vespers The constitution on the sacred liturgy from Vatican II (in para. 100) clearly states that "pastors should see to it that the chief hours, especially vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and the more solemn feasts. The laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually." And again, in the general instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (para. 23), the directive is clearly stated: "Those in holy orders...must therefore see to it that the people are invited, and prepared by suitable instruction, to celebrate the principal hours in common, especially on Sundays and holydays. They should teach the people how to make this participation a source of genuine prayer." But how often has this command been observed? Not even in cathedrals or in abbey churches can one participate in the office of hours on Sunday. With the revision of the office as asked for by the council, it was hoped that it would become truly the "prayer of the Church," used by both clerics and laity. With the privilege of using the vernacular, it was expected that all would take part. What happened was even the churches that may have celebrated vespers before, now after the council, have dropped the practice. Instead of nourishing the flock with the food of eternal life found in the holy scriptures, the opportunities for communal prayer have been significantly reduced or eliminated. In my parish (Saint Agnes in Saint Paul, Minnesota) a group of men have sung vespers every Sunday afternoon for the past twenty years. They are sung in Latin according to the order of the old Liber usualis, since no new books have been issued with the music for the revised office except for the Liber hymnarius which has only parts of the hour of vespers. About fifteen men make up the choir, vested and seated in the sanctuary. The congregation is small, but about forty people attend, who are invited to sing the office with the choir, but who mostly participate by following the English translation given in parallel columns with the Latin. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed during the singing of the hour, and benediction is given at the conclusion. Vespers has always been considered a eucharistic celebration. Many people tell me that coming to vespers is a truly spiritual experience. In the late afternoon the sun is setting and the west windows of the church shine with the brilliance of the setting sun. The mystery of the Gregorian psalm tones, repeated again and again, bring a peace to the church and to the souls of the congregation.