August 24, 2025 - Pastor Message
August 28, 2025JUBILEE 2025 SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM (conclusion)
JUBILEE 2025
SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM (conclusion)
“Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his marvelous deeds” (Psalm 96).
Sacrosanctum Concilium, Vatican Council II’s constitution on the sacred liturgy, concludes with a reflection on the reform of sacred music and art to be used in the liturgy, so it is fitting to conclude our reflection on this landmark document with the same. The reform of sacred music and art was to follow the same basic principles as the reform of the entire liturgy, particularly full and active participation of the faithful: “To develop active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalms, antiphons, hymns, as well as by actions, gestures and bodily attitudes” (SC, 30); “Religious singing by the faithful is to be skillfully encouraged so that in devotional exercises as well as liturgical services the voices of the faithful may be heard” (SC, 118). This is quite different from the way Mass was celebrated in years past, when sacred music, while beautiful, was the domain of highly trained choirs and was more like a performance, as we hear in the Masses of Mozart, for example: “Let [song writers] produce compositions which have the quality proper to genuine sacred music, and which can be sung not only by large choirs but also by smaller choirs, and which make possible the active participation of the whole congregation” (SC, 121). To facilitate this participation, hymns were permitted to be in the language and cultural musical heritage of the people (SC, 113; 119). The use of new kinds of musical instruments was also permitted “provided they are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, that they accord with the dignity of the sacred building, and that they truly contribute to the edification of the faithful” (SC, 120).
All of that said, another guiding principle of musical reform was the importance of preserving the rich musical heritage of the Church. The use of Latin and Gregorian chant was encouraged: “The Church recognizes Gregorian chant as especially native to the Roman liturgy. Therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services” (SC, 116). SC also encouraged the retention of the pipe organ: “The pipe organ is to be held in high esteem in the Latin Church, for it is the traditional musical instrument, the sound of which can add a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and can most effectively elevate people’s spirits to God and things above” (SC, 120).
The reform of sacred art and furnishings follows a similar pattern, allowing for the introduction of new, more modern elements while urging fidelity to the beauty of more traditional forms: “The Church has not adopted any particular style of art as its own, but guided by people’s temperaments and circumstances, and the needs of various rites, it has admitted styles from every period. Thus in the course of the centuries it has brought into existence a treasury of art which must be very carefully preserved. The art of our own times from every race and country should also be given free scope in the Church, provided it bring to the task the reverence and honor due to sacred buildings and rites” (SC, 123). SC then goes on to detail what kinds of art may NOT be admitted, namely art that is not sacred: “Bishops should be careful to ensure that works of art which are repugnant to faith, morals, and Christian piety, and which offend true religious sense either by depraved forms or through lack of artistic merit or because of mediocrity or pretense, be kept well away from the house of God and from other sacred places” (SC, 124).
Two of the more controversial changes made after Vatican II that have been wrongly attributed to it are the design and renovation of church buildings and the removal of statues and other sacred images from churches. SC gives only one brief instruction regarding the design of church buildings: “When churches are to be built, let great care be taken that they are suitable for the celebration of sacred services and for the active participation of the faithful” (124). This is obviously open to interpretation, but one honestly has to wonder how some churches built in the post-Vatican II era can be considered to meet these criteria. Regarding statues and other sacred images, SC has this to say: “The practice of placing sacred images in churches for people to venerate is to be maintained. Nevertheless they should be restricted in number and their relative positions should reflect right order, lest they cause confusion among the Christian people, or foster devotion of doubtful orthodoxy” (SC, 125). Once again, this is open to interpretation, but the wholesale removal of statues and sacred images from churches that sadly happened in some places clearly violates this norm. I hope our tour through SC has helped clear up any confusion you may have about the reforms of the liturgy that Vatican II actually did call for, and, as always, if you want to know more, I encourage you to read the document for yourself.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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