I copy this which I saw at Fr. Z's blog!
At
CWR there is an interview with Archbp. Alex Sample of Portland. Among the things he addressed are sacred liturgy and sacred music.
[…] Some have said that the sacred liturgy is my personal
hang up, that I have an obsession with it. I reject that view, because
it’s not merely my opinion that the liturgy be given the highest
priority, but that of the Church.
The Church teaches us that the liturgy is the “source and summit” of
the Church’s life [in Sacrosanctum Concilium]. There is nothing more
important that the Church does. All our apostolic works flow from it. It
is the heart of who we are as the body of Christ.
I had the pleasure of attending a general audience with Pope
Benedict. As a bishop, I had the opportunity to greet him personally
afterward. In the few moments I had with him, I told him I had a great
admiration for what he’d done to renew the sacred liturgy and thanked
him for his leadership. He responded, “If we don’t have the liturgy, what do we have?” I took that message to heart.
I want to do what the Church wants us to do in regards to liturgy. It
is not my take, or my style, but what the Church is asking of us. I
want to be faithful to what the Vatican II Council intended.
The liturgy is not the personal possession of any priest or
liturgical commission, but belongs to Holy Mother Church. We must
celebrate it according to the mind and heart of the Church.
Sacred music forms an important part of that liturgy. I hope, in time
and with patience, to address this topic with our clergy and lay
leaders.
CWR: You recently celebrated Mass in the Extraordinary Form during a
conference at the Brigittine Monastery in your archdiocese. What brought
you to this conference and what interest do you have in the Old Mass?
Archbishop Sample: We have wonderful group of lay people in our
archdiocese with an interest in Gregorian chant who put this conference
together. They wanted to introduce Gregorian chant to the people in
accordance with the mind of the Church. Vatican II, in fact, indicated
that chant should enjoy “pride of place” in the liturgy [in Sacrosanctum
Concilium].
The conference organizers wanted to experience Gregorian chant within
the liturgy and asked me to celebrate the Mass there according to the
Extraordinary Form. I had no hesitation to do so when I was asked.
I’m grateful to Pope Benedict for allowing the Extraordinary Form to
flourish again in the Church. I have a great love and appreciation for
the ancient liturgy. I wish every priest and seminarian would
familiarize himself with the Extraordinary Form, which can help us to
better understand the Ordinary Form.
If we do not revitalize our liturgical worship of God, nothing we do in the Church will bear lasting fruit.
6 comments:
1. obsession: an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone
2.obsession: an irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will.
No, we should not obsess over the liturgy - or anything else. Unhealthy and/or irrational behavior isn't a good idea.
Clerics like Archbishop Sample is a sign that there is still hope.
"Clerics like Archbishop Sample is a sign that there is still hope."
No.
"Clerics like Archbishop Sample ARE a sign that there is still hope."
That kind of obsessive behavior is what keeps this blog going. It goes on 24-7...
gob, and apparently it keeps you going because you continue to post here!!
Amen to the good Archbishop.
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