Recently, Catholics celebrated the 60th anniversary y of the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. But, many of its intended reforms are yet to be achieved. Sadly, the decades since the council have often been characterised by deeply entrenched and divergent views. An area of particular division is that of sacred music.
As Sacrosanctum Concilium affirmed, “the musical tradition of the Universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art” (SC 112). The true value of sacred music is in its capacity to create a prayerful ambience which is conducive to proper worship, and which enables a genuine encounter with and experience of the divine. Sacred music forms our hearts and minds by revealing the Word of God to us and deepens our participation in the celebration of the sacred mysteries.
