I thought the headline to this story to be rather funny.
Latin to replace Dylan
CATHOLICS could soon be singing Gregorian chants during worship after Pope Benedict announced he wants the singing style to make a comeback.
The 79-year-old German Pope, who last week told the world he does not care much for Bob Dylan, said the Catholic faithful should learn more of the chanting traditionally sung in Latin by choirs of monks.
"The better-known prayers of the Church’s tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung," he said in part of a 140-page booklet on the Mass.
He lamented that Latin, the Church’s official language, was disappearing and said he wanted future priests to study the language.
"Nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy in Gregorian chant," he wrote.
The 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council ended the general use of the old-style Latin Mass in favour of local languages and some parishes allowed the singing of popular songs during the Mass.
In countries such as the US in the 1960s and 1970s, it was not uncommon for the faithful to sing songs such as Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind or Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water during the Mass.
The Pope, a lover of classical and sacred music and an accomplished pianist, clearly is opposed to that.
"Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another," the Pope wrote.
"Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided."
Now I generally like Dylan’s music, though of course not at Mass. But many do not realize that the lyrics to "Blowin’ in the Wind" are heretical.
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
The Bible says:
And he said, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
So clearly the answer was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or fire.
