Important Notice for Liturgists, Music Directors, Piano and Tamborine Players, etc.

This note is to be distributed to all involved in the music ministries of your parish.

Cardinal Francis Arinze*, Prefect for the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, recently in England at a liturgical conference, called for an absolute moratorium on music before and after Mass "when people were trying to pray in church."

"This is doubtless well intentioned, but it is a mistake," said the cardinal. "People enter churches to pray, not to be entertained. They are not tourists in a museum or music hall. They need silence in order to concentrate on the tabernacle, or even to reflect on the statues, sacred images which are on-going catechesis, and the figures of the Way of the Cross."

His extended remarks included comments on the Holy Eucharist, Faith, Eucharistic Adoration, Genuflection, Posture, Dress and other forms of Reverence, Observance of Liturgical Norms, and the "Mission" upon which the Eucharist sends the faithful at the conclusion of the Mass.

In an interview before the conference the Cardinal assured our reporter that he would be speakingly plainly about the recent repeal of the Church's long-standing regulation that all verses of a hymn must be sung for it to be considered a valid hymn and the new rule not only permitting but requiring again the use of only those hymns composed before the year 1962. But no record of these important rule changes can be found in His Eminence's remarks. We have sent our ace conspiracy sleuth to London to check out the situation.

*How come they don't say "Francis Cardinal Arinze" any more? Is this a sign of another modernist heresy? The Cardinal is currently No. 4 on "Paddy Power's" short list of likely Popes at the next conclave so it is best to pay attention to him.