Sacred Music
“Sacred music, being created for the celebration of divine worship, is endowed with a certain holy sincerity of form.”
(Sacrosanctum Concilium, 112)
Sacred Music in the Catholic Tradition
Catechism of the Catholic Church
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CCC 1156:
“The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this preeminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy.”
Second Vatican Council - Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963)
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SC 112:
“Sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action, whether it adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites.”
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SC 116:
“The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.”
Pope St. Pius X - Tra le sollecitudini (1903)
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No. 1:
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“Sacred music, being an integral part of the solemn liturgy, participates in its general object, which is the glory of God and the sanctification and edification of the faithful.”
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No. 2 (Three qualities of sacred music):
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“Sacred music must possess, in the highest degree, the qualities proper to the liturgy, namely: holiness, goodness of form (true art), and universality.”
Pope Pius XII - Musicae Sacrae Disciplina (1955)
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Intro:
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“The dignity and lofty purpose of sacred music consists in the fact that it adds greater efficacy to the text, so that through it the faithful may be more deeply moved to devotion and better disposed to receive the fruits of grace belonging to the celebration of the most holy mysteries.”