Read the Documents

There is an ongoing conversation IRL and in the blogosphere, the latter primarily at the CMAA discussion fora currently, about the proper formation of (Roman) Catholic Musicians.

Because I hope to be in Illinois toward the end of next week, I am thinking of attending Mass for the Vigil of the Assumption at St John Cantius, when, it seems there will also be some professions, so I was doing a little research on what profession to the Canons entails, and what formation in the Society is like.

And no, that is not a non-sequitur.

A musician seeking to educate himself and to learn to think with the mind of the Church could do a great deal worse than to take this list as his guide.

Important texts

· The Holy Bible
· Catechism of the Catholic Church
· Documents of the Vatican Council II:

· The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium).
· The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium).
· The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes).
· Post-Conciliar Documents on the Sacred Liturgy:
· Instruction on Music in the Sacred Liturgy (Musicam Sacram).

· The Roman Missal (Missale Romanum).
· General Instruction on the Roman Missal.
· Graduale Romanum.
· The Code of Canon Law (Codex Juris Canonici).
· Papal Documents:

· Pope Pius XII: On the Mystical Body of Christ and Our Union With It (Mystici Corporis).
· Pope Pius XII: On Christian Worship (Mediator Dei).
· Pope Paul VI: On the Propagation of Human Life (Humanae Vitae).
· Pope John Paul II: The Consecrated Life (Vita Consecrata)
· Pope John Paul II: The Splendor of Truth (Veritatis Splendor)
· Pope John Paul II: Motu Proprio Eccessia Dei
· Benedict XVI: Motu Proprio ‘Summorum Pontificum’

I was going to say that he could safely put aside the Code of Canon Law, Vita Consecrata, and Humanae Vitae, but on second thought, the last named is essential to having a proper ecclesiology as regards the Church in the World, and the lay musician who must be in the world but not of it.

And I thought of excluding Ecclesia Dei, and Summorum..., but realized that even if one has no interest in, and no intention of participating in, the EF, one should understand its place in the liturgical life of the Church, and the rights and rightful aspirations of its adherents, if one is going to minister properly to the People of God.
All of them.

I need to 'fess up, I have not read Mystici Corporis, and some of the VCII documents I have skimmed.

But what do you think of this list?

I think for Catholic musicians at large, (as opposed to members of this society,) there needs to be something about proper practice in the Eastern Churches, not with an eye to assisting at same, but to have a better understanding of both historical and current licit praxis.
But I don't know what that "something" would be.