What Would Jesus Listen To?

Pope pulls the plug on modern music.

From the London Telegraph:

The Pope has demanded an end to electric guitars and modern music in church and a return to traditional choirs.

The Catholic Church has been experimenting with new ways of holding Mass to try to attract more people. The recital of Mass set to guitars has grown in popularity in Italy; in Spain it has been set to flamenco music; and in the United States the Electric Prunes produced a "psychedelic" album called Mass in F Minor.

However, the use of guitars and tambourines has irritated the Pope, who loves classical music. "It is possible to modernise holy music," the Pope said, at a concert conducted by Domenico Bartolucci the director of music at the Sistine Chapel. "But it should not happen outside the traditional path of Gregorian chants or sacred polyphonic choral music."

So you can modernize the music, so long as you stick to Gregorian chants? Okay.

While I've always admired the Catholic Church for sticking to its beliefs in the face of calls to "modernize", I can't say I'm in agreement with them here.

While the message should remain the same, the method of delivery should relfect the tastes of the worshippers. I'm with Cardinal Carlo Furno who said it was "better to have guitars on the altar and rock and roll Masses than empty churches".