Psalms From The Ambo?

[immaculata]

Okay, so yesterday I attended a conference for cathecists and went to a workshop all about the changes in the liturgy. I already knew most of the stuff, and our church is mostly in compliance with the new GIRM regulations, but one change caught my attention. I had never realized before that the Psalms are supposed to be proclaimed from the ambo and not the cantor stand, which interests me since I cantor at our parish.

So this morning I was scheduled to cantor and decided it was the perfect time to bring it up to our organist. After Mass, I went over to chat with him for a bit and then just casually mentioned, "John, I didn't know if you had heard about this or not, but apparently we're supposed to be proclaiming the psalms from the ambo. Why aren't we doing this?"

And he looked at me kind of funny and said, "Well, it's really just a technicality, I don't see how it makes that much difference.."

"Well, it's the Word of God, and it's supposed to be proclaimed only from the ambo."

"But that would mean that the cantors would have to climb all those stairs (our altar is raised on a platform) and you know some of the older cantors couldn't do that. We have to be consistant."

"John, this is part of the liturgy. We don't have the authority to change that. That's like if Father suddenly decided to start saying Mass with Ritz crackers because he thought they tasted better."

"Well, I'm not a Catholic, but I appreciate why you guys do things like that, but I really don't think it matters in the long run of things. As long as you're treating people right and living by God's laws I don't see why it makes that much difference which microphone you use to sing the Psalm."

"You should be Catholic. You'd make a good Catholic, you know that?"

John cocks his head, "I should be Catholic?"

"I'll be praying for your conversion till the day you die."

John gives me a dirty look, "Okay, you do that." Shakes his head..

So what do you guys think? Is this a big enough deal that I need to take it up with our Music Director, or should I just drop it and keep my mouth shut?

[Soldier4Him]

Hmmmm....that's a toughie. Pray about it for one thing. You may want to bring it up, but he has a point as far as the "older cantors" are concerned. Pray. That's all I can give ya. That's a tough situation. And hey, keep prayin for John Boy! Yee haw!

[Iacobus]

I would take it up. If the older cantors can't climb the steps don't make them. But when the cantor can there is no excuse for not doing.

[1337 k4th0l1x0r]

Would the cantor stand not be considered a suitable place, as described in section 61 of the [url="http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter2.htm"]GIRM[/url]. I assume the phrasing 'ambo or another suitable place' is there such that if the psalm is read, it must be done from the ambo, but if it is chanted or sung, it can be done from an area in or near the choir. Even in the daily Mass on EWTN, which is very strictly liturgical, the psalm is sung from the choir area.

[immaculata]

Yeah, I was trying to find the passage from the GIRM. Thanks! Our cantor stand is still "on" the altar- the choir loft is off to the side, and the cantor stand is on the opposite side of the sanctuary as the ambo. I guess I won't throw a big fit over it after all.

[quote]And hey, keep prayin for John Boy! Yee haw![/quote]

That's soooooo funny you said that!! I always tease him and call him John Boy. He's a really sweet guy, and I think he'd make an awesome Catholic. He said he likes the structure of the Catholic Mass, but he has issues with some doctrines, like papal authority... someday I'll get him, though!

[Thy Geekdom Come]

I would keep up your point. The Church takes things into consideration when it makes the rules, so your organist certainly doesn't have any authority in the subject. If exceptions [i]need[/i] to be made, then I'm sure your bishop can take it up...there is a priest here who can no longer move over to the ambo (he's impaired) and he is permitted now to sit behind the altar and do everything from there.

If there are going to be exceptions to the rules, those exceptions should at least come from people with the authority to make them.

[Aloysius]

if you have an ambo u should use it! (unless there's a legitimate medical reason)

our Church doesn't even have one... that's why the exception "or another suitable place" is given, i think, seeing as not all churches have them anymore.

Edited June 13, 2004 by Aloysius

[immaculata]

Wait.. how can your church not have an ambo? Okay, maybe I'm confused as to what the ambo really is. I assumed it was the lectern from where the readings were proclaimed. Am I wrong?

[crusader1234]

Maybe somebody should post pictures of each one and then we can make a ruling

I think that if the people are going to be put in medical risk, then maybe an exception could be made. You dont look like you'd have trouble with a little climb though, so if its ever your responsiblity, amble over to the ambo

[immaculata]

Well, I asked John if the cantors would could climb could sing from the ambo, and the cantors that can't (hehehe) could just stay at the cantor stand. He said they want to stay consistant.

It's not really that big of a climb. Three steps.

[Apotheoun]

The rubrics should be followed as they are published in the properly approved liturgical books. Therefore, one is not free to pick and choose which norms they will follow. It is left to the legitimate ecclesiastical authorities alone (i.e., the Supreme Magisterium of the Church, and in those cases permittedy by law, the local Ordinary) to dispense from particular norms for celebrating the sacraments. No one, not even a priest, may alter anything in the sacred liturgy on his own authority. [cf., [u]Code of Canon Law[/u], canon 846 §1; cf., Vatican 2, Constitution [u]Sacrosanctum Concilium[/u], chap. 1, part 3, section 22, no. 3 of the General Norms]

[immaculata]

m'kay, so how to I explain that to my non-Catholic organist?

[crusader1234]

The fact that he isnt Catholic kind of doesnt make sense, do they pay him?

[Apotheoun]

[quote]m'kay, so how to I explain that to my non-Catholic organist?[/quote]

Whether he is Catholic or not is irrelevant as far as the rubric is concerned. Only the legitimate authorities can dispense from the norms governing the celebration of the sacraments. Your non-Catholic organist isn't one of those authorities, and to be frank, neither is the parish priest, because the moderator of the liturgy in a diocese is the local Bishop, and he determines within the limits established by universal law, what happens in his diocese. As far as the rubric itself is concerned, "Hence, the psalmist, or the cantor of the Psalm, sings the verses of the Psalm from the ambo or another suitable place." [GIRM, no. 61] The modifying phrase, "or another suitable place," does not mean that this matter is left to the discretion of the parish priest or any other member of the congregation; instead, it is for the local Bishop to establish proper rules to indicate when or even if this is permitted, and what type of place qualifies as "suitable."

Is it impossible to find a Catholic organist nowadays?

Edited June 14, 2004 by Apotheoun

[immaculata]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='Jun 13 2004, 09:40 PM'] Is it impossible to find a Catholic organist? [/quote]
Why don't you come play for us then?

I'm not saying that I disagree with following the GIRM, I'm just wondering if I should be sticking my nose in business that doesn't concern me. Is it really worth going to the bishop and arguing over which microphone to use?

And we're not firing our organist. He's been with us for 15 years and he's the most talented musician in our city. Catholic or not, he's been a loyal servant to our church. That is why I'm praying for his conversion, not looking for his replacement.