How to Tell If Your Church Music Is Ugly

There is controversy over whether liturgical music should include pianos. Is the piano a perfectly valid and equally good choice, or is it too profane for the Mass? Knowing that this issue can set off a firestorm of opinion on both sides, we may be better served to first examine Catholic principles of beauty and sacred music as presented clearly by the Church. The way to respect pastoral musicians who may disagree with this perspective, as well as meet people with their preferences in the pews, is a deeper consideration of Catholic musical principles and the Church’s guiding documents on the matter. It seems that most Catholics, including most parish priests, are unaware that the Church provides clear and abiding guidance on music style, performance, and instrumentation, centered on a clear musical tradition reaching back toward the time of the Church Fathers. Despite this guidance and the clear wishes of the Second Vatican Council, our international liturgical musical landscape has …