The Problem with Bad Church Music

This article was written for Catholic Answers, and can be read in full there. (This particular essay is more geared to Catholic readers, but is open to all.)

There has been recent attention on the topic of liturgical music, after the diocese of Jefferson City released a memo forbidding the inclusion of certain songs and composers at Mass, particularly those found doctrinally problematic by the USCCB. Naturally, that brought strong emotions from some, but we ought to pause and consider what music during the Mass is for. It’s only then that this prohibition can be properly understood.

A common misunderstanding, even if rarely said aloud, is that the music is there to entertain parishioners. After all, that’s what most music outside the liturgy is aimed toward. In a similar vein, some think music is present as a type of filler, preventing silences that might otherwise seem awkward when there is nothing for parishioners to “do,” such as when the priest is cleaning the vessels.

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