Sacred Fine Art Music vs. Liturgical Pop: Pastoral Reality or Conservatory Construct?

Abstract

This article revisits the criteria set out by the Roman Catholic Church for music appropriate for inclusion in the liturgy. Given the enormous societal changes that have marked the decades since Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963) set forth specific and dogmatic principles for such, this article suggests that the new vision of evangelization—especially as articulated in Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel: Evangelii Gaudium ”—provides important guidelines for interpreting the yet central and binding principles from Sacrosanctum Concilium.