A Música Litúrgica

Pope Leo XIV addressed the sixth chapter of the Second Vatican Council document Sacrosanctum Concilium regarding sacred music during an audience on August 19. Father Vítor Pereira of the Diocese of Vila Real noted that the Pope described music as an integral part of liturgical action rather than a mere decoration for celebrations.

According to Father Pereira, the Pope emphasized that singing and playing instruments in the liturgy serves to pray and align the hearts of the faithful with God. The purpose of liturgical music is to glorify and praise God while helping the faithful live the mystery being celebrated through art and beauty.

Father Pereira observed that both ordained ministers and laypeople sometimes encounter songs or performances that are inappropriate for liturgical settings. He stated that liturgical music should not function as a spectacle, festival, or a means of entertainment designed to distract the faithful with sentimentality.