From the motherland

As one who has been to Philippine Islands, the land of my fathers (and pretty much the rest of my family as a first generation American), I can relate to the following case. But first let me tell you a true story. Back in July of 2004, I went to the Philippines to commemorate first anniversary of my grandmother's death. My family and I went to the earliest Sunday Mass which was celebrated at 6:00am (and you complain about getting into the pews at 10:00, ha!) and which was being offered for my grandmother. Well Mass was Mass and after the final blessing came the recessional hymn. However, this hymn sounded familiar...WAIT A SECOND, the SONG (not hymn) was "More" from the 1962 Italian documentary Mondo Cane whose English translation has been covered by such voices as Andy Williams, Jerry Vale, and Johnny Mathis just to name a few.

That's why I was thrilled to hear that Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Archiocese of Ligayen-Dagupan on the island of Luzon told his priests to stop having pop songs used at Mass saying "Secular love songs, even if they have religious themes, do not have any place in the divine liturgy.", stressing obedience to directives given from the Holy See in regards to the issue. He also touched on other issues such as care for sacred vessels and linens as well as modesty in Church. You can read the full letter by clicking here.

A true defender of the Faith if you ask me. Perhaps some of that courage will rub off on some of the bishops here in the United States (with all to due respect them, of course).

Kissing the sacred ring...