Pray Tell reported earlier on Pope Francis’ favorite sacred music, the Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramirez.
Now the reports on the Pope’s latest interview, with La Nacion, indicate that this spicy Mass setting from Argentina will be used in St. Peter’s Basilica on December 12 for the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe:
Francis gave this exclusive interview to LA NACION a few days before a key date: December 12, the day of the festivities of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patroness of Latin America, during which he will say mass at Saint Peter´s Basilica and during which Argentine musicians will interpret Misa Criolla, composed by Ariel Ramírez 50 years ago. The author´s son, Facundo Ramírez, and the singer Patricia Sosa will be performing together with a Roman choir.
Pope Francis says this about the work:
When I heard Misa Criolla for the first time I was a student, I think I was studying theology at that time, I can’t remember well. I really liked it! I enjoyed “Lamb of God,” which is magnificent. I will never forget that I heard Mercedes Sosa singing it.
To be sure, this account in Vatican Insider could be read to mean that the Mass will be sung as part of the pre-Mass devotions with traditional songs. But Aciprensa is also reporting that the Ramirez piece will be sung during Mass.
Here’s a video of the Lamb of God that the pope likes.
(Cordero de Dios, que quitas el pecado del mundo, ten piedad de nosotres. / danos la paz.)
The debate after the Council and still going on, especially in places like Austria and Bavaria, was about whether the choir may sing the Ordinary of the Mass alone, especially the Sanctus, or whether the congregation should always be singing that.
The Misa Criolla, be it noted, is for musicians’ ensemble and not congregation. I’m not sure that’s what the traditionalists had in mind.
But the coming celebration in the Vatican could be taken as a sign that some liturgical questions have become a bit less anguished, and there is a calmer appreciation of a variety of practices. That would be a good thing.
UPDATE: See Pray Tell’s follow-up post with the leaflet for the service in Rome here.
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