The
Church Needs Musicians| "When the Church...offers praise to God...it unites it self with that hymn of praise sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven; it also receives a foretaste of the song of praise in heaven,...the song sung continually before the throne of God and of the Lamb." |
| Sacred Congregation for divine Worship General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, February 2, 1971 |
| "The Church...needs musicians. How many sacred works have been composed through the centuries by people deeply inbued with the sense of the mystery! The faith of countless believers has been nourished by melodies flowing from the hearts of other believers, either introduced into the liturgy or used as an aid to dignified worship. In song, faith is experienced as vibrant joy, love, and confident expectation of the saving intervention of God." |
| Pope John Paul II, Letter to Artists, April 4, 1999 |
| "Music is integral to the liturgy. It unifies those gathered to worship, supports the song of the congregation, highlights significant parts of the liturgical action, and helps to set the tone for each celebration." |
| U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Built of Living Stones, November 16, 2000 |