Opinions ...

..., they say, are like arseholes: everyone's got 'em, and they all stink.

Yesterday, in a post about TV commentator and blogger reactions to the liturgy at the Papal Mass, I expressed my initial impressions - in real time as I was watching EWTN - of the liturgical music selected for yesterday's Papal Mass.

Now, as a matter of principle, I generally stay away from discussions about liturgy - like the plague, in fact. I have never been to a Mass in the Extraordinary Form, and the Ordinary Form Masses with which I am most familiar are probably the sort with which most people in 90% of American parishes would be familiar. And, while OCP forms the basis of most of the music, I nevertheless happily attend Mass at my local parish without any complaints about the liturgy. Furthermore, if given the choice of driving only 5 miles down the road to attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form (a choice I don't have, by the way), I would still choose to attend my neighborhood parish and its OCP liturgical offerings.

Nevertheless, as I watched yesterday's Papal Mass, I did find it embarassing - yes, "embarrassing" - that, given what this Holy Father has written about the "Spirit of the Liturgy", the musical selections for the Mass were, apparently, all that America had to offer. Again, the sentiments I expressed were my immediate real-time opinions as I watched what was taking place.

I can understand that some might disagree with my assessment of the liturgical music that was chosen. I can even understand that some might find it inappropriate for me to express such sentiments regarding such a joyful occasion as a Papal Mass on U.S. soil (although I think Amy Welborn makes an excellent point, which expresses the motivation behind my sentiments).

But for the life of me, I can't figure out how someone might attempt to read my mind and conclude that expressing my immediate gut reaction evidences "sour grapes" or a desire to "return to pre-Vatican II days" or a "selfish agenda" or anti-Hispanic racism (as I've been informed some contributors at a certain blog I no longer frequent have said and/or implied).

On the other hand, I'm perfectly willing to acknowledge that the opinions expressed on this blog (especially where liturgy is concerned, which is why I try to avoid that subject altogether) might be full of bovine excrement.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
"An Overweening and Preening Exercise in Multicultural Exhibitionism" [UPDATED]