You know where to go
Annunciations of a New Springtime came across a 2003 Adoramus article of Cardinal Arinze's speaking on liturgical dance that I had not seen before.
Now, some priests and lay people think that Mass is never complete without dance. The difficulty is this: we come to Mass primarily to adore God -- what we call the vertical dimension. We do not come to Mass to entertain one another. That's not the purpose of Mass. The parish hall is for that.
So all those that want to entertain us -- after Mass, let us go to the parish hall and then you can dance. And then we clap. But when we come to Mass we don't come to clap. We don't come to watch people, to admire people. We want to adore God, to thank Him, to ask Him pardon for our sins, and to ask Him for what we need.
Don't misunderstand me, because when I said this at one place somebody said to me: "you are an African bishop. You Africans are always dancing. Why do you say we don't dance?"
A moment -- we Africans are not always dancing!
Moreover, there is a difference between those who come in procession at Offertory; they bring their gifts, with joy. There is a movement of the body right and left. They bring their gifts to God. That is good, really. And some of the choir, they sing. They have a little bit of movement. Nobody is going to condemn that. And when you are going out again, a little movement, it's all right.
But when you introduce wholesale, say, a ballerina, then I want to ask you what is it all about. What exactly are you arranging? When the people finish dancing in the Mass and then when the dance group finishes and people clap -- don't you see what it means? It means we have enjoyed it. We come for enjoyment. Repeat. So, there is something wrong. Whenever the people clap -- there is something wrong -- immediately. When they clap -- a dance is done and they clap.
It is possible that there could be a dance that is so exquisite that it raises people's minds to God, and they are praying and adoring God and when the dance is finished they are still wrapped up in prayer. But is that the type of dance you have seen? You see. It is not easy.
Most dances that are staged during Mass should have been done in the parish hall. And some of them are not even suitable for the parish hall.
I saw in one place -- I will not tell you where -- where they staged a dance during Mass, and that dance was offensive. It broke the rules of moral theology and modesty. Those who arranged it -- they should have had their heads washed with a bucket of holy water!
Why make the people of God suffer so much? Haven't we enough problems already? Only Sunday, one hour, they come to adore God. And you bring a dance! Are you so poor you have nothing else to bring us? Shame on you! That's how I feel about it.
Somebody can say, "but the pope visited this county and the people danced". A moment: Did the pope arrange it? Poor Holy Father -- he comes, the people arranged. He does not know what they arranged. And somebody introduces something funny -- is the pope responsible for that? Does that mean it is now approved? Did they put in on the table of the Congregation for Divine Worship? We would throw it out! If people want to dance, they know where to go.
Somebody needs to start a Cardinal Arinze Fan Club blog. He always provides a wealth of great commentary and common sense on the liturgy.
Known as 
Just be thankful dance wasn't introduced during the "Roaring 20's" or we would have been made to endure the "Charleston" and the "Black Bottom" during the Consecration !!!!
Arinze makes me want to clap and applaud. Because I enjoyed it. Repeat.
"If people want to dance, they know where to go."
This is great on so many levels. Classic. God bless Cardinal Arinze!
I love it when he states these things so plainly. Makes me want to dance my way to the --
parish hall.
Puhhleeeze. I'm not impressed a bit. Arinze is a toothless tiger who is culpable for every liturgical abuse and irreverence that he perpetuates by refusing to enforce the Church's legislation and tradition. So what that he said those comments in an interview? You didn't even know about it until now! It meant and did nothing; he preached to he choir, and business was/is as usual in the Catholic world.
Arinze needs to retire, and quickly, 'till we get someone with spine in that office.
FINALLY!!!How long have we been waiting for this note? He deserves some kind of award.
It reminds me of my old Catholic Grade School in East Cleveland: "Our Lady of Perpetual Motion."
Our pastor was "Father Dominic." You remember him don't you? Father Dominic Vobiscum?
Thanks for posting this. I posted an entry on LD yesterday. BTW, Thomas A, please show a little more respect for Cardinal Arinze.
Eric G.,
Unfortunately I have heard firsthand about Cardinal Arinze. He talks a big game but doesn't do anything about it. I love Cardinal Arinze and I quote him often, but I have failed to see any action take place.
Such as the neo-Catechumin movement. He gave them two years to change, but I haven't seen any changes as of yet. They are going to push the envelope by continuing to have a Saturday evening dinner.
we would have been made to endure the "Charleston"
I wasn't reading very carefully, so at first I thought it said "endure the 'Chesterton,'" and for a moment I thought it might not be so bad.
The Neocatechumenals Obey the Pope – But in Their Own Way
by Sandro Magister
http://www.chiesa.espressonline.it
Don't misunderstand me, because when I said this at one place somebody said to me: "you are an African bishop. You Africans are always dancing. Why do you say we don't dance?"
Please tell me this isn't true. Some liturgist actually said this to Cardinal Arinze? I mean, I'd find that to be staggeringly offensive.
It reminds me of a line by Col. Klink in Hogan's Heroes, "Such a happy people, always singing and dancing."
I'd like to know more about washing people's heads in buckets of holy water, please.
But what has Cardinal Arinze actually done to curb these grave liturgical abuses?
He talks a good game but his follow up is lacking.
To be fair to the Cardinal, he may not have been given the room to enforce some of the things he said, but perhaps with a Pope who is strong on the liturgy...
Let's face it, he definately got the message through on the translation, even Bp. Trautman didn't try to turn down the new translation (although he tried to destoy it after the fact).
I heard from a priest who was concelebrating at the Mass at a recent Serra Club Conference this past Spring where Cardinal Arinze was the main celebrant that he cut off the choir in the middle of a song by signalling to them and running his index finger across his neck. Apparently he does take action. ;-)
Cardinal Arinze Fanclub? Hehehehehe...
I can't think of anyone in the Vatican with more quotable quotes than our beloved Cardinal Arinze.
So what ever happened to liturgical reform? I guess it will never happen and we will be stuck with this rediculous mass of handshaking and lovefests for ever. What ever happened to worshipping God?
Some people don't get it how Vatican diplomacy works. If the dancers, the "charismatics", the guitar masses, the married Eastern priests and even cases like Medjugordie were condemned with severety, for now, you would have a schism.
So Rome takes its time. When the oppertunity comes the Holy Office..OOPS... the Congregations will take care of it. The Church is Holy.
It will not trip because of some stones. When a boulder comes, She will blast it. For now, but not for long, it remains "Vaticanly"diplomatic.
dance is a gift from God - as is music, sculpture, a beautiful painting. God gives all and is in all things. If done reverently and if it adds to the prayer of the mass - and not for performance sake - it IS praising God and people can and have had transformative spiritual experiences because of it.