This was the longest day. Two breakouts on Preparing the Liturgy, two skill sessions on ensemble playing, plus morning prayer and then a fairly delightful organ recital. I polled the folks at my 3:15-4:45 session. Yep, they said, they were tired. I told them we’d go till 4:30 and then if people wanted to leave to get to Mass (5PM) or get to dinner before the recital (7PM) to feel free to do so.
Then I heard about an unusual encounter with Cardinal Ratzinger from somebody at the conference. I had permission to name names and locations, but I think I’ll just give you the dirt. As the head of music at a papal visit and Mass in a certain North American city, word came from the cardinal on the headset, “Cut the Credo.” My friend tapped his ear and shook his head, feigning misunderstanding. “The Holy Father went too long with the sermon. Cut the Credo.” The music ministry had rehearsed hard on this piece, and there was no way, according to my friend, that was going to get deep-sixed by the CDF head. “But this guy can excommunicate you,” someone near the console said. Soon enough, the homily ended and the intonation came, “Credo in unum Deum …” and it was a triumph for Ars Celebrandi.
My friend met the pope and also Cardinal Ratzinger that day. He reported that afterward he knew why saints were painted with haloes–and John Paul clearly had it. As for the other guy, well …
Catholic Sensibility 