I have only a few days in Malta left. I shall be in England soon.
I have mixed feelings about being here. The people are great, but the island is a liturgical wasteland. The songs we sang in the 1970s are popular here and there are abuses, things which have been proscribed by Rome, ignored.
The most serious today was instrumental music during the Consecration. In Redemptionis Sacramentum, (link on names for those not use to reading blogs),
[53.] While the Priest proclaims the Eucharistic Prayer “there should be no other prayers or singing, and the organ or other musical instruments should be silent”, [cf. GIRM 32] ….
[53.] Dum Sacerdos celebrans Precem eucharisticam «profert aliae orationes vel cantus non habeantur, atque organum vel alia instrumenta musica sileant»,
and from GIRM
32. The nature of the “presidential” parts requires that they be spoken in a loud and clear voice and that everyone listen to them attentively.[Cf. Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instruction, Musicam sacram, March 5, 1967, no. 14: Acta Apostolicae Sedis 59 (1967), p. 304.] Therefore, while the Priest is pronouncing them, there should be no other prayers or singing, and the organ or other musical instruments should be silent.
In addition, the use of flat screens, eight to be exact, are used up to and today, during the Consecration, for the words of the hymns and parts of the Mass.
Horrible. And, guitars, which the present Pope said are not liturgical instruments, are used on Sunday as well as during the week. Candles are sometimes only one one side of the altar, and not in the proper places. No one, except two people I know, kneel for Holy Communion, no one.
No TLMs in Malta...none
