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| Rt. Rev. Salutaris Libena, Bishop of Ifakara and Chairman of Liturgy TEC |
The Catholic Priests have been reminded to reflect on the importance and dignity of the Eucharistic during the celebration of Mass.
The call was made by the Bishop Chairman of Liturgy for the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) Rt. Rev Salutaris Libena when he was addressing the Diocesan secretaries of liturgical Commissions and Musicians during their annual meeting and seminar held in Kurasini, Dar-es-Salaam this week.
Bishop Libena said that every Priest should ask himself how he celebrates Mass. “Our liturgical celebrations must bring people to Christ and not otherwise,” he said.
He reminded them of their responsibilities and wanted them to know better what liturgy is and how important it is in the life of the Church as an act of worship.
During the same meeting the participants spoke of the challenges the Catholic Church is going through as far as Church music is concerned. The participants thought that currently, the Theological aspect of the texts is very much ignored in most of the Catholic songs. They reminded the composers and choirmasters that active participation in liturgical celebration is very necessary in the church music.
A call was made to the dioceses to establish training centres for church music and that seminaries and other houses of formation should give church music training a priority.
The participants also thought that overemphasizing of dancing in the liturgy sometimes contradict the devoutness which is also needed in the liturgical celebration. They wanted to reconsider that liturgical celebration is an act of worship; and not just a mere entertaining event or show.
By Anthony Chilumba and Sarah Pelaji , TEC Communication Office