Msgr. Charles Pope offers a challenging interpretation of this great and brilliant sequence for the Requiem Mass, which ought to be sung at any Roman Rite funeral.
7 Replies to “In Praise of Dies Irae”
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How does one answer those who rather harshly object to any use of the Dies irae because "that's not our theology anymore"?
See my commnt on the web site hosting the essay of Msgr. Charles Pope, with the link at the head of this post.
There are better objections than "It's not our theology." The main ones would be liturgical: Dies Irae belongs to the last Sundays of Ordinary Time, or the first Sunday of Advent. The text is sober, stunning, and appropriate. And the music, no question, is beautiful.
Personally, I would like to see more sequences used for a few more major feasts, but not every Sunday. That the Dies Irae wouldn't be part of the modern funeral rites is a question of perspective. Many people would find a steak dinner beautiful and delicious. But it's not necessarily appropriate for everyday fare. You certainly wouldn't bring it to a dinner where the host has prepared an alternate main dish.
The funeral rites themselves give the theological and pastoral emphasis of the Church's ministry to mourners. The rites emphasize the psalms, the music of the Mass, and the Song of Farewell.
That said, I could see a more condensed version or a new composition sung before the alleluia at funerals. The danger of utilizing it just before the gospel reading is that a non-Scriptural text might obscure the presentation and message of the funeral Lectionary. And if I were to suggest singing anything other than the alleluia, I'd have to wonder why we would sing a sequence, however beautiful, but not the Gospel reading itself, which is surely the high point of the liturgy of the Word.
"And if I were to suggest singing anything other than the alleluia, I'd have to wonder why we would sing a sequence, however beautiful, but not the Gospel reading itself, which is surely the high point of the liturgy of the Word."
Who said anything about not singing the Gospel?
"Who said anything about not singing the Gospel?"
It's a rare enough practice on Sundays, let alone a funeral on a weekday.
That article really made me want to do it for Advent this year. I wonder if I can still work it in….
The funeral rite as the Church's "ministry to mourners"? For Protestants, certainly – think of the first movement of Brahms's "Ein Deutsches Requiem" – but they don't believe in praying for the dead. Catholic funeral rites are essentially the prayers of the whole Church for the soul of the deceased and for the souls of all the faithful departed. Our medieval ancestors were fully aware of this. Even poor people would provide for Vespers, Matins and Mass (Placebo, Dirige and Requiem) plus a further 30 Masses (a trental). Long before Vatican II liturgical purists objected to the Dies Irae because of its intensely personal nature, e.g. "ingemisco tamquam reus, culpa rubet meus", which admittedly is at odds with the tone of the rest of the liturgy, and it is no longer in the Graduale. However, it just happens to be by far the most famous melody in the entire chant repetory which will ensure its survival. In November the London and Birmingham Oratories celebrate Solemn Latin Requiems (O.F.) for All Souls and Remembrance Sunday, with unbleached candles and black vestments. The Sequence is usually included, as is the Tract. There is no alleluia. Incidentally, I notice that some bishops are getting more strict about the content of Catholic funerals; let's hope the days of the mawkish "celebration of the life of…" obsequies are numbered.