The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-07-17
WOMEN IN CHURCH cHoIRs.

View of the Archbishop of Milwaukee
IN a letter TO Professor Singerberger
the Most Rev. S. G. Messmer, Archbish-
OPP OF Milwaukee, makes a statement on
the question of women in church choirs.
His Grace, in the course of this letter
writes:
In my audience with Plus Y, last
May, 1 told him that it would be i'm
possible in ever so many parishes in the
United States q did not speak of Wis
consin alone) to carry out the provision
of the Motu Proprio forbidding women
to take part in the liturgical chant; that
in most churches. except in large city
parishes, it would be very difficult, if
not entirely impossible, to have male
choirs, and further, that we were not
far enough advanced in all our parishes,
to have the children sing at the liturgi-
cal service. Then the Pope said:
Let the women sing with the rest"
Your Holiness means the whole con-
gregation should sing?"
Yes"
1 replied that there were very few
churches. only one to my knowledge,
where the people were accustomed to
congregational singing and that it will
take many years until this ideal condi-
ton can be obtained. Then I stated
again most clearly and explicitly that
il women were not allowed to sing in
our church choirs, we could not have
solemn service at Mass or Vespers in a
great number of our parishes. To which
the Holy Father answered just as clear
~ and explicitly:
well, then, let them sing, but let
them behave themselves, and do not al
low them to sing theatrical and worldly
music
Now, sir, I vouch absolutely for the
correctness Of this report. What is the
import Of the replies of His Holiness?
The following:
First: The Pope did not revoke the
respective provision at Motu Proprio, as
he did not give a general permission for
women to sing in the church choirs.
Hence the Cardinal Secretary was per
fectly safe in saying that the Holy Fa-
Their never gave such a permission.
Second: Nor did the Pope give such
a permission unfortunately for the
United States, although I spoke Of the
conditions Of our country.
Third: But the Pope did most assured
~ give an Interpretation, or rather a
rule Of application Of the Motu Proprio.
II is the old rule of principle admitted
by every wise lawgiver that his law is
not meant to bind his subjects when its
difficult or harsh or calculated to do
more harm than good.
was perfectly satisfied with the Holy
Fathers reply. For felt assured that
in following the old principle which
had learned as a seminarian in the class
OF Moral Theology and Canon Law, and
in applying that principle in the dis
charge of my episcopal office, was on
perfectly safe grounds. saw no par
ticular obligation of bothering the Ro-
man authorities or our Apostolic Dele
gate and Herewith everybody else with
lots of Roman quaesita ct response. IT
has always been a principle of Canon
Law that bishops have the right to de-
termine how and in what manner and |
to what extent some general law Of the |
church, which is after all lex humana
subject to the same rules and principles |
OF Interpretation and application as
other laws emanating from human au-
thority, shall be carried out in the actual |
given circumstances and conditions OF |
their dioceses and diverse parishes |
Rome fill trust to the good, sound and |
conscientious sense of our American |
hierarchy as she does to that of the |
bishops in Germany and Austria Yet |
there is no fight over there regarding |
''Women's Rights in the Choir" They |
nave IleTn, ana 10 all appearance mean |
10 keep them. Undoubtedly, for the |
same reasons as our bishops do. They /
find it just as impossible in many |
places. just as obnoxious and hurtful in
other places. to Danish women singers
from all choirs, as we find it here in
America. Whoever knows the condition
of the musical world" in our Catholic
parishes. with comparatively few excep-
tons, knows what tremendous difficult
ties are in the way of forming and keep
ing up good male choirs- Think of the
lack of good and, still more, of trained
voices the irregular attendance at re-
hearsals and at the services themselves
but what Of the oTganist or director? A
young lady to train the male choir or,
perhaps. one Of our good sisters teach
ing in the parish school2 Or must the
pastor himself, if a musical genius, take
the matter in hand? 1t is certainly not
the purpose of the Motu Proprio to ban
ish women from the choir, even though