Quote from Letter 5,57a Decree to the clergy in the basilica of Saint Peter the apostle. 5 July 595
In the perpetual reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the time of his most serene Lord Maurice Tiberius and of Theodosius, our emperors, in the thirteenth year of the rule of our same Lordship Maurice, in the thirteenth ediction, on the fifth day of the month of July, Pope Gregory, before the most sacred body of Saint Peter the apostle, sitting with the bishops and all the priests of the Roman Church, with the deacons and all the other clergy standing by, spoke as follows:
(1) In this Holy Church of Rome, over which heavenly dispensation has wanted me to preside, and extremely reprehensible costom arose some time ago, that certain singers are chosen for service at the holy altar, and having been appointed to the rank of deacon attend to the modulation of their vouces, when the shoul dhave been given time for the office of preaching and concern for charity.
For this it very often comes about that during the Mass, when a pleasant voice is required, the minister singing fails to look for an appropriate live, and angers God over his morality while delighting the people with his voice.
On this matter, I decide with the present decree that in this see, ministers of the holy altr ought not to sing, and should only fulfill the office of reading from the gospels, as part of solemn Mass. I think that psalms and the other reading should be presented through the sub-deacons or, if necessity demands it, through the lesser orders.
And if anyone should attempt to go against my decree, let him be anathema. And the esponse of all was 'let him be anathema'.
(1) In this Holy Church of Rome, over which heavenly dispensation has wanted me to preside, and extremely reprehensible costom arose some time ago, that certain singers are chosen for service at the holy altar, and having been appointed to the rank of deacon attend to the modulation of their vouces, when the shoul dhave been given time for the office of preaching and concern for charity.
For this it very often comes about that during the Mass, when a pleasant voice is required, the minister singing fails to look for an appropriate live, and angers God over his morality while delighting the people with his voice.
On this matter, I decide with the present decree that in this see, ministers of the holy altr ought not to sing, and should only fulfill the office of reading from the gospels, as part of solemn Mass. I think that psalms and the other reading should be presented through the sub-deacons or, if necessity demands it, through the lesser orders.
And if anyone should attempt to go against my decree, let him be anathema. And the esponse of all was 'let him be anathema'.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 388
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