More tainted art by sexual abusers accepted by modernists

Church musician wants to take concerns seriously- and keep singing "Laudato si": will a new text save the song of the abuser?

Made even less acceptable as the song is aimed at children

Generations of young people enthusiastically sang "Laudato si". That its poet Winfried Pilz is an abuser only became known last year. How does one deal with this? A Cologne church musician suggests a solution.

Is it still possible to sing "Laudato si" carefree today? The song with the text based on the Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis of Assisi and the rousing melody has inspired generations of young people. But last year it became known that the author of the lyrics and "discoverer" of the melody, Winfried Pilz, had allegedly abused a young man in the 1970s - whether the person concerned was a minor could no longer be determined. Later, other victims came forward with further accusations. The Archdiocese of Cologne had secretly imposed sanctions against Pilz, the long-time youth chaplain and president of the carol singers. His work still remains, however: in addition to "Laudato si", the Altenberg pilgrimage song "Nun, Freunde, fangt zu singen an" (Now, friends, start singing) was sung until recently at his old place of work, the Altenberg youth centre near Cologne.

A debate has developed about how to deal with the work of abusers and those accused of abuse. "The song of an abuser in a church service - an imposition," wrote the Würzburg theologian Hildegund Keul in a guest article for katholisch.de on how to deal with such art: "Many people who attend a church service and sing songs by Pilz may not know about his acts of abuse and the subsequent secrecy, even the punitive measures. But many people who have fallen victim to abuse and cover-up violence know very well."

As President of the Children's Missionary Organisation, Winfried Pilz had a big stage: like Angela Merkel here, the chancellors and federal presidents receive the carol singers in their official residences every year. At the time, probably only his victims knew of his deeds.

Officially, no diocese, not even the Archdiocese of Cologne, where Pilz was a priest and worked for a long time, has commented on the matter. In Altenberg Cathedral, however, consequences have already been drawn. "This year we have decided not to sing the pilgrimage song by Winfried Pilz," they say at the "Altenberger Licht", the annual youth pilgrimage of the archdiocese. Instead, the original version of the pilgrimage song from 1935/36 will be used.

Scandal at confirmation service

"Laudato si" is still sung with pleasure - not only at the old place of activity of its lyricist. This can lead to conflicts, as Adriano Morea reports. The church musician from the Archdiocese of Cologne reports on an incident in his parish community. For the confirmation service this year, the confirmands had wanted "Laudato si". "But when the first notes sounded, some of the faithful got up and left the church. After the mass, I had a heated discussion and was disturbed by the whole situation," says Morea. The confirmands were surprised by the violent reaction. With the background knowledge about Pilz's deeds, they could understand the reaction. There is no unanimous opinion in the congregation: some just want to continue singing the song, others shared the criticism.

At baptisms, where "Laudato si" is one of the most popular songs, it will no longer be sung in Morea's parish community for the time being. But to do without it altogether is too short-sighted for the church musician - after all, it has a high emotional significance for many who have sung it in the fifty years since it was written: "Because this song is associated by many with positive memories from childhood and that is why it is expressly requested at baptisms, weddings and other occasions". To abolish the song completely would be radical and easy for him. But at the same time it would mean not only letting Winfried Pilz be forgotten, but also all the beautiful memories and emotions that have arisen with this song, Morea is convinced: "Can we afford it? Isn't there a danger of dividing the faithful once again because everyone has something different at heart?"

It is clear to the church musician that it is out of the question to simply continue and leave "Laudato si" in the repertoire as before. That is why he has set out to find a compromise. The melody, which Pilz calls "traditional", is to remain. But instead of the text, which indisputably goes back to Pilz, Morea sets a new one: Still based on Francis' Canticle of the Sun, but closer to the original 13th century text. Instead of "Be praised, you created the world", the first stanza in Morea's text now begins: "Praise be to you for your creatures". Instead of "for you are wonderful, Lord", the stanzas end with "are signs of your great grace", the refrain remains.

"Laudato si" (2023).

Text: Refrain: St. Francis of Assisi, stanzas: Adriano Morea, freely adapted from the Canticle of the Sun.

Refrain: Laudato si', o mi' Signore, laudato si', o mi' Signore, laudato si', o mi' Signore, laudato si', o mi' Signore.

Praise be to thee for thy creatures; O thou most high, all-powerful good Father. You have called us all into being, Lord; we are signs of your great grace!

Praise be to thee then also for Brother Sun; through him thou givest the warm light of day. He shines splendidly and wonderfully in heaven, is a sign of your great grace!

Praise be to you for sister moon and stars; you have created them high in the firmament. Beautiful and silver they light up the nights, are a sign of your great grace.

Praise be to you for Brother Wind, the gentle one; he blows clouds wherever they are of best use. Whether it be rain, snow, or fair weather, it is a sign of thy great mercy!

Praise be to thee then also for sister water; she is useful and precious and devoted. Ponds, rivers and seas and cascades are a sign of your great mercy!

Praise be to you then also for Brother Fire, by whom you light up the dark night here; he sparks, is cheerful, warm, cosy, is a sign of your great grace!

Praise be to you then also for sister earth, she nourishes us with her colourful fruits. Fruit, vegetables and herbs in the fields are a sign of your great grace!

Praise be to you for those who forgive and act for the sake of your love. That peace accompanies them at all times is a sign of your great grace!

Praise be to you for sister death and life, resurrect the one who firmly believes. Our body and our dear soul are a sign of your great grace!

How much of Pilz is there in the old melody?

"Since the melody has been handed down orally, the refrain comes directly from the Canticle of the Sun and the verses were written by me, this version has nothing at all to do with Winfried Pilz," the church musician finds. "My goal is to offer an alternative that on the one hand fulfils the desire for the old beautiful song of our childhood and on the other hand does not irritate abuse victims and sensitive people in our congregations, but shows them that we as a church - not tacitly, but with concrete statements - also take them into account," emphasises Morea.

It is unclear how much of Pilz is in the melody after all. Morea also admits that. The priest himself told of the origin of his song in 2015 in an interview with katholisch.de - at that time nothing was known of his deeds - like this: in 1973 or 1974 he had taken part in an international course in Rocca di Papa in Italy. "Part of the programme was to meditate in the morning. For one hour. And as we lay there, an Italian youth group with guitars gathered on the floor above us, and they sang 'Laudato si'. They sang non-stop, endlessly, while we were lying there. Meditating was out of the question, but I thought it was simply fantastic. I wrote it down on a little scrap of paper and took it home with me."

How close Pilz was to the melody he heard and how much of his own creation was in it can no longer be determined. Morea, himself Italian, says in any case that he has never heard of the alleged traditional folk song in Italy. However, there is a song by the band "I Cachi D'Aspa" from the mid-1960s called "Laudato si" with a very similar melody. Little can be found out about the band and the song, they failed to make the big breakthrough. "The interval leaps are different, the rhythm and lyrics about the same," analyses Morea: "It may be that Pilz misheard and notated the melody slightly differently."

Morea has already discussed the song and its new text with other church musicians. In the church music scene, "Laudato si" is much less popular than in the congregations, he said. "Most church musicians don't like the song anyway," Morea says. For them, a complete abandonment would not be a great loss, especially not an artistic one given the quality of the piece: "Some are even happy if they don't have to play it any more." In Morea's community

Source

Cathcon: It tells you so much about modernists that they find any of the art of Pilz or Rupnik acceptable.   It proclaims, it does not matter and don't get found out- the Church will continue as before.

The song itself, old or new form, is the anthem of post-Conciliar stasis, driving the Church into a ditch away from the way of Christ.