* 2008 Congress of Liturgical Music & Musicians

The Section for Sacred Music under the Committee for Liturgy of the CBCK (President: Most Rev. Joseph Lee Han-taek, S.J., Bishop of Uijeongbu) held the 2008 Congress of Liturgical Music & Musicians at the Graduate School of the Sacred Music of the Catholic University of Korea on November 22, 2008. In this Congress there were some 180 participants, composed of ministers of liturgical music, priests and the religious who are working in parishes all over the country.

Bishop Lee delivered the keynote address with the theme of “First Step towards the Development of Liturgical Music” and said, “All the members of the Church have common duty and right to make efforts for the development of the sacred music.” “In the liturgical celebration,” he added, “music is the most important means to lead the faithful to have their devout attitude toward the liturgical rites and to encourage them to participate in the liturgy. Therefore the liturgical music must be more carefully prepared so that the Church can offer praise to God in the liturgy as an anticipation of the heavenly banquet.”

Rev. Raphael Kim Han-seung, director of the Institute of Liturgical Music attached to Daejeon Catholic University, gave the first presentation on the topic of “Publishing the Guidelines for the Church Music of the Catholic Church in Korea” and explained the necessity and contents of the Directives. The Korean bishops approved the publication of the Guidelines for the Church Music of the Catholic Church in Korea at the 2008 Autumn General Assembly of the CBCK. It is significant that the Church in Korea has her own unified guidelines in the area of sacred music.