Tibetan monk concert in Catholic cathedral QUESTION from anna May 10, 2001 Dear Fr
Should a Catholic Cathedral hold a concert by Tibetan monks to fundraise for the Tibetan monks' University?
Would it desecrate the Church?
What are they actually doing by chanting OM?
Thankyou Anna
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on July 10, 2001 Dear Mrs. Anna:
Thanks for the promotion, but I am a lowly brother, not a priest. :-)
A Catholic Church is not a concert hall -- period -- for anyone if what we are talking about is a concert in the Nave (the Church proper). A convert can be conducted in Fellowship Hall, or some other place besides the main Church.
As for desecrating the Church, no that is not done merely by having a concert for Tibetan Monks unless it was conducted in the main Church... but a concert in the main church would be a desecration even it the concert were a by nuns raising money for their convent.
The Nave and Sanctuary are reserved, set apart for sacred purposes. The use of this sacred space for anything other than sacred purposes and activities is a desecration.
OMMMMMMM is a mantra that seeks to place a person AT ONE MENT with the forces of the universe. The deep bass sound resonants in the chest where the so called chaktra is suppose to be located.
Sometimes the OMMM is accompanied by a small prayer such as OM Niva Shivaya which is a pray for the God of Death (Shiva).
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