Singing Liberation in the Church

During the twentieth century, changes within the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America were reflected in the misas populares (Masses of the people, or folk Masses): fresh, vernacular versions of the Mass that resonated with the experiences and yearnings of the common people. One of the most iconic of these new Masses was the Misa campesina nicaragüense [“Nicaraguan peasant Mass”], composed by the famous Nicaraguan poet, songwriter, and singer Carlos Mejía Godoy. The lyrics, melodies, and instruments of this Mass were Nicaraguan through and through, but the Mass became popular throughout Latin America, especially among comunidades eclesiales de base (CEB, ecclesial base communities) that proclaimed and practiced liberation theology. The first song of Godoy's Mass, the “Canto de entrada” (entrance song) is a quintessential example of protest music in alignment both with the biblical witness and with the revolutionary social fervor of the day. Through intentional linguistic choices and unrelenting everyday examples, Godoy insisted on the radical nature of Jesus as fully human and fully God—the God who is for the poor.