It bothers me when I hear it in a car commercial or some such. But for the most part, it's better than seeing sacred music relegated to the scrap heap.
As for sacred polyphony, there is no reason to be afraid of it.
All you hear Catholics turning out these days are pop versions of the old Protestant anthems.
For two thousand years, the Church has guided the development of music, carefully legislating to fuse artistic talent and aesthetic beauty with the demands of the Faith.
Inaudible prayers, particularly of the Canon, which at first don't seem to have anything to do with music, end up being a very important part of the aesthetic of the traditional structure of the Mass.
Ironically, we live in times that are awash in authentic sacred music.
Never have so many recordings of the great Masses and motets been in wider circulation.
Catholic liturgical music, it would seem, is everywhere but in the Catholic Church itself.
When the truth is that there would be no great Western music, and certainly no decent choral repertoire, without the Catholic faith.
Even Catholic parishes today are not wanting for talent. But no serious singer or organist will get anywhere near the typical music program, at least if he wants to retain his self-respect.
The democratic and pedestrian character of the new Mass itself seems to invite the ditties that pass for hymns these days.