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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Bugnini Wanted To Eliminate Ash Wednesday!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 29, 2013

909 ashes ERE IN SOUTH TEXAS, Ash Wednesday is an incredibly popular day. The Churches are literally packed from early morning to late evening. Many more people come to Church on Ash Wednesday than any other day, including Christmas and Easter.

Believe it or not, Annibale Bugnini and his crew tried to get rid of Ash Wednesday so Lent could begin on a Sunday (justified partially by an alleged statement of Leo the Great, later proven to be fictitious). However, in an uncharacteristic move, Pope Paul VI put his foot down, refusing to scrap Ash Wednesday. By the way, I used to hate hearing people attribute bad things to Bugnini. I thought it unfair. After all, the new liturgy was elaborated by commissions (not a single person) and introduced under the authority of the Pope and appropriate Curial Office, right? While that’s all true, I’ve come to understand (by reading a lot) that Bugnini truly was pulling the strings and had great influence over the Pope, and he even brags about this in his (massive & polemical) book. Many of the postconciliar reforms have born terrible fruit, but this is hardly the first time the Church has “reformed” something in a bad way — just look at Pope Urban’s “reform” of the ancient breviary hymns!

Anyhow, you can read all about the “Ash Wednesday elimination saga” in Collects of the Roman Missals, an impressive scholarly work by Dr. Lauren Pristas, Professor of Theology at Caldwell College. Dr. Pristas (who had access to certain important documents from the Council) also treats several other interesting topics, e.g. the rearrangement of the Christmas Season.

What I found most interesting (depressing?) was the unbelievably haphazard way these changes came about. No wonder people often get confused about whether the Baptism of the Lord is still Christmastide! Even the USCCB website accidentally labeled it as “First Sunday of Ordinary Time” … which is false, of course: it replaces the First Sunday in Ordinary Time (sometimes).

The reformers themselves were quite confused about these things, and kept voting on different options without finding a satisfactory solution. They failed to realize that one cannot simply “sit down over tea and crumpets” and VOTE INTO BEING the Church calendar. It’s supposed to develop organically. Incidentally, one of the reformers (in the minority, because he wanted to keep Ash Wednesday) pointed out to his comrades what the Council Fathers decreed: “There must be no innovations unless the good of the Church genuinely and certainly requires them.” Unfortunately, the reformers frequently ignored this and many other clear directives. László Dobszay called many of the liturgical reforms “change for the sake of change,” e.g. altering the venerable chants of Holy Week — even using a Tract followed by a Gradual on Palm Sunday! — and other bizarre innovations.

AS TROUBLING AS THE CALENDAR REVISION IS, something worse is what Msgr. Richard J. Schuler referred to as the “vulgarity” in the approved Scripture translations for Mass. To me, this is particularly scandalous in the Lectionary translation for the Passion of our Lord. (By the way, I looked at the 1970s version of the Lectionary and found that it was even worse!)

Yes, Msgr. Schuler uses that precise word (“vulgarity”) several times in his writings. If you don’t believe me, you can read Msgr. Schuler’s own words:

      * *  1993 Editorial: “More Trouble From ICEL” • (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler)

      * *  1990 Editorial: “Our English Translations” • (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler)

      * *  1984 Editorial: “The Tridentine Mass” • (Msgr. Richard J. Schuler)

Just like the Mass Propers, respect for Sacred Scripture seems to have “gone by the wayside” following the Council (in spite of its clear directives to the contrary). Why couldn’t a reverent, traditional version of Scripture be allowed for the Ordinary Form, as an option? What possible harm could there be in that? Yet, as we’ve mentioned many times, the same bishops who pontificate about “pastoral sensitivity” and “avoidance of rigid uniformity” often fight tooth and nail to prevent such an option being given to the faithful. Can anyone explain this supremely puzzling dichotomy?

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Annibale Bugnini Reform, Novus Ordo Lectionary Reform, Reform of the Reform, The Old ICEL Translation of the Mass Last Updated: July 18, 2022

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“With all the powers of modern music open to him, from romanticism through French impressionism to the German and Russian modernists, he is yet able to confine all these contradictory forces on the groundwork of the Gregorian tradition.”

— Theodor Rehmann (on Msgr. Jules Van Nuffel)

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