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Views from the Choir Loft

The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

Jeff Ostrowski · February 27, 2013

T THIS TIME, I will share a few reflections on His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI. I apologize that these thoughts of mine are not given in the most satisfactory order or with great eloquence. Hopefully they will still be of interest to the reader. They come from the heart.

Pope Benedict XVI is a holy, brave, brilliant servant of Jesus Christ. A few months ago (prior to Benedict announcing his resignation), we included his picture in the banner of our Blog Header. He is pictured at Mass, acting as Subdeacon, holding the Paten and wearing the Humeral Veil. This action by the Subdeacon is done during Solemn Mass, and the history of it is astounding, going back many centuries. Some time ago, I spent close to three weeks researching the liturgical history of this action. I will not share the results here (for obvious reasons), but suffice it to say that showing our Holy Father performing that action at Mass is deeply significant. I would welcome an opportunity at some later date to explain exactly why.

When Pope Benedict XVI writes, I can “hear” his voice in the written words. I can tell he is the author. He speaks to the heart. For instance, which one of us could remain unmoved after reading his Stations of the Cross? At this time, I would merely repeat that he is a brilliant theologian.

I believe his resignation is the perfect end to a truly great Pontificate. By his resignation, he is “leading the way.” He is reminding the popes who will succeed him that men are living longer these days. The average lifespan of a human being today is much greater than in 1913, 1813, 1713, or 1613. Therefore, future popes ought to follow Benedict’s lead when they become so old and feeble they can no longer adequately run the Catholic Church. They should follow Benedict’s lead by reducing the number of trips a Pope makes and concentrate more on running the Church. They should follow Benedict’s lead (when the time is right) by voluntarily renouncing “power” of being the boss of a billion Catholics. How few of our leaders show such humility! They should follow Benedict’s lead by continuing to reform the Liturgy, making sure it is truly sacred.

I believe that Pope Benedict was one of the greatest popes of all time. I was trying to think of a fitting way to honor this great servant of Jesus Christ. To this end, I will now reproduce an amazing article Pope Benedict wrote when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger. This article was written on the occasion of the retirement of Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, the Pope’s older brother. The masterful translation is by Fr. Robert Skeris, who for many years has promoted the teachings of Cardinal Ratzinger in a way very few others have. This article is truly profound, and notice that Pope Benedict does not shy away from the hard questions. Rather, he tackles them head on:

      Betwixt and Between the Regensburg Tradition and Postconciliar Reform [pdf].

I wish had words of great eloquence to speak at this time. I do not. All I can say is,

“Farewell, great Pope. Farewell, defender of the Holy Doctrine of Jesus Christ. Farewell, humble and saintly man. We love you. Please pray for us.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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

    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
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —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

“Although the Mass contains much instruction for the faithful, it has nevertheless not seemed expedient to the fathers that it be celebrated everywhere in the vernacular. The holy synod commands pastors and everyone who has the care of souls to explain frequently during the celebration of the Masses, either themselves or through others, some of the things that are read in the Mass, and among other things to expound some mystery of this most Holy Sacrifice, especially on Sundays and feastdays.”

— ‘Council of Trent, XII:8 (1562)’

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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