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Views from the Choir Loft

Temporal Parochialism

Fr. David Friel · July 28, 2013

FTEN ENOUGH, I come across notable books & authors, compositions & composers, paintings & artists that have somehow eluded me heretofore. This recently transpired as I was introduced to a title by Dietrich von Hildebrand that I had never encountered: Trojan Horse in the City of God. The contents of this book are fascinating, and I was surprised to find that it was published in December 1967. So I have no excuse for not finding it sooner.

Von Hildebrand covers many topics, but there are a few overarching themes. Among them are these:

1. Tradition is good.

2. The idea that “progressivism” brings about progress must be challenged.

3. Catholic art & architecture are handmaids, not enemies, of faith.

4. Relativism is a serious danger to faith.

Even so soon after the close of the Second Vatican Council, the author already makes note of discrepancies between what the Council said and how it has been interpreted.

What he says concerning tradition strikes me most. He identifies a tendency toward “temporal parochialism,” which is a habit of heart and mind we can all likely recognize at work around us. This tendency the author defines as “a special kind of pride in the idolatry of one’s own epoch. It produces a spirit of irreverence toward all tradition.” This is so evident in contemporary history textbook. Have you seen the disparaging way in which medieval culture is treated in these textbooks? Von Hildebrand continues: “It is a characteristic symptom of immaturity to feel oneself more mature and independent than men of previous times, to forget what one owes the past, and, in a kind of adolescent self-assertion, to refuse any assistance.”

s easy as it is to recognize this form of pride around us, let’s not fail to see where we, ourselves, are guilty of it. Do we perceive those committed to the “reform of the reform” to be superior beings to those who long for a revival of the “spirit” of Vatican II? In your passion for Neo-Thomism, do you forget that movement’s dependence on St. Thomas, himself, as well as the Enlightenment thinkers? It can work the other way, too. Am I dogmatic that Bach is the greatest organist of all time and that no one can ever possibly approach his stature again? Do I idolize the Church of the 1930’s and 1940’s as the Golden Age of Catholicism in America? Certain ideas, of course, may actually be superior to other ideas, but persons are never better or more valuable than others.

What this book has to say is important for our times. The recovery of our Tradition—not mustiness or trappings or archaisms, but real Tradition—is essential for true progress. In moving forward, let’s not forget what we owe the past. What do we owe? Study, appreciation, gratitude, development, and continuity.

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 Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    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

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

“The Humanists abominated the rhythmical poetry of the Middle Ages from an exaggerated enthusiasm for ancient classical forms and meters. Hymnody then received its death blow as, on the revision of the Breviary under Pope Urban VIII, the medieval rhythmical hymns were forced into more classical forms by means of so-called corrections.”

— ‘Father Clemens Blume, S.J.’

Recent Posts

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  • Now Available! • “Hymns of Cardinal Newman: Kevin Allen’s Legendary Choral Settings”
  • Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)

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