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“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

A Word On The Pope’s Interview …

Jeff Ostrowski · October 2, 2013

During the course of one of his interviews, Pope Francis said:

HEN THERE ARE particular issues, like the liturgy according to the Vetus Ordo. I think the decision of Pope Benedict was prudent and motivated by the desire to help people who have this sensitivity. What is worrying, though, is the risk of the ideologization of the Vetus Ordo, its exploitation.

Some have admitted to being confused by the word “exploitation,” which is understandable when we consider the important role played by the Vetus Ordo in the spiritual lives of so many great saints. I have my own ideas about what Pope Francis meant in the paragraph. (He was speaking “off the cuff,” by the way.) However, I will not speculate, because I am adamantly opposed to the rampant and unrestrained bloviation by unqualified people that seems to be so much in vogue these days. I don’t wish to add to such irresponsible bloviation.

Speaking of “exploitation,” here’s a quote by Fr. Godfrey Diekmann:

E COULD CITE no papal encouragement for the view that liturgy is “the life of the Church,” the normal “school of piety,” apart from St. Pius X’s declaration that “the first and indispensable source of the true Christian spirit is active and intelligent participation in the public worship of the Church” (Motu Proprio on Sacred Music). And how we clung to that statement, cited it times without number, and tried to “exploit” it in terms of its pastoral implications!
—Martin Hellriegel and Godfrey Diekmann, “Perspectives on
American Liturgical Renewal,” Aids in Ministry (AIM), 1979


I don’t want to nitpick, but I do wonder if Diekmann got the translation right. What Pope Pius X actually said was:

ILLED AS WE ARE with a most ardent desire to see the true Christian spirit flourish in every respect and be preserved by all the faithful, We deem it necessary to provide before anything else for the sanctity and dignity of the temple, in which the faithful assemble for no other object than that of acquiring this spirit from its foremost and indispensable font, which is the active participation in the most holy mysteries and in the public and solemn prayer of the Church.   [source]

Diekmann wrote: “the first and indispensable source of the true Christian spirit is active and intelligent participation in the public worship of the Church.” Is that fully correct? For instance, where does he get the word “intelligent”? Perhaps someone can look at the original language of the Motu Proprio and clue me in … By the way, look at this 1937 advertisement for Orate Fratres.

AN OLD MAXIM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH says: Lex orandi, lex credendi, which means “The law of prayer is the law of belief.” Another way to think of this would be, “We pray as we believe,” or even, “We believe as we pray.”

Fr. Godfrey Diekmann was highly influential in the reforms following the Second Vatican Council. In particular, he was a major supporter of the “Hootenanny Mass.” Fr. Diekmann held many beliefs contrary to Catholic teaching. For example, he was a supporter of women’s ordination to the priesthood. Bearing in mind Lex orandi, lex credendi, what effects did these beliefs of his have on the liturgical reforms? It’s an interesting and important question.

By the way, I have to admit being disturbed after reading this story, wherein Fr. Diekmann is unable to hide his true feelings toward Pope John Paul II. I suppose it’s not all that surprising, since Pope John Paul II was firm in stating that women cannot be ordained as Catholic priests.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Father Godfrey Diekmann, Godfrey Diekmann Heretic Last Updated: June 3, 2024

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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

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —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

“I have devoted myself too much, I think, to Bach, to Mozart and to Liszt. I wish now that I could emancipate myself from them. Schumann is no use to me any more, Beethoven only with an effort and strict selection. Chopin has attracted and repelled me all my life; and I have heard his music too often—prostituted, profaned, vulgarized … I do not know what to choose for a new repertory!”

— Ferruccio Busoni (to a colleague in 1922, when he was 56 years old)

Recent Posts

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  • “What Martin Luther Said…”
  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Worship the Lord in Holy Attire
  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”

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