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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

Pope Pius XII’s First Communion Day

Veronica Brandt · October 11, 2014

929 Pius XII NY REASON WILL DO to mention Pope Pius XII. He is the first Pope to visit America, the first to publish papal speeches in the vernacular and the first representative of any major organization to make an official denunciation of Nazism.

After Jeff’s post about children gamboling around our sovereign pontiff, a friend gave this comment:

Pope Pius XII was, in his own way, perhaps the boldest innovator among the Popes of the twentieth century, the most frequently quoted in Vatican II, both overall, and in every single document except Gaudium et Spes. He started a program to recognize the maturity of the faith in missionary countries by ordaining native born bishops (including in Australia), made the statement “The Laity are the Church“, anticipated the Second Vatican Council in pointing out that the laity are called to evangelical perfection (Evangelii Praecones, 36; Mystici Corporis, 17), pointed out that the laity do “in a sense, offer the divine victim” (Mediator Dei, 86), anticipated the later emphasis on Collegiality (properly understood) by placing the relationship of the Episcopate to Christ before talking about the significant role of Peter and his successors (Mystici Corporis, 40-43), encouraged ecumenism (Mystici Corporis, 96; The Holy Office Instruction, On the Ecumenical Movement). In fact, I would hold that recognizing the continuity of Pope Pius XII with the Second Vatican Council is key to reading the Council correctly. – Br Robert OP

So I flipped to my trusty biography of Pope Pius XII by Cardinal Cushing and find the anniversary of this Pope’s death was just a few days ago on October 9. Maybe one day that will be his feast day.

Not to be put off, I scanned through the handy chronology and found that today is the anniversary of Eugenio Pacelli’s first Holy Communion in 1886. He was ten years old.

I’d like to share some photos with you. He served through turbulent times yet made time for the liturgy.

After the bombing near St John Lateran Archbishop Pacelli assisting POWs Archbishop Pacelli with POWs Pope Pius XII reaching out to a youngster Pope Pius XII saying Mass Young Pope Pius XII
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 Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

“We have baptized about 240 this year … All the labors of a million persons—would they not be worthwhile if they gained one single soul for Jesus Christ?”

— Father Isaac Jogues, writing to his mother

Recent Posts

  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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