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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

Why It’s Pointless To Argue Over Our Roman Missal Translation

Jeff Ostrowski · July 27, 2015

466 ICEL Missal EADING COMMENTARY by the early liturgical translators can be infuriating, because many acted as though they were the first to realize that good translators render ideas not words. In their immaturity, they carefully avoided choosing words and phrases resembling the Latin. When all was said and done, their “translations” often looked like this one:

    * *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART

This is not to suggest that a “slavish adherence” guarantees a better translation. Moreover, I have no problem with translators taking a free approach if their goal is truly to help people understand—but they must avoid doing too much violence to the original. Therein lies the dilemma, of course, and that’s why the famous Italian phrase (“the translator is a traitor”) contains so much wisdom.

It’s not for me to argue about whether new translation (“MR3”) is more accurate; others can judge that. However, I would point out that MR3 was ultimately inevitable. 1 When the internet was invented, the official Latin became accessible by all—and the old ICEL simply could not stand.

BUT NONE OF THIS MATTERS. The real scandal is how 99% of our Catholic churches replace the official texts of the Church each Sunday. If you start talking about the Propers, most Catholics have no idea what you mean. My generation has never heard the Propers.

With what do we replace the Propers? Texts are supposed to be “approved,” but the USCCB—incredibly!—has said we can ignore the GIRM when it mentions such requirements. When I open my brand new GIA hymnal (2013), I find lyrics like the following:

We have covered earth in shadows, and sorrow thickens its veil.
Peoples stunned in desolation weep softly, tremble, and wail:
Children who die still as children; poor deprived of sun and air;
Women forced to sell their bodies in desperation and fear.

Others can judge whether this is a good hymn. Others can judge whether “air” rhymes with “fear.” Others can judge whether it feels weird for a congregation to publicly sing about “women forced to sell their bodies” in church. It’s not for me to judge such things. My only point is that it’s silly for folks to argue vehemently about liturgical translation principles when 99% of the Propers are being replaced 95% of the time.

One of the reasons I’ve mentioned the Jogues Illuminated Missal so frequently has to do with its large, beautiful typeface. The Propers are celebrated. When we complain about goofy modern hymns, we sound negative and filled with hate. Showing someone the pages of the Jogues is different—it’s a positive approach. It challenges people by asking, “What is so unacceptable about the official texts of the reformed liturgy?”



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   The early ICEL translations would never have been tolerated if the Vatican declaration (26 September 1964) had been obeyed:

“Missals to be used in the liturgy, however, shall contain besides the vernacular version the Latin text as well.”

But in 1969, Archbishop Bugnini’s group overruled the Vatican directives.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Reform of the Reform 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

    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

“To me nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Masses for ever, and not be tired.”

— John Henry Cardinal Newman (1848)

Recent Posts

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  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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