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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 Francis and “recovering the allure of beauty”

Richard J. Clark · March 6, 2015

OPE FRANCIS has not been afraid to admit his own mistakes or failings. This is a lesson in humility. He is secure in his identity and willing to admit where he needs improvement. A surprising side effect of admitting mistakes—and correcting them—is increased credibility as a leader.

During a meeting with pastors in Rome, Pope Francis admitted his “shortcomings” in a 2005 presentation he gave on the “ars celebrandi” or the “art of celebrating the liturgy.” After being chastised for neglecting to mention anything about being in the presence of God, he has since distilled this notion with clarity.

In Carol Glatz’s National Catholic Reporter article, Liturgies need to help people experience awe, mystery of God, Pope Francis explains:

“For me the key of ‘ars celebrandi’ takes the path of recovering the allure of beauty, the wonder both of the person celebrating and the people, of entering in an atmosphere that is spontaneous, normal and religious, but isn’t artificial, and that way you recover a bit of the wonder,” he said.

In doing so, Francis cites two extremes, both roadblocks to “entering into the mystery”:

If the priest is “excessively” focused on the rubrics that indicate the movements and particular gestures during Mass and “rigid, I do not enter into the mystery” because all one’s energy and attention are on the form, he said.

The other extreme, he said, is “if I am a showman, the protagonist” of the Mass, “then I do not enter into the mystery” either.

RANCIS TWICE STATES that priests must avoid artificiality. The same applies to musicians. Therefore, bear in mind that the rubrics and the GIRM are there to serve the liturgy. They are the means to an end. That end is “entering into the mystery” and encountering God in the Eucharist. Musicians must enter into this mystery with humility in order for their work to bear fruit. And a musician must never be the “protagonist“—the center of attention. Sacred music always points to the mystery.

Francis’ statements are not an excuse to ignore rubrics or formality. Nor is the opposite reaction of extreme informality or disregard of liturgical law a path to “entering into the mystery.” He simply warns to avoid making either an obstacle.

Musicians create such obstacles on their own quite easily. We may obsess over correct notes, but this is useless without passion. And passion without discipline and structure falls short of its great potential.

What is the solution? The longer we live with a piece of music—or the more we pray the Mass, the more the technical details become second nature. Obsession is gone. It is then that passion sings, beauty reclaimed, and truth revealed.

Pope Francis says we must recover the allure of beauty. Listen.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Beauty in the Catholic Liturgy, Pope Francis Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(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

The local church should be conscious that church worship is not really the same as what we sing in a bar, or what we sing in a convention for youth.

— Francis Cardinal Arinze (2005)

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