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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

First Instance of “Alius Cantus Aptus”

Jeff Ostrowski · June 21, 2016

HE HOLY WEEK REVISIONS of Pope Pius XII could be looked at as the beginning of liturgical deformation that would happen later. 1 This was true for a variety of reasons. For example, it introduced the notion—which was quite serious—that a committee could get together for meetings, “fix” the liturgy, then impose these changes on the entire church. Before that point, the Church had basically allowed the liturgy to grow organically. Another key concept was introduced which we’ve mentioned numerous times: ALIUS CANTUS CONGRUUS. László Dobszay referred to alius cantus as “anthrax in the envelope” of post-conciliar decrees.

This is not to say there were no choices whatsoever involved in the Tridentine Mass. If you look carefully, you will occasionally find a tiny little option here or there—but this has nothing to do with replacing the Propers 99% of the time, which is the situation in most Ordinary Form churches and contradicts what Vatican II wanted.

Anyhow, buried in one of the pages of the ORDO HEBDOMADAE SANCTAE we find this rubric:

248 Ordo Hebdomadae Sanctae ALIUS CANTUS


Nihil impedit, quominus cantetur a fidelibus hymnus Christus vincit, vel alius cantus in honorem Christi Regis. Translated into English, that means:

“The faithful may also sing the hymn CHRISTUS VINCIT or any other chant in honour of Christ the King.”

That’s the first time I know of “alius cantus aptus,” which would become the favorite phrase of the Consilium. In English, it means “anything else appropriate.”

AS FAR AS THE OFFICIAL BOOKS ARE CONCERNED, the liturgical progressives lost the battle over Mass facing the people. The Ordinary Form rubrics assume that priest & congregation will face the same direction for certain parts of the Mass. Robert Cardinal Sarah—appointed by Pope Francis as prefect of the CDW—recently confirmed this:

“In my capacity as the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, I continue to remind all that the celebration toward the East (versus orientem) is authorized by the rubrics of the missal, which specify the moments when the celebrant must turn toward the people.”

However, they eventually won the “alius cantus” battle, at least in terms of what is allowed by the rubrics.

N.B. Two other random facts: Kyrie IX is assigned as an option for Holy Thursday. (I knew about Kyrie IV, but not Kyrie IX.) Also, the monastic version of the ORDO HEBDOMADAE SANCTAE is 500 pages long!



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Before he died, Archbishop Bugnini himself admitted this, calling it “the first breach.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Alius Cantus Aptus, Alius Cantus Congruus 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

    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
    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

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

“Dom Pothier does not belong to the dim past, as the silence which surrounds his name would lead one to believe. Only a few years separate us from the time when—growing old and heavily burdened by trials—Dom Pothier was concentrating his ever keen attention on the study of manuscripts in the Belgian place of retreat where his community had found refuge. For he was the abbot; and there can be no doubt that the cross he wore during those days was a cross of sorrow, though he bore it with a smile.”

— Dom Ermin Vitry, OSB (31-OCT-1936)

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