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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

The Terrifying “But” Of Vatican II

Jeff Ostrowski · May 16, 2016

495 Pope Paul VI IMAGE NLY FOUR BISHOPS voted against Sacrosanctum Concilium, the very first Vatican II document promulgated. All the rest of the bishops—2,147 of them!—voted in favor of this document. Our readers probably know that Vatican II said Gregorian chant must be given “pride of place” at Mass under ordinary circumstances. Yet some forget the important qualifier which follows immediately—and this “but” strikes terror in the hearts of progressive liturgists.

A false understanding has taken root regarding the use of Gregorian chant. Visit any Catholic church on Sunday and you’ll see how rare it is for plainsong to be given pride of place. Most people assume there must be a loophole in Vatican II documents saying something like, “But if you don’t want to use Gregorian chant, that’s okay.”

Let’s consider what Vatican II actually said, in article 116:

“The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman Liturgy: therefore, under normal circumstances, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.  But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action.”

Progressive liturgists hate what comes after the “but.”

After all, it’s hard enough for them to explain away the whole “pride of place” business. They usually launch into a lecture about how “normal circumstances” never exist in real life, each situation is different, and so forth. 1 Things become worse for them when they see that awful “but,” because it mentions SACRED music, and specifically mentions POLYPHONY.

How is it that so few Ordinary Form parishes use any plainsong? How is it that so few Ordinary Form churches use polyphony? When asked, professional liturgists often reply with a false answer: “Vatican II got rid of those things.” A leading progressive liturgist even called Gregorian chant a type of WEAPON. (Click here if you think I’m kidding.)

I HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN about the incontrovertible fact of false diversity vs. true diversity. Yet, many imply that ancient things must be discarded in favor of modern things. If that’s the case, why not discard the Bible? After all, the Bible is even more ancient than Gregorian chant!

I’m not opposed to modern music. Indeed, I myself compose, and Watershed promotes many contemporary composers. It’s a question of balance. So many Ordinary Form parishes use 99% contemporary songs while ignoring what Vatican II called the “musical treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art” (§112, Sacrosanctum Concilium).



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   They do something similar with regard to liturgical inculturation, which Vatican II says can play a role “particularly in mission lands.” I’ll never forget one progressive liturgist exclaiming: “But if you think about it, the entire world is mission country!” In other words, let’s keep twisting the meaning of the document until it means what we want.

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 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

“Latin has been the language of the Latin liturgy for 1,600 years. It is a sign and source of unity as well as a defense of doctrine, not because of the language so much, but because it is a language no longer subject to changes. There are so many beautiful texts which can never have the same effectiveness in translation. Lastly, Latin is bound to an extremely precious heritage of melody, Gregorian chant and polyphony.”

— Cardinal Antonelli (Secretary of the Conciliar Commission on the Liturgy)

Recent Posts

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  • 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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