Views from the Choir Loft

Chief Reasons For Mass “Facing The People”

Jeff Ostrowski · September 10, 2016

ERY SOON, the Society for Catholic Liturgy will visit Los Angeles. This is the same group that publishes ANTIPHON (the journal). Doing research on this group, I came across an article by a former editor, Monsignor Francis Mannion, titled “Should Mass be celebrated with the priest facing away from the people?” Published by the INTERMOUNTAIN CATHOLIC on 2 September 2016, his article is a quick read:

* * PDF Download • Intermountain Catholic Article

Monsignor Mannion gives what he considers the three reasons for “versus populum” celebration:

What are the advantages with Mass facing the people?
(1) It makes for better communication between priest and people. (2) It avoids the sense that the people are an appendum to the priest’s liturgy. (3) Not least, we live in an age of democracy and respect for the individual, in which facing away from someone in any context is generally insulting.

His first reason is rather flimsy, because during an OF “ad orientem” celebration, 90% happens facing the people. Even in the Extraordinary Form, the priest turns around to face the people whenever he’s communicating with them.

His second reason also seems dubious, because it assumes the congregation would automatically think in a certain way. Besides, if everyone faces the same direction except the celebrant, that draws attention to him in an awkward way.

His third reason—which he labels “not least”—is something I never thought of:

Not least, we live in an age of democracy and respect for the individual, in which facing away from someone in any context is generally insulting.

Monsignor Mannion here asserts that Catholics in the pews in front of you are being rude, because they have their backs to you. Moreover, he is saying that you are being rude to the people in pews behind you, because you have your back to them.

I suppose if everyone were arranged in a circle, nobody would be looking at someone’s back. However, that would severely limit the number of people who could fit inside a church. More importantly, we still would not be facing the person next to us…

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

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).

‘Bogey’ of the Half-Educated: Paraphrase

Father Adrian Porter, using the cracher dans la soupe example, did a praiseworthy job explaining the difference between ‘dynamic’ and ‘formal’ translation. This is something Monsignor Ronald Knox explained time and again—yet even now certain parties feign ignorance. I suppose there will always be people who pretend the only ‘valid’ translation of Mitigásti omnem iram tuam; avertísti ab ira indignatiónis tuæ… would be “You mitigated all ire of you; you have averted from your indignation’s ire.” Those who would defend such a translation suffer from an unfortunate malady. One of my professors called it “cognate on the brain.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Father Cuthbert Lattey • “The Hebrew MSS”

Father Cuthbert Lattey (d. 1954) wrote: “In a large number of cases the ancient Christian versions and some other ancient sources seem to have been based upon a better Hebrew text than that adopted by the rabbis for official use and alone suffered to survive. Sometimes, too, the cognate languages suggest a suitable meaning for which there is little or no support in the comparatively small amount of ancient Hebrew that has survived. The evidence of the metre is also at times so clear as of itself to furnish a strong argument; often it is confirmed by some other considerations. […] The Jewish copyists and their directors, however, seem to have lost the tradition of the metre at an early date, and the meticulous care of the rabbis in preserving their own official and traditional text (the ‘massoretic’ text) came too late, when the mischief had already been done.” • Msgr. Knox adds: “It seems the safest principle to follow the Latin—after all, St. Jerome will sometimes have had a better text than the Massoretes—except on the rare occasions when there is no sense to be extracted from the Vulgate at all.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • 9 Nov. (Dedic. Lateran)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 9 November 2025, which is the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of November (2025)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski