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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 Did Vatican II Happen?

Jeff Ostrowski · September 29, 2016

977 Montini Gracida HY DID VATICAN II happen in the first place? The liturgical reforms were not a surprise, as we learn from this book by Bishop Gracida, who was ordained to the priesthood in 1959. I think it’s fair to say that a major reason was an attempt to achieve a higher degree of participatio actuosa, and that’s what I’m writing about today.

Consider the following pages from a Roman Catholic Hymnal (CANTIONES SACRAE, 440 pages) published in 1878 by Father Joseph Mohr:

    * *  PDF • “Cantica et Preces at Missam Privatam”

This was no fluke, as demonstrated by these pages from a 1913 American hymn book. The only difference is that Fr. Mohr’s prayers and hymns are in Latin, as they were intended for Jesuit colleges where the young men were learning Latin. 1

Again, these hymns would have been sung during Low Mass:

981 Fr. Joseph Mohr SJ


I don’t believe I’m alone when I say it seems jarring to see encouragement of hymn singing rather than joining with the priest in the actual prayers of the Mass. I feel that many bishops who voted for Sacrosanctum Concilium wanted to get away from this type of thing, because they wanted the congregation to pray along with (or sing) the actual liturgy.

THE GREAT IRONY, OF COURSE, is what happened after Vatican II. While the bishops had wanted to help the faithful enter more deeply into the ceremonies and prayers of the Mass, the complete opposite happened. These days, 99% of Catholic Masses include a bunch of songs that have nothing to do with the formularies of each feast. This was partially done because composers found out they could make money by substituting their own translations for the Church’s official ones. Another very damaging aspect was a decision by the USCCB Liturgy Committee, which ruled that the GIRM is not a binding document and can be ignored when it stipulates that permission is required to replace the Mass Propers. 2


FUN FACT : Until a certain year, priests attending papal audiences were required to wear a ferraiolo, and Bishop Gracida once described how he had to scramble desperately to obtain a black one before the photograph shown at the top.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Father Mohr explains that the prayers are for “youths acquainted with the Latin language” [juvenes latini sermonis gnari]. By the way, Fr. Joseph Mohr (1834-1892), a remarkable priest and musician, is treated extensively by Fr. Robert Skeris in Divini Cultus Studium (1990) beginning on page 162.

2   Some have even argued that obtaining permission from a bishop is virtually impossible and only a fool would be so silly as to try to follow the GIRM—but I’ve never found that argument plausible.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Hymns Replacing Propers 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

It is clear the Church is facing a grave crisis. Under the name of “the new Church” and “the post-conciliar Church,” a different Church from that of Jesus Christ is now trying to establish itself: an anthropocentric society threatened with imminent apostasy which is allowing itself to be swept along in a movement of general abdication under the pretext of renewal, ecumenicism, or adaptation.

— Cardinal Henri de Lubac (29 August 1967)

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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