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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Discerning Changes in the Old Missal

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · May 23, 2013

OULD THERE BE ROOM for legitimate changes to the Missal of 1962, the last typical edition of the traditional Roman Rite of Mass or the “extraordinary form”?

Traditionalists tend to be dead-set against any changes, and understandably so. They are shell-shocked after decades of failed experimentation, backed against the wall by heavy-handed hierarchs and their modernist minions, clinging for dear life to an expression of the Roman liturgical tradition that, for all its arguable imperfections (including the ill-starred reform of Holy Week under Pius XII), is nevertheless a rock of stability in the midst of a church in chaos. Why would we dare touch this haven of sanctity, this ark of tradition, this noble embodiment of nearly two millennia of liturgical worship, especially in a time of anarchy, flux, and confusion?

Well, whatever nefarious schemes might be afoot today among the partisans of innovation in the halls of the Vatican, it is not difficult to imagine a few modest examples of the kind of organic development within the traditional Roman rite that anyone would have defended and even expected prior to the devastations visited upon this rite by Annibale Bugnini and his associates in the 1960s. Bugnini has given any and all change a bad name, but surely we have to recognize that some change is natural and normal. But precisely what sort of change?

It is always good to take obvious examples rather than obscure or controversial ones. Traditional Catholics definitely wish to venerate such modern saints as Josemaría Escrivá, Padre Pio, or Mother Teresa; and all things being equal, they would prefer to venerate them liturgically, and not merely privately. Indeed, both St. Josemaría and St. Pio celebrated the traditional Latin Mass, which was the center and secret of their priestly holiness. How difficult would it be to appoint commemorations of these saints, or even to create feasts for them with proper antiphons, readings, and prayers? Pope Pius XI did so for the feast of Christ the King, which did not exist prior to 1925 and yet has become a veritable rallying point for the traditionalist movement across the globe. In the putative feast of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, we would find the same three variable Latin prayers, the collect, secret, and postcommunion; we would find well chosen readings from Scripture, as had already been done for several feasts of more recent insertion (a simple way, incidentally, to incorporate hitherto unused passages of Sacred Scripture, yet without tearing apart the long-standing integrity of the Missal’s lections); antiphons drawn from Scripture and adapted to classic Gregorian melodies, as was done frequently throughout the Middle Ages. In short, the old Missal obviously permits of gentle expansion in its calendar and Mass texts.

And even though convincing arguments have been made that new prefaces should not be lightly introduced or needlessly multiplied, in principle the addition of some new prefaces, particularly for more solemn occasions, should not present a problem to anyone, provided their theology is sound and their linguistic form consistent with the aesthetics of the ancient rite. After all, in the old days, permission was granted to use special Gallican prefaces where and when appropriate.

Now, what do these examples have in common? They enrich by addition; they do not deform the rite as such in any way, by abbreviating, abolishing, or altering its texts. They are like an old city that is built up and built around, each new century adding streets and plazas and buildings, so that the city is richer in its population and life and culture.

All this being said, the other bad thing that could happen to the 1962 Missal is far worse than a temporary freeze in development—namely, that it would begin to be tampered with by “experts” in the manner of the Consilium’s revisions that produced, in the end, a new Missal—not merely a revision of what had come before, but something essentially new, modeled on the old Missal but in no way an edition of it. Indeed, Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae taken together establish that, in spite of all assertions to the contrary, there must be some kind of discontinuity between the old and new missals, for otherwise there would be no logical possibility of protecting and promoting the older Roman Rite as a form distinctive unto itself.

It must be obvious that suppressing prayers or revising ceremonies at this time, when, as we have seen, liturgical experimentation and committee banality have wreaked havoc on the Catholic liturgy, could not be more foolish or more polarizing to the cause of unity and genuine renewal. What dreadful confusion, dismay, anger, and division would be precipitated by altering the 1962 Missal in any way other than merely adding to it—whether by attempting to make optional the prayers at the foot of the altar and the Last Gospel, or by removing supposedly “useless repetitions” like the threefold Domine, non sum dignus, or by simplifying the Communion Rite! Such actions would not only permanently shut down dialogue with the SSPX, but also cause further schisms and factions among Catholics who are faithful to Tradition. What is needed above all is the stability that results from unity of worship and doctrine; and of such stability, the delectable fruit is peace—peace of soul, peace in congregations, peace for the Church.

In conclusion, let me take up what may appear to be an objection to my argument, namely, the fact that Pope Benedict XVI promulgated a new Good Friday prayer for the Jews, replacing the one that was printed in the 1962 Missal. In retrospect, this change is something we should rejoice in rather than be upset about. First of all, as Fr. John Zuhlsdorf has proved, the new prayer is in fact theologically more substantive: if we look at what the prayer is asking, it says more, not less, about the conversion of the Jews and about Christ as the only Savior of mankind. But the Pope also demonstrated in this way that the 1962 Missal is not a museum piece, a prehistoric fly trapped in amber, but a reality alive and well at the heart of Holy Mother Church. It is a rite worthy of being loved and celebrated everywhere, precisely because it bears within itself the living Tradition, without diminishment or accommodation. Even as the new Missal looks and feels ever more dated with the passing of years, a true “period piece” like certain kinds of architecture, music, and clothing fashions, the ancient Missal remains youthfully refreshing, for it caters to no particular age and seeks only to glorify God. Introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui laetificat iuventutem meam.

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 Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College (B.A. in Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy), Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is currently Professor at Wyoming Catholic College. He is also a published and performed composer, especially of sacred music.

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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

Goupil deserves the name of martyr not only because he has been murdered by the enemies of God and His Church while laboring in ardent charity for his neighbor, but most of all because he was killed for being at prayer and notably for making the Sign of the Cross.

— St. Isaac Jogues (after the martyrdom of Saint René Goupil)

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
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