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Views from the Choir Loft

Pope Pius XII speaks about the Liturgy (1956)

Jeff Ostrowski · July 30, 2013

592 Pacelli Rottenburg Nuncio Pacelli — procession in Rottenburg circa 1919 ECENTLY, I had occasion to consider words spoken by Pope Pius XII on 2 November 1954: “This is to be done only for a justifiable reason, and provided the Bishop has not forbidden it because of the danger that the faithful might think it strange.”

We see that Pius XII is careful, lest any novel liturgical actions harm the faithful. I wish bishops had used the pastoral sensitivity of Pius XII in the years following the Second Vatican Council.

Those words of Pius XII remind me of a private letter written by his predecessor, Pope Pius XI:

Of interest is also a responsum privatum of Pius XI to Rev. Beatus Reiser, O.S.B. (June 29, 1930) concerning the use of the orchestra in church: where it has hitherto not been introduced, it should not be in the future; where it can be done away with without too much difficulty on the part of the faithful, it should be abrogated; but where it is an inveterate custom, the use of orchestra should only gradually be cut back till it disappears; in exceptional cases with the Ordinary’s permission, Mass with orchestra can be permitted. Though this is only a private reply, it gives the mind of at least Pius XI on the matter.   [source]

Again, we see the truly pastoral understanding of these great popes.

YEARS AGO, I SHARED with a very smart priest the words of one of the piccoluomini, who had criticized Pius XII for wearing beautiful vestments. I’ll never forget the priest’s reply: “Yes, men like Pacelli actually knew and believed what the Episcopacy represents.” There was nothing more to be said.

Pope Pius XII was, perhaps, the most intelligent person of the entire 20th century. He wrote so much, it would take a lifetime to read it all (with understanding). For instance, his words on “antiquarianism” (Mediator Dei, 20 November 1947) are worth looking at. So are his words about concelebration quoted in the 1958 Instruction. Speaking of concelebration, Bishop Peter J. Elliott has written:

Concelebrating “mentally”, in total silence, is contrary to the practice of the modern Roman Rite. In 1956, anticipating the restoration of concelebration, Pope Pius XII decided that our Rite would follow the Russian practice whereby all concelebrants articulate the words of the epiklesis and the consecration together with the principal celebrant. Cf. Pope Pius XII, Address to the International Congress on Pastoral Liturgy on the Liturgical Movement, September 22, 1956, II. 1, “Actio Christi”.

I strongly recommend reading the following speech (mentioned by Most Rev. Elliott):

      * *  Pope Pius XII speaks about the Liturgy (22 September 1956)

Therein, Pope Pius XII speaks about so many different aspects of liturgy. And now I will not say another word, because this document speaks for itself. Please read it!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Concelebration, His Holiness Pope Pius XII Last Updated: March 16, 2021

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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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony. — One of our volunteer choirs also sang that SANCTUS on 24 September 2023, and you can listen to how that came out.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

At High Mass the Celebrant is not allowed to proceed with the Offertory while the “Credo” is being sung. Likewise he should not proceed with the Consecration until the singing of the “Sanctus” is completed.

— Father Carlo Rossini (1939)

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