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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

Returning from Rio

Fr. David Friel · August 4, 2013

EVER IN MY LIFE did I expect to go to Rio. This time last week, however, I was standing on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, preparing to concelebrate the closing Mass of World Youth Day with our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Rather than add to the blog-o-squabble concerning the music, let me instead say a word about the silence.

At several points throughout World Youth Day, we were gathered on Copacabana Beach. We were surrounded by many noises—talking, traffic, the roar of the sea, etc. Against what one might have expected, though, the crowd actually became utterly silent at a few different moments.

The first such moment came when Pope Francis asked for a moment of silence to pray for a pilgrim who had been injured in a car accident. But this was only a warm up.

On the evening of the vigil, there were reportedly 3 to 4 million people on the beach and in the nearby streets. Were it not for the palpable presence of Christian charity, this would have been chaos. In the midst of all these people, it was the Real Presence that instructed order upon the gathering. When the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for adoration on the altar, those 3 to 4 million people became truly, utterly, deafeningly silent. From where I knelt on the beach, my group and I were able to relish in this beautiful silence. The only human voice we could hear was an occasional, “Sombrinha!” (Portugese for “umbrella”), the shout of an irreverent salesmen who continued to canvas the beach. The silence was stunning.

The third occasion of deep silence came after the reception of Holy Communion at the papal Mass on Sunday. With similarly enormous crowds, it was edifying to stand in the midst of huddled, silent masses, each person offering thanksgiving to God for the gift of His grace. Accomplishing this feat would be difficult in most of our parishes; that it was accomplished in a crowd of millions I interpret as a sign of the Spirit’s presence.

Dr. Kwasniewski recently completed an excellent series of blogs on silence. Every good musician, moreover, knows the essential role that silence plays within a piece of music. I was privileged to experience hallowed silence on a grand scale. Perhaps an even greater challenge is to cultivate this silence in an abiding way in our hearts.

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 Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“Who dreamed on that day that within a few years, far less than a decade, the Latin past of the Church would be all but expunged, that it would be reduced to a memory fading in the middle distance? The thought of it would have horrified us, but it seemed so far beyond the realm of the possible as to be ridiculous. So we laughed it off.”

— Most Rev’d Robert J. Dwyer, Archbishop of Portland (d. 1976)

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