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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” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (10 August 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 feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon
    This coming Sunday—10 August 2025—is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON is really gorgeous, and two of its features are worth mentioning. First of all, the Gospel reading assigned is from Saint Luke, whereas the the antiphon—although it matches the account—comes from Saint Matthew. (If anyone can point to a similar example, please notify me.) Furthermore, if you look at the authentic Gregorian Chant version posted on the feasts website, you’ll notice that it’s MODE III but ends on the ‘wrong’ note. A comparable instance of such a ‘transposed’ chant would be KYRIE IV.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —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

If the homily goes on too long, it will affect two characteristic elements of the liturgical celebration: its balance and its rhythm. The words of the preacher must be measured, so that the Lord, more than his minister, will be the center of attention.

— Pope Francis (11/24/2013)

Recent Posts

  • Is this what the new “Youth Mass” looks like?
  • “Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon
  • Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”

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