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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

No Salvation From Decrees (2 of 3)

Jeff Ostrowski · September 16, 2013

“The 1967 instruction Musicam Sacram repeats the words of the constitution and again insists on the use of Gregorian chant, which should be given ‘pride of place.’ It must be taught in seminaries and sung in parish churches, both in Masses celebrated in Latin and in the vernacular, since nothing prohibits that in the same celebration different parts be sung in different languages.” — Msgr. Richard J. Schuler   [source]

E HAVE EXAMINED and now understand, having read Part 1 of this series, that the following assertion is without validity:

“Vatican II never said Gregorian chant should have pride of place in the liturgy. This only applies to Masses celebrated in Latin.”

Therefore, Archbishop Annibale Bugnini was incorrect when he wrote the following remarks about the “treasury of sacred music” mentioned in Sacrosanctum Concilium §114 and subsequent relevant paragraphs like §116:

When, therefore, the Constitution allowed the introduction of the vernaculars, it necessarily anticipated that the preservation of this “treasure of sacred music” would be dependent solely on celebrations in Latin [ … ]
In this part of the text, the instruction intends to make it clear that just as there are two forms of celebration, one in Latin, the other in the vernacular, in accordance with the norms established by competent authority, so the use of the musical repertory that is connected with the Latin text is for celebrations in Latin, although it is possible to use some parts of it even in celebrations in the vernacular.
[Bugnini, The Reform of the Liturgy, 1948-1975, page 907]


By the way, I’m not going to address here the whole question of what we properly call “Gregorian chant” sung in the vernacular. Funny enough, neither did the Second Vatican Council. I realize some people are obsessed with what they consider the “correct terminology,” but I quickly get bored of such discussions. I once received a phone call wherein a priest screamed at me for 15 minutes because I used the term “Gregorian chant.” He yelled, “How dare you call it Gregorian chant? Are you saying that St. Gregory wrote all those melodies by himself? The only acceptable term is cantillation.”

Incidentally, you might be surprised how often Bugnini was flat out wrong about stuff. Take, for example, those short little paragraphs quoted above. As Susan Benofy has pointed out:

There is nothing in the Constitution on the Liturgy, however, to indicate that the Council Fathers envisioned anything like “two forms of celebration”. They did not envision an entirely vernacular liturgy.   [source]

Monsignor Schuler pointed another basic flaw in Bugnini’s paragraphs:

The instruction orders that the distinction between solemn, sung and read Masses, sanctioned by the instruction of 1958, is to be retained.   [source]

FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT, let’s pretend that Bugnini’s argument was correct, and Gregorian chant only has pride of place for Mass celebrated in Latin. What exactly does that mean? How does one define a “Mass in Latin”? When the Eucharistic Prayer is said in Latin? Or perhaps just the Mass parts? What about the General Intercessions? Do those have to be in Latin, too? How about the Kyrie Eleison? If the Kyrie is said in Greek, is it still a Latin Mass? What about the homily? What about the readings? Obviously, his argument is untenable.

More importantly, however, the Council ordered Latin to be retained in the liturgy and “did not envision an entirely vernacular liturgy” (c.f. quote by Benofy above). Sadly, like so many of the Council’s wishes, this order was ignored.

This article is part of a series:

Part 1   •   Part 2   •   Part 3

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 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

    “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

“…it would be a very praiseworthy thing and the correction would be so easy to make that one could accommodate the chant by gradual changes; and through this it would not lose its original form, since it is only through the binding together of many notes put under short syllables that they become long without any good purpose when it would be sufficient to give one note only.”

— Zarlino (1558) anticipating the Medicæa

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