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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

Bugnini: the word Alleluia is a “meaningless sound”

Jeff Ostrowski · October 7, 2013

353 Last Supper HEN historian Hubert Jedin critically examined the effects of the vernacular liturgy in a 1969 article printed by L’Osservatore Romano, Annibale Bugnini became “unhinged,” writing a polemical response that includes the following statement:

As a good historian who knows how to weigh both sides and reach a balanced judgment, why did you not mention the millions and hundreds of millions of the faithful who have at last achieved worship in spirit and in truth? Who can at last pray to God in their own languages and not in meaningless sounds, and are happy that henceforth they know what they are saying? Are they not “the Church?”

His argument is absurd for two reasons. First, it is incorrect to assert that Catholics cannot understand words in a different language. For example, just think of the word “Alleluia.” Or, think of “Kyrie Eleison” and “Amen.” The same for “Hosanna in excelsis” and “Et incarnatus est.” Until the reforms following the Second Vatican Council, the Mass was (for the most part) unchanging. To say that Catholics cannot put forth a little effort and learn the basics of the Mass in Latin is untenable, especially for those who understand the great importance of the Mass. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, even if one cannot give a “dictionary definition” for the word alleluia, praying it in Church is still pleasing to God if one has the love of God in one’s heart.

The second problem with Bugnini’s assertion is treated by Fr. John Parsons in his thoughtful article:

      * *  Article by Fr. John Parsons (Printed in Sacred Music)

It is simply incorrect for Bugnini to say that a “black hole” existed from the 6th century until 1965 (when the vernacular was introduced) during which Catholics were not truly adoring God at Mass. Please carefully notice I am not saying the fathers of the the Second Vatican Council went beyond their rights when they allowed for greater use of the vernacular, declaring “it is for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority to decide whether, and to what extent, the vernacular language is to be used” (Sacrosanctum Concilium §36c).

I WOULD ENCOURAGE to read that article by Fr. Parsons. At the end, I also included some interesting comments by Kurt Poterack, who cites a 1995 article by Fr. Brian Harrison (The Reform of the Reform) which everyone ought to read. If anyone has access to an online version, please email me.

Fr. Parsons makes many good points, especially in the section mentioning the Eastern Rites. This is a subject I will be writing more about in the context of “Bugnini logic” (see below). The words of Pope Francis about the Eastern Rites are also worthy of consideration:

They have conserved that pristine liturgy, no? So beautiful. We [i.e. those of us who celebrate the liturgy reformed by Bugnini] have lost a bit the sense of adoration, they conserve it, they praise God, they adore God, they sing, time does not count. The center is God and that is a richness that I would like to emphasize on this occasion as you ask me this question.

[Original Italian: Hanno conservato quella pristina liturgia, no?, tanto bella. Noi abbiamo perso un po’ il senso dell’adorazione, loro lo conservano, loro lodano Dio, loro adorano Dio, cantano, il tempo non conta. Il centro è Dio e quella è una ricchezza che vorrei dire in questa occasione in cui Lei mi fa questa domanda.]

As time goes on, we’ll talk more about “Bugnini logic” … a type of pseudo-logic (accepted in the 1960s) which did great harm to the Church and is now undergoing evaluation by cooler heads. In particular, statements made by Bugnini in his book on liturgy are remarkable for their brashness, and often reveal an appalling lack of understanding for basic Catholic theology. It is very difficult for me to understand how those in authority could have been taken in. They fell for it “hook, line, and sinker” as my mother would say.

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

    17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025, which is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down.” The COMMUNION ANTIPHON—both text and melody—are particularly beautiful and exceedingly ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser
    To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Errors in Latin: “17th Sund. Ordinary”
    The COMMUNION for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) contains several typos in the Jogues Illuminated Missal with regard to the Latin text. That particular COMMUNION ANTIPHON is extremely ancient, and the English Adaptation is utterly gorgeous. For the record, it’s normal for books to contain typos; even books by Father Fortescue and Monsignor Knox have errors. Books by Solesmes Abbey—surely among the finest ever produced—contain many printing errors. Click here to see a few examples of typos.
    —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

“Those who are trying to improve the quality of congregational singing cannot refuse to Gregorian chant the place which is due to it.”

— Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship (14 April 1974)

Recent Posts

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