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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

Definition Of Liturgical “Piccoluomini” ?

Jeff Ostrowski · October 30, 2013

What do you think of the following statement?

OPE FRANCIS HAS a group of eight cardinals to help him manage the Church, whereas Pope Benedict XVI was able to govern the Church all by himself. This proves Benedict was better at being Pope than Francis.

Wow! I just “proved” Benedict was better at being Pope, right? There’s just one problem: I used piccoluomini logic.

Another example would be the pronunciation of FEBRUARY. It has an “R” in it, so that’s automatically the correct & only pronunciation, right? Nope.

THIS FALSE TYPE OF LOGIC, called piccoluomini logic, is more prevalent than one might expect. Let’s examine some common examples:

1. The minor orders have undergone development over the centuries and no longer seem identical to what they were in earlier centuries … therefore they are “meaningless” and have “no reason for their existence.”

2. Having the blessing after the dismissal (as in the Extraordinary Form) doesn’t make “sense,” so this needs to be “corrected,” in spite of the clear history of how these actions developed.

3. The Eastern Rites “all have several anaphoras,” so the Roman Rite prior to 1969 was “deficient” since it had only the Roman Canon. Furthermore, the Roman Canon is so ancient, parts of it are difficult to understand, so these are “defects.”

4. Full, active participation does not mean prayerfully listening to something at Mass (e.g. the choir singing the Communion Antiphon), it means doing or saying something.

5. Proclaiming the readings in Latin would be absurd, because not everyone in the congregation understands Latin. If Scripture is read in the vernacular, everyone can fully understand Scripture (in spite of 2 Pet 3:16).

6. Reception of Holy Communion in the hand might be more ancient than reception on the tongue (although this is impossible to prove). Therefore, Communion in the hand is better.

7. The Ordinary Form has three cycles of readings, therefore it’s better than the Extraordinary Form, which has only one cycle. More Scripture is de facto better.

All these statements make heavy use of piccoluomini logic. Although false, such ideas have reigned supreme for decades, and most were taken from a book published in 1983 by one of the chief liturgical reformers. However, the internet is helping to change the situation. People are starting to “wake up.”

For example, if Number 7 were true, then why not six cycles? Or nine cycles? As a matter of fact, the 3-year Lectionary has been a failure (compared to the traditional 1-year cycle) because human beings are “geared” toward annual events. Our minds, emotions, and memories simply aren’t programmed for a 3-year cycle. It turns out there’s a reason the 1-year cycle lasted so many centuries. Or, consider Number 4. If that were true, then nobody but the priest “participates” during the sermon, right?

I won’t examine each falsehood, but Number 5 is kind of interesting. The fact is, Scripture readings during Mass are not just didactic, although the Council of Trent (XII:8) seemed to imply they are to a certain degree. The readings at Mass are a prayer, yet so few people seem to understand this. Even some “traditionalists” seem embarrassed the EF readings are in Latin.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT obsessed with reading about the Liturgy, the word “piccoluomini” (a.k.a. piccolomini) means “little men.” This term normally refers to those who harmed the liturgy after the Council: the unqualified meddlers who gave us translations like this and wrongly refer to empty seminaries, dying convents, mass apostasy, and rampant heresy as “renewal.”

I’ve written too much, so I should end this article … but incidentally which is the better Pope: Benedict or Francis? Only God can judge, since each has strengths and weaknesses. However, I am willing to point out what Benedict XVI gave us — a truly wonderful gift — Summorum Pontificum. Never again can those who love Catholic traditions be accused of being “old fashioned.” Remember, Summorum is dated 7 July 2007 … not 1907. Furthermore, it was accompanied by powerful quotes like this:

What earlier generations held as sacred remains sacred and great for us, too, and cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place.

After all, the post-Conciliar Reforms went beyond what the Council had ordered. Pope Paul VI should have learned from Pope Pius V, who allowed liturgical traditions “more than 200 years old” to continue, in spite of his promulgation of a new edition of the Roman Missal. I’ve decided to say a very short prayer every night, in thanksgiving for Summorum Pontificum. I hope you’ll join me!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Novus Ordo Lectionary Reform, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis 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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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

On 26 July 1916—during the German occupation of Belgium—a student choir led by Van Nuffel performed his setting of the psalm “Super flumina Babylonis” in Saint Rumbold’s Cathedral. The text and the musical setting very aptly expressed the depressed and rebellious mood of the population. The acclaim was enormous, and it laid the foundation for Van Nuffel’s formation of the Saint Rumbold’s choir.

— Unknown

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Flor Peeters In A Weird Mood?
  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
  • Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

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