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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

    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

“…I started down the road of the liturgy, and this became a continuous process of growth into a grand reality transcending all particular individuals and generations, a reality that became an occasion for me of ever-new amazement and discovery. The incredible reality of the Catholic liturgy has accompanied me through all phases of life, and so I shall have to speak of it time and again.”

— Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Recent Posts

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  • Errors in Latin: “17th Sund. Ordinary”
  • “Tell Me Lies; Tell Me Sweet Little Lies.” • Re: Post-Conciliar Lectionary Problems
  • PDF Download • “Catholic Texts Transcend”

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