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Views from the Choir Loft

The Liturgical Style of Pope Francis & John 12:5

Jeff Ostrowski · December 26, 2013

915 Pad VER SINCE the election of our Holy Father, some have striven to convince us of something Pope Francis never said, viz. concern for the poor is incompatible with traditional practices of Catholic liturgy. The primary reason Pope Francis will never make this claim is John 12:5 … and Pope Francis is no Judas Iscariot!

These unqualified sensationalists fail to realize something rather basic. Francis has a slightly different liturgical “style,” not because he rejects John 12:5, but due to his liturgical formation. Similarly, Pope Benedict’s liturgical formation caused him to like orchestral Masses (which, as I’ve said before, are somewhat problematic). Those who misunderstand these matters are often the same people who hope Francis will alter Church teaching on certain moral issues. Perhaps these folks believe Pope Francis will also (somehow) delete or change John 12:5 when he makes those other changes.

Why are some pushing this false narrative? It’s been suggested that these unqualified sensationalists are simply ignorant of John 12:5, or have forgotten about it. I suppose that’s possible. Others have suggested that such people fully understand what true Catholic liturgy is all about, realize how pleasing it is to Almighty God, and (in a diabolical way) have decided to go to war against it. I certainly hope that’s not the case.

For myself, I suspect that such people just don’t believe in the Real Presence. After all, following Church teachings regarding the Liturgy must seem rather silly to those who don’t believe the Holy Eucharist to be the Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity of Jesus Christ!


“The chalices, corporals, appointments of the altar, and everything that pertains to the sacrifice must be of precious material. And if the most holy Body of the Lord is very poorly reserved in any place, it should be placed in a precious location under lock and kept according to the mandate of the Church and carried about with great reverence and administered to others with discretion…”

— St. Francis of Assisi


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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Ordained a diocesan priest on 7 October 1827, Guéranger was quickly named a canon (a member of the cathedral chapter of Tours). Around 1830, he demonstrated his interest in the liturgy when he began to use the Roman Missal and texts for the Divine Office, unlike many of his colleagues, who still made use of the diocesan editions commonly in use in pre-Revolutionary France.”

— Source unknown

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