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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

Aren’t Altar Missals Required To Print The Latin Alongside The English?

Jeff Ostrowski · December 31, 2013

904 Camp An image from the Campion Missal EVERAL DAYS AGO, I received an email asking why today’s Missals no longer include Latin. You may recall that many directives following the Council required 100% of the Altar Missals to include the Latin, since the Council fathers wanted Latin to be retained in the Liturgy. For example, Inter Oecumenici (26 September 1964) decreed: “Missals to be used in the liturgy, however, shall contain besides the vernacular version the Latin text as well.”

Doing some research, I found several sources explaining matters. It seems a decree printed on 10 November 1969 in Notitiae reversed the 1964 mandate. Bugnini says this was due to “difficulties” and gives the example of printers in faraway countries [!!!] who don’t know how to print Latin characters. As Susan Benofy has noted, this was a favorite technique of the reformers. First, ask permission for a particular (rare) circumstance … then apply that permission everywhere, even in countries which have been Christian for centuries. However, I’m getting away from my subject.

In fact, it’s not impossible to include both Latin & English. One example would be the 1965 Missal, which we recently placed online (and can be freely downloaded by everyone). If this principle had been followed, there’s no way horrible atrocities like the following would have been tolerated:

      * *  Ash Wednesday (Old, discredited ICEL)

      * *  Holy Saturday Exsultet (Old, discredited ICEL)

WHENEVER BUGNINI CITES “DIFFICULTIES,” I inwardly cringe. Certain reformers use and abuse the notion of “difficulties.” After all, to completely change and remake a liturgy developed over a period of 1500+ years was not considered “too difficult” by the reformers. Yet, following a basic instruction about including the official Latin was considered “too difficult.” This is piccoluomini logic: it just doesn’t make sense! It leads to things like omitting the wedding garment from the Parable of the Wedding Garment in our current Lectionary.

Sadly, piccoluomini logic has been in style for a long time. One of the most scathing explanations ever was penned by Amy Welborn on 19 June 2007, entitled Note to John and Mary Catholic: You’re Stupid. Again.  She asked a question that was never answered (because there can be no answer!):

This “John and Mary Catholic” who haunt Bishop Trautman’s conscience are a worrisome pair because of what they imply about a cleric’s view of the laity. As I have blogged and written before, clerics and those in the church bureaucracy need to get their stories straight. Are we “the most highly educated laity in the history of the church” capable of making our moral decisions all on our own, without substantive Church guidance … or are we idiots who can’t figure out what “dew” is? Make up your minds.

Let us consider another example. The reformers suppressed the beautiful, ecumenical, and traditional pre-Lenten time of preparation (Septuagesima, Sexagesima, & Quinquagesima) because they said, “The penitential character of the time of Septuagesima or pre-Lent is difficult for the faithful to understand without many explanations.” (You can learn more about these discussions by reading this remarkable book by Dr. Lauren Pristas.)

I’m no genius, yet I never had the slightest problem understanding the season of Septuagesima. The “difficulties” here seem to be related to the “difficulties” in printing Latin characters mentioned above … but none of that really matters, because the liturgical reformers operated by means of the following principle:

It’s much easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Whoever thought of that phrase is a genius!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Annibale Bugnini Reform, Inter Oecumenici, Reform of the Reform Last Updated: September 30, 2023

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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

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Every experienced choirmaster’s work is founded on the following three axioms: (1) Few boys have a really good natural voice; (2) No boy is able to control his voice and produce good tone without training; (3) Most boys have a good ear, and considerable imitative capacity. It is on the last of these axioms that the choirmaster must begin his work.”

— Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1912)

Recent Posts

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  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
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