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Views from the Choir Loft

‘Medieval’ Liturgy and ‘Scholastic’ Theology

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · January 2, 2014

901 Simone ANY MODERN CATHOLICS believe that scholastic theology has been rendered obsolete by the “discoveries” of modern Scripture scholarship, modern philosophy, and, well, all things modern, which are generally perceived as improvements upon all that has come before. In like manner, modern(-ist) liturgists, like the members of Paul VI’s Consilium, believed that the Roman liturgy as inherited from the Middle Ages was burdened with grave defects that had to be corrected by a more scientific and more contemporary approach to liturgy. How wrong they were has been confirmed, sadly, by the mass exodus of faithful souls from the churches on Sundays, the greying of the diocesan clergy, the emptying of religious houses, the secularization of confessional schools, and, in short, to use Bouyer’s poignant phrase, the decomposition of Catholicism.

As students of Saint Thomas know, medieval theology is infinitely superior to modern theology qua modern; it surpasses it in depth, breadth, profundity, insight, coherence, truth, and above all, in fidelity to Sacred Scripture as the inspired, the truly revealed, word of God.

The liturgy, too, as it organically developed down through the ages participates in the same inspired and revealed quality, which is why it breathes the air of Scripture. It is thoroughly in accord not only with the text, which it uses in a totally integrated and familiar way, but also with the inner meaning, trajectory or tone, of Scripture. Take the Psalms, for example, of which the ancient Mass and Office are woven like a seamless garment from top to bottom.

The incoherent pluralism of Catholic theology at the start of the 21st century is anything but edifying—one symptom among many that the crisis in the Church has reached proportions comparable to those of the late Middle Ages, and will require a creative response as effective as that of the Counter-Reformation.

In like manner, the divisive pluralism of the liturgy today—the radically different manners in which the Ordinary Form can be celebrated, the encouragement (in the official rubrics!) of ad libbing, the loss of any certainty about what is and what is not Catholic, the cafeteria-style approach to tradition and doctrine that characterizes the entire daily life of the Church—is thoroughly disedifying and is, let us not mince words, a major impediment to the success, or perhaps even the start, of any new evangelization.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Consilium of Pope Paul VI, Saint Thomas Aquinas Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College (B.A. in Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy), Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is currently Professor at Wyoming Catholic College. He is also a published and performed composer, especially of sacred music.

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Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Nothing should be allowed that is unworthy of divine worship, nothing that is obviously profane or unfit to express the inner, sacred power of prayer. Nothing odd or unusual is allowable, since such things, far from fostering devotion in the praying community, rather shock and upset it—and impede the proper and rightful cultivation of a devotion faithful to tradition.

— Pope Paul VI • 10/13/1966

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