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Jesus said to them: “I have come into this world so that a sentence may fall upon it, that those who are blind should see, and those who see should become blind. If you were blind, you would not be guilty. It is because you protest, ‘We can see clearly,’ that you cannot be rid of your guilt.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Initial Response To Pope Francis’ Recent Actions Regarding Monsignori

Jeff Ostrowski · January 5, 2014

ATICAN INSIDER REPORTS that Pope Francis has put an end to the naming of Monsignori, unless a priest be over the age of 65. Will this move have any effect on the scandalous and damaging secular music performed each Sunday in so many Catholic churches? Will it help solve the massive crisis of faith afflicting our Church since the Council? Will it cause even one lapsed Catholic to resume attending Mass on Sundays? I suppose only time will tell, but these are some of the most pressing priorities on Francis’ plate.

One writer said it’s an effort to curb careerism, but he obviously has no clue. The best way to stop careerism would be mandating a minimum period of time a priest must serve in a “typical” parish setting before being assigned to teach in the seminary or do Chancery work. Such inaccurate analysis, however, is not surprising, since gibberish from unqualified sensationalists abounds when it comes to Pope Francis. The naming of Monsignori had been a way individual bishops could recognize faithful service, and each bishop was free to name them or not. The hypocrisy of some applauding this action is unbelievable, since these same quarters are usually in favor of “individual bishops governing their own dioceses without interference from Rome.”

YOU’RE PROBABLY THINKING, “OK, Jeff, since you’re so smart, what reforms should Francis enact?” I would like to see Francis start to curb the “horse barn” mentality of the Church. What? You never heard of that mentality? I will explain:

One of the favorite techniques of the “liturgical progressives” since the Council is to allow a forbidden practice for a period of time. Then, when Rome finally demands an account, the perpetrator says, “Oh, but this already being done. The horse is already out of the barn. We can’t turn back the clock now …” In other words, halting a (forbidden) practice already being done has somehow been considered unthinkable. A reliable witness has told me that Archbishop Weakland often used this technique in his now notorious dealings with Rome.

I’m reminded of an “open letter” written last year by Roger Cardinal Mahony. In it, he responded to Archbishop José Gomez, who had been forced to strip him of all public duties owing to Mahony’s malfeasance in concealing clergy sex abuse (for which his diocese paid nearly a billion dollars in damages). I’m not going to quote the entire letter, which is extremely petulant and self-serving, but here’s an excerpt:

I have stated time and time again that I made mistakes, especially in the mid-1980s. I apologized for those mistakes, and committed myself to make certain that the Archdiocese was safe for everyone. Unfortunately, I cannot return now to the 1980s and reverse actions and decisions made then.

Once again, we see the “horse barn” mentality … but, what is the proper response? Well, for starters, Mahony should not have attended the Conclave, because his judgment is obviously not sound. Also, he should have spent the rest of his life in a monastery doing penance, as well as giving his personal funds to the victims and meeting with them each year. I could keep going, but in essence, merely saying, “Oops!” is insufficient. If I break your window and sincerely apologize, you ought to say, “I accept your apology … but you still must repair the window you broke!”

In my humble opinion, I think eliminating Monsignori under 65 is akin to “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” However, I believe all Monsignori are obligated pay some kind of special “tax” each year, on account of their office. Perhaps all that money can now be pledged to support our efforts here at CCW!   Hey, I can dream, can’t I?

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: 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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    How Well Does ICEL Know Latin?
    This year, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June 2025) will fall on a Sunday. It’s not necessary to be an eminent Latin scholar to be horrified by examples like this, which have been in place since 1970. For the last 55 years, anyone who’s attempted to correct such errors has been threatened with legal action. It is simply unbelievable that the (mandatory) texts of the Holy Mass began being sold for a profit in the 1970s. How much longer will this gruesome situation last?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Is the USCCB trolling us?
    I realize I’m going to come across as a “Negative Nancy” … but I can’t help myself. This kind of stuff is beyond ridiculous. There are already way too many options in the MISSALE RECENS. Adding more will simply confuse the faithful even more. We seriously need to band together and start creating a “REFORM OF THE REFORM” Missale Romanum so it will be ready when the time comes.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Common” Responsorial Psalm?
    I try to avoid arguing about liturgical legislation (even with Catholic priests) because it seems like many folks hold certain views—and nothing will persuade them to believe differently. You can show them 100 church documents, but it matters not. They won’t budge. Sometimes I’m confronted by people who insist that “there’s no such thing” as a COMMON RESPONSORIAL PSALM. When that happens, I show them a copy of the official legislation in Latin. I have occasionally prevailed by means of this method.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

“You should try to eat their food in the way they prepare it, although it may be dirty, half-cooked, and very tasteless. As to the other numerous things which may be unpleasant, they must be endured for the love of God, without saying anything or appearing to notice them.”

— Fr. Paul Le Jeune (1637)

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  • Is the USCCB trolling us?
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  • “Common” Responsorial Psalm?

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