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Views from the Choir Loft

“Turn Those Altars Around!” — Cardinal Lercaro, Consilium President (1965)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 27, 2014

704 John XXIII in 1962 HE OLD LATIN MASS had special rubrics for Masses said facing the people (versus populum) but such rubrics were unknown to most priests because Mass was seldom offered in that way. However, in the 1960s, this new form of celebration seemed to “spread like wild fire” even though the Second Vatican Council never mandated it. In fact, the Council never mentioned it!

Many people have wondered how such things came about, and I may have discovered a new “clue” from the BCL Newsletter (September 1965):

      * *  BCL Newsletter — September 1965

Did you notice this quote?

“Wherever it is reasonably possible, the altar must be turned toward the people. The seat of the celebrant when possible must be placed in the apse.” — Cardinal Lercaro, president of the Consilium, NCWC News Service, 6 March 1965, Foreign, p. 5.


FOUR EXPERTS have assured me this was simply Cardinal Lercaro’s personal opinion — no official document expresses this requirement. Remember that Pope Paul VI had set up the Consilium in opposition to the Sacred Congregation of Rites, causing great confusion. Furthermore, the Consilium meetings themselves were chaos. According to Cardinal Antonelli (who would know, because of his roles) many Consilium meetings didn’t even count the votes (much less record them), nobody knew if a simple majority or 2/3 majority was required, and even documents of great importance (like the new Eucharistic Prayers) were often passed out the night before the meetings!

Perhaps Cardinal Antonelli said it best when he made the following comment:

“Cardinal Lercaro is not the man to direct a discussion. Father Bugnini has only one interest: press ahead and finish.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Ad Orientem, Mass Facing The People, Versus Populum Altars 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

23 May 2022 • FEEDBACK

From a reader: “I wasn’t looking for it. But, I stumbled across your hand-dandy arrangement of Pachelbel’s Canon. Jeff, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I had to play a wedding on Saturday. The bride requested the Canon. There were 11 bridesmaids! The organ loft is a football field away from the communion rail. It’s so difficult to play and keep checking the mirror. Your arrangement is absolutely genius. One can skip and choose which variations to use. The chord names are handy so that when my eyes are off the music, I always know where I am at. A thousand times thank you for sharing this arrangement!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
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

Random Quote

And since it is becoming that holy things be administered in a holy manner, and of all things this sacrifice is the most holy, the Catholic Church, to the end that it might be worthily and reverently offered and received, instituted many centuries ago the holy canon, which is so free from error that it contains nothing that does not in the highest degree savor of a certain holiness and piety and raise up to God the minds of those who offer.

— Council of Trent (1562)

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