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Views from the Choir Loft

Latin And Western Civilization

Aurelio Porfiri · May 6, 2014

529 Peter May 6, 2014 HY IS IT IMPORTANT to know Latin? I know that when some people read this phrase they will start to think of me as a strong traditionalist. It is not true. I am a realist. And being a realist, even a pragmatist, teaches us an important lesson: Latin is one of the foundations of western culture. The Catholic Church has grown in this culture for centuries, and moreover, the church was creating many of the features that make western civilization a bright example for all the world. Latin was one of the foundations of this civilization.

Now, what is the role of Latin in today’s liturgies? It has become one of the strong points in traditionalists’ agenda. I am sorry, but this is not fair. Latin is heritage for each one of us, because in this language are preserved treasures of art and faith. We need not be fanatics — and, of course, it’s also important to try to work for the implementation of good music using vernacular languages — but Latin must remain always as a model of synthesis, clarity, and elegance.

And why would we desire to lose millions of compositions that have used (and continue to use) this language? The problem is always to go from one extreme to the other. Latin and the compositions in Latin must always remain a model for sound compositions in vernacular languages. And still there is so much good material that can be used. Let us hope that one day there will be a serious meditation about what it really means to understand something in the liturgy, that is not a common gathering, but the revelation of a sacred mystery.


BOTTEGA • Aurelio Porfiri is where you can discover
many of Mæstro Porfiri’s compositions in PDF format.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Latin Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Aurelio Porfiri

About Aurelio Porfiri

Renowned as composer, conductor, theorist, author, pedagogue, and organist, Aurelio Porfiri has served the Church on multiple continents at the highest levels. Born and raised in Italy, he currently serves as Director of Choral Activities and Composer in Residence for Santa Rosa de Lima School (Macao, China).

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Quick Thoughts

Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

«In the same quarter where he was crucified there was a garden.» (John 19:41) — The word “garden” hinted at Eden and the fall of man, as it also suggested through its flowers in the springtime the Resurrection from the dead.

— Fulton J. Sheen

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