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Views from the Choir Loft

Rebellion in the Liturgy

Richard J. Clark · June 6, 2014

T IS HUMAN NATURE to rebel, especially at certain times of one’s life including adolescence in which fighting authority is instinctive. The 1953 Marlon Brando classic, “The Wild One” comes to mind in which someone asks, “Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?” Johnny (Brando) immediately replies, “Whadda ya got?” Sometimes this happens in the Church as well!

Aside from physiological reasons, youth and young adults are trying to create an identity for themselves and demonstrate independence. This is not a bad instinct at all. In fact, it can be quite good. For example, artists often need to push boundaries to discover their identity and establish a unique voice. This sort of rebellion or pushing of boundaries can create extraordinary art, oftentimes forcing others to think in ways outside of one’s comfort zone. These are good things that foster growth.

But what I speak of is of the individual. In corporate prayer, this becomes tricky and problematic, as the focus is not on us, but on God. It fosters unity with each other. The self—the ego—is subdued, which is an act of humility, something most necessary when praying as a community. Yet, this is often seen as stifling self-expression or creativity. Of course this is missing the point entirely (something I have learned only slowly over the years).

O, IN THE LAST FIFTY YEARS SINCE Vatican II’s first document, Sacrosanctum Concilium, we know what followed was a period of great misunderstanding of this text. Enormous experimentation ensued to say the least. Coupled with great societal change, to rebel against “The Man” – or in this case – “The Church” or “The Liturgy,” became a knee jerk reaction. Perhaps the Church was experiencing a new period of adolescence, painful and perhaps necessary. Only now, fifty years since, has the Church begun to understand its awkward struggles and hopefully mature in its worship. In the meantime, the result was more than a generation of lost tradition.

Here is a truth of human nature: When we can’t have something we want it. When something is forced upon us, we often reject it. Forcing traditions upon others is no way to pass them on. Take them away, and we’ll demand to have them back. In part, it is the latter that seems to have transpired more recently. It is the latter that in part drives the movement towards more reverent liturgy and restoration of our sacred treasury of music. In short, the rejection and denial of our traditions to more than one generation has greatly fueled the Reform of the Reform.

ODAY, I AM PRIVILEGED to correspond and converse with many young people and seminarians who are embracing our traditions. To seek out tradition when I was their age was unheard of! Is it possible that since they were often deprived of them that they are rebelling against the older generation, and in doing so, forging their own identity? This may in fact play a part, but I think there is more to it than that. These are young people who truly hunger to understand our faith and its foundations. Time will tell if it has taken root.

Therefore, how we pass on our traditions matters. Forcibly so is a recipe for rejection and failure. It is only our love that can evangelize, especially to our children. It is this love for the mass that will in time be instilled within them. This is our responsibility so that they are not empty and meaningless words and gestures.

As such, our traditions must not be left as relics of the past—monuments to antiquity. Tradition lives and breathes within us today. In doing so, it informs us of who we are. Fascinatingly, tradition helps each of us find our unique voice.

So at times, our children may rebel, make mistakes and forge their own identity. They need to find their own voice. When they do, their faith will take root even deeper, because it will be their own.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Liturgical Abuse, Passing on Tradition Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

[Speaking about the Silent Canon, with audible “per ómnia”] — “So in all such cases it is usual for the otherwise silent celebrant occasionally to sing a clause aloud, to show how far he has arrived.”

— Father Fortescue (pages 313-314) • “A Study of the Roman Liturgy”

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “2025 Booklet for Participants for the Sacred Music Symposium” — (155 pages)
  • Luis Martínez Must Go!
  • Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
  • PDF Download • “Gospel Acclamation” for 29 June (Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles)
  • “Hybrid” Chant Notation?

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