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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Liturgy & Clericalism

Fr. David Friel · June 1, 2014

O PRIEST ever wants to be accused of “clericalism.” To be accused of clericalism is an insult to every priest, from the most progressive to the most traditional. It seems, however, that it is more common for priests who are traditional to be considered “clerical.” Why?

Most “traditional” priests have a special love for liturgy. (Shouldn’t this be true of every priest?) There is life outside the liturgy, to be sure, but should not the sacred liturgy be fundamental to every priest’s existence? There is a sentence in the introduction to the new collected works of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI that captures this sentiment quite frankly: “The liturgy of the Church has been for me since my childhood the central reality of my life.” That is a profound claim.

Very often, this love for liturgy will be used by a particular priest’s detractors as evidence of his clericalism. Many such accusations, though, boil down to nothing more than a healthy sense of priestly identity. Love of liturgy—and, specifically, employment of its traditional forms—is not clericalism. The liturgy, after all, is not about the priest. It is about Jesus Christ, the spotless, innocent Lamb.

Clericalism subsists, rather, in the priest who believes that the Church and her faithful exist to serve him, instead of the reverse. A true clericalist is one who interiorly rejects the image of Christ as One Who came “not to be served, but to serve.”

Towards the end of my time as a student at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, we were blessed by the presence of an old priest who had been assigned to live there and work as a spiritual director. He was well admired by everyone on campus. In some five decades of priestly service, he served as a beloved professor, confessor, and pastor. In his sprier days, he had been the quarterback of his high school football team, but by this point he was tethered to an oxygen tank and never strayed too far from his rollator. Everyone called this priest “Father Meehan.”

Fr. Meehan gave a homily one day, shortly before his death, that struck me deeply. He sat to give this homily, not in defiance of the rubrics, but because he lacked the strength to stand. It was close to the end of the academic year, so ordination was imminent for many of the men in our community. Father spoke movingly about the meaning of priesthood and the life of Christian service to which all priests are called. Some priests, he observed, think of being ordained as an achievement, or a promotion, or a reward for enduring seminary formation. He pleaded with us all to forget those ideas. To the contrary, he explained: “Ordination is not a step up; it is a step down.”

A “clericalist” is not one who loves liturgy, but one who rejects the wisdom of Fr. Meehan.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Latin Mass, Pope Benedict XVI, Summorum Pontificum, Traditional Latin Mass Tridentine Rite Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —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

“Participation” in the Mass does not mean hearing our own voices. It means God hearing our voices. Only He knows who is “participating” at Mass. I believe, to compare small things with great, that I “participate” in a work of art when I study it and love it silently.

— Evelyn Waugh

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