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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Archbishop Sample’s Letter On Sacred Music (7 of 8)

Fr. David Friel · June 22, 2014

T WAS A PLEASURE to sit in a pew towards the back of the Cathedral of the Madeleine last summer and listen to Archbishop Sample’s lecture given to the CMAA Colloquium. Reading his 2013 Pastoral Letter, Rejoice in the Lord Always, is almost equally delightful, since it presents so many ideas worthy of reflection. I am choosing here to reflect briefly on only five of the passages that leapt out at me.

NE — Twice in his letter, the Archbishop quotes the same line from Pope Benedict XVI: Why is this significant? Shouldn’t I be focusing on the original material the Archbishop wrote in his letter? Perhaps I should, but the fact that this quote is the only quote duplicated within the body of this letter is significant:

Nothing can be too beautiful for God.

This statement of the Holy Father Emeritus tells me something about Archbishop Sample’s approach to the liturgy, and it teaches me to approach the liturgy similarly. In the face of minimalists and reductionists, we should take heart; nothing at all could ever be accused of being too beautiful for the Lord.

WO — In the section devoted to “Specific Musical Standards for Parish Masses,” one finds a clear directive that every parish should have a “principal Mass” in which extra special care is devoted to sacred music. One also finds this welcome observation:

Sung Mass sets the pattern and the model for sacred music in the parish.

There is, in fact, a hierarchy of goods! The Mass is intended to be sung, and therefore the celebration of Mass is more fitting when it is sung than when it is not. Just as the cathedral and seminary are to be exemplars for the whole diocese, so the “principal Mass” of a parish should be an exemplar to which any other parish Masses strive to compare.

HREE — But what about poor parishes? What about parishes without trained musicians? What about areas with few of the necessary liturgical resources?

It must also be recognized that some parishes and missions simply do not have the same pool of trained and qualified musicians as others. This does not mean that they should not also benefit from a prayerful and sung celebration of the Mass. It might mean that simpler forms of sacred music such as simple sacred plainchant and hymnody would best fit the occasion and the local situation. In small churches and congregations, more instruments and cantors singing into a microphone and amplified throughout the church is not the solution. . . . It is worth repeating that a Sung Mass need not be elaborate and the principle of noble simplicity should guide it. In this way, the higher standards of sacred music called for in this pastoral letter need not mean that getting through Mass will be more difficult for the smaller parishes and missions of the Diocese.

This passage ingeniously preempts some of the almost requisite complaining response that the earlier directives will elicit. Not having many resources, we are given to understand, is not an excuse to do nothing. Nowadays, the preponderance of resources available has removed many of the old excuses. In truth, the best music most suited to the sacred liturgy is not only widely available, but also . . . free.

OUR — The Archbishop points to a common tendency among those involved in the liturgy to use “these or similar words” when referring to the structure of the rite. When liturgists and others develop non-liturgical terminology to parallel the official vocabulary, the result is an unofficial jargon that can become divisive.

Respect for the texts includes respect for the liturgical terminology of the Missal. “Gathering Rite,” for example, is not a liturgical term; Mass begins with the Introductory Rites.

Sometimes improper phrases creep into our vocabulary subconsciously. When we notice them, we should correct ourselves with humility and resolve. Incidentally, the same principle applies in other facets of church life, too. When training altar servers, for example, there is no reason not to call sanctuary items by their proper names. “The book” can just as easily be called the “missal,” and we can easily speak of chalices & patens instead of cups & dishes. Altar servers may be young, but young does not mean stupid.

IVE — One of the most pointed directives in this letter comes nearly at the end. Upon reading it for the first time, I was startled by its directness and brevity:

Music under copyright is not to be photocopied or otherwise reproduced without license or explicit permission of the copyright owner. Any copies of music on the parish premises which violate copyright law must be destroyed.

If this mandate were carried out in every diocese (as it should be), how many dumpsters would be necessary? Or would it be easier to count by landfills? Here the Archbishop reminds us that obeying legitimate authority (copyright law) is a matter of morality from which those who labor in the Church are not exempt.

AM SUPER GRATEFUL for the clarity, frankness, and humility of this pastoral letter. While it was composed for the Diocese of Marquette, it has bearing on every local Church. May the Archbishop’s reflections & exhortations bear fruit in practical renewal!


This is part of an 8-part series on Archbishop Sample’s historic letter:

FIRST REFLECTION • Jeff Ostrowski

SECOND REFLECTION • Aurelio Porfiri

THIRD REFLECTION • Andrew Motyka

FOURTH REFLECTION • Peter Kwasniewski

FIFTH REFLECTION • Richard Clark

SIXTH REFLECTION • Veronica Brandt

SEVENTH REFLECTION • Fr. David Friel

EIGHTH REFLECTION • Gwyneth Holston

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Archbishop Alexander K Sample, Beauty, Pope Benedict XVI 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

    New Bulletin Article • “21 September 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 21 September 2025) discusses some theological items—supported by certain verses in ancient Catholic hymns—and ends by explaining why certain folks become delirious with jealousy when they observe feats by Monsignor Ronald Knox.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!
    It’s always amusing to see old diocesan newspapers—in huge capital letters—advertising the Cheapest Catholic Paper in the United States. The correspondent who sent this to me added: “I can think of certain composers, published by large companies in our own day, who could truthfully brag about the most tawdry compositions in the world!” I wonder what she could have meant by such a cryptic comment…
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Dom Murray Harmonies
    Along with so many others, I have deep respect for Dom Gregory Gregory Murray, who produced this clever harmonization (PDF) of “O SANCTISSIMA.” It’s always amazed me that Dom Gregory—a truly inspired composer—was so confused when it came to GREGORIAN CHANT. Throughout his life, he published contradictory statements, veering back-and-forth like a weather vane. Toward the end of his life, he declared: “I see clearly that the need for reform in liturgical music arose, not in the 18th and 19th centuries, but a thousand years earlier—in the 8th and 9th centuries, or even before that. The abuses began, not with Mozart and Haydn, but with those over-enthusiastic medieval musicians who developed the elaborate and flamboyant Gregorian Chant.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

The representative Protestant collection, entitled “Hymns, Ancient and Modern”—in substance a compromise between the various sections of conflicting religious thought in the Establishment—is a typical instance. That collection is indebted to Catholic writers for a large fractional part of its contents. If the hymns be estimated which are taken from Catholic sources, directly or imitatively, the greater and more valuable part of its contents owes its origin to the Church.

— Orby Shipley (1884)

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