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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

Confession 2.0

Aurelio Porfiri · July 16, 2014

[ Enter Confessional ]

“SO MY GOOD SON, when was your last confession?”

“Long ago, Father.”

“Okay, so tell me what good things you have done?”

“Sorry father, I don’t understand…”

“I mean, what are the good actions you have done??”

.    .    .   

OUND STRANGE? This is the reverse of what we always think about confession. It is positive psychology applied to sinning souls. Now, I’ll be the first to recognize that positive reinforcement can be a good way to encourage people to do good. But the Catholic idea of confession departs to a very different point of view. This point of view, at the root of the Faith, is that we are sinners because of Original Sin and we need to confess our sins to obtain forgiveness.

Seriously, why do we always have to pretend we are good? We try, many times, but the weakness of our nature is there. Must we pretend we are like angels? (I have not met any in my lifetime.) Applying this attitude to confession, would be like going to a doctor and getting welcomed like this: “So, tell me how well your liver has been working in the past month? I know you have a wonderful stomach!” (when it is all true, but on the other hand you are displaying symptoms of a heart attack that he is ignoring.) Please, give us the freedom to be sinners!

There are others that are more interested in your sins as a citizen: “Have you paid taxes? Are you going to vote? Did you respect street signals?” Not voting is a sin? Yes! Maybe. Okay, maybe I’m wrong. But while I’m here I want also to propose some new sins that we should confess in this new time of technological progress. I think it is a big sin when you are chatting on Facebook and someone shows you the sign for OKAY (the famous finger that the developers of Facebook introduced not long ago) even if you are telling them you are going to die during the night.

Other sins are from the people of Google: have you ever tried a Google search of your name and found that for some mysterious reason your name is also featured in unmentionable websites, making you afraid that you may have done something wrong without having memory of it? Last, but not least: what do you think of those people putting “lol” everywhere: “Yes, I am going to raise your salary, lol”; “Of course, your nodule is benign lol”; “You know I will never betray you, lol.” How many Hail Marys would this kind of sin deserve?


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 Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Latin Liturgy Association
    We note with pleasure that Mrs. Regina Morris, president of the Latin Liturgy Association, has featured—on page 4 of Volume CXXIX of their official newsletter—the three (3) terrific versions of the Stations of the Cross found in the Brébeuf Hymnal. One of the main authors for the blog of the Church Music Association of America said (6/10/2019) about this pew book: “It is such a fantastic hymnal that it deserves to be in the pews of every Catholic church.”
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Music List” • 28th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 12 October 2025, which is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the dazzling feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on which source text is chosen and what each translator wants to emphasize. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 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 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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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