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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

Felix Culpa

Aurelio Porfiri · July 30, 2014

0319_agnus_dei-LG EA CULPA, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa… Those that want to find meaning to their existence should always recognize that we are in the condition of sinners. As I said previously, I am not really into this mindset of seeing everything as joyful, playful and full of spiritual laughter. And not because I dislike joy, not at all: but because I need to be honest with myself and recognize the reality of what surrounds me.

This misleading conception is never more true than in some of our modern Masses, where the joy is compulsory even during Good Friday, that is just borne because in a few days it will be Easter. But because we are redeemed through the Passion of Jesus, our sinful condition so became “felix culpa.” When I am in these liturgies full of clapping, jumping and going hand in hand, I feel that there is a betrayal of the nature of the liturgy itself. Some justify this with the fear of losing youth. But are you gaining them when you are immersing them in a lie?

Life is not a piece of cake. And the Mass is not a Sunday recreational moment. We need to feel the burning of being close to God. If we cannot be good, at least let us be honest. If we are close to God we know we should accept being part of His Passion. This is life, also at the deepest spiritual level. Divo Barsotti,1 a great Italian Christian thinker says it very well in his book Fissi gli occhi nel sole (The eyes fixed on the sun): “Some images defend the truth more than many abstract concepts. So the image of fire. God is Fire. You are not living a contact with Him without burning” (pg. 83, my translation). If we don’t accept this dimension in trying to be good, we are only being dishonest. The same Barsotti continues:

The man here on earth hides himself, defends himself against Fire, but if he really offers himself naked to the Fire, then his life will be no more that being invested from Fire, it is no more than burning. When will you be pure flame? So the image of piety. Your sin is hardening you and you want to be broken, destroyed. You say to God – your prayer is only one -: Break me, smash me, destroy me, O God (pg. 83, my translation).

BUT THE DIMENSION PRESENTED by the great Father Barsotti is not the one we are living in our Masses, where we need to appear as what we are not. Indeed the so called artists, are those that most willingly offer themselves naked to the fire. And this makes them look ridiculous to the eyes of other men, as said very well from Charles Baudelaire, in his poem about the Albatross, this animal that was the laughingstock of the common man because of appearing so awkward. And he compares this bird to the artist, the poet:

Le Poète est sembable au prince des nuées
Qui hante la tempête et se rit de l’archer;
Exilé sur le sol au milieu des huées,
Ses ailes de géant l’empêchement de marcher.

“The Poet is like the prince of the clouds,
Haunting the tempest and laughing at the archer;
Exiled on earth amongst the shouting people,
His giant’s wings hinder him from walking”

(Translated by Geoffrey Wagner, 1974).

But everyone knows that people still like to judge as ridiculous what in reality just threatened the emptiness of their own existence.


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



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   To learn more about Fr. Divo Barsotti, please see my previous article.

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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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

“It was amusing to read in our papers that German Catholics were now using the vernacular at High Mass. In some parts of Germany they have been doing just that for well-nigh four hundred years! The cathedral in Osnabruck has solemn High Mass every Sunday with the whole chapter present, and the introit Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei are sung … in German. Imagine, for four hundred years almost!”

— Hans Ansgar Reinhold (Dec. 1944)

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