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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

The Paradox of Liturgical Reform Amidst Human Suffering

Richard J. Clark · August 15, 2014

IKE THE WALL OF JERICHO, so it seems the world is crumbling. Certainly, there is always unrest in the world. We are accustomed to the point of indifference. But from most any perspective, there is currently a heightened degree of unspeakable human tragedy in too many parts of the world. The persecution and suffering is heartbreaking and deeply sobering. Even Pope Francis in his August 13th letter to the United Nations calls for unprecedented concrete action:

I write to you, Mr Secretary-General, and place before you the tears, the suffering and the heartfelt cries of despair of Christians and other religious minorities of the beloved land of Iraq…I encourage all the competent organs of the United Nations, in particular those responsible for security, peace, humanitarian law and assistance to refugees, to continue their efforts in accordance with the Preamble and relevant Articles of the United Nations Charter.

This lends somber perspective.

How important is the liturgy in light of grave events? A phrase that is often heard is that following the rubrics is like “rearranging the chairs on the Titanic.” At times this could ring true. In 2013, Pope Francis famously likened the Church to a “…field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds….” The Pope understood that the Church is in crisis and the priority is to “heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful.” (Interview with Antonio Spadaro, S.J.)

So it is an easy leap to conclude that the mass or its finer details are insignificant or may be discarded. While I do not believe for a moment this is what Pope Francis was getting at, here enters the paradox. When the soul in distress, so terrified that the only possibility is to give oneself over to a power greater than oneself, particular words and form rarely matter. Yet, the mass is our greatest prayer. Such times demand even greater reverence.

N THE FACE OF EVIL AND UNSPEAKABLE SUFFERING, action is required from the Christian soul. This action not only includes but demands prayer. For those of us who are powerless to assist except to pray, our prayer must be with earnest intent. In doing so, we do well to remember this: following the rubrics or enacting the GIRM is not the ends. It is a means towards which we find immediacy with God in prayer and therefore healing for humanity. The rubrics and the GIRM are in service to the celebration of the Eucharist. Their importance lies in what they achieve. This is why we do not dismiss them or render them unimportant. Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi demands that our prayer has a direct connection with how we live out our lives. We pray as we believe, and therefore live.

Perhaps now is a good time to pray as we never have before.

“In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” – Romans 8:26

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Pope Francis 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

    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    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

Random Quote

“The spark of conversion can be struck by a single perfect liturgical gesture.”

— Cristina Campo (1966)

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