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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

Breaking News: The Communion Hymn is an Optional Add-On

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · September 11, 2014

HE TITLE OF THIS POST is meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, as the latest edition of the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) has been around since 2011, offering plenty of time for study and implementation. Nevertheless, reading the GIRM often leads to surprising discoveries—not least of which is that many clergy and music directors do not seem to know the contents of this normative document, or, if they do know it, do not seem to take it very seriously, since the Church in the United States continues very largely to pursue a course of objective discord with the GIRM.

Here I would like to focus on one very interesting section, nn. 86-88, concerning what the GIRM calls “the Communion Chant,” which is introduced as follows:

86. While the Priest is receiving the Sacrament, the Communion Chant is begun … The singing is prolonged for as long as the Sacrament is being administered to the faithful. However, if there is to be a hymn after Communion, the Communion Chant should be ended in a timely manner.

To borrow a phrase from a popular Epiphany song, “Do you see what I see?” The ubiquitous communion hymn—in most parishes, the only kind of piece sung at this time of Mass—is NOT what the norms are referring to by the Communion Chant, since the chant is specified to be sung prior to a hymn, if there is to be any hymn. Thus, the intention of the GIRM is to tell us that first the chant is sung, and only afterwards is a hymn to be sung.

This interpretation is confirmed by the next paragraph:

87. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, there are four options for singing at Communion: (1) the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another musical setting; (2) the antiphon with Psalm from the Graduale Simplex of the liturgical time; (3) a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) some other suitable liturgical chant (cf. no. 86) approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop. This is sung either by the choir alone or by the choir or a cantor with the people. However, if there is no singing, the antiphon given in the Missal may be recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a reader; otherwise, it is recited by the Priest himself after he has received Communion and before he distributes Communion to the faithful.

This is one of several famous paragraphs that list four options for singing. Can it be an accident, a mere incidental feature, that in every such case, the antiphon or chant proper to the day’s Mass, from the Graduale Romanum, is listed as the first option? Can it be a matter of chance that the second option is a seasonal antiphon or chant from the Graduale Simplex, which might be described as the Graduale Romanum’s baby brother? Is it a total coincidence that the third option is a “chant from another collection of psalms and antiphons”—a description that points us to the same kind of texts and functions as those we find in the two Graduals? And is it insignificant that the fourth and last option, as we move from the repertoire most native, proper, and stable to the Roman Rite to that which is more extrinsic and mutable, is nevertheless still characterized as a “suitable liturgical chant”?

THE OBVIOUS READING OF PARAGRAPH 87, taken with 86, is that the “Communion Chant”—the piece that is to precede any communion hymns—is optimally a communion antiphon from either the Graduale Romanum or the Graduale Simplex, with substitutes possible as long as they preserve the character of text and function that the two Graduals exhibit. This, my friends, is a far cry from the usual practice, although thanks be to God, things are beginning to change and have changed in many places.

Our common sense reading is again confirmed by paragraph 88:

88. When the distribution of Communion is over, if appropriate, the Priest and faithful pray quietly for some time. If desired, a Psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may also be sung by the whole congregation.

Note carefully: If desired, a hymn MAY be sung by the whole congregation, AFTER the distribution of Communion is over. What was happening during that distribution? The singing of the Communion Chant. (It is worthy of note that the first suggestion of this paragraph is that the priest and faithful “pray quietly for some time” after receiving communion. The Chant is part of the very structure of the liturgy, but singing this or that hymn during or after communion is purely optional.)

We all need to find ways to move towards the primacy of the Communion Chant, whether in Latin or in English, and away from the hegemony of the communion hymn. “If desired,” keep the good hymns, but do not let them crowd out the music and text proper to the communion procession. Let us fully trust the tradition and wisdom of the Church in this regard, and see what fruit it will bear.

Related Article: Versions Of The Proper Communion English

Please visit THIS PAGE to learn more about Dr. Kwasniewski’s Sacred Choral Works and the audio CDs that contain recordings of the pieces.

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 Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College (B.A. in Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy), Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is currently Professor at Wyoming Catholic College. He is also a published and performed composer, especially of sacred music.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“If I could only make the faithful sing the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Credo, the Sanctus, and the Agnus Dei…that would be to me the finest triumph sacred music could have, for it is in really taking part in the liturgy that the faithful will preserve their devotion. I would take the Tantum Ergo, the Te Deum, and the Litanies sung by the people over any piece of polyphony.”

— ‘Giuseppe Cardinal Sarto, Letter to Msgr. Callegari (1897)’

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