Pope Francis Allows A Flock Of Children To Dance Around Him

Jeff Ostrowski · October 10, 2014 ·

Is it appropriate for Christ’s Vicar to let kids dance around him in such a crazy fashion?

Oh, wait… I goofed. That’s not Pope Francis, it’s Pope Pius XII. (Full video is here.)

I apologize for my mistake, but you really can’t blame me. After all, the media has relentlessly pretended that Pope Francis is the “very first pope” to ever care about average Catholics; the “very first pope” to ever mingle with the sheep; and so forth. You’ve encountered this kind of silly nonsense, just as I have.

Sloppy, reprehensible, and sensationalistic journalism was happening a year ago, and we recently mentioned more examples.

About Jeff Ostrowski

A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004), and did graduate work in Musicology. He serves as choirmaster for the new FSSP parish in Los Angeles, where he resides with his wife and children.

Anger at mistakes?

I have a bad habit of getting frustrated when choir members take a long time to learn a particular interval or entrance. But this can be “cured.” It was cured a few weeks ago, when I made a mistake. I was supposed to go down a minor third, but instead I went down a perfect fifth. It reminded me that errors do happen—and we must be patient with our singers! Because of this, I will never again lose patience with singers.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“The old man carried the Child, but the Child led the old man.”

The Antiphon for First Vespers of the Feast of the Purification (February 2nd) is beautiful: “The old man carried the Child, but it was the Child who was guiding the old man. The Virgin bore the Child, and after child-bearing was virgin still: whom she bore, him she adored.” —Senex púerum portábat, puer autem senem regébat: quem Virgo péperit, et post partum Virgo permánsit: ipsum quem génuit, adorávit.

—Jeff Ostrowski

A quote from Fr. Valentine Young

I had one brother who was out of the church for quite a few years. When my mother was asked, “Did she worry about him?” I remember her answer: “I don’t worry about him; I just pray for him.” She left that in God’s hands. My mother did not live to see her son return to the Church; but he did, and I was able to celebrate his funeral Mass.

—Jeff Ostrowski