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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

“Fear Of The Dark-Skinned” — Really?

Jeff Ostrowski · November 9, 2014

692 National Catholic Reporter HE NATIONAL Catholic Reporter has long been the darling of “progressive” Catholic liturgists. Most of their articles seem to have a common theme: rebellion against traditional Church teachings. They strike me as a very unhappy group of people, and when I read their paper, I ask, “Are these people real?”

For the record, we at Watershed are real. Each of our full-time contributors is married with children and directs a real choir which sings every week. The only exception is Fr. David Friel, for obvious reasons. 1

But what about folks at the National Catholic Reporter? Consider a recent article they published. Here are some excerpts:

Jesus’ one new commandment was equally clear: Don’t be afraid. Live without fear. Live in harmony. Make peace. But whatever happens, don’t be afraid.

Has this author looked in the Bible? Doesn’t he know the many verses (both Old and New Testament) which praise fear of the Lord? For example, the Tract for St. Joseph on 19 March is the first verse of Psalm 111: “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord.”

The article continues:

Instead of proclaiming confidence in God’s care, right-wing Christians push fear: fear of immigrants, fear of the dark-skinned, fear of Islam, fear of Ebola, fear of education, fear of honesty, fear of the poor, fear of gays and lesbians, fear of women, fear of the Gospel that Jesus actually proclaimed.

Seriously? I can’t remember hearing anyone proclaim, “Abolish honesty!” Nor do I recall anyone saying, “Let’s fear the dark-skinned.” My children are 50% dark-skinned. Does the author maintain that right-wing Christians feel my children should be 50% feared? I feel like I would have remembered such a claim…

Christianity has many viewpoints, from conservative to liberal, traditional to contemporary, institutional to personal, hierarchical to radically independent, wildly exuberant to monastically quiet. No one gets to say theirs is the only “true faith.” No one gets to demonize other pathways, or vote them off the island, as it were. Ours is—or should be—an open society where all ideas are welcome, all voices heard and all citizens free to pursue their self-interest, as they define it.

This person certainly is dogmatic! Apparently, he alone gets to define Christianity. That’s quite a responsibility; who appointed him with this task?

But wait a minute. He said nobody has the “true faith,” yet makes all kinds of demands—telling everyone else what ought to be—and creates rules which must be obeyed, like “No one gets to say such-and-such.” Is that something which is true? But he just denied that anyone can know the truth … I’m so confused!  Maybe we should stick with what our Lord taught, eh?

AGAIN, I ASK: Are these people real? Can I call them on the phone, demanding that they defend their statements? I doubt it. I suspect my questions (above) will be added to the list of unanswered questions we’ve mentioned so many times, such as:

1.) Why are the Mass texts copyrighted and sold for profit, even by non-Catholic companies?

2.) Why does a drafter of the USCCB document on Sacred music refer to Gregorian chant as a “weapon” when Vatican II mandated it?

3.) Why do progressive liturgists assure us over and over that we are free to ignore Latin, while Vatican II mandated its use? (See discussion of “servetur” and page 18 here.)

4.) Why did the USCCB approve a Mass setting which alters the official words of the Roman Missal and imitates a secular song about unicorns?

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Latin Rite Catholic priests cannot get married. Nor can they direct choirs—since they’re busy celebrating Mass at the altar—but Fr. Friel has composed the lovely Mass in honor of St. John Neumann.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: National Catholic Reporter Heresy Last Updated: April 26, 2022

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(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

“We must acknowledge that We have been somewhat disturbed and saddened by these requests. One may well wonder what the origin is of this new way of thinking and this sudden dislike for the past.” [Paul VI responding to requests from monks asking permission to remove Latin from the Divine Office.]

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

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