• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

  • About
  • Symposium
  • Hymnal
  • Jogues Missal
  • Site Map
  • Donate
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

Subscribe to the CCW Mailing List

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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski
Sound Familiar?

1 June 1579: “The chapter passes a rule that anyone ascending to the new organ without official permission shall be fined a month’s pay.”

26 October 1579: “The altar boys remain always separate and distinct from choirboys—the one group learning only plainchant and assisting at the altar, the other living with the chapel-master and studying counterpoint and polyphony as well. Father Francisco Guerrero postpones his departure for Rome and instead spends the entire year in Seville making ready for the trip. In the meantime he neglects his choirboys. On 16 November, after considerable complaint against their unruliness and ignorance, he engages an assistant, Bartolomé Farfán.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Using the shoddiest, sleaziest material we have for the purpose of glorifying God is not very sound theology or even very good common sense. […] (In general, when you see a diminished seventh chord in a hymn, run.) And these chords are usually used in bad hymns in precisely the same order in which they occur in “Sweet Adeline.”

— Paul Hume (1956)

Recent Posts

  • Prayer of Abandonment,  Saint Charles de Foucauld
  • Worst Chanting I’ve Ever Heard
  • 14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition
  • 14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book
  • Musician-Saints Throughout the Ages

Copyright © 2022 Corpus Christi Watershed · Gabriel Lalemant on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.