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Views from the Choir Loft

Weakest Argument Ever Made Against “Ad Orientem”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 24, 2014

VER SINCE my exposé of the PrayTell Blog—which caused quite a stir 1—I’ve been keeping an eye on their postings. A recent egregious statement by the blog’s editor demands correction.

It all started with some comments by actor Bill Murray, in favor of the traditional Mass:

“I think we lost something by losing the Latin… And I really miss the music—the power of it, y’know? Yikes! Sacred music has an affect on your brain.”   (source)

These words rankled PrayTell’s editor, and in response he made a statement I’ve never seen anyone else make. He said that Latin—not the vernacular—is used because of the “anthropological” concerns of fallen-away Catholics like Bill Murray! But this was not innocent typo or mistake. He wrote the following (and I kept a screenshot as proof):

The ancient rituals of the great world religions have a certain aesthetic and psychological appeal to the human spirit. We might as well admit it and face up to it, for it is the challenge we face in implementing the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The Council rightly sought to retrieve and reëmphasize what is uniquely Christian, making the liturgy less like the other world religions… […] That’s what drove the Second Vatican Council.

His erroneous statement could be taken apart various ways, but today I’ll only examine two.

It will also become clear why I placed a classic (and hilarious!) excerpt from School of Rock in the upper right.

FIRST OF ALL, the notion that Vatican II sought to eliminate Latin and Gregorian chant to make our liturgy “uniquely Christian” is bizarre. In fact, the opposite is true. Vatican II demanded that Latin be retained: it was not a suggestion. 2 When it comes to Gregorian chant, Vatican II said it must be given “first place” in liturgical services, calling the Church’s sacred music “a treasure of inestimable value,” and demanding that it “be preserved and fostered with great care” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 4 December 1963).

Secondly, his assertion that postconciliar Catholic church music has become “less like the other world religions” is fallacious. The music in too many Catholic churches resembles the School of Rock video I placed at the beginning of this article, but it doesn’t always sound like that. I’ve attended Mariachi Masses, Jazz Masses, Broadway Masses, Rap Masses, Country Masses, and even a “Polka” Mass. Fr. Anthony Ruff could not be more wrong when he says that musical styles for these Masses “retrieve and reëmphasize what is uniquely Christian.” Besides, the music in most Catholic churches now resembles (much) Protestant music.

While we’re examining flawed statements by the PrayTell editor, I should include this one—written in response to Bishop Conley’s support for ad orientem mentioned by Fr. David Friel—wherein the PrayTell editor makes an incredibly weak argument against the posture used for so many centuries:

It was a bit more awkward than I had expected—having to turn around to greet them, and not facing them (i.e., doing as the rubrics direct) for the dialog at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer. I came away thinking that ad orientem isn’t the silver bullet I had sort of hoped it might be after reading Power and re-reading Jungmann.

If he owned a copy of the Jogues Illuminated Missal he might have understood. The dialogue he mentions has always been considered as part of the Canon, and that’s why the priest does not face the people for it. A 2014 pew book—fully approved by the USCCB—explains all this. It even includes color pictures and ancient manuscripts.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   After my article, we received tons of mail—people were greatly supportive and appreciative—but I still don’t get it. I spent only a few minutes writing the PrayTell article, whereas I spent weeks composing my article on Latin hyphenation. Yet, the piece on hyphenation received only 1% of the attention…

2   If you don’t believe me, look at what’s said here regarding “page 18.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Ad Orientem, PrayTell Blog Last Updated: April 28, 2020

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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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Hymn by Cardinal Newman
    During the season of Septuagesima, we will be using this hymn by Cardinal Newman, which employs both Latin and English. (Readers probably know that Cardinal Newman was one of the world's experts when it comes to Lingua Latina.) The final verse contains a beautiful soprano descant. Father Louis Bouyer—famous theologian, close friend of Pope Paul VI, and architect of post-conciliar reforms—wrote thus vis-à-vis the elimination of Septuagesima: “I prefer to say nothing, or very little, about the new calendar, the handiwork of a trio of maniacs who suppressed (with no good reason) Septuagesima and the Octave of Pentecost and who scattered three quarters of the Saints higgledy-piddledy, all based on notions of their own devising!”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
    “Candlemas” • Our choir sang on February 2nd, and here's a live recording of the beautiful INTROIT: Suscépimus Deus. We had very little time to rehearse, but I think it has some very nice moments. I promise that by the 8th Sunday after Pentecost it will be perfect! (That Introit is repeated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost.) We still need to improve, but we're definitely on the right track!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful. From “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium” you can hear a live excerpt (Mp3). I'm not a fan of chant in octaves, but we had such limited time to rehearse, it seemed the best choice. After all, everyone should have an opportunity to learn “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium,” which summarizes Candlemas.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“All those who take part in sacred music, as composers, organists, choir directors, singers, or musicians should above all give good example of Christian life to the rest of the faithful because they directly or indirectly participate in the sacred liturgy.”

— Directive issued under Pope Pius XII on 3 Sept. 1958

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