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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

The Current Missal Specifies When To Face the Altar & When To Face The People

Jeff Ostrowski · December 1, 2014

224 Roman Missal RECENT ARTICLE promoted by Liturgical Press would seem to contradict the notion that, because we have the internet now, myths about Vatican II are going away. You see, the internet cannot replace familiarity gained by careful study and/or experience with the traditional rites of the Church.

In the words of its author, this article sought to, “establish that celebration facing the people isn’t a strange modern invention.” However, if the author had become familiar with preconciliar missals going back centuries, he would have realized that that no such article is required. 1

The author makes a very silly statement:

Some read versus here as if it were conversus, i.e. “turning toward the people”, and therefore implying that the priest was previously facing away from them. As far as I can see, conversus ad populum appears nowhere in the IGRM.

Leave aside his erroneous assertion that versus means “facing” and conversus means “turned.” (The root word literally means “to turn about.”) Leave aside his assertion that a nuanced translation could “imply” the priest was “previously facing away from them”—we’ll deal with that a little later. The most surprising thing is the author’s ignorance of Latin word order! One of the very first things students learn is that Latin doesn’t rely heavily upon word order (unlike English).

Had the author known this, he would have searched for ad populum conversus instead of conversus ad populum. The former does indeed appear in the postconciliar books. For example, look at the 1969 GIRM:

620 ad populum conversus


Or, look at the Third Edition of the Roman Missal:

619 Ad Populum Conversus


Moreover, the current GIRM and Missal frequently use the phrase ad altare conversus, for example:

158. Postea, stans ad altare conversus, sacerdos secreto dicit: Corpus Christi custódiat me in vitam aetérnam, et reverenter sumit Corpus Christi. Deinde accipit calicem, secreto dicens: Sanguis Christi custódiat me in vitam aetérnam, et reverenter sumit Sanguinem Christi.

Whether one uses a less accurate translation of [con]versus (“facing”) or a more accurate translation (“having turned toward”) is irrelevant. The meaning is clear—not only from centuries of tradition—but from this: THE CURRENT MISSAL CLEARLY SAYS WHEN THE PRIEST SHOULD TURN TOWARD THE CONGREGATION AND WHEN THE PRIEST SHOULD TURN TOWARD THE ALTAR.  DISCERNING THE IMPLICATION DOES NOT REQUIRE A PH.D.CANDIDATE.

HERE’S SOME ADVICE FOR MY FRIENDS on the “progressive” side. When it comes to understanding liturgical history, take advantage of Catholics who attend the Traditional Latin Mass. As Cardinal Antonelli wrote:

Many of those who have influenced the reform […] have no love, and no veneration of that which has been handed down to us. They begin by despising everything that is actually there.

Outspoken leaders of the “progressive” camp are quick to dismiss the traditions of the Church, yet often have no idea what the Traditional Mass looked like. A former secretary of the Bishop’s Committee on the Liturgy (who served more than two decades ago) recently made this comment, not realizing the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar are always said quietly, never sung. 2



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Indeed, serious publications have often noted this fact. For example, consider the words of Msgr. Schuler and Fr. Deryck Hanshell.

2   I find this remarkable. After all, the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar tend to be quite a well-known section of Mass, especially for Altar boys.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Ad Orientem, Versus Populum Altars Last Updated: January 1, 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 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

“Those who are trying to improve the quality of congregational singing cannot refuse to Gregorian chant the place which is due to it.”

— Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship (14 April 1974)

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