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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

A Close Friend & Advisor To Hans Küng Reacts To Our Recent Posting Of A Breviary From 1967

Guest Author · December 27, 2014

518 The Church As A Path To Salvation (Andrea Da Firenze) WISH TO EXPRESS my heartiest thanks to Corpus Christi Watershed for posting a PDF version of the Dominican Breviary of 1967. The Dominican liturgy of the hours has been my daily companion since 1960, when I entered the novitiate of the Central Province, St. Albert’s Province. Thus I was privileged to get to know it in its beautiful, though interminably long and often difficult to understand Latin form before the 1962 revision that eliminated Prime and the attached chapter office of Pretiosa. I continued to pray in private or chant in choir that revised Latin version until the English translation appeared in 1967, when I was sent to Germany for further studies. Though I regretted the loss of the beautiful Latin cadences and sonorous chant, I immediately appreciated the enormous gain in understanding brought by the English translation, even to one who, like myself, was habituated to reading and even speaking Latin.

After a psychiatric crisis in 1971/72 followed by several years of reflection granted me by my provincial, I eventually left the Order for reasons of health and obtained a full dispensation in 1976. Thus I did not personally experience the Order’s adoption of the 1971 revised Roman Breviary with the Dominican supplement, since by that time I no longer lived in a Dominican house nor did I purchase the English versions that appeared only in 1973/74. Both in principle and in terms of practicality, I fully supported the reforms undertaken under Paul VI—over the years, I had personally experienced the problems of fitting the old office into a busy day, resulting, for instance, in the absurd practice of bundling and anticipating the hours so that they no longer fitted the times when they were meant to be prayed: we chanted Compline at midday (!). And, despite my deep love of the divine office, in order to crowd in all the hours, I often had to recite them hastily, crammed in between my other obligations. I also deplored the way “working” fathers were so often dispensed from participating in the lengthy, and oft perfunctorily chanted choral office, leaving its celebration mostly to the novices and student brothers or to a handful of retired fathers. I also found annoying the predominance of the sanctoral over the temporal office and the many monotonous repetitions, for instance, of the psalms of Sunday Lauds and Vespers on all major feasts, the displacement of the ferial offices by the commons of martyrs, confessors and virgins, and so forth. Thus, even as I acknowledge the losses, I strongly welcome the changes, and now, when I visit Dominican houses that use the new office, I am deeply impressed by the devotion with which it is celebrated there.

Nevertheless, this revised liturgy was not the office that I had come to love since my youth: in particular I regretted the loss of the many proper antiphons, hymns, and responsories especially in the temporal cycle. Furthermore I shied away from having to purchase and to juggle with the new books. Thus, since I am not under any obligation to pray the office according to one or the other set of prescribed rubrics, I continue to use my old Dominican Breviary in the spirit of the Vatican II revisions. To the extent of my ability as a layman with family and profession, I try to pray daily or at least on Sundays and feastdays the hours of Matins and Lauds in the morning and Vespers in the evening, if possible also Compline as a bed-time prayer.

Praying the old Dominican Breviary along the lines of the Vatican II reform

In case anyone is interested. I give here a brief description of how I have adopted the old Dominican Breviary to the spirit of the novus ordo. The first problem was to reduce the number of psalms to be said each day. There I took my cue from the traditional Dominican practice of celebrating Matins during Pascaltide with only a single nocturn of three psalms and three lessons plus responsories. Thus, to insure the recitation of the full psalter over a period of eight weeks, I take successively the three psalms for Matins from the the original three daily nocturns and then from the hours of Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Compline. When, as in Lent and on ember days, the original Old Testament readings (reflected in the surviving responsories) have been suppressed at Matins in favor of the Gospel of the day with a patristic commentary, I supply the missing Old Testament texts to serve as the first and second readings, and then I read the Gospel commentary as a single third reading. All in all, in the spirit of the Vatican II revision, I give precedence to the temporal over the sanctoral cycle, reducing most feasts of the saints or minor mysteries to mere commemorations. Thus at Matins, after the ferial lessons with their responsories, I read the proper lesson(s) of the feast, especially those recounting the life of the saint or the history of the feast. At Lauds, then, (and where appropriate at Vespers as well), after the collect of the day, I pray en block the feast-day’s proper (or sometimes the corresponding texts from the common) chapter, hymn, Benedictus or Magnificat antiphon, versicle and collect. Normally I do not pray the little hours, but when I do, I take the antiphon, chapter, and responsory from the office of the day for the appropriate time of the day, omitting the psalms, which, as described above, I recite over an eight week cycle at Matins. Thus, when I pray Compline as a night prayer, I similarly omit the psalms, and this allows me to concentrate my attention on the prayers and hymns appropriate to the bedtime hour.

I am especially grateful that vol. II of the Dominican Breviary is now available on your site as a PDF. I hope that the first volume will soon follow, for it contains the richest Dominican variants in its temporal cycle from Advent through Pentecost, as well as for proper feasts like those of St. Thomas and St. Catharine. To save space, one can omit the lengthy introduction and calender materials at the beginning and the supplementary prayers at the end, since these are identical with the texts in Vol. II. Thus it should be possible to bring the relevant materials into two PDFs, one for the ordinary and the temporal cycle and the other for the sanctoral cycle with the commons.


We hope you enjoyed this guest article by Thomas Riplinger.


THOMAS RIPLINGER grew up in Chicago, joined the Dominicans in 1959, and after completing his studies at the Aquinas Institute was sent to Germany by his superiors to study ecclesiology under Hans Küng and Joseph Ratzinger at the University of Tuebingen. Although he had to leave the Dominicans for reasons of health in the mid 70’s, he remains in close contact with the Order, especially with his former province and confreres, and at the same time he is a close friend and adviser to Prof. Hans Küng. After leaving the Order, he worked first as a historian of the Byzantine Empire in the Middle East and then, for 25 years, as a librarian for theology and philosophy at the university library.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “14 September 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 14 September 2025) discusses OFFERTORY ANTIPHONS and contains a wonderful quote by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Draft Copy (Pamphlet)
    A few days ago, I posted a draft copy of this 12-page pamphlet with citations about the laity’s “full, conscious, and active participation.” Its basic point or message is that choir directors should never feel embarrassed to teach real choral music because Vatican II explicitly ordered them to do that! We’ve received tons of mail regarding that pamphlet, with many excellent suggestions for improvement. Please feel free to chime in!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Entrance Chant” • 23rd (Ordinary Time)
    This coming Sunday, 7 September 2025, is the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). You can download the “Entrance Chant,” conveniently located at the feasts website. I also recorded a rehearsal video for it (freely available at the same website). The Communion Chant includes gorgeous verses in FAUXBOURDON. I attempted to create a rehearsal video for it, and it’s been posted at the feasts website, called by some: “church music’s best kept secret.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“The priest coming nearer to the faithful; communicating with them; praying and singing with them and therefore standing at the pulpit; saying the COLLECT, the EPISTLE, and the GOSPEL in their language; the priest singing in the divine traditional melodies—the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Credo—with the faithful: these are so many good reforms that give back to that part of the Mass its true finality.”

— Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (1965) praising vernacular readings at Mass

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