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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

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(3 of 7)

Andrew Leung · February 21, 2015

CTL Propers N HONG KONG, there is only one publisher that prints the hymnal for the whole diocese and that publisher is the Sacred Music Commission. The members in Sacred Music Commission are appointed by the diocese and they work under the guidance of the local bishop.

The hymns are edited, translated, arranged and reviewed carefully by the commission. That’s why we don’t really experience the problem of non-approved hymns at home. Owing to this reality, it is not easy to comprehend the 2012 statement that approval of substitute songs is “impossible.”

In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), four options are given for the Propers in the dioceses of the United States of America:

(1) The antiphon from the Missal or the Roman Gradual (Graduale Romanum);|
(2) The antiphon from the Simple Gradual (Graduale Simplex);|
(3) A chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons approved by the Conference of bishops;|
(4) Another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of years approved by the Conference of bishops.

According to the GIRM no. 48, these are the four options. But are they really just some options? Or are they preferences? If they are just four options, that will mean they are all equal and we are free to pick any one of the four. However, in the light of our Sacred Tradition, I would like to suggest that they are really preferences instead of options.

OVER THE PAST CENTURY, Popes and Council Fathers have written over and over again in documents that the main place or “pride of place” should be given to Gregorian Chant. According to that logic, the “four options” in the GIRM turn into the “four preferences” of the Church. The antiphons from the Roman Gradual are the first preference and most of these antiphons are from the Liber Usualis. They are the “real” Gregorian Chant. The second preference is the antiphons from the Simple Gradual and these are seasonal simplified chant. The third preference would be other collections of Psalms and antiphons which will include the English Propers composed by American musicians. And the final preference is other liturgical songs approved by the Conference of bishops, which may include some of the hymns in the hymnals.

I don’t know if you would agree with me on this, but working as a parish music director, I also view the “four preferences” as four levels of difficulties of application. The fourth preference is always the easiest because the hymns are usually in English and they encourage the external participation of the congregation. The third preference is a little bit harder to apply because the external participation of the congregation might not happen … but at least they can understand the English antiphons. The second preference is more difficult than the third because the language is now in Latin. And of course, the first preference is hardest because the melodies are much more complicated than the simple Latin chant.

In my parish, I always chant the Propers with my two scholae. The Propers are just as important as the Collect, the Prayer over the Offerings, and the Post-Communion Prayer. In fact, these prayers and the Propers of the day are on the same page in the Missal. At the beginning of the Mass, we usually sing a congregational hymn and the Introit is chanted as the priest process in. The offertory antiphon and communion antiphon are chanted before we sing other hymns or motets. And I always provide the translation of the antiphons for the congregation so that they can participate internally.

Are you considering having all the Propers sung at your parish? If yes, my suggestion would be not to replace hymns with the Propers, but do both! And always make sure the congregation can understand the text.

This article is part of a series:

Part 1 • Richard Clark

Part 2 • Veronica Brandt

Part 3 • Andrew Leung

Part 4 • Dr. Lucas Tappan

Part 5 • Andrew Motyka

Part 6 • Cynthia Ostrowski

Part 7 • Aurelio Porfiri

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Hilgartner 20 November 2012, Hymns Replacing Propers Last Updated: October 15, 2022

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About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 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 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Of course, the new [Easter Vigil] liturgy has greatly streamlined the symbology. But the exaggerated simplification has removed elements that used to have quite a hold on the mindset of the faithful. […] Is this Easter Vigil liturgy definitive?”

— Paul VI to Virgilio Noè (10 April 1971)

Recent Posts

  • “Three Reasons To Shun Bad Hymns” • Daniel B. Marshall
  • “Puzzling Comment” • By A Respected FSSP Priest
  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
  • “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)

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