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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

The Real Enemy: Mediocrity

Aurelio Porfiri · March 17, 2015

154 B16 T IS NOT INFREQUENT to read or hear, in church debates, about fights between conservative and progressive Catholics. Especially the last two pontificates—Benedict XVI and Francis—have polarized much of the Catholic world; as if we must select one side or the other to feel part of “society.” Of course liturgy and liturgical music have known similar situations, intensified after Benedict’s promulgation of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum on 7 July 2007. The “liturgical wars” (to use the Anglo-Saxon term) became more and more violent, and the recent 50th anniversary of the first vernacular Mass by Pope Paul VI in the roman church of Ognissanti has once again brought the “liturgical problem” to the forefront.

Our liturgies—are they more effective and spiritually appealing in recent decades? I would say a clear “no.” The liturgy supposes a rite, and the rite assists passage from the DAILY LIFE DIMENSION to another dimension: the dimension of God. Anthropology has said a lot about rites of passage, especially in the studies of Arnold Van Gennep (1873-1957) and Victor Turner (1920-1983). In Italy, Aldo Natale Terrin and Roberto Tagliaferri—taking inspiration from Van Gennep and Turner—have presented to the liturgical community the problem of the rite and the importance of the limen (“threshold”). Having considered all the important contributions brought by these scholars on the topic of liturgy, we come to realize that the real problem is not between progressive and conservative Catholics, but between the attention to the dynamics of the liturgy and mediocrity.

MEDIOCRITY IS THE REAL ENEMY of liturgy and of liturgical music. In every diocese wherein we contribute, we must ask: where is the balance here? On the side of attention to the needs of the rite? Or is everything dominated by mediocrity? But what is mediocrity?

Mediocrity is the “virtue” of those who choose the medius; staying in a sort of limbo between good and evil. I mean, they are not bad…but not even good. They don’t access the limen; they prefer to stay on our side of the limen—a more comfortable position that does not disturb the dull existence they’re leading.

How many liturgies in our dioceses are the result of mediocrities? The causes are legion. For instance, we don’t have the courage to tell people they’re incompetent, so the liturgy pays for our lack of courage. When everyone—without any study or serious analysis of the liturgy and its needs—can decide how the rite should be performed or which songs should be sung you have mediocrity arising as the sun in the east. Experts may be dangerous, too; but you can imagine how dangerous are the ones who talk without any serious consideration of the liturgical discipline.

The situation, then, is dramatic. Some people are using the liturgy not to seek Christ, but for reassurance. They want to be confirmed on their (already accepted) medius state, continuing to use religion as a tool to feel better and avoid looking inside themselves. They refuse to accept that religion—and especially the meeting with Christ—is not a cup of tea every day at 5:00pm 1 but falling from a horse and accepting the blindness of sin and torment of “otherness.” Real liturgy is for daring hearts, not for uninspired mediocrities. If you don’t accept that in order to find yourselves you must lose yourselves, you will simply lose what you think you have found.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   That is a rite, too, and in some cultures may have a very deep meaning.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Reform of the Reform, Renewal of the Renewal Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Aurelio Porfiri

Renowned as composer, conductor, theorist, author, pedagogue, and organist, Aurelio Porfiri has served the Church on multiple continents at the highest levels. Born and raised in Italy, he currently serves as Director of Choral Activities and Composer in Residence for Santa Rosa de Lima School (Macao, China).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“And thus, when we renounce for Thee | Its restless aims and fears, | The tender mem’ries of the past, | The hopes of coming years, | Poor is our sacrifice, whose eyes | Are lighted from above; | We offer what we cannot keep, | What we have ceased to love.”

— Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman

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