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Views from the Choir Loft

A Serious Problem That Needs To Be Addressed

Jeff Ostrowski · September 22, 2015

280 Rotten Apple UR READERS ARE fantastic people; I learn so much from them and they inspire me every day. However, like any other group, a few “rotten apples” are mixed in. Recently, a few bad apples have been causing trouble on our Facebook page.

To these folks—less than 0.002% of our readership—I address the following points:

FIRST POINT • A lady on Facebook recently accused me of supporting abortion, based on an erroneous conclusion she reached by ignoring my article. I have always opposed abortion on moral grounds (cf. the Fifth Commandment) and also legal grounds, since an innocent boy or girl is killed without “due process of law” (cf. the Fifth Amendment). I treat this woman’s accusation in No. 8 (BELOW).

SECOND POINT • On the CCW Facebook page, people occasionally post comments without reading the article. They’ll read the title, look at the preview image, and guess what the article might mean. Occasionally, they guess correctly; other times, they’re way off base.

THIRD POINT • In the past, folks have written to us, claiming that by reading an article’s title and “tease” sentence, they should be able to comment intelligently. Such an assertion is wrong. You should read the article before commenting.

FOURTH POINT • Sometimes an article’s title and “tease” sentence—along with the preview image—will convey what the article is basically about, and that’s absolutely fine. On the other hand, sometimes it is necessary to read the article to understand the title, the “tease” sentence, or why a particular image was selected as the preview image—and that’s also absolutely fine.

FIFTH POINT • The notion that we have an obligation to convey everything there is to know about an article by its title—a claim once made by an angry reader—is false. For example, consider book titles. I have no idea what THE SCARLET LETTER is about, because I’ve never read it. It could be about communism, hot air balloons, or farm animals—I can’t tell by the title alone. Moreover, sometimes our articles treat more than one subject, and no title could adequately convey these. Sometimes, a title might even intentionally use irony—which is 100% acceptable.

SIXTH POINT • We have a volunteer who generously assists with the CCW Facebook page. I have instructed this person to start banning people who consistently misrepresent articles and make irresponsible comments without reading the article.

SEVENTH POINT • We are all volunteers; none of us receives a salary. We try our best to choose appropriate titles and “tease” sentences, but nobody’s perfect. Common decency requires that folks who comment on our articles should first read the article in question. Our articles are usually quite short.

EIGHTH POINT • Let me say something regarding the lady who accused me of supporting abortion. She reached this conclusion because the preview image featured a certain political candidate. I was making an important point about the liturgy, and anyone who clicked on the article—after reading the very first paragraph—would instantly realize why this image was chosen. I said absolutely nothing about that candidate, or how I might feel about him. 1

NINTH POINT • Was this lady aware I’ve been Pro-Life my entire life? Was this lady aware that I’ve prayed on my knees (along with my fellow Catholics) in front of abortuaries? Was this lady aware I’ve been involved in sidewalk counseling? Was this lady aware I’ve taken part in peaceful protests and attended Pro-Life banquets? Was this lady aware that I love children? Obviously not; yet she still felt comfortable accusing me of supporting abortion.

TENTH POINT • This lady does not know my politics, because I don’t mention them on the blog; and I’ve asked all our contributors to refrain from doing so. I will tell you this, however: my politics are based upon the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.

ELEVENTH POINT • I wish I could say this lady was anomaly, but the fact is, some people do make comments which misrepresent our articles. By the way, just because someone mentions a reality, that doesn’t “prove” they support or endorse that reality. Making reference to World War II does not mean I admire Hitler—yet some people on Facebook have been making connections like that. Dear readers, I implore you; if you see irresponsible comments on the CCW Facebook page, please help “police” in a charitable-yet-firm way. Thank you!

TWELFTH POINT • We don’t talk about politics on this blog for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s a real struggle, because the absurdities of American politics are frequently similar to the absurdities put forward by some liturgical “experts.” I hope I can always resist the temptation, because it truly is better to leave politics out of the equation.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Ironically, the image itself came from the blog of America’s most staunchly Pro-Life bishop, who excommunicated the abortionists in his diocese. It is true this image revealed a certain relationship with another politician—a relationship many would be shocked to learn about. Was there a subtle message hidden in that image, poking fun at inauthentic politicians? Was this particularly appropriate in an article where I was asking for liturgical authenticity? Perhaps; but I didn’t mention any of that because doing so would have distracted from my article.

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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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

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —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

Thus the priest-celebrant, putting on the person of Christ, alone offers sacrifice, and not the people, nor clerics, nor even priests who reverently assist. All, however, can and should take an active part in the Sacrifice. “The Christian people, though participating in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, do not thereby possess a priestly power,” We stated in the Encyclical Mediator Dei (AAS, vol 39, 1947, p. 553).

— Pope Pius XII (2 November 1954)

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