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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

Pope Francis on Collaboration of the Lay Faithful

Fr. David Friel · December 20, 2015

NLY A MONTH AGO, the German bishops were in Rome for their ad limina visits. During his time with them, Pope Francis took the opportunity to encourage the Germans in a definite direction—a direction that includes greater focus on spiritual poverty, sacramental confession, pro-life activism, and vocation promotion.

The Holy Father also shared interesting remarks on the role of the priesthood vs. the role of the laity. These remarks, directed to the shepherds of the Church in Germany, have bearing also on the life of the Church in much of the Anglophone world, including Ireland, the UK, Australia, and many parts of the USA.

Pope Francis said this during his remarks:

Pastoral plans that do not give adequate importance to priests in their ministry of governing, teaching, and sanctifying in regard to the structures and the sacramental life of the Church, on the basis of experience, are destined for failure. The precious collaboration of the lay faithful, above all where vocations are lacking, cannot become a surrogate for priestly ministry or make it even seem simply to be optional. Without the priest, there is no Eucharist.

In many dioceses, plans have been devised or enacted to make priest-less parishes almost normative. The Holy Father cautions us against ever thinking of this situation as normative.

Late last week, fellow-blogger Dr. Calabrese made a terrific post proposing sung vespers as an antidote to clericalism. The word “clericalism” is often misused or misunderstood. I have written about the topic before, as well, notably here.

As real as clericalism is in some places, anti-clericalism is just as real in other places, and both maladies are just as pernicious. Priests are not all there is to the Church, but nor are they merely a luxury in the Church. Priests are not the only ones capable of working within the Church, but nor are they merely functionaries intended to produce the Eucharist en masse for those in their spiritual care. Just as the Blessed Sacrament is, Itself, a gift to the Church, so, too, is the sacred priesthood.

Our Holy Father’s words to the German bishops challenge Catholics throughout the world to think deeply about the process of diocesan pastoral planning. As he explains so gently and yet so clearly: “The precious collaboration of the lay faithful, above all where vocations are lacking, cannot become a surrogate for priestly ministry.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Pope Francis Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

The ratio of voices in modern choirs is usually wrong. Basses should be numerically greatest, then altos, then tenors, then sopranos. One good soprano can carry a high “A” against 30 lower voices.

— Roger Wagner

Recent Posts

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  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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