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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

PDF • “The Truth Of Papal Claims” (Merry del Val)

Jeff Ostrowski · December 29, 2015

901 Merry Del Val IMAGE ARDINAL Raphael Merry del Val was a special assistant to—and close friend of—Pope Pius X. It’s funny to realize that Pius X was the son of a poverty-stricken mailman, while his immediate predecessor (Leo XIII) was a prince by birth. 1 Merry del Val, too, came from an extremely powerful family, and was a Monsignor before he was a priest! You see, he was appointed an ambassador while still a seminarian. There was some “rule” saying all ambassadors must be at least a monsignor, so (according to what I’ve been told) the pope made him a monsignor! 2

Cardinal Merry del Val published a book—in response to a Protestant—about whether the pope is “infallible” or “impeccable” and you can download it in PDF:

    * *  PDF Download • First Version (4.09MB)

    * *  PDF Download • Second Version (90.2MB)

Another great resource is RADIO REPLIES by Fr. Leslie Rumble. The entire collection can be read online, but the website is painfully slow and frequently offline. Somebody should go through and—using technology—transfer all that information to a faster, more reliable server. Here are two PDF examples I think you’ll find fascinating:

    * *  PDF Download • “Liturgical Changes of Vatican II”

    * *  PDF Download • “The Modern Papacy”

Those were taken from the 1970s volumes. You see, the RADIO REPLIES were published in many volumes, beginning in the 1920s and stretching all the way to the 1970s. here’s how the website looks, once it finally downloads:

904 Radio Replies


We hope to someday scan the RADIO REPLIES books, and this is an example of what we use $5.00 monthly donations toward. The following quote from Fr. Rumble seems like it could have been written forty years later!

“…irresponsible utterances from within the Church gain wide publicity, although to many Catholics the academics giving voice to them seem like theological termites bent on undermining the faith.” —Fr. Leslie Rumble



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   He’s often referred to as a prince, although I don’t know if that’s technically correct; but Leo XIII was from a very powerful European family.

2   By the way, Pope Francis abolished the title of Monsignor for most priests.

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

    “Music List” • 28th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 12 October 2025, which is the 28th 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 dazzling feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on which source text is chosen and what each translator wants to emphasize. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF example) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    “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

Random Quote

“The chants of the Proper of the Mass—that is, the Introit, Gradual, Offertory, Communion—in sung Masses may be chanted in the vernacular to melodies legitimately approved.”

— Statement (20 April 1964) by the Consilium, the group Paul VI put in charge of inventing the New Mass

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