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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” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd 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.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“Been to Catholic church and heard Mass. Execrable music! Organ played by a young girl who made impossible harmonies. Sermon very long. The preacher screamed loud enough to tire his lungs. The congregation was affected.”

— Louis Moreau Gottschalk (8 May 1864)

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