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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

Pope Francis to Cardinal Sarah: Investigate an Official Reform of the Reform

Fr. David Friel · July 6, 2016

368 Robert Cardinal Sarah AST SUMMER’S Sacra Liturgia conference in New York City began with special interest as attendees were read a welcome letter from Robert Cardinal Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. In that letter, the Cardinal revealed that, upon accepting his post at the CDW, Pope Francis asked him to continue the good work of Pope Benedict XVI on the liturgy.

At the Sacra Liturgia proceedings presently underway in London, no letter was necessary, as Cardinal Sarah was present to speak at the opening session and offer Mass on the second day of the conference. Again this year, Cardinal Sarah said some very important things. Before offering a more detailed summary of his talk, allow me to present the two most important points, which will be very interesting to those who work closely with the liturgy:

1. Cardinal Sarah said that we cannot discount the possibility of an official “reform of the reform.” Amplifying this point, his Eminence revealed that, in an April 2015 audience with Pope Francis, the Holy Father requested that he investigate this possibility with a view toward formalizing the “mutual enrichment” encouraged by Summorum Pontificum. He spoke of this as “a delicate work,” requiring careful study, clarity, and prudence.

2. Speaking about urgent liturgical priorities, Cardinal Sarah approached the topic of the orientation of worship. He said that it is important that we return, as soon as possible, to the practice of offering Mass ad orientem (or at least toward the apse of the church). This he described as a “perfectly legitimate” option and “a necessary step toward making sure the Lord is at the center” of our worship. Priests who exercise this option, he said, should do so with the confidence that this is something good for the Church. The cardinal asked priests to implement this reform whenever possible, after suitable catechesis, suggesting even a potential starting date: the First Sunday of Advent this year.

These were the two most significant remarks from Cardinal Sarah, but there was much more content also worthy of our consideration. Here I shall present a general overview of his other points.

PENING HIS remarks with a rich reflection on the first paragraph of Sacrosanctum Concilium, Cardinal Sarah stated that much remains to be done for the full assimilation of the council’s Constitution on the Liturgy. He further stressed that, as we become further and further removed from the time of the Second Vatican Council, it is more and more necessary to seek out the true intentions of the council Fathers. The cardinal warned against doing eisegesis with Sacrosanctum Concilium, imputing to it things that it does not, in fact, say. Reading the document in this way, one discovers that the council Father desired a liturgical evolution, not a revolution.

His Eminence spoke briefly about enculturation. “I am an African,” he said, adding that the liturgy is not the place to glorify his culture. The liturgy, rather, is the place where all cultures are baptized and taken up into the divine.

Turning to a historical consideration, Cardinal Sarah spoke about a faction of priests who rejected the post-conciliar reformed rite and continued to celebrate the traditional rite without authorization. It was never the intention of the council Fathers, however, to coopt the liturgy into “a tool of division.” This unintended effect was lamentable. The cardinal argued that the freedom offered to the Church in 2007 through Summorum Pontificum has provided the solution to this tension, since it is now possible to respect and rejoice in legitimate liturgical diversity.

Attention was given also to the formation of the clergy. “We cannot talk about liturgical reform,” the cardinal observed, “without liturgical formation.” Notably, the cardinal directed his remarks equally to seminarians studying for the priesthood and candidates for the permanent diaconate. Candidates for the permanent diaconate were highlighted as needing a profound immersion in liturgical formation over a prolonged period of time (a need that is frequently not met in the contemporary life of the Church). For seminarians, moreover, an important part of their formation should be the usus antiquor. Cardinal Sarah asked, “How can we begin to comprehend or celebrate the reformed rites with the spirit of continuity if we have never experienced” the beauty of the rites that the council Fathers knew so well?

In speaking about the real possibility of an official reform of the reform, Cardinal Sarah made reference to a “learned study” given by Fr. Thomas Kocik at Sacra Liturgia USA 2015 in New York City. In his presentation, Fr. Kocik proposed practical ideas for what such a reform might look like. Some of his specific suggestions are reported here.

These remarks from Cardinal Sarah were a wonderful beginning to this Sacra Liturgia conference. His presentation included many important points that I have not included above. Readers will be happy to know, then, that the full text of Cardinal Sarah’s lecture will be available early next week on the Sacra Liturgia Facebook page.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Ad Orientem, Authentic Liturgical Renewal Reform, Pope Francis, Robert Cardinal Sarah, Sacra Liturgia, Summorum Pontificum 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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President’s Corner

    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’ with regard to 1960s switch to vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“In chronological order, [Dom Pierre Combe] traces the Gregorian reform from its beginnings under Dom Guéranger in 1833, to the problems of the Vatican Commission on Sacred Music in the first decade of the 20th century. As one reads the topic headings and development of their content, one wonders how such an innocent and un-warlike subject such as Gregorian chant could have been the focal point of such an intense and continuing battle among scholars and churchmen for so many decades.”

— Dr. Theodore Marier (1968)

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