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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

“Ad Orientem” • Archbishop Naumann’s Letter

Jeff Ostrowski · December 6, 2016

VER SINCE I RELEASED an article about Bishop Libasci’s letter, my inbox has been exploding. I had no idea there was such a groundswell of support for “ad orientem,” especially among younger priests. What’s even more surprising is the extremely positive feedback priests are reporting. Indeed, several Midwestern bishops publicly celebrated “ad orientem” even before the special appeal by Cardinal Sarah, who was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship by Pope Francis in 2014.

Some bishops are making an appeal for “uniformity” in Catholic worship, as Bishop Doherty’s terse letter does. Archbishop Naumann’s letter (SEE BELOW) seems to encourage uniformity, yet makes clear that “ad orientem” has equal footing with “versus populum.”

But the uniformity emphasis is hard to reconcile with numerous statements from the USCCB. Consider this official statement signed by Bishop Serratelli:

23 April 2009 — The reformed liturgy offers a variety of options, encourages ministerial creativity, and at times admits a diversity of forms. The participation aid should be so designed as not to establish, once and for all, a single or rigid pattern of liturgical celebration. […] The arrangement or selection of liturgical texts must not result in the suppression of alternatives and options for the congregation (or for the celebrant and other ministers, as applicable).

The following letter is the most extensive treatment I’ve seen:

588 Archbishop Naumann ad orientem A

588 Archbishop Naumann ad orientem B


When I lived in Kansas, my friend ARCHBISHOP KELEHER hadn’t retired yet. Because I’ve only visited Kansas twice since 2005, I don’t feel qualified to comment on the current liturgical situation. Nevertheless, if there’s an authentic move towards liturgical uniformity, I hope more dioceses will start enforcing what Vatican II mandated:

116. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, under normal circumstances, it should be given first place in liturgical services.

There are more items which could use some “uniformity.” For example, Vatican II mandated the retention of Latin; it is not optional.

Several related articles:

* *  Chief Reasons For Mass “Facing The People”

* *  Bishop of Manchester • Letter Re: “Ad Orientem”

* *  Why I’m Rejoicing over Catholic Herald Errors

* *  Does Your Bishop Enforce The GIRM?

* *  Showdown in Arkansas over “Ad Orientem”

* *  Indisputable Facts About “Ad Orientem” Celebration

* *  When To Face the Altar & When To Face The People

* *  Screenshots Proving “Versus Populum” Was Allowed By The 1572 Missal

* *  Additional Articles • Re: “Ad Orientem” Celebration

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Ad Orientem 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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President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (10 August 2025). 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 feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon
    This coming Sunday—10 August 2025—is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON is really gorgeous, and two of its features are worth mentioning. First of all, the Gospel reading assigned is from Saint Luke, whereas the the antiphon—although it matches the account—comes from Saint Matthew. (If anyone can point to a similar example, please notify me.) Furthermore, if you look at the authentic Gregorian Chant version posted on the feasts website, you’ll notice that it’s MODE III but ends on the ‘wrong’ note. A comparable instance of such a ‘transposed’ chant would be KYRIE IV.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —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

“Parish Priests have to think first of the simple faithful: people now used to the Roman Missal at Mass. They don’t want change.”

— Cardinal Spellman (one of the Vatican II fathers)

Recent Posts

  • Is this what the new “Youth Mass” looks like?
  • “Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon
  • Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”

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