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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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

“Victoria not only made his professional debut as church organist: he also continued active on the organ bench until the very eve of his death. Indeed, during his last seven years at Madrid (1604-1611) he occupied no other musical post but that of convent organist.”

— Dr. Robert Stevenson (1961)

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