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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Vatican II • What You Were Too Embarrassed To Ask

Jeff Ostrowski · March 7, 2017

321 Fr. Christopher Smith Father Chris IMAGE HE FOLLOWING audio files have been posted by permission of Fr. Christopher Smith, Pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Taylors, South Carolina. He is a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America and has been highly sought as a speaker on sacred music, liturgy, theology, and catechesis. Fr. Smith is fluent in numerous languages, and not long ago was the subject of a CWR article called “Traditional Liturgy Flourishing in the Bible Belt.”

Fr. Smith recently gave a series of seven (7) talks on the Second Vatican Council. He has generously made these available as audio files, which you can download below.

I am not aware of a more excellent series on Vatican II.

    * *  Mp3 Download • Part 1 of 7

In our first installment, we discuss why this council is so important to the life of the Church, and why it is crucial that we understand how interpretive questions really influence everything in the life of the Church.

    * *  Mp3 Download • Part 2 of 7

Part 2 asks “What is an ecumenical council anyway? Why do we have them, and why are they so important in the life of the Church?”

    * *  Mp3 Download • Part 3 of 7

In Part 3, we look at the liturgical movement, Sacrosanctum Concilium, Mediator Dei, and all manner of liturgy related questions with regard to Vatican II.

    * *  Mp3 Download • Part 4 of 7

In Part 4, we look closely at the Constitution on the Church and discuss a lot of the theological preparation for that document, including Pius XII’s Mystici corporis.

    * *  Mp3 Download • Part 5 of 7

Revelation is at the heart of the Church’s message. But what is the role of Scripture and Tradition in the deposit of faith? In Part 5, we look at everything from the theological background to Vatican II to this important document of the Council and its aftermath.

    * *  Mp3 Download • Part 6 of 7

In Part 6, we talk about one of the most controversial document of Vatican II, on the Church in the Modern World, placing in the context of everything from Humani generis to current theological debates.

    * *  Mp3 Download • Part 7 of 7

When all is said and done, what are the major unresolved issues from the four major constitutions of Vatican II, and what are we as a Church facing now that stems from those issues? Part 7 explores all of this and more.

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

    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
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

“The recitation of the Office of the Dead, the Christmas Office, the spectacle of the days of Holy Week, the sublime chant of the Exultet, beside which the most intoxicating accents of Sophocles and Pindar seemed to me to be insignificant—all of this overwhelmed me with respect and joy, with gratitude, repentance, and adoration!”

— Paul Claudel (1913)

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