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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, Sacred Music, and the Biggest Stage

Richard J. Clark · March 10, 2017

HENEVER POPE Francis speaks, he often raises eyebrows, much due to the force of his blunt speech and popular appeal. However, a good deal of it is nothing new, especially his recent remarks on sacred music to the Pontifical Council for Culture’s Conference on Music which marked the fiftieth anniversary of Musicam sacram (March 5, 1967).

Compared to remarks from Francis’ recent predecessors, what sets Francis apart is his tone and heightened visibility. Recent comments are still reverberating and need time to digest, especially the following: “Sometimes a certain mediocrity, superficiality and banality have prevailed, to the detriment of the beauty and intensity of liturgical celebrations.”

You can read a translation of Pope Francis’ full address here.

But a call for reform in sacred music is hardly new, and most notably dates in more modern times to Pope St. Pius X’s 1903 Motu Proprio, Tra le Sollecitudini (“Instruction on Sacred Music”). Few realize, this document was a catalyst for sacred music reform in Vatican II. Such was Pius X’s influence on Vatican II that the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy makes direct reference to him by name: e.g., “in recent times, led by St. Pius X, have explained more precisely the ministerial function supplied by sacred music in the service of the Lord. (SC §112)

Consider remarks from recent predecessors, in particular, Pope Saint John Paul II. In 2003, in his Chirograph for the Centenary of Tra le sollecitudini of Pope Saint Pius X, he states:

3. “…I have also stressed the need to ‘purify worship from ugliness of style, from distasteful forms of expression, from uninspired musical texts which are not worthy of the great act that is being celebrated, to guarantee dignity and excellence to liturgical compositions.” (emphasis added)

Pope Francis clearly echoes this, but in less poetic terms. In fact his remarks share a more common tone with the 2007 US Bishops’ document Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (SttL)

To admit the cheap, the trite, or the musical cliché often found in secular popular songs is to cheapen the Liturgy, to expose it to ridicule, and to invite failure. (SttL §135)

These harsh words date back to the US Bishops’ previous document Music in Catholic Worship. But the warning has gone unheeded. Similarly, Pope Saint John Paul’s remarks in 2003 went largely unnoticed.

Pope Benedict XVI is the greatest champion of the inseparability of liturgy and sacred music, since Pope St. Pius X. But even Benedict softened his tone with regard to implementation, urging that reform cannot come about by fiat or decree, but through example. And many have heeded this call, teaching through example as their life’s work. But Benedict’s exhaustive writings on the liturgy are sometime sadly dismissed. Few avail themselves of his writing that happens to be far more accessible (and even pastoral) in tone than perhaps Pope St. John Paul’s.

BUT POPE FRANCIS’ PLAIN WORDS do not go unnoticed. He commands the largest stage of any pope, which is saying a great deal. In part it is due to the age of twenty-four hour coverage and social media, but this is not a new dynamic in our world. His light is not hidden under a bushel, but shines high on a hill. As such, it garners more attention, and at times more scrutiny.

Such musical exhortations are not new, but the tone and visibility are. Although it is unlikely they will have much immediate effect, Francis’ words get noticed. They are spoken from the biggest stage.

Let us pray unceasingly for Pope Francis.

Soli Deo gloria

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 Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th 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 top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Little Encouragement?
    In the Gospel, our Savior tells about 10 lepers who were healed. Only one went back to give thanks. Precious few express gratitude, yet many have endless energy to complain. For that reason, I deeply appreciate receiving messages like the following, which arrived a few days ago (about the parish where I direct in Michigan): “Last Sunday, a couple I knew from Grand Rapids was at Mass at 10:00 a.m. I got a chance to talk to them after Mass. I wanted to let you know what they said about the choir. They were absolutely floored by our sound!!!!! They both said they could continuously listen to our choir and the beauty of it. They asked me: “Do you always sound like that?” And they were also very surprised at how packed the church was. They said it was nice for them to be in such a full church. I just thought you would be interested to know their thoughts about our choir.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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

Random Quote

“There are no hymns, in this sense, till the fourth century; they were not admitted to the Roman office till the twelfth. No Eastern rite to this day knows this kind of hymn. Indeed, in our Roman rite we still have the archaic offices of the last days of Holy Week and of the Easter octave, which—just because they are archaic—have no hymns.”

— Adrian Fortescue (25 March 1916)

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