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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

Liturgical Language Barriers

Veronica Brandt · April 1, 2017

Lincoln Cathedral JUST RECENTLY A FRIEND and fellow Catholic homeschooler expressed concern about singing in Latin. She felt her family not experienced enough to accomplish this. This shocked me and revealed my underlying assumption that the whole point of Catholic homeschooling is to devote time to the study of Latin and Sacred Music.

Once I reflected a little about this I realized the folly of my position, and the enormity of our distance from the ideals assumed in the Second Vatican Council of the primacy of Latin and chant.

Not that Catholic homeschoolers are necessarily more enlightened than regular Catholics. Homeschooling is more an absence of external schooling rather than a thing in itself. There is no compulsory boot-camp for prospective homeschool parents – it is all learning on the job.

Back to Language Barriers.

Latin as a liturgical language is a very useful mechanism for transcending space and time and uniting our worship with people around the world and across the centuries.

But it takes a little learning.

Not too much learning! You don’t need to conjugate or decline in order to pray a Pater Noster. A simple word for word translation will suffice.

The main thing to learn is how to make sounds out of printed Latin words. Fortunately a few simple rules go a long way to making this possible. Learn the rules and practice reading aloud and it will take root and become easy.

Here is a short video (2.5 minutes) that covers the most used features of Church Latin pronunciation. The remaining rules can be introduced as needed. Here my daughter is 7 months old.



 

UPDATE: a reader sent this list of pronunciation videos for the Ordinaries of the Mass. Great to listen and watch to make that connection between the written words and the sounds.

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 Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “7 September 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 is called: “Professor Bouyer’s Regret.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Cardinal Ranjith on “Active Participation”
    From 2005–2009, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith served as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He was considered ‘papabile’ during the last conclave. On 8 December 2008, he wrote this powerful statement concerning Gregorian Chant, participatio actuosa, celebration “ad orientem,” and other subjects. When it comes to the question of what “sacred” means, Monsignor Robert A. Skeris provides a marvelous answer.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd 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.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

Ronald Knox explained why the Modernists do not compose hymns: “Birds of prey have no song.”

— Fr. George William Rutler (2016)

Recent Posts

  • New Bulletin Article • “7 September 2025”
  • Online Breviary With Chant
  • “Dynamic Equivalence” • Serious Problems with the Forthcoming Lectionary Translation
  • Cardinal Ranjith on “Active Participation”
  • Exec. Director of ICEL weighs in on our series • “PDF comparison chart” included

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