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Views from the Choir Loft

The Smoke of Satan

Andrew Leung · February 22, 2018

CTL Smoke of Satan ATELY, the quote of Pope Bl. Paul VI, “The smoke of Satan has entered the Church” keep popping into my head as the dispute over the Vatican-Communist China relationship continues to develop. The details of the “agreement” has never been fully revealed by the officials. However, based on what we know, I think the faith and salvation of many Chinese people, not just the ones in Mainland China, but also those who are living in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, are at risk. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the Church to make the right decision and that God’s will be done.

In the meantime, I have been reflecting on “the smoke of Satan” that appears in different aspects of life, including within our liturgical life. What I am about to write might seemed very radical, but I think it is worth contemplating on personally. I am not trying to condemn anyone, but to simply reflect on the way (attitude) of our participation in the liturgy.

Bl. Paul VI was referring to the state of the Church and the confusion after the Council when he spoke of “the smoke of Satan” in 1972. Similarly, I found “the smoke” in some of the post-Vatican II liturgical practices. These practices are not necessarily products of the Council, but rather practices that people invented after the Council. For example, there are people who advocate and insist that there is no need to kneel for our Lord, whether it’s during the consecration, when we receive the precious Body and Blood of Christ, or when we pass in front of the tabernacle. Isn’t that what Satan and the fallen angels did: refuse to bow down in front of our God? Do you think that the versus populum orientation might more likely to create temptations for the priests to turn the Mass into a “self-centered show”?

Obviously, “the smoke” can also appear in other forms of temptations like the collecting of vestments or vessels for personal glory; or when we sing and play music at Mass for our own glory or pleasure. By the way, I totally agree with what Fr. Rutler said in the recent interview regarding to rock music, and I think it should never be brought into the liturgy. Basically, whenever we are not praying and are being self-centered during the Mass, “the smoke of Satan” enters the liturgy. So, let us be aware of this “smoke”, especially when we are serving in the liturgy. Let God be the center, and let Him be glorified.

Tu es Petrus by Robert Pearsall

You are Peter,
And upon this Rock I will build My Church:
and the gates of hell shall not overcome it.
And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

HE SUCCESSORS OF ST. PETER have reminded over and over again about the importance of prayers in spiritual battles. Pope St. John Paul II said in his Regina Caeli address on April 24, 1994:

“May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle that the Letter to the Ephesians speaks of: ‘Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might’ (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St Michael the Archangel (cf. Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had this picture in mind when, at the end of the last century (19th cent.), he brought in, throughout the Church, a special prayer to St Michael: ‘Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil…’ Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world.”

On this Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, let us continue to pray for the Supreme Pontiff and the unity of the Church. Let us especially remember the faithful in China, especially those who are under persecution and are feeling abandoned.

Happy Feast Day!

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 Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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 authority of the Pope is not unlimited. It is at the service of Sacred Tradition. Still less is any kind of general ‘freedom’ of manufacture, degenerating into spontaneous improvisation, compatible with the essence of faith and liturgy. The greatness of the liturgy depends—we shall have to repeat this frequently—on its lack of spontaneity.”

— Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (2000)

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