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Views from the Choir Loft

“Traditionis Custodes” • Five (5) Brief Reflections

Jeff Ostrowski · July 20, 2021

Regarding the following, I don’t pretend to speak for anyone but myself:

No Reason Given: It seems insane to me that somebody can attempt to “cancel” ancient and venerable rites without even attempting to identify anything in them which is bad, undesirable, or dangerous. I can’t think of a single thing about the Traditional Latin Mass which is harmful or less than ideal. I can’t thing of a single prayer which is not sublime in every conceivable way.

Monastic Vocation: We are being given a clue what it must have felt like to enter a convent or monastery in the 1930s or 1940s or 1950s. All of a sudden—in the 1960s—everything you have ever known and loved is ripped away from your life by people like Rembert G. Weakland (who somehow was allowed to serve as Abbot Primate of the Benedictine order). And why was this done? Nobody ever gave a reason.

Suppression Of Jesuits: Perhaps an expert in liturgy could think of another time in the Church when anything like this happened. Perhaps it’s like if you grew up with “Gallican” rites in France—and then “overnight” your diocese switched to the Roman Rite. Is that in any way comparable? Or perhaps this is similar to when the entire Jesuit order was suppressed by (Franciscan) Pope Clement XIV in 1773?

Hymn Destruction: Perhaps we are being given a clue about what it was like under Pope Urban VIII, when all the Church’s hymns were “canceled” in the blink of an eye. These ancient hymns had inspired polyphonic compositions which—in my humble opinion—have never been surpassed. I’m talking about polyphonic settings of the ancient hymns by composers such as Palestrina, Guerrero, Victoria, and Lassus. They were replaced by versions which we basically written by Pope Urban VIII, who was a poet. Sometimes only one or two words of the original hymn were left intact.

My Favorite Words: On a purely aesthetic level, the Ordinary Form cannot compare to the Extraordinary Form. One of my favorite parts of the Holy Mass—which was mutilated in the 1970 reform—comes after the Lord’s Prayer. The Extraordinary Form version says: “Deliver us, Lord, from every evil: past, present, and to come.” What is so harmful about this prayer?

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Traditionis Custodes Motu Proprio, Urbanite Hymn Reform Last Updated: July 20, 2021

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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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
    “Candlemas” • Our choir sang on February 2nd, and here's a live recording of the beautiful INTROIT: Suscépimus Deus. We had very little time to rehearse, but I think it has some very nice moments. I promise that by the 8th Sunday after Pentecost it will be perfect! (That Introit is repeated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost.) We still need to improve, but we're definitely on the right track!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful. From “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium” you can hear a live excerpt (Mp3).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

In the United States, Archbishop Kenrick had said in his “Moral Theology” that it was acceptable to sing the “Véni Sáncte Spíritus” before the sermon.

— Monsignor Schmitt (1977)

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