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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

“Mom, Does This Mean We Can’t Go To Our Mass Anymore?”

Veronica Moreno · October 25, 2021

Y HUSBAND AND I didn’t notice that our daughter had overheard our initial reactions to the Motu Proprio. It was July and we were still numb. She asked, “Mom, does this mean we can’t go to our Mass anymore?” We had to explain to her that at this point, we simply didn’t know. It’s now fall and we’re still reeling from what Traditionis Custodes will mean for the life we’ve built. It has been hard to be coherent when worst-case scenarios loom. There’s a lot of good news out there, but this summer has been a kind of lukewarm-limbo.

Pyramids, Border Walls, and Mi Familia

In mid-October, Pope Francis shared 1 a video message to the “Fourth World Meeting of Popular Movements.” The Holy Father’s affection for the “Popular Movements” is clear. He thanks them, looks them in the eyes, he pleads for them, he is a Father to them. He loves them!

Let us stand by the peoples, the workers,
the humble, and let us struggle together with them
so that integral human development
may become a reality.
(Pope Francis, 16 October 2021)

When I first watched the video 2 I skipped the first part to watch the Pope’s message. When I returned to see what I missed, I saw that the first half of the video had the messages from the “Popular Movements.” A man stood in front of Guatemalan ancient Mayan pyramids. A woman stood in front of a more recent border wall. Something ached in my heart.

We are Mexican-American. Some would call us “People of Color.” My husband is an immigrant and my own Catholic roots are deeply rooted in the Spanish-language Rosaries of my grandparents. The heritage stories of my little family include the people of the “Popular Movements.” The Holy Father could have been talking about us. He was talking about us! But we also belong to a community of the Traditional Latin Mass in California. And the Holy Father himself has shaken our world this year. It hasn’t been the pandemic that made us cower. (We’re afraid of getting sick.) It wasn’t the shut downs that made us cower. (We’re afraid of losing our jobs.) Instead, what shook us to our core was this new unknown for the liturgy for and the faith of our children. (We’re afraid they’ll lose the Mass that raised them.) Something ached in my heart.

Why did I find myself yearning that he was talking to me? Why did I hope that the Holy Father would look at our community—at our family—and why did I wish that he’d had shared the same affection for us as he had for the “Popular Movements”? It is true, we live in the first world. But we’re the diaspora of the “Popular Movements”. (Our parish community reflects the demographics of our local area.) Besides, our brothers and sisters in Guatemala and back home in Mexico (and India and the Philippines) deserve the whole heritage of our Catholic faith too.

Maybe my heart ached out of an envy that our Holy Father hadn’t thanked us for holding fast to the Holy Mass. That he hadn’t pleaded for us to have more TLM Masses closer to home.

Maybe my heart ached that he’d show us that he was our Father too.

I admit, I wanted him to love my Latin-praying children. They are not laughing at God. They are not rigid. They aren’t looking back to the past “to seek security.” They’re not even teenagers!

So I Dream…

So I dream. I say dream because “right now our brains and hands are not enough, we also need our hearts and our imagination; we need to dream so that we do not go backwards” (Pope Francis, 16 October 2021). Reader, you also! “Let us dream together, dream among yourselves, dream with others” (Pope Francis, 16 October 2021).

First, watch this video (YouTube).

Then watch this one and imagine and DREAM that one day, the Holy Father will say these words (another video) to us:

Thank you for the video we have just seen. I have read the reflections from the meeting, the testimonies of those who lived in these times of tribulation and anguish, the summary of their desires and their proposals. Thank you. (Pope Francis, 16 October 2021)

Then imagine what I’d tell my daughter, “Mija, look at how the Pope loves us and look at how he thanks us for singing at Mass.”


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is Vatican department of the Roman Curia that attends to the “inestimable goods of justice, peace, and the care of creation.” It hosted this fourth meeting in video-conferenced meetings in July and September 2021. It brings together “popular movements” to discuss the impact of COVID on the poorest and most marginalized workers and the dilemmas facing humanity today, including the 3Ts: “shelter, work, and land.” The dicastery has a special focus on “migrants, those in need, the sick, the excluded and marginalized, the imprisoned and the unemployed, as well as victims of armed conflict, natural disasters, and all forms of slavery and torture.” It is noteworthy that the meeting was broadcast in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French. All information can be found here.

2   The video link is here. You can also access the text link in English and in Spanish.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Traditionis Custodes Motu Proprio Last Updated: October 25, 2021

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About Veronica Moreno

Veronica Moreno is married to a teacher and homeschools five children. She has been cantor at her local Catholic parish for over a decade.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    Liturgical Round (“Canon”) in C-Major
    Those who direct children’s choirs are always on the lookout for repertoire that’s dignified, inspired, and pleasing—yet still within reach of young choristers. Such directors will want to investigate this haunting liturgical round (PDF download) which has been married to the KYRIE from Mass VI (EDITIO VATICANA). I have provided an accompaniment, but it’s only for use during rehearsal; i.e. when teaching this round to your choristers. I also provided an organ accompaniment for the KYRIE—which some know by its trope (Kyrie Rex Genitor)—so that your congregation can take part when this round is used as a choral extension during Mass.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Latin Liturgy Association
    We note with pleasure that Mrs. Regina Morris, president of the Latin Liturgy Association, has featured—on page 4 of Volume CXXIX of their official newsletter—the three (3) terrific versions of the Stations of the Cross found in the Brébeuf Hymnal. One of the main authors for the blog of the Church Music Association of America said (6/10/2019) about this pew book: “It is such a fantastic hymnal that it deserves to be in the pews of every Catholic church.”
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Music List” • 28th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 12 October 2025, which is the 28th 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 dazzling feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

At the Catholic gathering (Katholikentag) held at Breslau in August, the Papal Nuncio celebrated Mass for 80,000 participants, facing the people (the “Missa versus populum”).

— “Orate Fratres” Magazine (23 Jan. 1927)

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