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Views from the Choir Loft

“A Plea to the Bishops” • By Monsignor Charles Pope

Corpus Christi Watershed · January 5, 2022

ONSIGNOR CHARLES POPE has published a heartfelt plea. He wants the bishops of the world to respond to the words of Pope Francis, who said on 26 September 2021: “The Holy Spirit does not want closedness; He wants openness, and welcoming communities where there is a place for everyone.” Pope Francis also said: “We are called to build an increasingly inclusive world that excludes no one.”

An excerpt from his article:

As a pastor of souls, I cannot find words to express the hurt and anger (righteous, I pray) I experience over the treatment of Catholics who are attached to the older forms of the liturgy and the sacraments. I have not seen such language or harshness directed against any other group, in or out of the Church. The tone is singular and shocking. Those who love the Traditional Latin Mass are my brothers and sisters in the Lord and I have long admired their tenacity and orthodoxy. Many of them have large families and take the faith very seriously. For them, Catholicism is not only a faith, but also a culture both ancient and new. They are up for the battle of living the faith in an increasingly secular world. They are not a particularly large segment of the Church in the United States, but they are one of the few segments of the Church that is growing and flourishing. They love the faith and the Mass, and I grieve that they are being treated so brusquely and harshly.

The article Monsignor Pope echoes a recent article by the president of Corpus Christi Watershed. Consider the following words of Monsignor Pope:

[Archbishop Roche] in effect says, “We really prefer you to be in isolated places, but if you must use one of our parish churches, it must be made clear: you are not really ‘us.’ You cannot appear on our schedule, you cannot celebrate your TLM at a time when any of us might be around, and, while we consent to have you here now, as soon as ‘another venue’ is found you will be asked to leave forthwith.”

Read the full article by Monsignor Pope at the National Catholic Register:

*  Article • “A Plea to the Bishops”
—From the Peripheries of ‘Traditionis Custodes,’ a Plea to the Bishops.

The existence of the Missale Vetustum is no longer a secret—even secular outlets are talking about it:

Father Robert Sirico recently published an article in a major secular newspaper—and here’s an excerpt:

Pope Francis told bishops from the Czech Republic in 2014 that he “cannot understand the younger generation” who flock to the old Mass. […] Stereotypes may often be shortcuts to the truth, but not always. And certainly not in this case. In my experience, it is not just the elderly who like the smells and bells of the Church’s old rituals—a great many young people love traditional worship. I joke that my old parish’s Latin Mass is the “teen Mass.”

Some older people have great difficulty understanding why so many serious young Catholics prefer the Missale Vetustum.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Missale Vetustum, Traditionis Custodes Motu Proprio Last Updated: January 6, 2022

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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

[Speaking of those who wish to eliminate Latin from the liturgy.] “One may well wonder what the origin is of this new way of thinking and this sudden dislike for the past; one may well wonder why these things have been fostered.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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