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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

Pope Saint Paul VI did not outlaw the TLM

Jeff Ostrowski · November 17, 2023

NTERESTING. It’s interesting that Archbishop Hannibal Bugnini refused to obey Pope Saint Paul VI. I refer to 14 July 1975, when Bugnini was assigned as papal nuncio to Uruguay. But Bugnini refused to obey. Indeed, the French historian Yves Chiron wrote (on page 177 of his excellent biography of Bugnini): “The pope had been patient after his refusal to go to Uruguay.” Those who read my articles know I enjoy highlighting paradoxes. For example, I often mention how RICHARD MILHOUS NIXON—in a rare post-presidency appearance—testified in defense of MARK FELT, the FBI agent who’d illegally revealed information to newspapers (which ultimately caused Nixon’s resignation). Instead of “interesting” perhaps I should have said Bugnini’s flagrant disobedience was “paradoxical,” since he had relied on obedience to the pope to change the ancient liturgy.

TLM “Greenlight” by Bugnini • On 21 September 1976, Bugnini wrote a letter to the secretary of state under Pope Paul VI, JEAN-MARIE CARDINAL VILLOT, suggesting the Missale Vetustum (a.k.a. “Extraordinary Form”) should be allowed under the following conditions:

(a) A declaration that the “new” Mass is not heretical or Protestant, and that those who composed and approved it are not heretics and Protestants.
(b) The ORDO MISSAE may be that of the old Missal (1962), but the readings are to be made according to their new ordering, in the vernacular, and from the ambo facing the people.
(c) The Mass of Saint Pius V shall be celebrated in specifically determined churches and on a fixed schedule, or for those groups who have difficulty in adapting to the new ORDO MISSAE.
(d) The implementation of these dispositions is to be entrusted to the pastoral care of the local Ordinary.

Agatha Christie Indult • On 5 November 1971, Pope Saint Paul VI officially gave the greenlight to celebrate the Missale Vetustum in England. Archbishop Bugnini [quoted on page 151 in the aforementioned biography by Yves Chiron] explained the actions of Paul VI thusly: “The reason for this, I think, is to be found in personal considerations, in a subjective relationship between the pope and Cardinal Heenan, rather than in any rational causes of the matter.”

The document allowing the TLM in England was called the “Agatha Christie Indult” because an author who used the pen name “Agatha Christie”—along with a bunch of famous people—had sent a letter to the pope begging him not to suppress the Missale Vetustum. Pope Paul VI supposedly had a predilection for AGATHA CHRISTIE, so he was persuaded by the letter. The “Agatha Christie Indult” said the following:

“This faculty may be granted provided that groups make the request for reasons of genuine devotion, and provided that the permission does not disturb or damage the general communion of the faithful. For this reason, the permission is limited to certain groups on special occasions; at all regular parish and other community Masses, the ORDO MISSAE given in the new Roman Missal should be used. Since the Eucharist is the sacrament of unity, it is necessary that the use of the ORDO MISSAE given in the former Missal should not become a sign or cause of disunity in the Catholic community. For this reason, agreement among the bishops of the episcopal conference as to how this faculty is to be exercised will be a further guarantee of unity of praxis in this area.”

Shades of 1935? • The wording of the “Agatha Christie Indult” reminds me of a 1935 ruling by the Congregation of Sacred Rites. Asked about the dialogue Mass by Carlo Cardinal Minoretti (Archbishop of Genoa), the response given by the Vatican was: “In accordance with decree n. 4375, it is for the Ordinary to decide whether, in individual cases, in view of all the circumstances, namely, the place, the people, the number of Masses which are being said at the same time, the proposed practice, though in itself praiseworthy, in fact causes disturbance rather than furthers devotion.” Many who have attended the TLM “dialogue Mass” would readily understand what is meant by those words.

Ashkenazy on Glenn Gould • Growing up in Kansas, we had several inside jokes about Vladimir Ashkenazy. (I won’t harass the reader by repeating all of them.) They had to do with the fact that Ashkenazy I had recorded thousands of pieces. Indeed, it was difficult to find a piece he had not recorded. But my generation felt Ashkenazy had nothing to say. He played like a robot. His interpretations were insanely bland, even insipid. As Father Skeris would say: “Nothing new, nothing profound.” There was no question that Ashkenazy’s fingers could play anything—but what’s the point if the artist has nothing to say? The same was true of a pianist like Maurizio Pollini, whose playing was “perfect” (as far as hitting all the correct notes) but mind-numbingly boring. I’m not sharing these opinions to “trigger” anyone. I’m merely pointing out that my generation was much more interested in the colorful interpretations of Hofmann, Rachmaninov, Friedman, Tiegerman, Lhevinne, Godowski, Fischer, Lipatti, Cortot, and so forth.

Vladimir Ashkenazy was one of the signatories to the “Agatha Christie Indult.” I still find that amazing because the names of so many other pianists were not included. In any event, in the following video clip Ashkenazy talks about Glenn Gould’s Bach interpretations:

Gould + Russia • Vladimir Ashkenazy comes across as a very nice man. By the way, Glenn Gould played in Russia decades before the end of the Cold War, which is amazing considering Gould was a hypochondriac who had all kinds of irrational fears about everything. For example, Gould would not talk to anyone on the telephone if they were sick. He thought you could get sick over the telephone! Nevertheless, many pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach were given the ultimate interpretation by Glenn Gould.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Agatha Christie Indult, Archbishop Hannibal Bugnini, FBI Agent Mark Felt, Missale Vetustum, Pianist Glenn Gould Bach, Richard Milhous Nixon, Richard Nixon, Vladimir Ashkenazy on Glenn Gould, Yves Chiron Last Updated: November 17, 2023

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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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

“By no means would I offer the counsel that Mass be celebrated in languages other than Latin.”

— Archbishop Dwyer (one of the Vatican II fathers)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Flor Peeters In A Weird Mood?
  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
  • Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

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