OOKING AT THE EXTREMES can be helpful, especially when it comes to the sacred liturgy. On the one hand, we have the “progressive” liturgists who said they wanted to elevate and restore the Church’s liturgy. Unfortunately, their definition of “elevate and restore” turned out to be annihilate. The fanaticism of some radical reformers sometimes had the effect of turning them stupid. Consider Father Godfrey Diekmann, one of the most radical reformers. In a letter dated 3 March 1964, Diekmann accidentally said the quiet part out loud, asking: “What young candidate for the priesthood would ever consider the monastic life if there is even a possibility of having to spend three hours a day praying or singing the Office in Latin?” The brain of Father Diekmann—a seminary professor (!)—had turned to mush because of his radicalism. Only a fool would deny that the Catholic Church has produced thousands upon thousands of monastic vocations for countless centuries. (Needless to say, all those monks sang the Divine Office in Latin for hours each day.)
The Opposite Extreme • On the other hand, we have the so-called “ultra-traditionalists” who struggle to see the forest for the trees. Such people complain bitterly that the MISSALE RECENS transfers Epiphany to a Sunday … yet, they’re too “busy” to attend Mass on 6 January! Such people spend hours bewailing the Holy Week modifications made by Pope Pius XII … but when asked to enumerate the major changes, they’re unable to do so.1 I’ll never forget a certain website run by “ultra-traditionalists” who became hysterical with joy when a certain reënactment took place. It was a celebration of the Divine Office following customs of a certain religious order. (The order itself ceased to exist 300 years ago.) You might ask: what specifically were these “ultra-traditionalists” so enraptured by? They were excited because instead of coming to the center of the sanctuary to sing certain chants, a member intoned them from where he sat in choro. (I won’t insult the intelligence of our readers by explaining why that’s nothing to get excited about.)
My Complaint • In spite of incessant lip service paid to “restoration,” I find myself wondering whether there’s ever been a time in the Church’s history when the faithful knew less about the sacred liturgy. Visit a random church on Sunday morning and ask parishioners basic questions. You’ll be astounded; but not in a good way. To give one example, the Catholic Church has a double “PANGE LINGUA” at the heart of the liturgical year, viz. HEBDOMADA MAJOR. On Holy Thursday, the Pange Lingua is that of Thomas Aquinas (13th century). On Good Friday, the Pange Lingua is that of Bishop Fortunatus (6th century). I talk about these hymns so frequently you’re probably sick of hearing about them. Suffice it to say that both versions are masterpieces every Catholic should know … yet virtually nobody does. We must work to change this trend.
The Greatest Hymn • Every year, my choir sings a different version of the PANGE LINGUA by Bishop Fortunatus. We spend a lot of time talking about this hymn: its meaning; its history; its theology; its various translations; etc. To be honest, it’s my favorite hymn. This year, we’re singing a Roman Catholic (!) English translation created in 1670AD. I spoke about the melody (“INNSBRUCK”) a few weeks ago. I wish I had time to heap praise on the translation, which is magnificent—but that will have to wait for another day. Suffice it to say: (a) the language is eloquent; (b) it’s faithful to the original Latin; (c) you can tell it was written in 1670AD, but it’s still intelligible for an ‘average’ singer; (d) it’s a real tour de force in terms of internal rhymes.
Our Attempt • The choir I conduct consists 100% of volunteer singers. We attempted this fabulous “PANGE LINGUA” last Sunday, and here’s the live recording:
Typo Detected • Ever since the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal was released in 2018, I knew somebody would eventually find a typo. It was only a matter of time. It turns out that for this hymn, some Brébeuf editions have “Christ does not only” whereas other printings have “He does not only” for the sixth verse. Therefore, if you sing this hymn with your choir, make sure everyone sings the same word on verse no. 6.
1 This would not be the case if they were to obtain the spectacular 3rd edition of the EDMUND CAMPION MISSAL, which painstakingly explains the differences and similarities between the 1962 Holy Week and the 1950 Holy Week.
