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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

A Wonderful Woman Eviscerates The Argument Of An Infamous Liturgical Radical

Jeff Ostrowski · May 6, 2024

N THAT CLASSIC spiritual work by Thomas à Kempis (Imitation Of Christ) we read: “Seek, child, to do the will of others rather than your own.” This was not the view taken by FATHER GODFREY DIEKMANN, whom some consider the most radical of all the 1960s reformers. In opposition to Thomas à Kempis, Diekmann believed that he knew better than all the saints of the last 1,200 years. Diekmann had a deep hatred for the immemorial tradition of the church and ardently desired extensive changes to the traditional liturgy.1

In A Nutshell • Since few have time to read long articles these days, let me summarize: (a) Father Diekmann believed all the saints over the last 1,200 years—as well as the fathers of the Second Vatican Council—were dead wrong about the liturgy; (b) Diekmann’s main argument was that it was impossible for anyone to become fluent in more than one language. To give just one example, on 14 November 1963 (according to Cardinal Antonelli’s diary):

“The Conciliar Commission on the Sacred Liturgy met at 5:30 p.m. in the Aula of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. Cardinal Larraona presided. […] Father Diekmann opposed the retention of Latin in the Collects. […] The President then intervened and asked the Commission to bear in mind that only 108 of the Council Fathers had approved the use of the vernacular in the Collects. He called on the Commission to respect the wishes of the Council…”

In a private letter shortly afterwards, Father Diekmann wrote:

“Even Wagner spoke up for keeping the collect in Latin! […] We argued violently … I was so mad I could spit. Wagner, Martinmort, not honest.”

Is Diekmann Correct? • Remember that Diekmann was born in Roscoe, Minnesota, and spent the rest of his life in Minnesota. People from the Midwest (like myself) often find it hard to believe anybody could know more than one language. But if Father Godfrey Diekmann had taken the time to meet someone from Belgium, he’d have discovered that most Belgians are fully fluent in at least three languages. Communication with Belgians can be annoying because they sometimes switch languages in the middle of a sentence. It’s not uncommon for people from Africa to speak three languages. The same is true for people from the Philippines. Indeed, Monsignor Robert A. Skeris (a priest from Wisconsin) was fluent in eight languages.

The Choir I Direct • The choir I direct is quite a mixture. One choir member is a U.S. Marshall. Another is unemployed. Two members earned doctorates from major universities. Several members are from Africa. One member is a ‘platinum’ artist. Some members brought their education to a close after high school. About 50% of the members of my choir are fully fluent in English and Spanish.

Jeff Is Deficient • Most of my colleagues here at Corpus Christi Watershed are fluent in at least two languages. Today I will feature just one of them. My colleague, VERONICA MORENO is a homeschooling mother of five (5) children who also volunteers her “free” time to tutor—each day (!)—her legally blind niece. She recently published two blog articles: one in English, and one in Spanish. In spite of the fact that Father Diekmann thought of himself as very, very, very much more clever than all the saints of the last 1,200 years, Veronica’s ability to speak two languages fluently eviscerates his argument.

Summary • To summarize, Father Godfrey Diekmann believed himself to be much smarter than all the saints who lived over the last 1,200 years. In reality, Diekmann was dead wrong. The church was wise to promote (and honor) a lingua sacra for the public worship Almighty God. The Congregation of Rites (23 July 1964) reminded us:

At Vatican II “the great majority of the Fathers approved the various dispositions concerning a wider use of the vernacular precisely because of the existence of that first paragraph [Sacrosanctum Concilium §1] which ensured substantial preservation of the Latin, apart from a few particular cases (salvo jure particulari), such as the concession made to China.”

1 All this is described in a biography (or perhaps a hagiography) of Diekmann by Sister Kathleen Hughes, published by Diekmann’s monastery. So much for objectivity! Indeed, in a letter dated 3 March 1964, Father Godfrey Diekmann—who was ostensibly a Benedictine monk—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?”

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Father Godfrey Diekmann Last Updated: May 6, 2024

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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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    2-Voice Arr. • “Creator of the Starry Height”
    Do you direct a choir consisting of women or children only? (Some call this a “treble” choir.) Download a two-voice arrangement of Creator of the Starry Height set to the tune of IOANNES by clicking here and then scrolling to the bottom. In our times, this hymn is normally used during ADVENT, and the Latin title is: Cónditor alme síderum. It’s important to say “cónditor”—placing the accent on the antepenult—because ‘condítor’ in Latin means “one who embalms the dead.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
    My colleague, CORRINNE MAY, has posted some delightful compositions for equal voices: that is, choirs consisting of all men or all women. Included there are settings of the “Ave Maria” and “Tantum Ergo.” They strike me as relatively simple and not excessively lengthy. (In other words, within reach of volunteer singers.) Even better, all the scores have been made available as instant PDF downloads, completely free of charge. Bravo!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

Random Quote

“For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders”—is that English idiom? “For the Nazis, and all the Germans, except they say Heil Hitler! meet not in the street, holding their lives valuable”—is that English idiom?

— Monsignor Ronald Knox

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