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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

Re: The “Restoration” of the Easter Vigil

Jeff Ostrowski · April 7, 2025

N THE YEARS leading up to the Second Vatican Council, Pope Pius XII had already appointed a secret cadre—known as the Commissio Piana—to begin liturgical reforms. Perhaps its most significant reform was something they called the “restoration” of Holy Week. I have written extensively about the 73 changes made to Holy Week by the Commissio Piana, and I won’t be repeating all that here.1 Suffice it to say that the Easter Vigil was “restored” (their term) in 1951.

Mixed Messages • To put it charitably, the goals of the Commissio Piana were somewhat muddled. For instance, it constantly spoke of restoring the Easter Vigil. But when people demanded to know what the big fuss was all about, the reformers constantly pointed to the RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES at the Easter Vigil. For instance, on 13 February 1952, Cardinal Antonelli said: “Nobody can deny the importance of this public and solemn renewal.” Or consider one of the reactions sent to Rome in 1952 in an effort corroborate the success of the modified Easter Vigil:

“It was a real triumph of faith and devotion. The Cathedral and the churches were unbelievably full of very devout people. […] The people are especially grateful to the Holy Father, who—inspired by the Lord—has given back to the faithful one of the greatest of liturgical consolations and has allowed them to re-live one of the most beautiful moments of the primitive Church.”

Notice how Archbishop Hannibal Bugnini calls it a “restoration” in his statement:

“The first fruit of the commission’s work was the restoration of the Easter Vigil (1951), which elicited an explosion of joy throughout the Church.”

(1 of 2) Not A Restoration • The problem, of course, is that the RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES is a complete innovation. It was invented for the first time in the 1950s. A 1953 publication from Westminster, Maryland—which hopped on the bandwagon vis-à-vis the reforms—unwittingly admitted this contradiction, stating:

“The renewal of baptismal vows in the vernacular
is a startling innovation, calculated to stir us
to make of Easter a great new beginning
of our Christian life.”

(2 of 2) Not A Restoration • It’s a strange type of “restoration from the primitive church” that rejoices over innovations which never existed before. I believe Cardinal Antonelli was a holy man. That being said, he seems a bit confused when he wrote in his MEMORIA SULLA RIFORMA LITURGICA (1948):

“Courageous men must be found, who are […] able to create a rite in harmony with both the ancient liturgy and with the spirit of modern life.”

The Catechumenate • In the years leading up to Vatican II, those who desired liturgical reform often cited as a major desideratum “the restoration of the Catechumenate.” They wanted a clear separation between the “Mass of the Catechumens” and the “Mass of the Faithful.” However, I’ve noticed something bizarre: the catechumens aren’t sent away in the 1970 Missal. (Although I’m told sending them away is a valid option.) Wasn’t that the whole point? In the primitive church—e.g. in the time of Justin Martyr—the deacon would dismiss the catechumens at the conclusion of the LITURGY OF THE WORD. This was known as the “Dismissal of the Catechumens.” Over many centuries, the Mass developed. Eventually, we were only left with the final dismissal (“Ite, missa est”).

Conclusion • I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but many of these “restorations” seem fake. It reminds me of “restoring” the Sequence in the 1970 Missal by allowing it to come before (!) the ALLELUIA (the traditional arrangement is still an option, but nobody realizes that)—even though its very name reminds one it belongs after the ALLELUIA. Furthermore, the reformers had no interest in restoring certain items. For instance, they never pushed for long vigils containing hours of penance and fasting. Nor did they push for public confession of sins. It seems like the reformers thought they knew better than all the Catholics who lived before them—but now we’re finding out they weren’t as clever as they thought. Nor was the mediæval church as “unenlightened” and “backwards” as the reformers believed. Someday, all this must be set right. Úsquequo Dómine?

1 Much more could be said about this subject, and more research needs to be done. For instance, it would be wonderful to obtain an English translation of the MEMORIA SULLA RIFORMA LITURGICA (1948). Something I’ve noticed again and again—which I find quite frustrating—is that some “Catholic influencers” who vociferously defend the 1950 Holy Week struggle mightily when it comes to listing specific differences between the 1950 Holy Week and the 1956 “reformed” Holy Week. In my view, one who ardently advocates for something should know (at a minimum) what it actually is. In the 3rd edition of the Campion Missal, both versions are printed in full, while detailed footnotes list the similarities and differences.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Archbishop Hannibal Bugnini, Commissio Piana, Dismissal of the Catechumens, Mass of the Catechumens, Memoria Sulla Riforma Liturgica, Memoria Sulla Riforma Liturgica ANTONELLI Last Updated: April 16, 2025

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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

    “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
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th 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 top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —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

“Older priests, therefore, should receive younger priests as true brothers and help them in their first undertakings and priestly duties. The older ones should likewise endeavor to understand the mentality of younger priests, even though it be different from their own, and follow their projects with good will.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (7 dec 1965)

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