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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

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“A flawless harmonization of Gregorian chant cannot be created by improvisation, no matter the competence and ability of the organist or harmonist.”

— Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (circa 1940)

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