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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

Installment #2 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”

Guest Author · July 31, 2025

HIS IS THE SECOND installment in a series called: “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation.” We have the audacity to hope our series will persuade priests and bishops to fix this scandalous situation, which has been festering for 50+ years. One reason this outrageous state of affairs has perdured is owing to its subject matter, which is mind-numbingly boring to most Catholics. Another reason it’s ‘flown under the radar’ is because exposing it makes one feel dirty. Lutherans, Anglicans, or Pentecostals might take delight in giving the Catholic Church a black eye; but we are loyal Catholics. We recoil from pointing out the ‘human’ side of Holy Mother Church. Indeed, we selected this venue (CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED) since no one can doubt their constant—almost obsessive—dedication to providing positive resources for Catholics, freely offered to all.

(1 of 2) Control Over Texts • Today, we will discuss the matter of control. When our discussion ends, please don’t expect to understand fully, because the situation is virtually impenetrable. One must understand that for half a century a number of shell corporations have claimed (falsely, as we saw) to ‘own’ the indulgenced and mandatory texts of the Roman Catholic Mass. But why were numerous shell corporations devised? Wouldn’t one be sufficient? Not for their purposes. When a publisher wishes to reproduce the Church’s mandatory texts, multiple shell corporations allow a sinister ‘passing the buck’ that never ends. One entity will say, “I will grant permission for the text we claim copyright over only after you obtain permission from three other corporations.” Predictably, immense confusion results from such Mickey Mouse games.

This Coming Sunday • Consider the Responsorial Psalm for this coming Sunday, 3 August 2025, which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). In 1969, the ORDO LECTIONUM assigned Psalm 94, and the 1970 English version of the Lectionary had no difficulty translating it:

*  PDF Download • Responsorial Psalm (1970 Version)
——We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance creating this PDF file.

1981 Modification • On 21 January 1981, the Congregation for Divine Worship made a change. (No explanation was given for this change, as far as we can tell.) We will not go down a rabbit hole of discussing why a new edition of the Lectionary was issued in 1981. In any event, for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), the Congregation for Divine Worship eliminated Psalm 94 and instead assigned Psalm 89, as you can see:

*  PDF Download • Changing Ps. 94 to Ps. 89
——We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance creating this PDF file.

Shell Corporation Translation • Translating the refrain is hardly rocket science. Catholics in the United Kingdom exhibited no difficulty whatsoever in this regard. (Notice they also label Psalm 94 as an “Alternative Responsorial Psalm.”) But when it comes to the American shell corporations which claim to ‘own’ the Bible, they butchered the refrain:

*  PDF Download • ERRONEOUS TRANSLATION
——We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance creating this PDF file.

Notice how the 1991 American Lectionary ends up with a REFRAIN from a completely different psalm. This error has perdured for 34 years. Yet we have been assured (for many decades) that the USCCB shell corporations must make a profit from selling the sacred texts because “the People of God deserve the liturgy in its integrity.” Showing great insolence, they insist upon the following verbiage:

The copyright allows the owner to
protect the integrity of the text
so that individuals may not introduce
changes without permission.

The shell corporations have assiduously avoided using a Creative Commons copyright. Can we not reasonably draw conclusions from this?

Legal Threats • When companies attempt to print the Mass texts—which are indulgenced and mandated—the people running the various shell corporations (who claim to ‘own’ these texts) behave in a reprehensible manner. They cause endless delays, even trying to exert control over texts which have resided in the public domain for centuries. We’ve already examined how they falsely claim copyright over certain texts.1 As if such actions weren’t sordid enough, they then pretend to control public domain texts. By what authority can they control such texts? Nevertheless, all companies must acquiesce—because who can afford to take such matters to court? With great brazenness, the various shell corporations make this claim:

No portion of this text may be
reproduced by any means without
permission in writing from the
copyright owner.

They claim such restrictions even apply to worship leaflets, bulletins, and broadcasting. However, these shell corporations refuse to provide a royalty ‘chart’ to those who make inquiries. But shouldn’t the rates be the same for everyone? Why are they kept secret?

(2 of 2) Control Over Texts • When it comes to the Responsorial Psalm, one corporation claims to own the psalm itself while a different corporation (!) claims to own the refrains. Such arrangements make it easy for the ‘owners’ of these texts to exert control over publishers. Now, let’s go deeper. Considers three statements from the USCCB:

37. The arrangement or selection of liturgical texts must not result in the suppression of alternatives and options for the congregation (or for the celebrant and other ministers, as applicable). […] The publisher does not have the authority to make unilateral selection of liturgical texts among the options available.

4. From the approved liturgical books to the simplest participation aids, publications should provide the greatest possible diversity and options, as expected by the liturgical reform. No publication should limit, directly or indirectly, the breadth of choice open to the priest and other ministers, the leaders of song, parish and community worship committees, or others who participate in planning liturgical celebration.

Discriminatory Practices • These statements (reaffirmed by the USCCB as recently as 23 April 2009) are not enforced in an even-handed way. A small cadre at the corporate office in Washington DC decides which options can be used—even for texts their offices don’t claim to own—and anyone who doesn’t comply is threatened with legal action. Numerous options are allowed by the GIRM (General Instruction for the Roman Missal): options in the GRADUALE ROMANUM; options in the GRADUALE SIMPLEX; other metrical collections; seasonal psalms; seasonal refrains; etc. But those fully legitimate options make no difference to the various shell corporations who only care about control. Furthermore, special ‘favors’ or ‘permissions’ or ‘exceptions’ are given to various corporations while others are denied. With impunity, contradictory statements are made in writing to different parties regarding what constitutes a ‘participation aid’ and what does not. If this seems insignificant, consider that hymnals and missals can easily require half a decade to produce … to say nothing of the enormous costs of offset printing. Throughout our series, we will be providing specific examples of unfair treatment by these shell corporations … treatment both egregious and brazen.

(1 of 2) Conclusions • To claim copyright falsely is bad enough. To make millions of dollars each year selling (!) indulgenced and mandatory Mass texts—the very Word of God—is even worse. But to exert control over public domain texts can only be described as “adding insult injury.”

A Vatican document (INTER ŒCUMENICI) explicitly said that liturgical books “shall contain besides the vernacular version the Latin text as well.” Would an embarrassing error like the one discussed earlier have persisted for 34 years if the shell corporations had followed that injunction? Certainly not! Furthermore, were all bishops who (supposedly) serve on the Committee on Divine Worship made aware of errors like this? Were any of them told? More importantly, were those bishops informed that publishers wishing to correct such errors were being threatened with legal action?

(2 of 2) Conclusions • There’s an old saying: “Personnel is policy.” For decades, we’ve been told about a forthcoming Lectionary which will be imposed upon the United States. Who is in charge of this project? What specific criteria are they using?

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 According to the doctrine of restitution, at some point, all that lucre—their ‘profits’—will have to be given back, because it was obtained fraudulently.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Inter Oecumenici, Novus Ordo Lectionary, Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation Last Updated: August 16, 2025

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President’s Corner

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR shamefully 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 Holy Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand while it’s sung … even though everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia. Furthermore, 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
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas
    Last Sunday, a children’s choir I’m teaching sang with us for the very first time at Sunday Mass. Females from our main choir sang along with them. If you’re curious to hear how they sounded, you can listen to a ‘live’ recording. That’s an English version of TANTUM ERGO by Saint Thomas Aquinas. That haunting melody is called GAUFESTRE and was employed for this 2-Voice Arrangement of a special hymn for 9 November (“Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome”) which replaces a Sunday this year.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of September (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
    “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

It is clear the Church is facing a grave crisis. Under the name of “the new Church” and “the post-conciliar Church,” a different Church from that of Jesus Christ is now trying to establish itself: an anthropocentric society threatened with imminent apostasy which is allowing itself to be swept along in a movement of general abdication under the pretext of renewal, ecumenicism, or adaptation.

— Cardinal Henri de Lubac (29 August 1967)

Recent Posts

  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
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  • “Toward a More Sacred Style With Pastoral Charity” • Guest Article by Dr. Myrna Keough
  • “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas

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