HE SECOND Vatican Council, in §50 of its first document, said that “the rite of the Mass is to be revised.” Pope Saint Paul VI gave this task to various groups, and the Novus Ordo was released circa 1970. Later on, when folks began to study SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM, it became apparent the liturgical changes far exceeded the “revisions” mandated by Vatican II. The question then became is it possible to reform the reform? Is such a thing possible?
Vatican Says “Yes” • The Vatican has shown that it’s possible for such a thing to occur. For instance, in 1981 a Vatican official didn’t like the Responsorial Psalm assigned for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) … so he changed it to a different one. Every country since 1981 has been mandated to use the new psalm—not what was mandated in 1970—and none have resisted. This is an example of reforming the reform.
USCCB Joins The Cause • On 27 November 2011, the USCCB took a more audacious and far-reaching step. This has to do with the antiphons assigned for the Introit and Communion. As part of the 1970 reform, a Benedictine priest from Spain named DOM ADALBERT FRANQUESA GARRÓS created a bunch of “alternate” propers, to be used for private Masses and Masses without music. These are generally referred to as the Adalbert Propers or the Spoken Propers. Sadly, the Adalbert Propers manifest an impoverished theology. Dom Adalbert claimed certain passages of Sacred Scripture “lose almost all of their meaning” unless they are sung to certain melodies—an assertion which is bizarre and seems close to heresy. There’s no need to repeat what’s already been said about the Adalbert Propers. The main thing to understand is what Pope Saint Paul VI declared on 3 April 1969:
“Although the text of the Roman Gradual—
at least that which concerns the singing—
has not been changed, the Entrance
antiphons & Communions antiphons have been
revised for Masses without singing.”
To view this quotation with your own eyes, simply open any ALTAR MISSAL printed after 1969. It’s included in the front of each and every printed copy, even the most recent American editions.
Major Alteration to 1970 Missal • But on 27 November 2011, the USCCB made a significant change to what the reformers had done. They got approval from the Vatican for a special “United States Adaptation” which changed the 1970 rite. Specifically, the “United States Adaptation” says the Adalbert Propers can replace the antiphons in the (post-conciliar) GRADUALE ROMANUM. Sometimes, the Adalbert Propers correspond loosely to the antiphons assigned by the 1970 liturgical books, but frequently they’re taken from completely different books of the Bible.
Conclusions • It isn’t known why this USA adaptation—which fundamentally modifies the 1970 rite—was requested (or granted). Indeed, the chairman of the USCCB liturgical committee in November of 2007 told the conference of bishops the Adalbert Propers “were never intended to be sung, but are provided without notation to be recited whenever the GRADUALE ROMANUM or another song is not sung.” He said this was made clear to him by “recent research, confirmed by unofficial discussions with officials of the Holy See during the past several years.” He then felt the need to reiterate that the Adalbert Propers “which differ substantially from the sung antiphons of the GRADUALE ROMANUM, were never intended to be sung.” So a case can’t be made the USCCB didn’t know what they were doing in this particular instance.
Nothing, therefore, stands in the way in principle of a “Reform of the Reform.”
