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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

Charlie Kirk’s Fascination with Traditional Catholic Liturgy

Mark Haas · September 11, 2025

Editor’s Note: We’re a 501(c)3 public charity, established in the state of Texas in 2006. Readers know we don’t cover politics. On the other hand, our policy is to give great leeway to our bloggers. If you’re someone who comes here to avoid political posts, we ask you to simply “keep scrolling.” I emphasize: our policy has always been to give our authors independence.

E ASSASSINATION of Charlie Kirk has sent shockwaves through the entire western world. His passion for truth seeking and debate was inspiring to many who followed him. He was especially passionate about his faith. While identifying as an evangelical protestant, Kirk seemed to be drawn to many Traditional worship elements that exist within Catholic and Orthodox worship.

The Appeal of “Smells and Bells” • Charlie Kirk has repeatedly spoken about the power of traditional liturgy, often contrasting it with the modern entertainment-driven style of worship common in many evangelical settings. On his podcast, he remarked that people are not truly drawn to churches filled with electric guitars, smoke machines, and high production value. Instead, he argued, they long for “tradition, beauty, reverence.” These qualities, often dismissed by contemporary worship leaders, are precisely what Catholic liturgy in its traditional form offers.

Ancient and Beautiful Spaces • Kirk often points to Catholic and Orthodox churches as living witnesses to a faith that has endured. He praises these spaces as “ancient” and “beautiful,” marveling that they have “stood the test of time.”

Unlike evangelical worship centers, which can sometimes resemble concert halls or coffee shops, Catholic and Orthodox churches communicate a sense of permanence. Their architecture, music, and ritual are designed to point upward—to God—rather than inward toward entertainment.

A Generation Restless for Tradition • One of Kirk’s sharpest insights is his observation that younger generations are increasingly disillusioned with the consumerist model of evangelical worship. For many millennials and Gen Z believers, the guitar-driven music and TED Talk-style preaching feel shallow and unsatisfying. Instead, Kirk notes, they are being drawn to the aesthetic and liturgical traditionalism of Catholic and Orthodox services. These traditions provide a depth and seriousness that modern trends cannot replicate, offering something transcendent in a world starved of meaning.

“I Want to Feel Holy” • In a conversation from his Another Signal Chat … And Another Pope? episode, Kirk cut to the heart of his critique: “I don’t need a worship song with electric guitar and smoke. I want to feel holy.” With this statement, he distills what attracts him—and so many others—to Catholic worship: it is not about spectacle, but sanctity.

The Power of Easter Vigil • Perhaps most striking is Kirk’s personal testimony of attending the Catholic Easter Vigil. He described the experience vividly: “I go there … I point up. It’s not a Costco with a rock band and a TED Talk and good coffee … I enjoy the holiness, the beauty, the pageantry, the structure, tradition, and reverence.”

His words reflect a fascination with the Mass as something utterly unlike consumer culture—an encounter with mystery and transcendence.

May he rest in peace.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: September 11, 2025

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About Mark Haas

Mark Haas is a composer and speaker whose music has been sung in over 600 parishes and 10 countries. He serves as the Music Director at Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria, Florida where he lives with his wife and seven children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 26th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 28 September 2025, which is the 26th 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 gorgeous melody and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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
    PDF Download • Communion (26th Sn. Ord.)
    This coming Sunday, 28 September 2025, is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON with Fauxbourdon verses in honor of William Couture sparkles with beauty. It comes Psalm 118 (the lengthiest psalm) which is an “alphabetical acrostic.” That means each verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    PDF Download • “Side-By-Side Comparison”
    Pope Urban VIII modified almost all the Church’s ancient hymns in 1632AD. The team responsible for creating the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal spent years comparing the different versions of each hymn: “Urbanite” vs. “pre-Urbanite.” When it comes to the special hymn for the upcoming feast (9 November)—URBS BEATA JERUSALEM—Dr. Adrian Fortescue pointed out that “the people who changed it in the 17th century did not even keep its metre; so the later version cannot be sung to the old, exceedingly beautiful tune.” Monsignor Hugh Thomas Henry (d. 1946), a professor of Gregorian Chant at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary (Overbrook, Philadelphia), wrote: “Of this hymn in particular some think that, whereas it did not suffer as much as some others, yet it lost much of its beauty in the revision; others declare that it was admirably transformed without unduly modifying the sense.” You can use this side-by-side comparison chart to compare both versions. When it comes to its meaning, there’s little significant difference between the two versions: e.g. “name of Christ” vs. “love of Christ.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It was amusing to read in our papers that German Catholics were now using the vernacular at High Mass. In some parts of Germany they have been doing just that for well-nigh four hundred years! The cathedral in Osnabruck has solemn High Mass every Sunday with the whole chapter present, and the introit Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei are sung … in German. Imagine, for four hundred years almost!”

— Hans Ansgar Reinhold (Dec. 1944)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.