• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

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.”

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
    • Jeff’s Mom Joins Fundraiser
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • Ordinary Form Feasts (Sainte-Marie)
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Liturgical Silence—But Not What You Think!

Jeff Ostrowski · April 29, 2015

855 Silence OT LONG AGO, I posted an article which mentioned the subject of paying people to sing at Church. I was very careful not to say—one way or the other—whether I felt it was acceptable to pay singers. I did, however, mention my personal preference. Very soon, I got angry emails. Some were furious that I had called the practice acceptable. Others were mad I had condemned it outright. Obviously, the people making these claims had not read my article. An acquaintance of mine wrote something to the effect of, “So, you condemn singers who are paid? Too bad for you, idiot.”

Over the years, I’ve learned that—very frequently—the only acceptable response is silence. When I was young, I would have argued. I would have pointed out that I never made such a claim. I would have pointed out that I’d merely expressed my preference, which I’m allowed to do in a free society. I would have said many things—and it wouldn’t have made any difference.

There are many kinds of SILENCE. Consider, for example, when you try to contact a typical American company; even one you’ve done business with for years. Normally, they don’t wish to speak to you. They send you emails from a “No Reply” email address. They force you to speak to “robot” machines on the phone. (No matter how many times you punch in the correct information, it’s not accepted.) They place you on hold for hours and hours. 1 On the other hand, there’s the SILENCE experienced by many of our friends when they contact Corpus Christi Watershed. We receive so many emails it’s impossible to reply to them all. This makes me sad, but there’s no alternative. 2

THERE IS A SILENCE WHICH HAS an effect on the liturgy, but not in a good way. It has to do with the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, which declared on 20 November 2012 that paragraph 48 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) can be ignored. Paragraph 48 says that music replacing the Entrance chant assigned by the Church must be approved. Yet, when it comes to other items—such as the law saying only an approved translation can be used for the readings at Mass—nobody says it’s okay to ignore that directive. Daniel Craig wrote more than 80 letters to the Bishops’ Committee over a period of months, but the matter was never clarified.

The Committee seems to have chosen SILENCE. Nobody can force them to clarify this matter. Let’s face it, once we start picking and choosing which parts of the GIRM we can ignore, things get complicated. Moreover, it would seem that the USCCB doesn’t wish to clarify, because doing so would draw attention to the fact that 96% of Catholic churches in the USA are not following the GIRM.

As far as the big publishing companies are concerned, SILENCE on this matter—for forty years—has worked out just fine.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   American Airlines once placed me on hold for more than 14 hours before allowing me to correct an error they had made.

2   A reader got angry about this, telling me I had a moral obligation to stay up all night—every night—until each email was answered properly.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Hymns Replacing Propers, Traditionis Custodes Vernacular Last Updated: July 23, 2021

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

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).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser
    To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

The Princess of the Palatinate once described German Protestantism to Louis XIV with this formula: “In our country, everyone makes up his own little religion.” Every priest, or almost every priest, is at this point today. All the faithful have to say is “Amen.” They are still blessed when the pastor’s religion does not change every Sunday, at the whim of his reading, the foolery he has seen others at, or at his own pure fancy.

— Professor Louis Bouyer (1968)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Flor Peeters In A Weird Mood?
  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
  • Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

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.

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!

But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”

We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.

Our president has written the following letter:

President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)

Are you able to support us?

clock.png

Time's up