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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

Has Our Catholic Culture Been Completely Dismantled?

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · August 31, 2016

160 Calabrese RECENTLY watched a two-part special on JFK that focused on his early political campaigns through to his presidency. My wife and I noted that his speech, and that of his colleagues and opponents, was nothing like the political discourse of today. Their words were almost always refined and elegant. They were masters of the language. It was beautiful to hear, and it was inspiring. Kennedy’s speeches in particular, with phrases such as “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” or “sending a man to the moon and returning him safely to the earth, not because it is easy but because it is hard” and “we must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth” were important because they assumed that most listeners would understand that striving for excellence is important and that not everything should be so watered down as to be easy or require no effort.

Kennedy (no matter what you think of his politics) spoke in a way that befitted his office. His speech had a cadence and rhythm that made it elevated and aspirational. Further, his wife beautified the White House so that all would recognize it as an almost ‘sacred’ place, worthy of only the best our culture had to offer. She invited the most important musicians and artists to perform there, not because it was her preference, but because it showed that a great country should support and sustain its culture. The use of language, the promotion of beauty, and the aspirational speech galvanized the people of the nation. A bar was raised that made the people proud of their country, aware of their rich cultural heritage, and helped all to appreciate excellence. Today, many would say that we no longer care about excellence, art, beauty, and a sense of the sacred; that we no longer know how to use elevated and respectful speech; and that we have squandered the pride of our rich cultural heritage. Many would say that our country has suffered greatly for these losses.

Our Church has lost many of the same things.

Our Catholic aspirations are much higher than even those of a great nation. Our aspiration is to get to heaven—period. Many people who will read this article have already experienced these losses. They know about the climate and discourse in so many of our parishes and on the internet. Still others will never have known about our rich cultural heritage except by attending a symposium or seminar.

So here is the question: has the kind of speech that has been foisted on the liturgy under the guise of ‘contemporary’ music, and has the loss of great art and architecture, the dismissal of a refined and elegant language, and the lack of aspirational speech focused on excellence led to a dismantling of our Catholic culture?

Excellence, beauty, elegant speech, lofty ideas. Where can these be found? What is our Catholic culture? Perhaps excellence and beauty can be found in the sacred music of chant and polyphony, which the Church tells us should hold pride of place in our liturgies. Perhaps elevated and inspirational language can be found in the sung dialogues of the priest and people, and in the newly refined Collects of the Roman Missal. Perhaps a sense of the sacred can be revived in the way the priests, deacons, and servers might comport themselves during Mass. Perhaps our culture can be saved by allowing people to once again experience the wonder of traditional vestments, by adorning our churches with beautiful art, by building new churches with architecture worthy of a sacred place, and by singing chant and sacred polyphony on a regular basis. Perhaps the 50-year experiment of singing “songs” with words about us, instead of sacred words about God, has led us to lose our focus. Perhaps.

“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.”

Perhaps this is about truth.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Dr. Alfred Calabrese

Dr. Alfred Calabrese is Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, TX. He and his wife have two children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    My pastor asked me to write brief 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 most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”
    —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 union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the past they have unhappily left it.

— Pope Pius XI (6 January 1928)

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