In Toronto: A New Translation is Clearly Not Enough!

For decades our bishops been asked to control priests who consistently change the words of Mass or show "creativity" which results in deformation of the sacred liturgy. Now when it comes to the mode of Kyrie chosen by someone with 25 years study and experience, that they're going to control! Where are they when so-called church musicians deform the liturgy every week with music not in keeping with the mind of the Church?

For one year they wish to dictate what music will be used? Will that really mean no Marty Haugen? No more "Alleluia-cha, cha, cha."

It is posted on the Archdiocese of Toronto blog, "Around the Arch" that a letter was recently sent to the parishes from Bishop John Boissonneau, Vicar of Liturgy and Chair of the Archdiocesan Roman Missal Implementation Committee. It seems that what is desired is "unity" but at what cost?

I attended the Archdiocese of Toronto workshop a few weeks ago on music for the Mass in the corrected translation of the Roman Missal.

I was encouraged to see 500 people hungry to learn. But what did they learn? That the Gloria has a refrain; that nobody would "ever want to sing a Creed"* (see below) and that Canadian church music composers have an awful lot to learn. It is quite evident that the three composers in Celebrate in Song know little about what is true liturgical music consistent with Catholic history and praxis. I felt sorry for them when they could have been given so much more. I felt sorry for the Bishop, I know for a fact that he knows more than what the CCCB has foisted upon him and all of us!

That being said, I really do think the episcopacy the musical settings have overstepped their authority. Would that they would do the same with liturgical abuse and heresy which we have had to endure from some of our priests!

On the other hand, if they are serious and intend to keep out Marty Haugen, David Haas and the rest of the trash we've had to endure then maybe that is a good thing. My problem is that the alternative is not much better and this intent will keep out better music.

Let us look at His Excellency's letter:

1. We have been informed by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) that both the English translation of the revised Roman Missal and General instruction (GIRM) will take effect in dioceses throughout Canada on the First Sunday of Advent (November 27/28, 2011). Archbishop Collins has authorized that parishes may begin to learn the new, sung mass settings and employ them in the liturgy as of September 25, 2011. Other than these settings, the newly translated prayers (collects, prefaces, etc.) of the Missal may not be used without specific permission before the First Sunday of Advent. (I really don't like this. Have a workshop on Saturday afternoon. We go to Mass to worship the Triune God, FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT and to be fed the Holy Eucharist, but now we will go to practice singing to learn the new music? Let's just do it!

2. Four musical settings have been approved by the Bishops for use in Canada: three
commissioned by the CCCB and the “Chants of the Roman Missal” by the ICEL
(International Commission on English in the Liturgy). Thus, in addition to the
setting which will be found in the Missal, the CCCB also approved these settings
as presented in “Celebrate in Song”:

"Mass Setting A" by Fr. Geoffrey Angeles,
"Mass Setting B" (Mass of the Holy Family) by John Dawson,
"Mass Setting C" by Michel Guimont.

The CCCB has done the Church in Canada, our bishops, priests and you and me a diservice. These musical settings are about as far as quality church music for congregations as one can get. Frankly, they're quite dreadful and the Glorias, particularly Dawson's are near impossible for a congregation to sing with unreasonable leaps of fourths and fifths, syncopations and "D!'s. The Gloria is not metrical so is it forced to be and constant changes in Time Signature. Since when Fr. Angeles, Mr. Dawson and Mssr. Guimont, is there a "refrain" in the Gloria; the combox is open."
To help provide a spirit of unity and collaboration for all those involved in assisting our parishioners in full and active participation in the Eucharist, we are inviting
parishes to utilize two settings during the first year of implementation of the
new Roman Missal. We must be fully aware that all other settings presently being
used are not to be employed in the parishes after the First Sunday of Advent
because they do not reflect the new translation. This will be a significant change for choirs and cantors. If one is to make do this, then the Chant setting should be mandatory. I for one will not sing any of the three compositions listed above. I will use the Chant setting only with the Gloria from the Roman Missal. But my question is, "where is that Gloria from the Roman Missal? The Gloria in Celebrate in Song, IS NOT the Gloria from ICEL in the Roman Missal which is based on Gloria XV and is the oldest known dating from the 900's!)
You are invited to choose from a) ICEL Chants setting and b) one of the approved three CCCB sung settings. You can hear the settings by visiting our resources page of the Archdiocesan Roman Missal site: www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal/resources.htm.

This will allow parishioners, music ministers and clergy to collaborate on teaching and implementing musical settings that will become familiar to congregations at all masses. Please note: all the mass settings presently being used at parish liturgies need to be replaced by the new authorized settings effective the First Sunday of Advent 2011. The desire for a unity of musical settings in your parish may be challenging but your guidance and encouragement will make this exercise of decision-making a positive moment in liturgical renewal. (Let's make something clear. The Kyrie and Agnus Dei are not changing there is absolutely no reason why these need to change. Victor Togni's Parish Mass and Father Somerville's Good Shepherd Mass are perfectly acceptable. Respectfully I think they've overstepped their authority here.

4. We are aware that parishes have received other musical settings, including those from the United States. In order to foster unity, we ask all parishes to use the mass settings from the CCCB for the first year of implementation. Your cooperation is appreciated in adopting this approach in your parish.

This is poor quality church music and is inferior music to what we should have in our pews and we should be hearing music based on Gregorian modalities as prescribed in document after document!)
Thank you to all those who participated in the recent workshop related to
the music settings presented in “Celebrate in Song” and approved for use in
Canada. More than 450 people were in attendance for the gathering, a wonderful
response to the first of many planned sessions with parish musicians..

Here are the ICEL Roman Missal settings.

Someone asked the question, "Is the new translation enough?"

The answer is clearly, "No!"

*Clarification:

While it was sponsored by the Archdiocese, I was reminded by a commenter that it was presented by the Ontario Liturgical Conference Music Commission (which has no "Contact" link on its web page) and the two main speakers were Msgr. Murray Kroetch and Ms. Sandy Milne, former "Parish Minister" at St Aloysius Catholic Church in Kitchner. The same type of workshop has been held in other host dioceses. Ms. Sandy Milne is the one who said, "They've even included a sung Creed (in the chant setting), I can't see why anyone would want to sing it."

Now, this is from an expert at a "Liturgical Commission?"

And you wonder why we're in the mess which we are in?

Ontario Liturgical Conference Music Commission presenters (l-r) Greg DeSouza, Msgr.
Murray Kroetsch, Fr. Jerry Dunn, Sandy Milne, Sharon Fazari.

Bishop Fellay and the enemies of Pope Benedict XVI

Bishop Bernard Fellay's recent homily at Winona included this:

Who is going to win in the Holy See? We have so many examples where we see that, when the pope wants to do something good, he’s blocked or paralyzed. I will give another of so many examples. The only Trappist abbot in Germany requested from the pope to return, not only to the Tridentine Mass, but to be able to restore the Rule and Constitutions that were in place prior to Vatican II. The pope granted it and, in order to make it possible, he removed him from the Benedictine Federation, which uses modern Rules, so that he could follow the old one. The pope placed the abbey directly under himself. Six months later, the abbot called a friend in Rome and asked him what was going on. “I have no news,” he said. His friend replied: “Write again to the Pope, but this time send the letter to me and I will personally take it to the pope,” which he did. He brought the letter and asked the Holy Father what was happening with this abbey. The pope, very surprised, said: “I granted the permission six months ago!” An inquiry was made and they found out that someone–we know exactly who it was–had put the letter in a drawer at the Secretary of State’s office. This time, this friend –who told me the story personally, so there is no hearsay–said to the Holy Father: “Write concesso (“permission granted”) in the letter and I will
take care of it. I will bring the news to the abbey.” By doing this, they went around the Secretary of State to give news of the Pope’s decision. This is just one example.

Read more here.

Heaven came to Park Lawn

"Qui pacem ponit fines Ecclesiae, frumenti adipe satiat nos Dominus"--The LORD establishes peace in the borderlands of His Church and feeds His people with the finest of wheat. These were the words from scripture of the anthem, Qui Pacem Ponit by Jean-François Lallouette (1651–1728) sung last night after Holy Communion at St. Mark's in Toronto at the Missa Solemnis in honour of our Eucharistic LORD on the Feast of Corpus Christi.


At 6:30, a half-hour before Mass, it was evident that I had erred. There were only 100 red missal books and 100 printed translation aids. These were gone not too many minutes later. Last night in Toronto, 225 souls attended the Holy Mass and were fed the Finest of Wheat by the Priest Celebrant who confected the Holy Eucharist on the original High Altar at St. Mark's, not used in more forty-five years for this sacred purpose. That priest was ordained less than two months ago in Toronto and will shortly begin his parish duties. He was assisted by two other priests as Deacon and Subdeacon ordained in 2010. The parish's pastor provided the homily and assisted at the distribution of the Holy Eucharist.

Except for perhaps the Holy Mass at The Toronto Oratory Church of St. Vincent de Paul in honour of Blessed John Henry Newman last September, this was the largest number of Catholics gathered for the Usus Antiquior of the Latin Church since it was falsely abolished by the episcopacy in this diocese and in this country. Pope Benedict XVI in Summorum Pontificum has written that this liturgy "was never abrogated."

On July 1, another Mass will be celebrated at St. Peter's Church in Toronto in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

There will be more Masses of this nature. This liturgy will save our faith.

Music for the Toronto Missa Solemnis on Corpus Christi

Here friends is the music program for tomorrow evening's most Holy Mass.

• Organ Prelude: Master Tallis' Testament, Herbert Howells
• Processional Hymn: Father, We Thank Thee Who Hast Planted, Rendez et Dieu
• Introit: Cibavit eos, Gregorian
• Kyrie: Mass for Three Voices, William Byrd
• Gloria: Mass VIII, Missa de Angelis
• Gradual: Oculi omnium, Gregorian
• Alleluia: Caro mea, Gregorian
• Sequence: Lauda Sion, Gregorian
• Credo: Credo III with Wm. Byrd ("et incarnatus...")
• Offertory: Sacerdotes Domini, Gregorian
• Motet: Jesu! Rex Admirablis, G.P. da Palestrina
• Sanctus: Mass VIII, Missa de Angelis
• Agnus Dei: Mass for Three Voices, William Byrd
• Communion: Quotiescumque, Gregorian
• Motet: Qui pacem ponit, J-F. Lallouette
• Procession-Pange Lingua, Sacris Solemniis, Verbum supernum, Salutis humanae Sator, Aeternae Rex Altissime,
  
• Te Deum
• Tantum Ergo
• Adoremus in aeternum
• Recessional Hymn: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus
• Organ Postlude: Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne; D. Buxtehude
  

Did Dalton McGuinty threaten Catholic Bishops?

Did Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and his Liberal government cabal of CINO's, homosexualists, secular humanists, atheists and Anti-Catholic Bigots threaten the Bishops of Ontario with the de-funding of Catholic Education to demand their support for ramming a pro-homosexual curriculum that conflicts with Catholic teaching on Ontario schools?

What you read below has been spoken of for at least six months by Catholics in the know in Toronto and Ontario.

"Under threat of a withdrawal of funding to Catholic schools by the Ontario Liberal government the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario reluctantly approved the homosexual ‘anti-bullying’ clubs in April and similarly approved an ‘equity’ policy addressing ‘sexual orientation’ last October.

Passage of the Toronto Catholic school board’s equity policy is considered a watershed advancement of homosexual activism in Ontario’s education system. The Toronto board is the last and by far the largest Catholic board to implement the policy as part of the Ontario government’s sweeping “equity and inclusive education strategy”. LifeSiteNews.Com

As a Catholic, educated and of privilege, you have even more to answer to Him who said, "better that he have a millstone tied around his neck and is thrown into the bottom of the sea than to scandalise one of my little ones."

Dalton, you have a lot to answer for to the people of Ontario on October 6.

Dalton, as an educated and privileged Catholic, you have even more to answer for to your Creator and mine.

As a fellow Catholic man, I ask you to ponder these words from Our LORD and Saviour: "It were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones."

Readers outside of Canada or at least Ontario, particularly those in the United States will find it shocking that Catholic schools in Ontario are government funded. It is constiutional right of Catholics in Ontario dating back to even before Confederation in 1867.

Ordinariate for the FSSPX?

It is being reported on Rorate Caeli Blog through Messa in Latino that the Holy Father is about to propose to Bishop Fellay, FSSPX, the institution of an Ordinariate, in order to regularise the situation of the FSSPX and their allied communities.

This may be the solution that is needed to fix this problem.

Akin to the Military Ordinatriates and the new Anglican Ordinatriates, these are essentially "dioceses" without borders. This solution would allow the Priestly Society of St. Pius X to continue its good work without the rancour of accusations of "schism" and it would normalise their situation in the Church. It would further prevent a local Ordinary from interference in their affairs.

Personally, it would be wonderful to see a "Canadian Ordinariate" for the SSPX and having an Ordinary for Canada appointed. Wouldn't the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops just go apoplectic over that one as the Ordinary (whether a priest or bishop) would be a member!

Those of us who are trying to rebuild our sacred heritage in the Usus Antiquior or ensuring that the Novus Ordo is celebrated with the hermeneutic of continuity which it should have had must pray for this to be resolved. It may happen and it may happen very quickly.

All Catholics, worldwide need the SSPX question solved and the bishops, priests and religious and the lay-catholics attending their chapels need this resolved. This may be the way to do it.

To those in the SSPX who believe that Rome must "fix" the problems in doctrinal interpretation or the Second Vatican Council first, forget it. You are not Peter.

This is like the house burning with papa fighting the fire in the house and the boys are outside and won't come to help. They say, "you put the fire out and then we'll come in." They stand outside yelling and giving him instructions and demands but they don't come in to help him in the battle.

It is time to get in this fight my SSPX friends from the inside.

The Proper Movement

A number of the posts below refer to liturgical music, after all, it was the primary reason for this blog. Pope Benedict XVI, Blessed John Paul II, Dom Mark Kirby, OSB and links and references to other papal documents can all be found.

I'm a little aggressive about this because I'm frustrated at the wretched Mass settings foisted on over 500 people by the Chancery office in Toronto. It's probably not their fault, at least not directly they were, after all, following the lead of the "high priests of liturgy" at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In the United States, Father Samuel Weber is undertaking a Propers project in St. Louis, as has Father Columba Kelly. Adam Bartlett at The Chant Cafe and those at the Church Music Association of America are ready to publish The Simple Propers. the Novus Ordo and 21st century answer to what Father Rossini undertook in the 1930's. Sing the Mass!

I'm quite open to saying that on this matter, Vox is ahead of the curve. For six years I've been working on integrating these into the liturgy as they are the primary texts of the Mass and they are intended to be sung. At my current position in Toronto on Saturdays for the Vigil Mass, I began by singing the Communion Antiphon right from the missalette to a Gregorian tone. This is sung as the Priest Communicates. I then added the Entrance before the Processional Hymn (though I would rather do it after if there was incense) and I've now added the Offertory with the Communion Antiphon now including the Psalm Verses. I use The Simple Propers.

To my delight, this was published on line today.

Father John-Mark Missio is a priest of the Archdiocese of Toronto. He is a published composer on CanticaNova and he is former Director of St. Michael's Choir School. He is now at The Liturgical Institute undertaking doctoral studies.

If you are a priest or a deacon or church musician or just care about the liturgy, take the time to read his essay.

Someday, he will return to Toronto.

After the experiences two week ago, it can't be soon enough!

The Proper Chants of the Entrance, Offertory and Communion Processions
Models of Liturgical Hymnody
An Essay Based on Musicam Sacram 32
Reverend John-Mark Missio, B.Math., B.Music, M.Div.
The Liturgical Institute
University of St. Mary of Lake
Mundelein

Will the new English translation be enough?

This question is poised by by Dom Mark Daniel Kirby is Prior of the Diocesan Benedictine Monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle in Tulsa, Oklahoma on his blog, Vultus Christi. I had a conversation last week with a Toronto priest currently undertaking a repair of a wreckovation and a major infrastructure renovation of a church. He opined that the "single, most damaging reform to the Mass is the priest facing the people."

Yet, last week at a conference in Toronto on the new Missal, a colleague conducting a children's choir at the parish where I chant on Saturdays expressed her shock that "ad orientem" might actually occur. A few days later, when inviting someone to the upcoming Missa Solemnis at St. Mark's she indicated that her "husband doesn't care for the priest turning his back on the people."

How did we become so disoriented?

Here is Father Kirby's blogpost:

WILL THE NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION BE ENOUGH?

By Father Mark Daniel Kirby
Pondering
Having had time, over the past few days and nights, to reflect on various aspects of the reform of the Sacred Liturgy, and in the light of what I have been experiencing here in Italy, it occurred to me that I might share some of my thoughts with the readers of Vultus Christi.
Mass Facing the People: The Single Greatest Obstacle to the Reform
Here in Italy it is evident that churches were designed and constructed with an eye to the absolute centrality of the altar with priest and people facing together in the same direction. The placement, within perfectly proportioned sanctuaries, of secondary altars to allow for Mass facing the people has utterly destroyed the harmony, order, and spaciousness that the Sacred Liturgy, by its very nature, requires.
The Cheek-by-Jowl Ambo
Adding insult to injury, these versus populum altars are, more often than not cheek by jowl with a lectern (or ambo) that effectively impedes any movement around the altar, and positively discourages the incensation of the altar at the Introit and Offertory of the Mass.
Crucifix, Candles, and Flowers
Here in Italy -- and also in France -- the traditional symmetrical arrangement of the candles and crucifix has all but disappeared in favour of a curious asymmetrical disposition that nearly always includes a bouquet of flowers placed at one end of the altar, one, two, or three candles at the opposite end, and a crucifix somewhere in the sanctuary that may or may not be construed as having an inherent relationship with the altar.
The Priest Magnified
Apart from these considerations, the most deleterious effect continues to be the magnification of the priest and of his personality. The theological direction of all liturgical prayer -- ad Patrem, per Filium, in Spiritu -- is obscured, while the priest, even in spite of himself, appears to be, at every moment, addressing the faithful or engaging personally with them.
It's All About Me
Certain priests and bishops, marked by a streak of narcissism, abuse their position in front of and over the congregation to soak up the attention and energy of the faithful, attention and energy that, by right, belong to God alone during the Sacred Liturgy.
Placed in front of and over the congregation, priests an bishops all too easily give in to an arrogant liturgical clericalism, subjecting the faithful to their own additions amendments, comments, and embolisms. The faithful, being a captive audience, are subjected to the personality of the priest, which can and often does obscure the purity of the liturgical actions and texts that constitute the Roman Rite.
Translation and Business As Usual
The New English Translation of the Roman Missal will not, of itself, be enough to bring about an authentic reform and renewal of the Novus Ordo Missae. A deeper and broader reform is needed, one that must, necessarily, begin with bishops and with their priests charged with the care of souls.
Where to Start?
What concrete steps might be taken? It is fully within the authority of bishops to mandate and prescribe, for example, that two arrangements of the sanctuary will be allowed in their dioceses.
The Altar
In churches possessing an ad orientem altar integral to the architectural genius of the original design of the apse or of the sanctuary, secondary versus populum altars should be removed, and the sanctuaries should be restored to the original order, harmony, and spaciousness that characterized them.
In churches possessing only a versus populum altar, that altar should be so arranged as to place the crucifix, with the corpus facing the priest, in a central position with three candles at either side, following the Roman practice. Ideally there should be a space of minimally five feet on all sides of a free-standing altar, so as to facilitate the necessary ritual incensations and so as to allow, whenever possible, the celebration of the Mass ad orientem.