The Recovering Choir Director

has been generating a wide variety of responses from readers. Below are my comments on the thread, to which I have added relevant links. Feel free to see the context of the discussion and to continue it there, if desired.

If you will indulge some observations from this ignoramus…

Lopping off the “curial” from it, the phrase “bureaucrats rearranging deck chairs to keep the Church off balance” seems to have been used by certain circles to describe the Consilium, regardless of whether Abp. Bugnini, et al. had any ties to the square and compass. We could say the same thing about diocesan bureaucrats who interpret GIRM to legislate change for the sake of change, and who allow Kinseyites to perform perverse experiments on parochial school students, keeping the Church off balance. We could say the same thing about parish council and liturgical committee bureaucrats who quibble over what should be trifles, but are exploded out of proportion, blowing little holes into the Church’s hull. (What qualifies as a trifle when the celebration of Eucharist is the source and summit of the Faith, by the way?) And finally, we could say the same thing about individuals like myself who dare to add fuel to the fire by our semi-informed observations. But hey, as it didn’t stop those at the top, I suppose these responses are the trickle-down effect.

Mr. Price begs to differ with the opinion (although stated in a factual manner by Mr. Flowerday) that focusing on one Rite is the best way for Roman Catholics by taking his participatio actuosa to an Eastern Rite parish. As a newcomer to the popularly-called Tridentine Rite (done in the best sung tradition), I see a reference point that is, while indeed difficult to achieve, possible with the reformed Rite. Others seem hell-bent on eradicating any vestige of continuity between the old and the new, such as Latin, chant, vestments, and even the corpus on the crucifix.

Like others, I am guilty at some level of conflating the new Rite with the aforementioned individuals, as well as schlocky hymns, Good-morning-how-are-you formalities that scream informality, Julia Child analogies, moving the Tabernacle to the side, placing the priest’s chair where the Tabernacle used to be (what’s that supposed to mean?), wrecked churches done in a spirit of defiance and underhandedness. And it seems that we’ll gladly add shame to that guilt and joyfully repent of such views when they’re no longer justifiable.

Others, like Cathy’s parents, will patiently endure the innovations and abuses with a childlike obedience that will merit them a higher place in Heaven than I should we all make it there. May we all do so.