Pray for the Pope

So the Beat Goes On

In years past we have been told that St. Pope Pius X promoted congregational singing in his encyclical concerning singing during Mass. If this view of the encyclical's meaning were not so tragic it would be hilarious. How would anyone, let alone St. Pope Pius X, write an encyclical about singing during mass and promote congregational singing while stating that women were not to sing at Mass (in reality half of the congregation,) and that anyone not in good moral standing was not to sing. What do the proponents of such ideas expect to happen to implement the Saint pope's wishes, make the ushers carry shepherd's hooks so they can grab anyone by the neck who should not be singing and haul them out of the church? Pope St. Pius X also said that the singers were to be instructed and be led or directed by one with knowledge of chanting. Obviously he was speaking about a choir made up of the faithful and led by a conductor who would pick and choose who was to sing. The choirs used to be up in front on the sides of the alter. So if women were in the choir they could be very distracting, not like today when they are in the back of the church. Well, that nonsense was finally silenced except the word was not passed around so we still have a few stragglers today trying to push congregational singing and claiming it is from St. Pope Pius X. What a disgrace? Later it was stated from the pulpit that Pius X, in a personal letter, had said that he wanted congregational singing. Why would a priest state from the pulpit, that which was contrary to what the same pope had said in an encyclical once he became pope? The church document is what rules. Especially when it comes after the fact. How do we know that such a personal letter was ever written?.

Once I finally did the research and found that Pius X had nothing to do with congregational singing and had put the word out, the Society was still pushing congregational singing and a dialogue Mass. Knowing that the Society didn't just come up with its own faith I went looking for the justification for congregational singing. After a short while I read a pamphlet which Mary Buckalew had given to my wife when my wife had become the choir director.

The Instruction by the Sacred Congregation of Rites was the name of the pamphlet published in September 1958. In reading The Instruction one could easily see it was setting aside tradition and was establishing a new religion based on change. They had, in paragraph 25 stated, “The active participation of the faithful in solemn Mass can be realized in three stages or degrees:” They went on to describe those stages or degrees which were to be implemented depending on where each congregation stood in its process of change in the faith of the parishioners. In other words, there was to be no Universal Church in the future. Everyone was to be at a different developmental stage or degree.

At the end of the 34 page document The Instruction stated that the pope was publishing this document and that he was in agreement. Pope Pius XII had made a note on the document which showed he was questioning the document.

What made Pope Pius XII act we do not know but he appointed a Relator of the Historical Section of The Sacred Congregation of Faith to look into the situation. A Relator is one whose duty it is to set the record straight between the Franchisee (The Sacred Congregation of Faith) and the pope. The Sacred Congregation of Faith has no rights except when in total agreement with the pope. It is to serve the pope. The Relator was quickly done with his small book of, hot air, which said nothing except what it did not say. The Instruction said that the pope was in agreement and that the pope had The Instruction published in the pope's official publication. In the Realtor's “The New Instruction” the author did not say that the pope was in agreement but tried to elude to that and he did not say that the pope had The Instruction published thereby showing that the pope did not have it published and that the Sacred Congregation Faith had published on their own.

Pope Pius XII died before The New Instruction was published a month after the original publication of The Instruction.

The point is that The Instruction and The New Instruction are not documents of the Church because they were not in union with the pope. The push for congregational singing and dialogue Mass because of The Instruction is not Catholic, to say the least. Pius XII went to quite a bit of trouble to prove who was in control of the Sacred Congregation of Faith. And it appears it cost him his life.

It is recommended you read Engines of Change on this web site.

Engine of Change (.pdf file)