It is not forbidden to be sung in a Catholic Church just by virtue of it's being of Protestant origin. It does seem odd that a Protestant hymn would be sung in a Catholic Cathedral on such a momentous occasion given the abundant patrimony of Catholic hymnody, but maybe there is some notion of ecumenism behind the selection. There is nothing strictly heretical about the lyrics from a Catholic standpoint.
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There is a vast body of French sacred music. I wonder why it wasn't played.
- There were sacred French hymns played aplenty, of course! But just as America and US President-elect Trump had a seat of honor in the front row, the British origin- now mostly American hymn “Amazing Grace” had a place of honor as well. (American soldiers did liberate Paris during WWII after all.)
- Granted “Amazing Grace” is such a mainstream, universally recognized and appreciated song now, which transcends denominations and even faiths. Notre Dame is visited in the millions by people the world over.
- It’s fitting an African singer sings it given the prominent role African Catholics and Protestant expats have played in keeping the oldest churches of Western Europe filled and afloat, even during historic periods of heightened secularism — which saw a steep decline in church attendance among native Europeans and thereby the shutting down to outright demolishment of many old churches. (I say this as an observer who lived abroad.)
Immediately following this video, YouTube fed a link to another performance at the same event, Mozart's glorious Laudate Dominum. So, no need to worry. There were probably many additional aspects to the program.