Bishops to Vote on Norms for Hymns at Mass

USCCB ^ | October 18, 2006

[NYer]

WASHINGTON (October 18, 2006) — The U.S. bishops will vote to establish norms for hymns at Mass during their annual November meeting in Baltimore, November 13-16.

The new norms, which will require a two-thirds vote by the bishops and subsequent recognitio by the Holy See, are to ensure that liturgical songs will be doctrinally correct, based in the scriptural and liturgical texts and relatively fixed.

The norms are part of a new “Directory for Music and the Liturgy for Use in the Dioceses in the United States of America.” The directory responds to a recommendation of Liturgiam authenticam, the fifth Vatican instruction on correct implementation of liturgical renewal called for by the Second Vatican Council.

Specific norms state that

1. The approval of liturgical songs is reserved to the Diocesan Bishop in whose diocese an individual song is published. He is supported in his work by this directory and by the USCCB Secretariat on the Liturgy.

2. The Diocesan Bishop is assisted in his review of individual texts through the formation of a committee for the review of liturgical songs consisting of theologians, liturgists, and musicians. The committee shall assure that each text is suitable for liturgical use based on the principles articulated in this directory.

3. Within three years, the Committee on the Liturgy will formulate a Common Repertoire of Liturgical Songs for use in all places where the Roman liturgy is celebrated in the United States of America. While songs outside the core repertoire may also be used in the Liturgy, this core repertoire will be included in all worship aids used in the dioceses of the United States of America.

The directory is to serve not so much as a list of approved and unapproved songs as a process by which bishops might regulate the quality of the text of songs composed for use in the liturgy.

According to the proposed directory, theological adequacy may be judged in two ways:

• Individual songs should be consonant with Catholic teaching and free from doctrinal error

• The repertoire of liturgical songs in any given place should reflect a balanced approach to Catholic theological elements.

The directory warns of doctrinal compromise. For example, it notes:

• Liturgical songs must never be permitted to make statements about the faith which are untrue

• The doctrine of the Trinity should never be compromised through the consistent replacement of masculine pronominal references to the three Divine persons

• Any emphasis on the work of the members of the Church should always be balanced by an appreciation of the doctrine of grace and our complete dependence of the grace of God to accomplish anything

• The elimination of archaic language should never alter the meaning and essential theological structure of a venerable liturgical song.

The document also emphasizes that care should be taken that hymns and songs should take their inspiration and vocabulary chiefly from the Scripture and Liturgy.

The document said that the large number of liturgical songs that exist in the United States have benefited the liturgy, but also said that “a certain stable core of liturgical songs might well serve as exemplary and stabilizing factor.”

More information on the November meeting can be found at www.usccb.org.

[Miss Marple]

So, since it is up to the Bishop in which the songs are published, where are the loathesome songs published? If I remember correctly, a great many are in Oregon. Hmmm...

[mockingbyrd]

You mean OCP (Oregon Catholic Press), yeah they stink. But my parish in Portland only uses the Adoremus Hymnal. And if you want, there's a fully sung, chant and all, Latin Mass every weekend. So I wouldn't worry too too much about the Archbishop of Portland, at least in that regard.

[Bigg Red]

Hey, bishops, while you're working on this how about fixing the Mass? Start with taking out that stupid "sign of peace" segment....

[NYer]

Start with taking out that stupid "sign of peace" segment....

Perhaps you intend for them to revise it to conform to how it was celebrated in the first centuries. In the Maronite Catholic Church, it is done with great reverence. The priest kisses the altar, places his hands on the offerings, then passes the peace to an acolyte as he prays:

Peace to you, O holy altar of God.
Peace to the holy mysteries placed upon you.
Peace to you, O servant of the Holy Spirit.

The acolyte then 'carries' the peace to two people (often children) who wait for it at the foot of the Sanctuary. They in turn pass it to the first person in each pew to be passed to the others in that pew. It is most reverent and quite beautiful. Meanwhile, the congregation sings:

"Those who work for peace are truly blest, they will be called the children of God."

This is an ancient traditon, not an invention of VCii.

[Straight Vermonter]

While the priest at my parish is a wonderful and orthodox servant of God he is not nearly strict enough on what the "music ministry" plays.

Most of it is human worshipping drivel. Have you guys heard this one?

"Anthem" by Tom Conry:

We are called, we are chosen.
We are Christ for one another.
We are promise to tomorrow,
while we are for him today.
We are sign, we are wonder,
we are sower, we are seed.
We are harvest, we are hunger.
We are question, we are creed.

If we are so awesome why do we need God?

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I hate that song....There are a lot of songs that I just refuse to sing. And that's one of the bad'uns.

[Salvation]

idn't realize there was a doicesan/archdiocesan committee that helped to pick the approved hymns. Why do we have the ugly OCP books then?

[Salvation]

Thanks for posting this, NYer, I just sent it to my priest! He is very orthodox and does not like a lot of the modern songs.

[Salvation]

**Adoremus Hymnal.**

Wish we could get that down here in the Willamette Valley!

[Salvation]

Didn't realize

[dangus]

I'm expecting that suddenly we're going to be using the [Cleveland] Ohio Catholic Press. Or maybe the Los Angeles Catholic Press.

C'mon bishops... could you make that loophole any larger?

[dangus]

Tom Conry. I read that quickly as "Tim Curry." I can't imagine why I would have thought of Tim Curry when thinking of OCP church hymns. My mind must've been in a time warp, again.

[Salvation]

**Individual songs should be consonant with Catholic teaching and free from doctrinal error **

 

Abolish all the songs that talk about "me",  "me",  "me",  "me".

 

Also get rid of Amzing Grace.  It is doctrinally in error with Catholic teaching.

[neb52]

Were you watching The Three Musketeers again! ;)

[dsc]

Man, that was cruel.

With any luck, I could have made it all the way to the grave without ever reading or hearing those words.

[dangus]

Who is that, Bishop Pilla? ;^D

(You did get the reference to Rocky Horror, no? I mean, I know the Rocky Horror songs are better written, and probably not too much less Christian, but...)

[dsc]

"Bishops to Vote on Norms for Hymns at Mass"

Sancte Michael archangele, defende nos in proelio...

[PanzerKardinal]

I propose we burn every copy and recording of the following-

One bread, one body, one Lord of all; One cup of blessing which we bless, And we, though many, throughout the earth, We are one body in this one Lord.

Gentile or Jew, Servant or free, Woman or man, No more.

One bread, one body, one Lord of all; One cup of blessing which we bless, And we, though many, throughout the earth, We are one body in this one Lord.

Many the gifts, Many the works, One in the Lord Of all.

One bread, one body, one Lord of all; One cup of blessing which we bless, And we, though many, throughout the earth, We are one body in this one Lord.

Grain for the fields, Scattered and grown, Gathered to one For all

One bread, one body, one Lord of all; One cup of blessing which we bless, And we, though many, throughout the earth, We are one body in this one Lord.

Here's a MP3...FEEL THE PAIN.