Posted on 12/02/2006 2:49:30 PM PST by NYer
BALTIMORE — Some Catholics have long complained that traditional hymns have been “modernized,” “vandalized” and “feminized” for “political correctness” at the expense of art and theology.
Last month, the bishops came to the rescue.
At its annual fall general assembly, held in Baltimore Nov. 13-16, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved new norms for hymns sung at Mass. The norms would ensure that liturgical songs be doctrinally correct and based in scriptural and liturgical texts.
“I am grateful to the bishops for a measure that’s long overdue,” said Providence College English Professor Anthony Esolen, a Catholic who has been sharply critical of modern translations of hymns.
Conversely, the proposed norms have raised red flags among Catholics who like the music just as it is.
“Our music has changed gradually since Vatican II, and it’s not like there has been some recent radical leftwing feminist shift that needs to be corrected,” said Lisa Sowle Cahill, professor of theology at Boston College, who describes herself as a progressive, feminist Catholic. “And not all feminists see the word ‘man’ as hate speech.”
Leon Podles, author of The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity, said subtle and not-so-subtle changes to traditional hymns since Vatican II have “dumbed down” songs and turned them into entertainment rather than expressions of sacred mysteries.
“The state of Catholic music is very bad,” Podles told the Register. “The silly feminist language police hate the word ‘man’ and they don’t want to hear it in the liturgy or the music.”
The new 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 Use of Vernacular Languages in the Publication of the Books of the Roman Liturgy), the fifth Vatican instruction on correct implementation of the liturgical renewal called for by the Second Vatican Council.
Amazing Words
Bishops said the directory serves primarily to outline a process by which bishops should regulate the quality of the text of songs composed for use in the liturgy. The directory warns against untrue statements about the faith.
“The doctrine of the Trinity should never be compromised through the consistent replacement of masculine pronominal references to the three Divine persons,” the directory states.
It also warns against elimination of archaic language, should it be done in such a manner as to alter the meaning and theological structure of a venerable liturgical song.
Podles, a senior editor at Touchstone magazine, said the modernization of hymns in recent years reflects a violation of the spirit and intent of Vatican II, which didn’t call for gender-neutral songs with poor grammar and embarrassing attempts at rhyming new words with the old. He said some hymnals carry a version of Amazing Grace that changes the words “saved a wretch like me” to “saved and set me free.”
“This song was written by a repentant slave owner,” Podles said. “But the modernists don’t like the penitential language of some of the more poetic songs, and they’ve ruined the poetry.”
He said some modern song revisions changed singular male-gender pronouns like “he” to plural gender-neutral pronouns like “they,” a situation that would put an old-school grammarian on edge. In addition, “gorgeous poetry” was sacrificed, as in the hymn Songs of Thankfulness and Praise. “Anthems be to thee addressed, God in man made manifest” became “Anthems are to thee addressed, God in us made manifest.”
Said Podles, “The original was beautifully-worded poetry. The revision is feminist politics.”
He also cited a hymn in which the phrase “Christ our God to earth descendeth” was changed to “Christ our God to earth descended.”
“It seems a subtle change, but it’s a change in tense that changes the meaning of the theology,” he said. “I hope some of the original wording gets restored if bishops are applying new norms.”
Inclusive Language
Esolen said translators have been allowed to make changes designed to “placate implacable feminists” who don’t like doctrinally-correct words like “father,” “son” and “man.” He has collected countless examples from all mainstream Catholic hymnals in which doctrinal changes have resulted from efforts to create gender-neutral lyrics.
“It has been like giving someone a broad paintbrush and a can of white paint and telling him to edit out the parts he doesn’t like on a Michelangelo painting,” Esolen said. “The changes have reflected not only vandalism, but heretical revisionism.”
Cahill rejected the notion that feminists have ruined Catholic songs, saying they have merely insisted on words like “humanity” rather than “man,” where such wording is theologically accurate.
“Hymns can be inclusive in a way that’s respectful to Scripture and liturgy,” Cahill said. “Up through the 1950s, there was simply no effort to use inclusive terms at all. Since the 1950s there has been some effort, but nothing radical.”
Bishops approved the norms by a 195-21 vote, with five abstentions and no substantive debate. The norms state that “approval of liturgical songs is reserved to the diocesan bishop in whose diocese an individual song is published.” A committee consisting of theologians, liturgists and musicians will assist diocesan bishops in their review of songs.
Bishops said it might be a year or two before the norms receive the necessary Vatican approval, and the process of revising hymnals would begin after that.
You can prefer anything that you like, but the meaning has been changed for the worse, in the interests of feminism. "God in Man made manifest" is an affirmation of the Incarnation ... that in the Person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, human nature and Divine nature are joined. I'm not sure that "God in us made manifest" means anything.
see post 30.
I disagree with this. Again, it's a reference to the Incarnation, in which God chose to manifest Himself in the world ...by becoming Man.
Biggest problem with this one is that it's by this german monk that got crosswise with the Catholic Church. Fella name 'o Luther.
Here's the entire Hymn:
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise
Words: Christopher Wordsworth, 1862
Music: St. George’s Windsor, George J. Elvey, 1858
Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar;
Branch of royal David’s stem
In Thy birth at Bethlehem;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana, wedding guest,
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine,
Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil’s might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee,
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign:
All will then the trumpet hear;
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.
Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Mirrored in Thy holy Word;
May we imitate Thee now,
And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we like to Thee may be
At Thy great Epiphany;
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.
See, God In Man Made Manifest is a hymn about the Epiphany, and thus is totally about Jesus being the God-Man.
Yeah, that would be my problem with Amazing Grace. It's about a personal conversion experience and not pointed directly to scripture. The BEST thing about church music is when it's directly linked to scripture because we learn text better when it's set to music. As a chorister I know so much more scripture than I would otherwise.
I would agree that Amazing Grace (original text) while not explicitly Catholic is suitable for our Church, perhaps at penitential services.
The word "wretch" is strong but not incompatible with our theology. It does suggest Calvinist influence it seems to me.
I dunno. I feel pretty wretched when I'm in need of confession (and lots better afterward). And for those of us who were not "cradle Catholics", I also think it's pretty accurate for our state before we found our way to the true Church.
I find your interpretation insupportable.
The verses all address a person, whose name or title is (among other things) "God in man made manifest" ... a rather poetic way of saying "God manifested in human nature".
There is precisely one Person Who is "God manifested in human nature": Jesus of Nazareth, AKA the Son of God, AKA the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Every verse in that hymn is about different ways God manifested in human nature demonstrated to us Who He is.
God in us &c says something else entirely.
***Biggest problem with this one is that it's by this german monk that got crosswise with the Catholic Church. Fella name 'o Luther.***
that is why I thought it was strange they were playing it during a procession at the Vatican.
You still haven't answered my question:
How is "How Great Thou Art" heretical?
deism
oh bummer!!!
de·ism /ˈdiɪzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dee-iz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun
1. belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation (distinguished from theism).
2. belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it.
[Origin: 1675–85; < F déisme < L de(us) god + F -isme -ism]
Please explain who the following lyrics show "belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation"
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to The,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
The following stanza really proves the definition #2:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
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