{"id":54471,"date":"2021-01-25T14:04:18","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T20:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=54471"},"modified":"2021-02-27T10:32:09","modified_gmt":"2021-02-27T16:32:09","slug":"one-more-disaster-to-consider-how-many-deficient-catholic-hymns-are-in-your-hymnal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/25\/one-more-disaster-to-consider-how-many-deficient-catholic-hymns-are-in-your-hymnal\/","title":{"rendered":"One More Disaster to Consider: How Many Deficient Catholic Hymns are in YOUR Hymnal?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four months ago, in the midst of various international crises, extraordinary US national tensions, vast economic and emotional turmoil, and, last but not least, a global pandemic, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Doctrine released a document<\/a> on evaluating Catholic hymnody.<\/p>\n

Perhaps they thought Catholics needed a good distraction.\u00a0 The document, as our contributor, Alan Hommerding, well-evaluated earlier this month<\/a>, addresses issues that Catholics \u201cshould have had thirty or forty years ago\u201d regarding the significance of the words we use when we sing.<\/p>\n

Of course words matter.\u00a0 But words carried by music seem to have an even more mysterious hold upon our spiritual psyche. \u00a0Trapped in a catchy tune, or emotionally tied to some specific event or worshipping community, even dull lyrics bring a prick of (joyful) tears or prompt our hearts to turn toward warm memories.<\/p>\n

But, emotional feelings aside, I\u2019m a bit curious about the hymn texts which were pointed out as bad examples.\u00a0 The document is more subtle than I will be, below, as it does not name names.\u00a0 The Committee on Doctrine reports having reviewed some 1000 hymns written, mostly, between 1980-2015.\u00a0 These are the ones named in the document as examples of deficient doctrine:<\/p>\n

Deficient in Eucharistic Doctrine:<\/strong><\/p>\n