Thursday, October 19, 2006
USCCB ATTEMPTS TO REGULATE LITURGICAL HYMNODY
According to the USCCB website, these are the new guidelines:
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.
Some additional proposed criteria:
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.
Blogger credit to Spirit Daily for the link.
