Is How Great Thou Art a Catholic Hymn?

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As do I. “Holy God We Praise Your Name” was this morning’s recessional. We’re not supposed to sing but I was wearing a mask and did so very low so no particles were shared. I sang “thy name”.
 
There’s a lot of Lutheran Churches in town, one time at least, our Church sang “A Mighty Fortress”, that is probably among my favorite dozen hymns or so. I think it’s a great song FWIW.

Elvis also sang a Rosary song.


Which I’m sure the above poster knows already so this is just a reiteration.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
AG has also been in the current Church hymnals for years. It cropped up there about the same time as “How Great Thou Art”.

I think you’re reading a lot into it.
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Cor_ad_Cor said:
I don’t think there’s anything awkward about singing AG. True, the theology may be borderline if we dig into the meaning behind the text, but we can also support the overall idea as not incompatible with our Catholic faith. We’re all in need of a Savior, and there is at least one (if not many) moments in life where we might experience a faith-strengthening. If anything, a few of the words are clumsy, but no less truthful.
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I’m just reading the plain words of the hymn. I don’t see anything manifestly un-Catholic about it, but as I said, it presupposes a personal conversion experience (“I once was blind, but now I see”) that is not typically part of the life story of a “cradle Catholic”. If you like it, enjoy it and sing it as you wish. It is not awkward for me to sing, as I had precisely that kind of experience.
 
Reverent_Howler said:
I think there are enough good Catholic hymns available without borrowing from the Protestants.
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I always see this as a type of inculturation. Some areas are heavily protestant, with converts being a large portion of Catholics (my parish is). These hymns, and others, are part of our culture. Catholics that have never darkened a Protestant Church can grow up hearing them in the movies or on television.
 
pnewton said:
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Reverent_Howler:
I think there are enough good Catholic hymns available without borrowing from the Protestants.
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I always see this as a type of inculturation. Some areas are heavily protestant, with converts being a large portion of Catholics (my parish is). These hymns, and others, are part of our culture. Catholics that have never darkened a Protestant Church can grow up hearing them in the movies or on television.
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And that’s precisely what it is, that as well as just being willing to adopt doctrinally orthodox hymns from other Christian traditions. Since Vatican II, the Catholic Church has absolutely, positively bent over backwards to accommodate Protestant sensibilities, especially in rural and mission areas where the congregations are overwhelmingly comprised of converts and Catholics in interfaith marriages with Protestants.
 
Another aspect of this is, along with “what is a Catholic hymn anyway?”, is the larger question “what is Catholic liturgical music?”, and “why is the authentic liturgical music of the Church always replaced by hymns that technically have no place in the Catholic Mass?”
 
27lw said:
why is the authentic liturgical music of the Church always replaced by hymns that technically have no place in the Catholic Mass
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Because people enjoy singing Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art.

People are not invited to sing along with Gregorian chant in Latin, even if they wanted to join in.
 
I do the same whenever “Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory” (The Battle Hymn of The Republic) is selected. As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free. Rather than the PC rewritten verse.
 
Reverent_Howler said:
I do the same whenever “Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory” (The Battle Hymn of The Republic) is selected. As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free. Rather than the PC rewritten verse.
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That is the rewritten verse; is there another version? The original was “. . . let us die to make men free,” reflecting the bellicose time in which it was written.

D
 
I was going with the version sung by the US Army Choir for the Bicentennial btw. I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets renamed “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah” in the next edition of the hymnal. Gotta keep up with the latest trends, don’tcha know.
 
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