Is this song OK?

[opus101]

This song would fall under his explaination on page 9 concerning the use of modern style music and that it does not need to be excluded
Bottom line is that liturgist and music directors can use a variety of music

By “his explanation”, I assume you mean Archbishop Sample’s letter, which is the second link listed. The first was a 4-part article by Bishop Olmsted.

No, I think you are quite mistaken that the song in the OP would fall under the information given on p. 9. By “modern composition” he is not referring to secular-style music, be it pop, rock, broadway, etc. He is referring to newly or recently composed sacred music that is creatively influenced by chant.

Right before that section, on page 8, he writes (my emphases):

“The Church recognizes an objective difference between sacred music and secular music. Despite the Church’s norms, the idea persists among some that the lyrics alone determine whether a song is sacred or secular, while the music is exempt from any liturgical criteria and may be of any style. This is an erroneous idea, which was alluded to earlier, is not supported by the Church’s norms either before or since the Second Vatican Council.”

The section that you are referring to on p. 9 reads:

" This does not mean that more modern compositions are not to be admitted into the Mass. However, such compositions must meet the essential and objective criteria for what constitutes sacred music"

The part in italics is something that might not be understood, epecially by those with no training in music, music history and composition. But if the rest of the letter has been studied well and understood in musical terms, it becomes quite evident that he is not speaking of the type of music represented by this piece.

Both Archbishop Sample and Bishop Olmsted define the difference between sacred music and a more secular “religious music”. Archbishop Sample speaks of the "essential and objective criteria" for what constitutes truly sacred music.

 

[opus101]

Or…

The resolution is that the bishops need to determine each what they think is best for their diocese, and usually the priest on a parish by parish basis, in accordance to the Catholic principle of subsidiarity.

Even though this is from the USCCB, it is not binding on any bishop. Everyone should heed their own bishop.

The reason why links were given to Archbishop Sample’s letter and Bishop Olmsted’s article was not to impose their authority on people of other dioceses, but rather because of their knowledgeable expositions on the matter, referring to objective criteria and giving sound, reasonable explanations of what the Church means, musically speaking, by the guidelines and norms throughout the centuries. Their expositions are much clearer than the extremely murky and foggy ideas put forth by other Bishops and the USCCB. This is not a jab at the USCCB, which I have great admiration for. It is just an observation that , for the most part, the majority of the members obviously have little or no knowledge of musical styles, terms, compositional forms, as well as the ability to make distinctions between types of instrumentation. Without a rigorous background in both theology and the aforementioned, it is very easy to misunderstand what the Church is referring to.

As always, I disagree with your idea that, as long as something is not strictly prohibited by a particular Bishop, then it is okay to do it. A Bishop would have to have a list 1,000 miles long in order to come close to listing everything that would be inappropriate for Mass. Instead, the Church approaches us in the positive way of providing guidelines and succinct, clear explanations of them by those with apostolic authority who are able to understand them because music happens to be one of their areas of expertise!

 

[FAB]

I heard this song at mass and wondered if it was OK for use in all of your opinions? We really use some wacky music at my parish (We have the Catholic Community Hymnal and Glory & Praise)

Voices that Challenge by David Hass

Call us to hear the voices that challenge
Deep in the hearts of all people!

By serving your world as lovers and dreamers,
We become voices that challenge!
For we are the voice of God!

Voices that challenge:
The children who long to be heard and respected!
The lowly and broken destroyed by oppression!
The old and the fearful who hope for a new day!
Voices that challenge:
The lives and the cries of the poor and the silenced!
The young ones who dream of a world free of hatred!
The sick and the dying who cry for compassion!

Voices that challenge:
The ones who seek peace by their witness and courage!
The women who suffer the pain of injustice!
The people with AIDS and those plagued with addiction!
The prophets and heroes who call us to question!
The healers who teach us forgiveness and mercy!
The victims of violent abuse and aggression!
The Christ who gave his life that we might live!

I want to thank you for pointing this song out. I have a homily in a couple of weeks on social justice. I was able to us the line Voices that Challenge in relationship to the readings and asked the director of music to use it as a meditation song after commuion. I wrote the homily this morning and it all came together beautifully.

Dcn. Frank

 

[m134e5]

Voices that challenge:
The ones who seek peace by their witness and courage!
The women who suffer the pain of injustice!
The people with AIDS and those plagued with addiction!
The prophets and heroes who call us to question!
The healers who teach us forgiveness and mercy!
The victims of violent abuse and aggression!
The Christ who gave his life that we might live

The women who suffer the pain of injustice? What injustice is that? I’m well aware that women are treated unfairly in many parts of the world, but why must that injustice in particular find it’s way into a Catholic hymnal? Would the babies who are aborted or the Christians who are massacred daily in the middle east be appropriate in another verse? No they wouldn’t. Liturgical music is not the place for a political statement. Also…the people with AIDS? Mentioning that (or any other disease, unless it is part of a scriptural reference) just seems tacky.

This kind of music and the rotten theology that inspired it is a big part of what caused the spiritual sterility in many areas of the Church that has caused so many Catholics to lose their faith. Our purpose is to get to heaven- we are pilgrims in this life. Jesus didn’t found a Church to give the world tax exempt social workers. He founded a Church so that people might be saints, who- out of love for Him- would perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

 

[FAB]

The women who suffer the pain of injustice? What injustice is that? I’m well aware that women are treated unfairly in many parts of the world, but why must that injustice in particular find it’s way into a Catholic hymnal? Would the babies who are aborted or the Christians who are massacred daily in the middle east be appropriate in another verse? No they wouldn’t. Liturgical music is not the place for a political statement. Also…the people with AIDS? Mentioning that (or any other disease, unless it is part of a scriptural reference) just seems tacky.

This kind of music and the rotten theology that inspired it is a big part of what caused the spiritual sterility in many areas of the Church that has caused so many Catholics to lose their faith. Our purpose is to get to heaven- we are pilgrims in this life. Jesus didn’t found a Church to give the world tax exempt social workers. He founded a Church so that people might be saints, who- out of love for Him- would perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

There are many injustices in the world, we are a universal church, so yes there are many women who suffer injustice, the first line is praying for children who go unheard, certainly this could apply to the aborted and those being killed around the world. This song was written when AIDS was a much bigger issue and those with it were being shuned, and certainly there are many still.
This is a song about bringing Social Justice, a basic teaching of the Church.

 

[pnewton]

I guess if we do not want the liturgy to ever refer to any social justice we should just skip Matthew 25 as a gospel reading. Then there are several Psalms we should remove, the book of Micah, etc.

 

[m134e5]

There are many injustices in the world, we are a universal church, so yes there are many women who suffer injustice, the first line is praying for children who go unheard, certainly this could apply to the aborted and those being killed around the world. This song was written when AIDS was a much bigger issue and those with it were being shuned, and certainly there are many still.
This is a song about bringing Social Justice, a basic teaching of the Church.

Writing a song is one thing, using it at Mass is another. There are plenty of documents written about music in the liturgy and what is and is not appropriate. Pushing a political agenda is not appropriate.

 

[pnewton]

Writing a song is one thing, using it at Mass is another. There are plenty of documents written about music in the liturgy and what is and is not appropriate. Pushing a political agenda is not appropriate.

No one said anything about bringing politics into Mass. The song is not a political one.

 

[CompSciGuy]

I have four objections to this song, namely:

1. This is not a liturgical song and shouldn’t be used at Mass. It is a fine religious song, a nice hymn, and could be used in other settings, but not the Mass.
2. ***The Church has given us what we ought to be singing (i.e. the Propers) so let’s sing it. We need to sing the Mass, not sing at Mass. ***
3. The song (like so many modern hymns) is too focused on “us” on the “people.” Compare that to the Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, etc) of the Mass, which is focused on God and on our sinfulness, no triumphant “we are the voice of God” there, rather we find “You alone are the Holy One” and “Lord have mercy.”
4. You can’t tell me there is nothing better to be singing in the centuries and centuries of Catholic music.

God bless.

Would that more parishes would follow these instructions…

 

[m134e5]

No one said anything about bringing politics into Mass. The song is not a political one.

Not partisan politics, I mean pushing their wacky, feminist agenda on the Church just like they’ve done over the last 40 years.

 

[pnewton]

Not partisan politics, I mean pushing their wacky, feminist agenda on the Church just like they’ve done over the last 40 years.

I think you are reading your own politics into something that does not exist. The song is not wacky (an insult that can not be defined) or feminist.