MERGED: Singing Happy Birthday/Forbidden at Mass?

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seraphic000

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Today at Mass my pastor ended the Mass by asking us to sing Happy Birthday for a parish member who was present.

I read a previous thread about this topic, to which someone replied that since this happened after the dismissal, and since the final hymn isn’t technically in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal, no rubrics were violated. Would you say this is correct?

Something about me still thinks it’s wrong to do so.

I was wondering if you had any tips on how I might talk to my pastor about this. Any excerpts from texts would be useful. My main argument, though, is that doing such things turns the Mass into a social gathering more than a spiritual one.

My pastor and I have had many disagreements about such things, so I find it difficult to approach him about these topics. Any help (and many prayers) is appreciated.

-Michael
 
seraphic000 said:
Today at Mass my pastor ended the Mass by asking us to sing Happy Birthday for a parish member who was present.

I read a previous thread about this topic, to which someone replied that since this happened after the dismissal, and since the final hymn isn’t technically in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal, no rubrics were violated. Would you say this is correct?

Something about me still thinks it’s wrong to do so.

I was wondering if you had any tips on how I might talk to my pastor about this. Any excerpts from texts would be useful. My main argument, though, is that doing such things turns the Mass into a social gathering more than a spiritual one.

My pastor and I have had many disagreements about such things, so I find it difficult to approach him about these topics. Any help (and many prayers) is appreciated.

-Michael
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I think that’s a terrible idea. You don’t sing happy birthday in a church. Common sense prevails (or should prevail) here.

Also, from De Musica Sacra, if common sense is not prevailing:

Paragraph 68:
" … they are to be played with such seriousness, and religious devotion that every suggestion of raucous secular music is avoided, and the devotion of the faithful is fostered. …"
 
There’s nothing really wrong, as long as it is done after the dismissal. The recessional hymn doesn’t really count as part of the Mass.

You might cut him a little slack here, while you may wish to discuss any (if there are any)unauthorized changes to the Mass itself with him.
 
Why is it wrong that we should greet a member of our church community a happy birthday?
 
The singing of Happy Birthday should always be avoided in public, because Happy Birthday is still a copyrighted song, and requires licenses for public performance.

Also, you must have a very small community. How many people does it take before you are acknowledging someone’s birthday every single week?
 
I agree with you that it seems out of place and somewhat inappropriate to do this, but – especially seeing as how there is no technical violation of the GIRM – this is probably one of those battles it is better not to pick.

You don’t want your priest to know you as “that guy” who always has some gripe about the way he celebrates Mass. Over time, that will lead him to take you less and less seriously. (Plus, he’ll want to turn and run everytime he sees you! ;))

Save your credibility for those battles that are more important. As for this one, I would let it go and focus on Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
 
Elizium23 said:
The singing of Happy Birthday should always be avoided in public, because Happy Birthday is still a copyrighted song, and requires licenses for public performance.
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From what I’ve read, that’s somewhat debatable. I don’t think all the lawyers are in agreement as to whether the alleged copyright holder can really claim to still hold the copyright on that song.
 
The same thing happened last Saturday evening. It was my parochial vicar’s birthday and a wel-meaning usher tried to get the choir to sing “Happy Birthday” in Spanish. My parochial vicar nipped it in the bud right away and said that we should not have things like “birthdays” creep into the liturgy because it takes away the focus from God and shifts it to ourselves. He asked the choir not to sing it for him, reiterating that the Mass is about God, not about him.
 
Something that also comes to mind is how priests in any given diocese renew their priestly vows at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week.

During this renewal the priests generally echo what they promised the bishop when they were ordained, i.e. that they will celebrate the sacraments religiously and faithfully as the Church has handed them down to them.

@JamestheOlder, I’m going to have to disagree with you on this point. I don’t want to imagine a priest singing “Like a Virgin” after Mass, and then telling parishioners, “It’s ok. I dismissed and blessed you guys first.”

On the other hand, I think my pastor was trying to induce a sense of community or conviviality, so I recognize maybe it isn’t his intention to completely destroy any devotion…or maybe it is! haha

Either way, I am doing my best not to sin by slandering him. I may have to switch parishes.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Why is it wrong that we should greet a member of our church community a happy birthday?
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I noticed you’re from the Byzantine Rite. I’d be interested to know if a priest has ever done anything like this during Divine Liturgy.

My general observation (I may be wrong) is that Eastern Catholics don’t argue as much about liturgy, etc. The priests generally follow the rubrics for Divine Liturgy, and those services are very beautifully and reverently sung.

Maybe I’m wrong?
 
snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp
Royalties are due, of course, for commercial uses of the song, such as playing or singing it for profit, using it in movies, television programs, and stage shows, or incorporating it into musical products such as watches and greeting cards; as well, royalties are due for public performance, defined by copyright law as performances which occur “at a place open to the public, or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered.” So, crooning “Happy Birthday to You” to family members and friends at home is fine, but performing a copyrighted work in a public setting such as a restaurant or a sports arena technically requires a license from ASCAP or the Harry Fox Agency (although such infringements are rarely prosecuted).
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I’d be happy to entertain arguments from source as reliable as snopes.com; however, I’d like to point out that while it is possible to lose the rights to a trademark, through trademark dilution, the same phenomenon does not apply to copyright. You cannot “lose your copyright” by failing to enforce it, or when the work becomes incredibly popular. Copyright can be actively surrendered, by placing something in the public domain, or it can expire, and the laws of various countries apply in different ways, but the United States has one of the longest copyright terms in the world.
 
Joe_5859 said:
From what I’ve read, that’s somewhat debatable. I don’t think all the lawyers are in agreement as to whether the alleged copyright holder can really claim to still hold the copyright on that song.
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This is not debatable. The writer of this very music has sued the movie industry for copyright infringements and has won. (The specific movie was “10” but there might have been others.)
 
It’s nice to acknowledge the blessing of another year of life but I have to think there might be better ways than the priest leading the congregation in singing “happy birthday.” normally. If the priest new about it before Mass it might have been possible to have a small cake after Mass so everyone could share some fellowship after Mass ends.
 
TheMc said:
I think that’s a terrible idea. You don’t sing happy birthday in a church. Common sense prevails (or should prevail) here.
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of course not, if you are down here you sing Mananitas, not Happy Birthday

if it was after Mass what is the problem?
 
I had the happy birthday sung to me after the final hymn in spanish and it was “las mananitas”. Honestyl I was a lil annoyed by it, but what ever.
 
seraphic000 said:
I noticed you’re from the Byzantine Rite. I’d be interested to know if a priest has ever done anything like this during Divine Liturgy.

My general observation (I may be wrong) is that Eastern Catholics don’t argue as much about liturgy, etc. The priests generally follow the rubrics for Divine Liturgy, and those services are very beautifully and reverently sung.

Maybe I’m wrong?
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Of course we do!!! There is a traditional Eastern hymn (“God grant you many years”) for Birthdays and we do sing it after Liturgy!

youtube.com/watch?v=ioQtBqGj7Vk

Listen to the chanting before the hymn as the one chanting (not sure if its the priest, deacon or cantor, in our parish its usually the cantor but sometimes the priest) chanting the person who’s birthday is that day (or probably that week).
 
ProVobis said:
This is not debatable. The writer of this very music has sued the movie industry for copyright infringements and has won. (The specific movie was “10” but there might have been others.)
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I’m sure many 7 year olds are going to prison now for that party they just attended last weekend 😉
 
I’m sure many 7 year olds are going to prison now for that party they just attended last weekend 😉
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You’re making light of it but reread that reference:
…
Basically, the only legal way you are allowed to sing Happy Birthday to anyone without paying is if it’s a small gathering of family and/or friends and not in a public setting. You also aren’t allowed to have someone not a family or friend be the lead performer of the song in these small groups. Any other place you want to sing it, you have to pay or you are violating their copyright, according to them.
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