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Views from the Choir Loft

Bishop Barron Vs. Hymn by Marty Haugen (2018)

Jeff Ostrowski · January 16, 2019

RESENTING at the “Adoremus Congress” (8 September 2018) in England, Bishop Robert Barron spoke of a hymn that’s become popular in many Catholic churches. The lyrics of this song are not based on authentic Catholic hymns, such as English translations found in the Brébeuf Hymnal: Pange Lingua, Ave Maris Stella, Sancti Venite, Ave Vivens Hostia, Christe Redemptor Omnium, Adoro Te Devote, and so forth.

Instead, these lyrics were written by a Protestant composer named Marty Haugen:

Not in the dark of buildings confining,
Not in some heaven, light-years away,
But here in this place, the new light is shining,
Now is the Kingdom, now is the day.

This heretical song has been included in major Catholic hymnals for decades; and here’s proof from the Worship Hymnal (GIA Publications). Here’s what Bishop Barron says:


Marty Haugen’s assertion about the Light “not shining in Heaven” contradicts Catholic teaching. Look at this 12th-century Catholic hymn:

    * *  PDF Download • Excerpt from the Brébeuf Hymnal (Page 746)

Did you notice the literal translation at the bottom?

85646 Marty Haugen Heresy

Oh, how beautiful is the Catholic teaching!!!

Christ is the light that consoles heaven, but is unseen by man on earth.

Of course, we do see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (Holy Eucharist), but we do not see His full glory. If we saw Jesus in His full glory, it would overwhelm us. The purity of God would be “too terrible for words,” as Fulton J. Sheen once said. But the Apostles got a glimpse of the true glory at the Transfiguration; and this hymn is often used for the Feast of the Transfiguration. Fr. Michael Irwin, FSSP, once told me that if we saw Jesus Christ in His full glory, we would die instantly.

Why do songs by Marty Haugen—who has never claimed to accept Church teaching—replace authentic Catholic hymns, such as the one I just quoted? I urge you to obtain a copy of the Brébeuf Hymnal and see whether you agree that the ancient Catholic hymns are worth singing.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Heretical GIA Hymns Last Updated: March 24, 2021

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

23 May 2022 • FEEDBACK

From a reader: “I wasn’t looking for it. But, I stumbled across your hand-dandy arrangement of Pachelbel’s Canon. Jeff, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I had to play a wedding on Saturday. The bride requested the Canon. There were 11 bridesmaids! The organ loft is a football field away from the communion rail. It’s so difficult to play and keep checking the mirror. Your arrangement is absolutely genius. One can skip and choose which variations to use. The chord names are handy so that when my eyes are off the music, I always know where I am at. A thousand times thank you for sharing this arrangement!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It is very curious, rather barbarous, much too ornate, immeasurably less dignified than ours now, anything in the world rather than archaic or primitive.”

— Fr. Fortescue describing the “Sarum Use” in 1912

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