N THE YEAR 2013, six years after CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED was founded, we adopted a policy saying we would no longer respond to any copyright inquiries. We adopted this policy because we’d been burned too many times. People would write to us asking copyright questions—and we’d respond. Those people would then go online and twist our words. Why did they do this? Some were malevolent. Others, however, had a false understanding of copyright. No matter how patiently we explained matters to them, it didn’t make any difference. Certain people have a belief in their head and nothing can change it. You can talk until you’re blue in the face, but it won’t make any difference. Such people are the reason for our 2013 policy.
Abbey Psalms & Canticles
Brief History • Over the past few months, there’s been considerable discussion about whether the Abbey Psalms and Canticles is under copyright. If you’re wondering what the “Abbey Psalms and Canticles” translation is, please research it on GOOGLE. (It would take too long to explain its provenance.) For the purposes of this article, all you need to know is that the USCCB claims the Abbey Psalms and Canticles will someday replace the translation of the Responsorial Psalms printed in USA lectionaries. Whether this will actually take place is anyone’s guess.*
Damage Control • The Abbey Psalms and Canticles seems to be an effort at “damage control” after the USCCB’s copyright scheme with the Revised-Revised Grail was revealed publicly. Essentially, the copyright for the mandatory psalter had been given to a privately owned, non-Christian company (GIA PUBLICATIONS). Anyone who wanted to celebrate Mass, reproduce the Mass texts, or even broadcast the Mass on television or radio had to first obtain permission (!) from the non-Christian company and pay them money. If control had been given to a Protestant (non-Catholic) organization, that would have caused scandal; and rightly so. The fact that full control of our mandatory liturgical texts was given to a non-Christian organization (!) is even more shameful. As you might imagine, these heinous actions caused public outrage when they became known. For the record, the managing editor of the Church Music Association of America published an article claiming the Revised-Revised Grail translation had also been embedded in the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal.
The “Abbey Psalms and Canticles” frequently has little in common with the original GRAIL PSALTER (1963). Without attribution, the “Abbey Psalms and Canticles” borrows heavily from the 1950 translation by Father Louis Hartman (sometimes erroneously called the “Confraternity translation”).
In any event, the “Abbey Psalms and Canticles” is virtually identical to the Revised-Revised Grail. For instance, Psalm 8 (Dómine Dóminus noster) is identical except for one capital letter. Psalm 19 (Exáudiat te Dóminus) is identical except for one line. Psalm 24 (“Ad te, Dómine, levávi ánimam meam”) is identical except for two lines. Every word of Psalm 42 (Júdica me Deus) is identical. In Psalm 44 (Eructávit cor meum) they modified just two lines. In Psalm 64 (Te decet hymnus) they made a few tiny changes, such as changing “isles” to “seas.” In Psalm 66 (Deus misereátur nostri), they altered just one line. In Psalm 134 (Laudáte nomen) they changed—in a very slight way—just three lines. There’s a technical term for what they are doing: viz. playing games.
Considerable Discussion • I’ve already reminded readers that our long-standing policy forbids our giving copyright guidance—under any circumstances—so I won’t be revealing my opinion on this matter. Nevertheless, there’s been considerable discussion online vis-à-vis whether the Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation is a candidate for copyright. Our readers have a right to know what the argument is about. Here’s a chart I made showing common Catholic translations for PSALM 33:
The Issue Described • If I sneak into the LOUVRE tomorrow and draw a mustache on Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, that doesn’t mean I suddenly gain copyright on the Mona Lisa. That’s not how copyright works, even though some publishers claim otherwise. To place the entire issue into a nutshell, the Abbey Psalms and Canticles is virtually identical to translations which exist already. Because it’s so similar, folks are demanding to know whether it can be placed under copyright. They argue that merely changing a word here and there is insufficient to copyright the translation. Consider the first verse of Psalm 33:
Douay-Rheims-Challoner:
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise shall be always in my mouth.
Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition)
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Westminster Translation (1958)
I will bless the Lord at all times:
His praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Ladies of the Grail (1963)
I will bléss the Lórd at all tímes,
his práise álways on my líps;
The New American Bible
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be always in my mouth.
Revised-Revised Grail Psalter
I will bless the Lord at all times;
praise of him is always in my mouth.
Abbey Psalms & Canticles
I will bless the Lord at all times,
praise of him is always in my mouth.
I could easily provide more examples, but hopefully you get the point.
Trolling Us? • Sometimes, it almost seems as if the people in charge are clowning us. For instance, in PSALM 28 they left everything the same except for one word. “Sat” they changed to “sits.” Are these people serious? Keeping liturgical musicians in suspense for twenty years … for changes like that? Are these people for real?
* For years, the USCCB claimed the Revised-Revised Grail translation was going to be printed in USA lectionaries. Some books, such as the WORSHIP IV HYMNAL (GIA Publications, 2011) attempted to “get a leg up on competition” by printing the Revised-Revised Grail in their books. But their plan backfired because the USCCB—it turns out—was being dishonest when they said the Revised-Revised Grail would appear in lectionaries. At some point, the USA lectionary itself may also be replaced or updated we are being told. It could be here (perhaps) as early as 2029. When the “new” lectionary was announced in 2012, Donald Cardinal Wuerl said: “The sooner we get started, the sooner some of you will live to see it.”
