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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

“Three Reasons To Shun Bad Hymns” • Daniel B. Marshall

Guest Author · October 7, 2025

VERY PIECE OF MUSIC we sing at Mass must have a purpose. It’s neither chosen at random nor meant to mirror the world around us. Rather, the Church teaches that sacred music is part of the liturgy itself—not mere decoration or background sound, but a form of prayer that draws us into the mystery of God. As the Second Vatican Council reminds us, sacred music is “a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy” (SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM, 112). Throughout Scripture, we see that authentic worship involves gratitude and recognition of God’s saving power through song. The Psalms constantly exhort us: “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds” (Psalm 98:1). Sacred music gives voice to this same response—it’s the sound of thanksgiving and awe before the Lord who heals and saves.

Pride Of Place • Pope Saint Pius X taught that sacred music must be holy, true art, and universal, possessing “nothing profane” while elevating the mind to heavenly things (INTER PASTORALIS OFFICII, 1903). The 1967 instruction Musicam Sacram reaffirmed that its purpose is “the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful” (MUSICAM SACRAM, 5). Because the liturgy itself is set apart—it’s the manifestation of heaven on earth—its music must sound distinct. Each hymn or chant is chosen to reflect the readings, prayers, and spiritual theme of that particular Mass, rather than the world’s passing concerns. The Church gives pride of place to Gregorian chant and her treasury of hymnody because they’re deeply rooted in Scripture and theology. They teach, sanctify, and express the faith according to the Church’s Magisterium. As the late Pope Francis reminded us, sacred art “should never aim merely to entertain, but to help the faithful encounter the beauty of God” (DESIDERIO DESIDERAVI, 2022). You can read more about the Church’s vision for sacred music in the Vatican’s official documents at the Vatican Website.

By Way Of Contrast • On the other hand, many modern “church songs” found in popular missals like Breaking Bread and Heritage Missal—though heartfelt—present several theological and liturgical concerns. One can find many examples in hymnals published by companies purporting to be Catholic. It’s difficult to understand how these songs received approval. For example, the following was printed in a 2013 hymnal by OCP, and says “Published with the approval of the Committee on Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops” in the front of the book.

*  PDF Download • HERETICAL HYMN (OCP © 2013)
—Published in a 2013 Oregon Catholic Press Hymnal.

Notice how that ‘hymn’ explicitly says:

Like the bread, we are taken.
Like the Christ, we are blessed.
On this altar, we are broken,
given as food that all might live.

Anyone with basic familiarity with Catholic theology could easily point to 6-7 pernicious ideas presented in that short text. It’s difficult to see how a faithful Christian could sing it without taking part in sin. I would ask the reader to consider three more reasons we must be vigilant in this area:

First, there’s the issue of focus—many of these songs center on us rather than on God. They emphasize our feelings, our journey, and our community, often using phrases like “we gather together” or “our gifts we bring.” While community is important, the liturgy is primarily about worshiping God, not celebrating ourselves. Looking through the ancient hymns of the Church, I was astounded to see how rarely the ‘assembly’ is mentioned. (The only real exception I could find was Ubi cáritas from MAUNDY THURSDAY.)

Second, these songs frequently mimic the styles and rhythms of contemporary popular music—folk, rock, or pop ballads. This creates a problem: when sacred music sounds indistinguishable from secular music, it fails to create the sense of transcendence that should mark our worship. The rhythm of a radio hit doesn’t elevate our minds to heaven; it keeps them firmly planted in the world we just left outside the church doors.

Third, some of these songs risk theological imprecision. They often speak of the Eucharist as “bread and wine” or mere symbols, use vague language about God’s presence, or reduce the mystery of salvation to emotional experience. This reductionist approach is contrary to the Church’s teaching regarding transubstantiation, which states that at the moment of consecration, the substances of the bread and wine are truly, really, and substantially changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Council of Trent, Session XIII, Chapter IV, 1551). Our music must reflect the precision of our faith, not dilute it for the sake of accessibility or emotional appeal.

Going Deeper • When we sing hymns and chant together, we do more than create harmony. We participate in something ancient and eternal—the same song of praise that echoes through Scripture, from the Psalms of David to the heavenly worship described in Revelation. We unite our voices in gratitude and proclaim, with the saints and angels: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).

Not Entertainment • The Church’s sacred music isn’t meant to be comfortable or familiar in a worldly sense. It’s meant to be holy—set apart, beautiful, and worthy to worship the Creator of the Universe. When we embrace the Church’s treasury of sacred music, we’re not rejecting modernity or being elitist. We’re simply recognizing that the liturgy deserves music as transcendent as the mystery it celebrates. The next time you sing at Mass, listen carefully to the words and the melody. Ask yourself: does this song draw my heart to heaven, or does it keep me focused on myself? That’s the difference between a hymn and just another song.

Addendum • I want to be clear about what I’m not arguing for in this article. I’m not advocating for the typical 5-hymn layout adopted by many Novus Ordo parishes, nor am I suggesting that hymns should replace the proper chants of the Mass—the Introit, Offertory, and Communion antiphons. The liturgy’s propers are irreplaceable, and singing them would certainly be the ideal standard we should strive toward. However, this article is meant to offer catechesis on the Church’s teaching regarding sacred music and to inspire parish communities to take a crucial first step: replacing modern “church songs” with authentic hymns and chant. While it may not be the ultimate goal, choosing traditional hymns over contemporary songs found in some modern hymnals is already a major improvement and first step towards achieving this.

We hope you enjoyed this guest article by Daniel B. Marshall.

Daniel B. Marshall serves as Director of Sacred Music and Organist at Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a diocesan parish staffed by members of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (I.V.E.). As a composer, engraver, and hymn text author, Dan has written original hymn texts and composed musical settings for psalms in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin. Passionate about music engraving and recognizing the importance of beauty in all things as a means of giving glory to God, Dan is currently compiling his engravings, compositions, and arrangements, which can be found on his website: www.gloriadeo.org. He currently studies composition and improvisation with Dr. Peter Latona, Director of Music at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. He welcomes inquiries for composition, engraving, or arranging commissions at daniel@gloriadeo.org … as well as hate mail for those who feel so inclined. He lives in New Bedford, Massachusetts with his wife, Carina, and their two daughters.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Oregon Catholic Press Last Updated: October 7, 2025

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President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The liturgy needed reform by 1965; there was no call for dismantling it. It was intended that the vernacular would enhance the Latin, not supplant it. It was not, emphatically, the mind of the Council Fathers to jettison Gregorian Chant, or to encourage the banal secularization of Church music, so as now to surpass in crudity the worst aberrations of the Howling Pentecostals.”

— Most Rev’d Robert J. Dwyer, Archbishop of Portland (9 July 1971)

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  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)

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