OMETIMES THE QUESTION gets asked: “Are Catholics allowed to sing Protestant Christmas carols?” A variation of the same question would be: “The Father Brébeuf Hymnal is a Catholic hymnal, so does that mean 100% of the contents were translated by Roman Catholic priests and bishops?” Although this topic is something we have dealt with frequently in past articles, I would like to speak about it today—since the question keeps coming up. Before doing so, I will take a quick detour.
Midnight Detour • Briefly, I’d like to share the MUSIC LIST (PDF) I prepared for Christmas Midnight Mass. Those who follow the links on that PDF file will discover some really neat music, such as the ENTRANCE CHANT for Midnight Mass:
(1 of 3) Singing Protestant Hymns • Getting back to the question at hand: “Should Catholics sing Protestant hymns?” In the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal, almost all the English translations are the work of Catholic priests and bishops. But those who examine the Brébeuf Hymnal carefully will spot a handful of translations done by Protestants. A few Protestant texts were also included, such as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. But context matters. In Mt 12:30, our Lord says: “He who is not with me is against me.” But in Mk 9:39, our Lord says: “He that is not against you is for you.” In Lk 12:14, our Lord says that He is not our “judge.” But the DIES IRAE specifically refers to Christ as our “judge.” The point is: context matters.
(2 of 3) Singing Protestant Hymns • I am not sure there’s anything explicitly heretical in “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” But I would never program it at a Catholic Mass due to its strong association with heresy. That hymn is known as the ‘theme song’ of the Protestant Revolution begun by Martin Luther. But it’s difficult to make such an argument vis-à-vis a hymn like Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.
(3 of 3) Singing Protestant Hymns • In the olden days, no Catholic hymnal contained any translation by a Protestant. So how did they get around such issues? When Father Ludwig Bonvin SJ published his Catholic hymnal in 1914, he secretly used Protestant translations…but without revealing his source. In other words, he was deceptive. He hoped nobody would check. When it comes to the NEW WESTMINSTER HYMNAL, they got around this issue by another route. When they desperately wanted to use a Protestant hymn—such as “Now Thank We All Our God”—they kept the tune but had poets like Monsignor Ronald Knox compose different lyrics. But such settings never caught on; they’ve now been completely forgotten.
Conclusion • At the end of the day, he who searches long enough will notice a handful of Protestant texts in the Brébeuf Hymnal. But as far as I can tell, none of them are deeply associated with heresy. Context matters.
