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| Credit: Lawrence OP via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) |
My Response: The bishops' guidelines contradict Jesus' example in the Gospel that God's love embraces all people, especially the oppressed and marginalized. The Christian scriptures share powerful stories about Jesus eating and drinking with the rich and the poor, women and men, the lost and the least. The hymn, "all are welcome", sums up the heart of Jesus' message in the Gospels.
So, how could hymns that are "doctrinally suitable for liturgical use" not include the inclusive message of Jesus that all are welcome? I believe that Catholic doctrine needs an update from its medieval mindset. Roman Catholic Women Priests often use this hymn at our ordinations because it communicates our vision of inclusivity, equality and partnership in ministry. All are welcome at our Eucharistic Liturgies. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP
"The U.S. bishops’ doctrine committee provided two general guidelines for determining whether a hymn is doctrinally suitable for liturgical use: whether it conforms to Catholic doctrine, and whether its images and vocabulary appropriately reflect the usage of Scripture and the liturgical prayer of the Church.
While hymns needn’t “be composed of doctrinal formulae … It is important to avoid language that could be easily misconstrued in a way that is contrary to Catholic doctrine,” the bishops explained.
Hymnody’s beauty “is constitutively related to the truth of the mystery of faith it proposes for our wonder and praise,” the document’s preface notes..."
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