Jeff City bishop walks back Mass hymn policy, opens synodal consultation

"I am eager to hear from everyone, in a synodal process of deep listening, as we embark on this process together," the bishop said.

After new policies for liturgical music made a splash last week, Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City softened them Tuesday, announcing a year-long consultation on liturgical music in his Missouri diocese. 

Credit: Brandon J. Hale / Shutterstock.

The bishop announced Nov. 5 that he would begin a “synodal process of consultation and discernment regarding the sacred music used in the celebration of liturgy.”

The announcement came after McKnight had initially published a decree on sacred music on Oct. 28, which received social media attention across the U.S, because it banned the use of some hymns in diocesan liturgies. 

“This first decree, which was published following years of research by the Diocesan Liturgical Commission and with input from the Presbyteral Council, included lists of banned songs and composers,” explained a soon-to-be-published article for the diocese newspaper, sent to The Pillar for review by the diocesan communications director.

“The decision to prohibit specific songs and composers led to a spirited discussion, including on social media, as well as stories and opinions shared in some Catholic media outlets outside the diocese.”

Amid that media attention and discussion, the article said, “Bishop McKnight determined a synodal approach, one of listening and communal discernment, was necessary.” 

The original Oct. 28 promulgation, entitled “Suggested Mass Settings and Prohibited Hymns,” listed four suggested Mass settings approved by the bishop - the Chant Mass, the Mass of Frances Cabrini, the Revised Mass of Creation, and the Misa del Pueblo Inmigrante.

“The intent is not that they are the only settings allowed to be used, but that all should know at least these settings,” the document said, citing the goal of “communion throughout the diocese.”

The document also included a list of 12 hymns prohibited for use at Mass. The hymns had been identified by the USCCB’s Doctrine Committee in 2020 as being doctrinally problematic for various reasons, including for deficiencies in their presentation of the Eucharist, the Trinity, and the Church.

The list of hymns includes the songs “All Are Welcome” by Marty Haugen and “Table of Plenty” by Dan Schutte.

The Oct. 28 document also said that all works by composers David Haas, Cesáreo Gabarain, and Ed Conlin would be prohibited for liturgical use in the diocese. Those three composers have all been credibly accused of abuse.

On Nov. 5, McKnight issued a new decree abrogating his original policy and promulgating a new one, which maintained a prohibition on the composers, but stepped back from other elements of the first decree.

The new document, entitled “Promoting Active Participation in the Liturgy through Sacred Music,” also stresses the need for consultation with and input from lay Catholics in the diocese.

McKnight explained that his original promulgation was intended to “foster the active participation of the laity in the liturgy by providing common Mass settings for singing by the whole assembly in diocesan liturgies.”

But, he said, “it is now clear that an authentically synodal process of greater consultation did not occur prior its promulgation.”

The new policy, which takes effect immediately, is approved ad experimentum for one year. The Diocesan Liturgical Commission will conduct a year-long consultation of diocesan pastors, musical ministers and the faithful and will then suggest potential revisions to the policy before it is finalized. 

The new promulgation lists the same four Mass settings as the original. However, instead of referring to these as being specifically “approved” settings, it says that parishes should use them enough to foster familiarity with them, while also emphasizing that “the list is open to change following greater consultation of pastors, liturgical music ministers and all the faithful.”

The Nov. 5 proclamation maintains its prohibition on works by composers credibly accused of abuse, but it offers additional explanations for this decision.

“It is vital that we ensure the greatest care be taken to prevent scandal from marring the beautiful celebration of the Eucharist. Therefore, it is forbidden to use music by composers who have been found by his or her diocesan bishop or competent authority to be credibly accused of sexual abuse,” the document says.

The biggest change between the original policy and the new one is that the second promulgation does not include a list of hymns that are prohibited based on doctrinal deficiencies. 

Instead, it lists the criteria used in the 2020 USCCB document which designated those 12 hymns as doctrinally deficient. 

The Nov. 5 diocesan decree says that “some hymns in current distribution may not be appropriate for use in Catholic liturgies. The use of such hymns could damage our communion as Catholics in what we believe, as well as our relations with other faith groups.”

However, it stops short of prohibiting those hymns from being used in liturgies throughout the diocese, instead saying that pastors and liturgical ministers should evaluate the hymns using the guidelines provided by the USCCB.

Following the year-long consultation process, it is possible that those hymns will be phased out of parish use.

Diocesan communications director Jacob Luecke said the consultation process is an important way for the local Church to arrive at decisions surrounding liturgical music and the encouragement of active participation.

“After publishing the original decree, we received comments and saw reactions online to articles. Seeking to harness the fervor and passion for this topic, Bishop McKnight chose to use this as an opportunity to deepen our community's appreciation for a consultation that was more synodal,” he told The Pillar.

“We feel it’s vital that we use this as an opportunity to give people an option beyond ‘obeying’ or ‘disobeying.’ This is truly a synodal moment in our diocese, when the baptized laity can exercise their co-responsibility in the life of the church.” 

In a soon-to-be-published diocesan article Luecke sent to The Pillar, McKnight said he believes a “synodal response” is the appropriate reaction to the “passion and enthusiasm” that he has seen displayed about liturgical music.

“Rather than the faithful being relegated to the outside as commenters on a decision, with their only response being either obedience or disobedience, it is better to invite everyone in our diocese into a discernment process. The Holy Spirit is working through each one of us. When the people of God speak, we have a responsibility to open ourselves to listen, even when that means changing course and trying a different approach.”

“I am excited about moving forward with an open mind and an open heart,” McKnight said in the diocesan article. 

“Music is such an important part of who we are as Catholics. The act of singing is intensely personal, helping us to encounter the mystery of Christ and the Church. I am eager to hear from everyone, in a synodal process of deep listening, as we embark on this process together.”