No "Yahweh" in songs, prayers at Catholic Masses, Vatican rules - Catholic News Service, 8/12/08.
Of course, the obvious joke: the expressed elation among some at the prospect of certain songs disappearing from Catholic hymnals. I'm not expecting that to happen. If they can change Amazing Grace and The Prayer of St. Francis to retain them, they can tamper with these lesser songs. The original composers seem to be still with us. Changing one word can't be too difficult. The impact this directive has on folksy liturgical music isn't my main concern.
My concerrn is the same as when Gibson's Passion came out. There was a vocal Christian minority that campaigned against the film as breaking the commandment against graven images. "Do you want your head filled with images of James Caviezel whenever you think about Christ?!" Well, one could do worse ...
But, seriously, the reply to such a challenge is that, as humans, something is likely in our minds already. It isn't a choice between nothing and something; we don't operate that way. It's a choice between one thing and another, so why not prefer something by Piero della Francesca to, say, anything from Kevin Smith?
Images may be one thing; names are another. But, even in this respect, I find no consistency. What makes it ok to utter the name of Jesus, which means "Jehovah saves," but not Jehovah? I asked this question over at Young Fogeys but I'm not expecting an answer.
Incidentally, I used to listen to Fr. Toborowsky on the radio, back in the days when WAWZ carried more programs than music. I always enjoyed his spot, airing on Sunday afternoons, and I was surprised to find more background:
- Old podcasts of the show which don't seem to be in stereo.
- Fr. Toborowsky's now-defunct radio program is discussed at American Catholic
- His bio at Ave Maria Radio
- A Catholic News Service story about his conversion.
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