Appendix IV: Policy for Musical Compositions for the Liturgy
This policy will be used by the Secretariat in decisions concerning the approval for liturgical use of musical compositions and/or the authorization to seek copyright permission(s).
- This policy concerns musical settings of texts found in the liturgical books approved for use in the dioceses of the United States of America, including: Mass settings; Responsorial Psalms; Gospel Acclamations; Entrance, Offertory, and Communion Chants, etc.
- Those musical compositions that either adapt liturgical texts or use wholly original (newly composed) texts not found in the liturgical books, such as hymns, songs, or acclamations written for the assembly, which are intended for use when it is indicated that another text is allowed to be used in place of a liturgical text, fall outside of the purview of these guidelines. The suitability of these texts for use in the liturgy is determined by the Diocesan Bishop. The approval for liturgical use of one Diocesan Bishop of a musical setting of these texts is considered to extend throughout the dioceses of the United States that comprise the USCCB. The Committee has always encouraged composers of hymns, songs, and acclamations to "select texts that truly express the faith of the Church, that are theologically accurate and liturgically correct."[1] Such texts may require copyright permission from other organizations.
- The GIRM entrusts the Secretariat with responsibility for the review and approval of musical settings of certain liturgical texts:
► Bearing in mind the important place that singing has in a celebration as a necessary or integral part of the Liturgy, all musical settings for the texts of the Ordinary of Mass, for the people’s responses and acclamations, and for the special rites that occur in the course of the liturgical year must be submitted to the Secretariat of Divine Worship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for review and approval prior to publication.[2]
Musical settings of the Ordinary of the Mass (cf. no. 14), of responses and acclamations of the people (chants of the priest, deacon, or lector and, if applicable, their responses; Responsorial Psalms; settings of the Our Father), and of the special rites of the liturgical year—whether intended for broad or only local use—require the approval of the Secretariat in order to be used in the liturgy in the dioceses of the United States of America that comprise the USCCB. It is the Committee on Divine Worship’s understanding that this approval is necessary even if the musical setting will not be published. Settings outside the scope of the GIRM, no. 393, require the approval of the Diocesan Bishop for liturgical use.
- The Secretariat will review musical settings of texts in the languages found in the liturgical books approved for the United States. Liturgical texts in other languages must be approved by the episcopal conference from which the translation used in the setting originates. Approval for liturgical use and copyright permission of texts in other languages should be sought from an episcopal conference with competence in the chosen language and the Diocesan Bishop.
- For those settings that fall within the scope of the GIRM, no. 393, the Secretariat’s approval prior to publication includes both an authorization for liturgical use and permission to obtain a license from the copyright holder, where applicable.
For those settings that fall outside the scope of the GIRM, no. 393, the Secretariat reviews and authenticates that the texts presented correspond accurately to the approved ritual texts.
Biblical texts are under the copyright of the CCD. Reviews and copyright permissions for biblical texts are handled by the USCCB Permissions Office.
The publisher is required to negotiate a contract with the USCCB, ICEL, and any other bodies holding copyright interest in the material before publication.
- After the Secretariat’s review, the music publisher will be authorized to use the phrase:
For settings within the scope of the GIRM, no. 393:
Published with permission for liturgical use.
Secretariat of Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
For settings outside the scope of the GIRM, no. 393:
Published after authentication by the Secretariat of Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- Cases may arise when music which makes use of USCCB or ICEL texts is demonstrably not suitable for liturgical use but may be suitable in non-liturgical contexts. In these instances, it is possible to give copyright permission but to withhold permission for liturgical use. This should be indicated on the score:
Not for liturgical use.
Published after authentication by the Secretariat of Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- In cases where out-of-date texts are used for newly composed music, permission for liturgical use and copyright permission will not be given.
- After authorization for liturgical use and/or permission to obtain a copyright license is given by the Secretariat, copyright agreements may be drawn up with ICEL, USCCB, or other copyright holder.
- The publisher is required to submit an electronic copy of the published work to the Secretariat for its archives.
- The composer of music for liturgical texts "must respect the integrity of the approved text. Admittedly, not all texts, as approved by the Episcopal Conference, easily lend themselves to musical composition because of their style, length, or translation. Nevertheless, composers may not alter the prescribed texts of the rites to accommodate them to musical settings. The Church is always concerned about the use of the approved liturgical texts be they written, spoken, proclaimed, or sung" (LC, Respect the Liturgical Texts). "The basis for this concern is the Church’s responsibility to safeguard the doctrinal content of prayer texts. The Constitution on the Liturgy… no. 36 (4) states: 'Translations from the Latin text into the mother tongue which are intended for use in the liturgy must be approved by the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority (i.e., episcopal conference, Holy See)'" (LC, Respect the Liturgical Texts, footnote 9).
- Respecting the integrity of the approved text means the words of the setting must be presented integrally at least once. Repetitions are allowed, provided they are not excessive, and do not alter the meaning of the text. Most judgments of musical compositions are based on the text approved by the bishops and confirmed by the Apostolic See.
- Bilingual or multilingual musical settings of liturgical texts must use approved translations and represent the entirety of the underlying Latin text of the typical edition.
- New musical settings of the people's parts in the Order of Mass may be of individual movements (e.g., Gloria, Sanctus, etc.). However, if it is presented as a "Mass setting," it must include a Kyrie, Gloria (if seasonally appropriate), Alleluia (if seasonally appropriate), Sanctus, Mysterium Fidei, Amen, and Agnus Dei. All options must be included, i.e., all three Memorial Acclamations. The addition of refrains to the Gloria is permitted, provided the refrains encourage congregational participation. Forms B and C of the Penitential Act and the Credo are also among the parts proper to the people and may be included in Mass settings; however, they need not be included. Verses before the Gospel and Responsorial Psalms are not constituent parts of a "Mass setting" and are therefore not to be included. A sample tone for Alleluia verses and Verses before the Gospel may be given with a single text.
- Entrance, Offertory, and Communion Chants, and Responsorial Psalms, are permitted certain options as indicated in the GIRM, nos. 48, 61, 74, 87. In these instances, the USCCB or the Diocesan Bishop can give approval for certain of the listed options. The Diocesan Bishop is able to approve for liturgical use "another collection of Psalms and antiphons" in these four places or "another liturgical chant" in the case of the Entrance, Offertory, and Communion Chants as indicated in the paragraphs of the GIRM cited above. It must be noted that such texts may require copyright permission from other organizations. The Secretariat does not grant this kind of permission.
- The Responsorial Psalm is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word (cf. GIRM, no. 61). The text is to be taken from the LFM and presented integrally at least once in every setting. Repetitions within the text are allowed, should be used sparingly, and may not alter the meaning of the text. The addition of vocatives is allowed.
- Submissions of musical compositions for Antiphons/Chants, Responsorial Psalms, Alleluia Verses, and Verses before the Gospel are to include the LFM number(s) or liturgical days for their intended use on the score. This will expedite the Secretariat’s review.
- The Secretariat does not make judgments based on style, artistic merit, or musical tradition of the piece. While the Secretariat has been granted authority by the GIRM, no. 393, over musical settings of the Ordinary of the Mass, the people’s responses and acclamations, and special rites, it chooses not to make judgments based on style, artistic merit, or musical tradition. Instead, composers, publishers, bishops, priests, musicians, liturgists, and music planners are to make these judgments using the criteria found in documents such as: Musicam sacram (SCR, 1967); Chirograph on Sacred Music (St. John Paul II, 2003); Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (USCCB, 2007); and the general guidelines in "Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church: An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics" (USCCB, Committee on Doctrine, 2020).
- Submissions must be in accord with liturgical norms, including but not limited to the following:
► The nature of the "presidential" parts requires that they be spoken in a loud and clear voice and that everyone listen to them attentively. Therefore, while the Priest is pronouncing them, there should be no other prayers or singing, and the organ or other musical instruments should be silent (GIRM, no. 32).
► In Advent the use of the organ and other musical instruments should be marked by a moderation suited to the character of this time of year, without expressing in anticipation the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord.
In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only in order to support the singing. Exceptions, however, are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts (GIRM, no. 313).
Sung parts of special rites that occur over the course of the year and other music should be appropriate to the season and genre of the text.
- Customs are respected within reason, especially where evidence of historical approval exists or where a certain practice is already widely in use and is not contrary to current norms.
[1] LC, Respect the Liturgical Texts; cf. USCCB, Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (2007), nos. 122-136, and the general guidelines in Committee on Doctrine, "Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church: An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics" (2020).
[2] GIRM, no. 393; cf. IO, no. 42; SCR, Musicam sacram (March 5, 1967), no. 57; Policy for the Approval of Musical Compositions for the Liturgy (November 10, 1996), no. 4.