Answered By Fr. Charles Grondin
Full Question
Is it a problem theologically to sing hymns in which the congregation sings as God in the first person?
Answer
Personally, I have never liked hymns that have the congregation singing as God in the first person. It strikes me as strange that all the prayers of the Mass are addressed to God, yet we sing hymns that have us speaking as God. It makes much more sense to me that we would sing “You are the bread of life” rather than “I am the bread of life.”
However, there is no rule in the Church’s liturgical norms that forbids it, so it remains a valid option at the discretion of the pastor and music minister.
However, there is no rule in the Church’s liturgical norms that forbids it, so it remains a valid option at the discretion of the pastor and music minister.
