Top Catholic Songs

Why are Catholic hymnals no longer approved by bishops, and how is Catholic hymnody evaluated today? In this article, I examine the historical role of episcopal approval, the gradual disappearance of imprimaturs after the Second Vatican Council, and how responsibility for hymn selection now functions within the Church.

Drawing on Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church (USCCB, 2020), the Church’s liturgical and doctrinal documents, and What Is a Catholic Hymn?, this study seeks not to be polemical, but ecclesial: to clarify what the Church means by Catholic hymnody and how modern hymnals measure up to those standards.

This article is intended for pastors, musicians, and all who care about the Church’s sung prayer.

Please visit Mother of Mercy Catholic Hymns and read Catholic Hymnody, Authority, and Modern Hymnals

There are many categories and styles of Catholic music. Here is a list which is being fine-tuned as we go along. Some summaries are drawn from Google AI Overviews.

1) Gregorian chant: Church music sung as a monophonic (single vocal line) in free rhythm and a restricted scale (plainsong), in a style developed for the medieval Latin liturgy. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries, with later additions and redactions.

2) Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque sacred music: Medieval sacred music, like Gregorian chant, was primarily monophonic and unaccompanied. The Renaissance saw the rise of complex polyphony, with more voices, larger choirs, and new forms like the mass and motet, often supported by the church and the printing press. The Baroque era introduced...