Use of music by Catholic composer David Haas has been effectively prohibited in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles amid sexual misconduct allegations against the Catholic musician.
In an email sent July 30 to archdiocesan employees, parishes, schools, and ministries were asked to “refrain from using music composed by musician David Haas out of respect for those who have reported sexual misconduct by Mr. Haas.”
The email stated that the archdiocese is “investigating allegations of sexual misconduct described in recent media reports” involving Haas, who for several years has been a popular performer and speaker at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, which attracts tens of thousands of participants each year to the Anaheim Convention Center.
Since June, Haas, 63, has been accused in several media reports of using his position of professional and spiritual authority to manipulate and abuse women sexually. According to Into Account, an abuse survivor support group, Haas allegedly “targeted multiple women using techniques that abuse prevention experts identify as grooming, to create conditions in which women felt obligated to perform sexual favors in exchange for professional opportunities.”
The archdiocese’s office of victims assistance ministry, which receives reports of misconduct, had not received reports of sexual misconduct by Haas prior to the June 2020 allegations, the July 30 email stated.
As part of the current investigation, the archdiocese said it was looking into “a past complaint of inappropriate interaction and/or communication by Mr. Haas with adult women.”
Haas is already forbidden to perform in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles pending its investigation into allegations against Haas. The archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the diocese where Haas lives, has also announced similar measures against Haas and the use of his music in light of allegations of “inappropriate conduct” with women dating back to the 1980s.
Haas is the composer of several well-known liturgical songs including “You are Mine,” “We are Called,” and “Blest are They,” which appear in the popular Gather hymnal published by Catholic music publisher GIA. GIA and OCP, another hymnal publisher, have suspended ties with Haas since the allegations first surfaced in June….
The above comes from a July 31 story in Angelus News.
Good move. Next step is to bar musician Jeanne Cotter and her music, who is public about being in a same-sex civil marriage. She has admitted as much on her Facebook page, referring to her “wife.” And there are other prominent Catholic composers and musicians about whom there are rumors that they live gravely contrary to Catholic faith. Let the Church act swiftly on these matters, especially when there is no disputing the truth. Why are the Church’s obstinate enemies permitted to act as leaders of prayer and music? Why are they upheld as role models? Archbishop Gomez, do you read this site? Someone please tell him. Actually, I have it on good word that he already knows… he just doesn’t do anything about it. The Religious Education Office has some people of the same ilk in high-placed positions, who control much of what happens at the RECongress, and they protect and promote their own, if you know what I mean. There is a rainbow mafia in the Church, and it’s not limited to the clergy.
While you’re at it, do you want to paint over the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and return the Pieta to it’s quarry?
There’s no conclusive evidence that Michelangelo was gay, only conjecture that requires leaps of faith. Even if he was, nobody claims he had gay affairs with men. So for you to engage in sleight of hand by saying that if the church rejects music by people who are manifest grave sinners in public homosexual unions then the church ought to reject Michelangelo’s art is dishonest.
Fair enough. How about da Vinci. Want to paint over the Last Supper? By the way, Walter Isaacson has a great bio of Leonardo and he was certainly well documented to have been gay and had lovers.
Ah come on “YFC”, seriously?
Beholding those masterpieces is transcendent and for those of us fortunate enough to have enjoyed the experience, a David Haas musical ditty is not even in the same realm. Surely you must know that, even if you personally are a die hard Haas fan. Word for you – Discernment.
DId I say that Haas’ art was in the same realm as these others? Oh Please, Kristin, at least you can follow along.
Does Mr. Haas have a meaningful opportunity to defend himself against these charges?
Are some suggesting we go back to the ‘nihil obstat’ system for church music?
Let the legal process determine if the allegations are true. In the meantime, rejoice that in the diocese of Archbishop Gomez and his notorious “Religious Education” conference, the holy sacrifice of the Mass will be free of this insipid music!
As if there isn’t plenty more of the same to fill the gap. It’s nothing but bad liturgical music at that event, from dozens of different composers. Like the hydra, cut off one head and more replace it.
Kristin, I don’t think anything he is accused of is criminal and if it is the statute of limitations has long run out. he may be an adulterer and a weird,
Anonymous, the legal process includes civil action as well as criminal. There’s a reason Gloria Allred is in business.
There are no civil actions against him, either.
Yet…
He might be able to sue them. It is boorish to kiss someone unexpectedly and it is creepy to have someone follow you around at a convention but what actual damage did he do to them? They, on the other hand, have caused actual damage to him. I’m not a lawyer.
Haas made the mistake of being straight. Had he been gay and behaving in a similar manner, we would still be singing his tunes.
[…] entirely different when it comes to, say, David Haas. The Archdiocese of L.A. has now effectively banned his music. Yes, the parishioners will, when the churches reopen over there, have to listen to some other […]
I simply avoid liturgies with mundane and temporal hymns. It’s a chore to find a true Mass on Sundays, might have to drive a ways but sacred chant and polyphonic tone is the only way to go.
If we ban the music of everyone who may have broken a Commandment, we’ll have very few hymns in Church. Not that his music was the greatest for liturgies, but just sayin’!!
I could not care less about the sexual orientation of composers. I do care that liturgical music be more than a revenue stream for GIA, OCP and NPM members. Books with Haas music will still be in the pews, with matching copyright income for Haas. If a composer wants to “give a gift” to the Church, let it be that: a gift. No copyright revenue. One time payment. Composed music becomes the property of the Church. Until then, we’ll keeping using books that send money to sexual predators and other sinners.
David Haas’ music is going to be removed from future hymnals. Both GIA and OCP have stated that. They will not promote nor sell his music anymore. He’s effectively cut off now. But he already made his money.
But composers absolutely have a right to receive royalties for the use of their music. It’s justice. If you want to pay a one-time fee, well then it had better be a hefty fee for a lifetime license. Those who work for the church are entitled to just compensation. Part of why the church is in such a bad situation is that people with talent don’t work for the church since it pays so poorly. If the church wants to thrive, it has to hire talent, which means it has to pay attractive wages, not merely a poverty living wage. If you rely on volunteers, well, you get what you pay for and you deserve the results.
Indeed. Consider me one of these talented people. My rule of thumb is that I will participate in singing in the liturgy for $50/copyrighted hymn (since money is involved in participation, why should I not get my cut?). For music that belongs to the church (ex: Roman Gradual), I participate in singing for free, and gladly send a check to the parish.
Excellent news….
On the one hand I agree with you, Kevin. Musicians who rely on music to make a living have a rough enough time as it is. Let them be paid their worth, if possible. On the other hand, it is not always possible to pay talented musicians what they are worth, and for many musicians in the church, they are paid nothing at all. As a player of violin/viola, I number myself among the latter. Having an outside job, I find this is not a problem. But for those seeking a livelihood from their musical talents, it is quite a different matter. At the risk of sounding self-promoting, I must say there is something beautiful about the spirit of a volunteer. But as Kevin said, where music is concerned, you generally get what you pay for.
The one thing I’m “enjoying “ about these pandemic Masses, is that we don’t have to suffer through dripping hymns. Just the Mass, please…
A-a-a-men, A-a-a-men, A-a-men, Amen, Amen to that!
Dear California Catholic Daily: I would love it if your programmer could set a couple of “like” and “dislike” fields, i.e., up and down arrows for comments. I think the commentators here would appreciate having such feedback. Thank you!
I think down arrows hurt people’s feelings and even not getting likes can affect people. This has been a website where people just speak their minds and that has taken a toll on some people, too.
I highly recommend Corpus Christi Watershed’s beautiful St. Isaac Jogues missal/hymnals. They’re reasonably priced and can be found here: https://www.ccwatershed.org/jogues/
A second here to Peggy’s.comment.
I understand that people may not like his songs at Mass but look at the bigger picture.
The bigger picture is that within 20 years nobody will remember nor sing David Haas songs anymore.
That is not big. That is petty. And probably not true.
Here is how the Mennonite Church is dealing with it.
https://www.mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/replacing-songs-of-david-haas/
There is a deacon at church that hugs and I hug back and smile to be polite. I assume that he is trying to show “love” and I don’t want to make him feel bad by telling him to stop. It does not hurt me. I just would rather not hug. My family never hugged so to me it is not love; it is bad boundaries. I was hoping that he would stop with all the me-too stuff but nope… Now with Covid, I think he has stopped.
If you don’t want to be hugged, don’t allow it! Where’s your backbone? Covid won’t be around forever, then what will you do, allow some deacon to invade your personal space again? Let him hug his dog, not parishioners, and by the way, you probably aren’t the only one who doesn’t like it. Being polite does not mean accepting hugs from anyone wanting to get their arms around you.
I agree, Kristin. When we keep things “professional”, we are not as likely to get into trouble.
I had a fellow co worker one time put his hand on my shoulder in front of his students, and I do know how students talk even though he probably meant it as a son to mother type of thing. I handled it by going out from under his hand and facing him to talk. He got the message. (to be cont.)
(Cont.) Later I heard that same co worker say to another male co worker when he did not know I was near enough to hear, “Gee, Mrs. so and so (me) is certainly professional. I laughed to myself.
I pray that Covid doesn’t last and I can go back to Church. BTW, the deacon’s wife has a social media account that includes a meme with “Hugs are the most sincere expression of love.”
As for my backbone, I haven’t seen that in years.