Applause in church service/Mass

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tommy999
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Tommy999

Guest
I especially like Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday services at my church, when there are signs outside the sanctuary doors reminding people to be quiet as they enter due to the sanctity of the occasion. I wish that was done all the time. There is no applause at all during those services. The atmosphere feels more holy and reverent to me at those services.

However, at a typical service otherwise, there are people talking and laughing before the service starts, and applause after the orchestra plays or after the choir sings a special song or anthem. The pastors seem ok with it and often clap along with many congregants. My wife thinks I am too uptight for not applauding. I told her that I view the worship service as a time for worshiping and focusing on God, and that applause cheapens the experience and makes it seem more like watching religious entertainment or a concert, rather than showing awe and reverence to God.

My wife disagrees and says it’s only right to show appreciation to God for the beautiful singing and for the hard work and commitment of the choir and orchestra thru applause. I was just curious how other Christians view the act of applauding in church, both Catholic and Protestant — and how your local congregation handles this issue.
 
Last edited:
You will receive a variety of answers on these questions. I think one’s attitude towards such behaviors devolves on whether or not one considers the nave a sacred space at all times, or a sacred space part of the time and a profane space the rest of the time.
 
Last edited:
I understand where you’re coming from but this topic never goes well here. I suggest you search for threads that’ve discussed this before.
 
Ok, will do as you suggest. I was mainly curious if my church is unique or typical in this regard. My assumption (you know what happens when we “assume”, right? 🥴) is that Catholic church atmosphere tends to be more reverent at Mass than a typical worship service at my church, but I wanted to ask to be sure because I’ve only been to a couple of Masses in my life.
 
Last edited:
It will vary a great deal from parish to parish. There are some Ordinary Form-only parishes where people are very reverent indeed. In my experience, in the Traditional Latin Mass there isn’t unnecessary talk, no socializing in the nave, and never any applause. Some people find that stodgy but personally, I love sacred silence.
I’ve also been to Continuing Anglican services (not TEC–never been) where great reverence was the norm.
 
Thanks for the clarification, prayerrider.
 
Last edited:
Tommy999 said:
I was just curious how other Christians view the act of applauding in church, both Catholic and Protestant — and how your local congregation handles this issue.
Click to expand...
In the Pentecostal churches I’ve attended, clapping is normal and expected. However, it is always made clear that we are not “applauding” the human singers or the preachers or whoever. Clapping the hands is seen as an act of worship no less sacred than kneeling in prayer.

Psalm 47:1: “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!”
 
Catholic and Protestant services can’t really be compared in this regard, because Catholic Churches have the Real Presence in the Eucharist, so the atmosphere naturally has to be more reverent, and applause takes away from that and puts the focus on the people. In a Protestant church with no Real Presence, there is less of a theological reason not to applause, so while I get where you are coming from, I wouldn’t be nearly as annoyed if I encountered applause there, just like I would be less annoyed at applause during a Catholic prayer group meeting in a parish hall and not in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
 
Regarding applause, the pastor of the church really sets the tone. If he wants people to applaud, he will generally be the one leading it or calling for a big hand for so-and-so. If he doesn’t want people to applaud, there will often be some announcement about not applauding. I myself have never been big on applauding during Mass unless it’s a very exceptional event, like the pastor is retiring after 25 years; there are people who applaud for the music ministry after literally every Mass, which to me is ridiculous. But it doesn’t bother me enough to make a fuss about it.

Regarding chatting before church, usually I see a little bit of it going on, but it’s usually not much because the vast majority of people cruise in about 5 minutes before Mass starts and are more concerned with finding a seat, getting their coats off, and perhaps saying a 2-minute kneeling prayer or finding the right page in their missalette. After Mass is when everybody bursts into conversation. I have trained myself to ignore/ pray through people talking in church. If it’s really loud or annoying, like two people talking right over my head, I"ll usually just change seats.
 
I am of the same opinion as your wife. Mass is a celebration, afterall.
 
I feel like an anomaly sometimes, in that I consider the nave to be a sacred space 24 / 7. Obviously, others don’t share that view and all I can do is try to set a good example.
 
prayerrider said:
I feel like an anomaly sometimes, in that I consider the nave to be a sacred space 24 / 7. Obviously, others don’t share that view and all I can do is try to set a good example.
Click to expand...
It IS a sacred space 24/7 but I think some people don’t see applause as something that violates that.
 
I guess not. I don’t fret over it anymore. And I just smile and wait out the chatter, if I can, after Mass, until it’s quiet enough to pray.
 
Last edited:
I was raised in a large Presbyterian church (PCUSA), and clapping was pretty much unheard of there. In the 15ish years I attended, I think I witnessed the congregation clap twice, and that was because a guest preacher invited the applause for what he felt was especially beautiful music by the choir and musical ensemble. There were times when I felt the urge to clap, especially as a younger teen after being moved by the music, but I had to consciously stop myself because it was so frowned upon. We were, of course, referred to as “the frozen chosen” for this reason, among others.

Now I am becoming a member of a tiny Catholic parish in the middle of nowhere (we have a small chapel and maybe 40 regular parishioners). Though we celebrate OF Mass, it’s also quite traditional - everyone kneels and takes the Eucharist on the tongue, there are bits that are sung and in Latin, and it’s generally frowned upon if you’re loud, laughing, or otherwise carrying on in the chapel. You just don’t do it. You talk to each other outside. That being said, there have been a few occasions for applause, but only during the announcements from our deacon, and only on special occasions, like when it was announced a parishioner had been ordained as a deacon and assigned to our church. The former mentioned deacon is a downright jolly, very excitable guy who invites the applause to celebrate blessings among our congregation. I’ve gone there for 5 months and have witnessed applause probably 5 times.

While in my older age, I really prefer the reverence of silence, I don’t mind the short applause to celebrate something really special happening in our little community, but I could also do without it. :woman_shrugging:t2:
 
Last edited:
It absolutely is! I can’t believe we lived so near it for so long without realizing what a gem we have right here.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top