Catholic Church bell ringing

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SeanF1989

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Someone on Yahoo Answers told me that Vatican II made church bells no longer mandatory, is this true?
 
As far as I know, it never was mandatory. It was always local custom, except ringing bells during the Gloria in Christmas masses (and I believe also Easter masses), which was required, and still is. So no, I think another false “Vatican II forbade.”
 
If you are speaking of the ringing of bells at certain points in the Mass, this was madated in the rubrics of the former missal, but is only optional today. But that is a result of the rubrics of the 1970 missal, and not as a result of anything that Vatican II specifically mandated.
 
YoungTradCath said:
As far as I know, it never was mandatory. It was always local custom, except ringing bells during the Gloria in Christmas masses (and I believe also Easter masses), which was required, and still is. So no, I think another false “Vatican II forbade.”
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A pity the Catholic Church has never supported the use of “change ringing”, as a way to celebrate. Of course, the English and the Church Of England pioneered and developed this artistic form. 🙂
 
My RC parish has a bell tower and they ring the bells at noon and at 6:00 PM each day for the Angelus. One thing they do not do, is ring a bell at the consecration. I have meant to ask our pastor why they do not do this. I wish they would because it seems to bring more attention and reverence to the act of consecration by defining the moment that the transubstantiation takes place. When I attended an Episcopal church we had a wonderful tradition where people of the congregation brought bells from home to ring during the Gloria at the Easter Mass and the church tower bells would ring as well. It was a most uplifting experience! They also rang them at the end of the Easter mass during the recessional. I think this is a RC tradition as well, but I have never seen it done.
 
Even though it isn’t required, most churches that have belfries do ring them a bit before mass, in my experience. My church, for example, rings the bells in the towers seven times ten minutes before and another seven times five minutes before each mass. They are also rung after a nuptial mass. It’s very loud, and it gives you a mini heart attack. I quite like it.
 
Also part of the reason many parishes do not ring bells anymore is because of secularism and many anti-noise pollution laws that would prevent them from doing so. Especially those anti-Catholic people in the neighbourhood who will turn it into a civic issue and prevent the parish from ringing their bells by petitioning city council.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Also part of the reason many parishes do not ring bells anymore is because of secularism and many anti-noise pollution laws that would prevent them from doing so. Especially those anti-Catholic people in the neighbourhood who will turn it into a civic issue and prevent the parish from ringing their bells by petitioning city council.
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Exactly.
 
Only one Church in my city rings bells for the start of Mass - I always like hearing it.
 
Our priest likes to ring the bell in the morning and after. I do notice though when we get a sub priest he won’t do it and the members in the church are wishing our priest would hurry back from his trip lol. My parish are definitely stuck in their rituals, if they don’t hear the bell they start grumbling :).
 
=SeanF1989;8795630]Someone on Yahoo Answers told me that Vatican II made church bells no longer mandatory, is this true?
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The USCCB “United States Congregation of Catholic Bishop” can make this call.

It remains a valid option, but I don’t think it is mandated?

God Bless,
Pat
 
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