Changes to Mass

[Peeps]

I don’t think so. At least at the Churches I attended. It is close to the end of the Mass, and the priest has a few announcements to make. But it is not yet quite the end of the Mass, because the priest still has to give the last blessing which he does after making the announcements. As has been pointed out, the announcements oftentimes concern some joyful event such as a couple celebrating their 25th anniversary of marriage, or 50th anniversary of marriage, etc. And everyone breaks out in clapping and applause. I don’t see why this would not be counted as applause breaking out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, which in this case is a wedding anniversary of a couple that stayed together as a married couple. It seems almost obvious that this is what His Holiness, the Vicar of Christ was talking about when he said:

CurtisHouse:

This is what YOU said. It sounds to me that you are saying that this is an example of human achievement that is receiving applause in the liturgy. And later in the thread, in the next paragraph, you call it “religious entertainment and religious titilliation.”

So–do you believe that it’s acceptable in the Mass to applaud a 50th wedding anniversary? Or do you think it’s religious entertainment and titillation?

Frankly, I don’t consider a 50th wedding anniversary a work of man at all–it is a miracle of God in this day and age.

One more thing–you did say, 'You are going against what the Pope was talking about. Is it OK to disobey the Pope on this and go ahead with applause anyway, even if he has spoken against it?"

Once again, Joseph Ratzinger was NOT the Pope when he wrote this, and it is NOT binding dogma.

 

[AlNg]

Joseph Ratzinger was NOT the Pope when he wrote this, and it is NOT binding dogma.

Well, there is nothing I can do about it, if you don’t believe what Cardinal Ratzinger has said about applause breaking out in the liturgy and his reference to this applause being a kind of entertainment that goes against the essence of the liturgy. There are a whole lot of Catholics who are with you on that. However, there are other Catholics who disagree. Could this be another example of division in the Catholic church?

 

[Peeps]

I think that the “division” is caused when people don’t respect the authority of their priests to determine whether a congregational action is liturgical abuse or not.

 

[AlNg]

I think that the “division” is caused when people don’t respect the authority of their priests to determine whether a congregational action is liturgical abuse or not.

Is there division if the priest says one thing and a Cardinal says something else?

 

[Mi_Rose]

I think division is a strong word over what is a matter of opinion or preference.

 

[Peeps]

There are many cardinals, and they do not agree on issues of disciplines. Dogma and doctrine, yes. But not the disciplines.

 

[Peeps]

I agree with you. I’m a convert from Evangelical Protestantism, and I’ve seen divisions over silly things like the color of the carpet and the choice of the theme for the annual Women’s Luncheon–people leave churches over these silly things! And of course, people leave churches over doctrinal differences (e.g., many people departed from the Mainline Protestant churches after they started affirming gay marriage).

Hopefully Catholics have a little more tolerance for those things that are not doctrines/dogma; e.g., clapping for a couple’s 50th wedding anniversary at the close of the Mass. .

However, if someone obsesses over a practice that they don’t agree with, I can see where they might leave a parish over it–but that’s not the same thing as leaving the Church. Hopefully they will simply begin attending another parish that is more comfortable and matches their preferences in various practices. I’m glad the Catholic Church allows this and even encourages it at times!

I think what all Christians have to do is be careful not to allow ourselves to obsess over differences in practices and disciplines in the parishes to the point where we become disillusioned with the Church and are willing to walk away from it.