Christmas Trees in church

  • Thread starter Thread starter resolute
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They are regular Christmas trees - lights, decorations, bows, garland, etc. Very pretty.
 
Since all territorial parishes (the vast majority of parishes) offer the Ordinary Form, it’s not a helpful way to ask the question.
 
The decorations are a way of emphasizing the importance of the feast day. In Jewish thought traditions are important to create a culture around the tents of the faith. As much as that serves its purpose, it is probably good, in a secondary way, as long as it doesn’t become an end in itself, an idol.

The trees are certainly not the most important part of the Christmas celebration.
 
resolute said:
The Norvus Ordo parish I attend. Is that better?
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No, it’s not better.

It’s your parish, period. Not “novus ordo” parish. The Church does not designate churches or parishes that way. So cut it out with the “novus ordo” label.
 
resolute said:
If all Catholic parishes are the same without distinction then why do we have a separate “Traditional” section?
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The Traditional Catholicism sub forum exists to talk about traditions of the Church.

It’s not a type of Catholicism.
 
resolute said:
am genuinely confused.

I was trying to find out if Christmas trees are only in Norvus Ordo Masses.
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“Novus Ordo” is a designation with pejorative connotations.

It’s kind of like saying “my lackluster parish.”
 
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In the UK I think Prince Albert Victoria’s husband first introduced the Christmas tree. Prior to that some people dragged in a piece of greenery I think, but it was the German prince who made it popular.
 
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c1949 said:
The trees are certainly not the most important part of the Christmas celebration.
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Certainly, but that is why they are used during the Christmas season. It is currently Advent

Easter is the singularly most important Solemnity of the Church, but populating the altar with Easter lilies during Lent would not be appropriate.

What our parish does ( and we have adopted as a family) is to have the trees up around Gaudette Sunday, but have just a few simple purple ornaments.

On Christmas Eve, the purple is removed, and they are festively decorated. That helps both the parish ( and our family) keep the Advent season Advent, and the Christmas Season Christmas
 
MiserereMei25 said:
The question is, since OPs parish does this, is it predominantly done in parishes that offer the NO mass? Or is this a traditional practice.
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Yeah it is a little pedantic. True there are not NO parishes in a strict sense. But there are parishes that primarily or only celebrate the Mass of Paul VI. NO is sometimes considered prejorative but the fault there is not with the term but what ends up associated with it.
1ke said:
It’s not a type of Catholicism.
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Actually I’d think it is. You could say form or expression. But those are just synonyms for type. If it wasn’t a type then it would not have distinctive features by which we could identify it. If it wasn’t a type then we couldn’t have a sub forum dedicated to it.
 
I am over seventy, and I think I can answer your original question. Yes, in my experience in the days before Vatican II, Catholic parish churches were decorated with Christmas trees. We also used Easter lilies at Easter!
 
“Norvus Ordo”, I just checked my Diocese website, there is no such designation here.

Went and pulled a copy of the Official Catholic Directory from the shelf. Not a single parish is designated with this title.
 
1ke said:
It’s your parish, period. Not “novus ordo” parish. The Church does not designate churches or parishes that way. So cut it out with the “novus ordo” label.
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I never said the church designated parishes that way. Nor did I label anything.

No. You cut it out with telling me what to do. I do not write posts according to whether or not they please you.
 
1ke said:
The Traditional Catholicism sub forum exists to talk about traditions of the Church.

It’s not a type of Catholicism.
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Then why isn’t it called Traditions of the Church? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

I never said it was a type of Catholicism!!!
 
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