Clapping in Church

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Jordan_Rizk said:
Cardinal Arinze stated;
“But when we come to Mass we don’t come to clap. We don’t come to watch people, to admire people. and clap for them and say ‘repeat, repeat, wonderful, excellent.’ That is
alright for the auditorium, for the theatre, even for the parish hall .We come to mass because we want to adore God, to thank Him, to ask Him pardon for our sins, and to ask Him for what we need.”
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Not all clapping is the same (as has been stated 25 times already). Some of it is cultural. And culture counts…

Cardinal Arinze also says liturgical dance is fine in Africa.
 
At a parish I am in frequently, every Mass ends with clapping for the musicians. It’s like every other parish I have seen in that a large number of people have left before the recessional hymn is over. Most of the people who stay to the end applaud at the conclusion of the hymn.

If there is a choir that does a hymn after receiving, that hymn usually ends after the priest has returned to his chair. There is applause pretty much every time.

I know I’m old fashioned; I’m from a tradition in which one says “sir” and “ma’am” to one’s elders and men never wear hats indoors. That means I admit to being out of step with today’s trends, but applause strikes me as an intrusion of the secular into the holy.
 
Georgia said:
At a parish I am in frequently, every Mass ends with clapping for the musicians. It’s like every other parish I have seen in that a large number of people have left before the recessional hymn is over. Most of the people who stay to the end applaud at the conclusion of the hymn.

If there is a choir that does a hymn after receiving, that hymn usually ends after the priest has returned to his chair. There is applause pretty much every time.

I know I’m old fashioned; I’m from a tradition in which one says “sir” and “ma’am” to one’s elders and men never wear hats indoors. That means I admit to being out of step with today’s trends, but applause strikes me as an intrusion of the secular into the holy.
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Well it is at the end of the mass, which means we have been dismissed.
 
missadeangelis said:
If the clapping occurs during Mass and is due to something somebody is doing or has done during Mass it indeed is a clear sign that the focus has moved from being on God (the proper focus) to being on the congregation (not traditionally the focus of Mass). I think that’s what the Holy Father (as quoted somewhere above) was getting at.

It’s irreverent IMHO. This is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is the highest form of prayer, not some stage show.

mda
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👍👍👍

Whenever we clap (as occasionally we do at our parish) it diminishes the solemnity and sacred action which is central to the liturgy. Can’t we wait until we get out into the narthex to express our appreciation for human achievement which pales in comparison to that which is supreme?
 
smndtupidisaftr said:
Secondly, gospel music seems to be out of place for the liturgy, given that it is more focused on our emotions rather than lifting our souls to our Lord.
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I’m just guessing, but you haven’t had a lot of exposure to gospel music, have you? Give me “How Great Thou Art” or “Kneel at the Cross” over “Gather Us In”. I’ll grant that “Gather Us In” isn’t exactly my idea of good music for liturgy or anywhere else, but it does seem to be representative of what most churches are doing.

Emotions can be an important aspect of lifting our souls to God and should not be excluded simply because they are emotions. Of course, we don’t want tot reduce our faith to the emotions that we feel, because when they fade we are left without an anchor, but that doesn’t mean that they are wrong. A well celebrated Mass, a well preached homily, a good Confession and a well sung Gloria all evoke emotion.
 
In your culture, if you wouldn’t clap at someone’s death, you shouldn’t clap at Mass. The Mass is a representation of Christ’s death on Calvary.
 
Tigg said:
👍👍👍

Whenever we clap (as occasionally we do at our parish) it diminishes the solemnity and sacred action which is central to the liturgy. Can’t we wait until we get out into the narthex to express our appreciation for human achievement which pales in comparison to that which is supreme?
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Exactly 👍
 
R_C said:
Actually a few months ago our Archbishop celebrated a Pontifical High Mass (extraordinar form of Roman rite) at the Cathedral, quite a real traditional Mass, unseen for decades in many places…however, since it was not Holy Week, the crotalus was not employed. This instrument is meant is to recall the earthquake that shook the Earth at the death of our Lord on Calvary (certainly, even when used, it is not done to express an outburst of joy or as a sign of respect, but as an audible way to further experience the divine mystery, of course, in a respectful way).

From Catholic Encyclopedia:

I was not trying to express a negative opinion on cultural issues, just expressing my concern on random clapping during an ordinary Mass in our country, which happens every so often almost everywhere.

As for the fact that silence is found to be disrespectful in some cultures, it is, of course, understandable. Clapping is not irreverent per se: we even find it in Sacred Scripture:

We know that in certain places, the Church has indeed taken great steps towards inculturation, including “the use of local traditional forms (such as, f.ex., hand-clapping) to express certain elements of the faith” (see this document by the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops as an example). However, even Cardinal Arinze, president of that Special Assembly, once stated (2003):

However, these elements in these specific cultures are regarded as traditional, while, say, in Europe or the US they may be reverent to an extent (in Italy I have often seen people clapping at the end of funerals) but that do not fit within the traditional liturgy (even in its new form). Point being: if the bishop allows it (ex, in those specific places) then it would be acceptable, in any other place it would not be proper and be reason for scandal in the eyes of the many faithful who do not necessarily perceive such acts as reverent and respectful.

Sinful? A sin is an offense to God. Something done with the intention to praise God cannot, by its own definition, have at the same time the intention to offend him. Now, is clapping at the chorus done to praise God? I wouldn’t personally think so, though it can be seen as a charitable motion of the heart. One which, nevertheless, shifted the focus from God to men, perhaps not sinful, but certainly not proper.

As for the Rite of Ordination, this is what I could find:
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Very well put. 👍
 
Jordan_Rizk said:
Is it a sin to clap during a Catholic Church Service?
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We have discussed ad nauseam in this thread and in others under what circumstances clapping is and is not appropriate during a liturgy.

But sinful?

Assuming one is using a definition of sin where it is a deliberate act of the will committed with full knowledge that it is in opposition to God, his laws, and/or his people, then it is unlikely that clapping would be sinful.
 
SMHW said:
Assuming one is using a definition of sin where it is a deliberate act of the will committed with full knowledge that it is in opposition to God, his laws, and/or his people, then it is unlikely that clapping would be sinful.
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That would be mortally sinful 🙂 Even laughing in excess can be sinful, though in a venial way 🙂 In this context, then, it could be.
 
BarbG said:
I hope clapping is not a sin because our whole congragation clapped at the end of Mass today – we have a beautiful choir and I think we were clapping because of the wonderful music they sang and because their music added to the beauty and solemnity of the Mass!!!
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As a member of the choir, clapping for the music makes me very uncomfortable. I understand people mean well and I’m grateful for that, but I really wish they wouldn’t. If our music makes you think about us, we’re doing it wrong. 🙂

Actually they don’t really do that in my current parish. But I used to find it very distracting. Instead of concentrating on Jesus, Whom I have just received in the Eucharist, I am presented with a purely social problem. Is it bad manners not to acknowledge the applause? Is it possible to acknowledge the applause without taking credit for the talent and ability to work hard that were given to me by God in the first place? It’s just awkward. If our music added to the liturgy, I’d much prefer that people said a quick (silent) prayer for us.

–Jen
 
R_C said:
During Holy Mass? I don’t see it in the Decalogue, but would you clap in Calvary, before Christ crucified, alongside with the Blessed Virgin? Would you clap during or after the Last Supper?
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Whoa, there’s nothing wrong with a round of applause for an achviement or something like that. Yesterday during a Mass a guy started the RCIA process and after Father had done the recieve the sign of the cross on your eyes, ears, etc, he was welcomed with a round of applause.

There have been several times after Communion and before the closing prayer were a round of applause has been given for an achievement (e.g., the youth in my Parish who went to Joplin, MO over the summer to help with the rebuilding process and as a sign of appreciation, a round of applause was given after they briefly described the experience).
 
R_C said:
That would be mortally sinful 🙂
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For it to be mortally sinful we would have to establish that clapping is a serious matter.
Since sometimes clapping is actually required it can`t be objectively sinful and the seiousness remains in question.
 
garn9173 said:
Whoa, there’s nothing wrong with a round of applause for an achviement or something like that. Yesterday during a Mass a guy started the RCIA process and after Father had done the recieve the sign of the cross on your eyes, ears, etc, he was welcomed with a round of applause.

There have been several times after Communion and before the closing prayer were a round of applause has been given for an achievement (e.g., the youth in my Parish who went to Joplin, MO over the summer to help with the rebuilding process and as a sign of appreciation, a round of applause was given after they briefly described the experience).
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If you think so, you may want to re-read the other posts. There are quite a few things wrong, actually. Quite a few things.
 
R_C said:
During Holy Mass? I don’t see it in the Decalogue, but would you clap in Calvary, before Christ crucified, alongside with the Blessed Virgin? Would you clap during or after the Last Supper?

Someone once said:

Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment

Later on in his life, he became Holy Father Benedict XVI.

St. Pius X, Pope, said:

It is not fitting to applaud the servant in the house of his Master

Yet we must understand that he was referring to something that was very solemn. Hardly will clapping appear as irreverent, today.
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My family’s feeling on the subject are the same. The Mass is for the glory of God, not for the choir (people sometimes applaud at the end of the mass for them) or any other personal achievement. If you want that, then have an awards dinner or ceremony in the community center.

That may not be everyone’s opinion, but that’s our feelings on the subject.
 
^^^^^^
With regard to the words of our Holy Father, I would say there might be one possible exception to clapping, and that is if it is done in spontaneous joy over a spiritual good - like the reception of someone coming into the Church - a welcome by the Congregation if you will.

The other times that clapping should be avoided, imo, is when someone gets up to do a talk, like visiting missionaries, or the youth soliciting funds for their causes. No, no, no !!!
 
At a U2 concert, Bono is rhythmically clapping his hands above his hands to engage the audience. Being the humanitarian that he is…he states, “Everytime I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies.” Someone in the front row yells, “THEN STOP CLAPPING.”

Injecting a little humor into a beat up subject. As above, the eye or ear of the beholder frames the context and message. Me, I find clapping at the end of Mass to thank the band…uh…choir to be distracting at most. A sin? No. As I am praying or in comtemplation, it is a huge intrusion. I just do my best to filter it out.
 
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