Don’t wish parishoners ‘good morning’ at the start of Mass, says Cardinal Tagle

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The Cardinal said he did not see the need for the greeting when God’s Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist alone suffices
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Priests should not wish their parishioners “Good morning” at the beginning of Mass, according to Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of Manila.
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The words “The Lord be with you” are sufficient, he said.
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catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/07/07/dont-wish-parishoners-good-morning-at-the-start-of-mass-says-cardinal-tagle/
 
A simple greeting shouldn’t be a problem, but it sounds like it has grown in some parishes into some kind of a ceremony:
Some priests will repeat “Good morning” if they dont hear the reply “Good morning, Father,” he said, but don’t seem at all concerned if no one responds to “The Lord be with you”.
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I think he has a good point, and a return to the basics would be in order.
 
Don’t think I’ve ever heard a priest say good morning before starting the Mass :confused:
 
“Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit”- best way to start the liturgy.
 
I try very hard not to speak in the sanctuary. Christ’s presence seems to be forgotten much of the time. And, once the mass has begun, the sign of peace can turn into a talk-fest. Human nature, but we need to be reminded of why we are there and Who we are there for. Silence is one indicator of reverence, and this may point to the basic problem.

I find that, if I try to offer prayer after mass, I will hear the latest sports scores, weather and what’s at the picnic. Very disconcerting and inappropriate, being far better reserved for the hall coffee hour - which begins at that exact time! Human nature, and I have been guilty of the same thing.

A reminder to be reverent is always a good idea.
 
One of our beloved priests starts each mass with “Good morning, we begin as always in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

He is not encouraging responses from the congregation…just getting started. 🙂
 
We are greeted with a let us celebrate…and a quick weather summary! I attend the Saturday Vigil
 
One should never converse in the Nave as this is in the presence of our Lord. Conversation is for the foyer or fellowship hall. This includes after Mass when the Nave sounds like the noise of spectators at a football game in most parishes. That is shameful.

One should enter the Nave is silence and leave the Nave in silence.
 
This is the third thread I’ve seen that touches on this subject. I have mixed feelings about it for a few reasons;

What about the first time visitor that never returns because no one even said ‘Good Morning’. Or does the same because saying good morning to each other appears to him/her as forced or uncomfortable?

What about the Parish that has no fellowship hall and the Narthex is the size of a closet? My Parish built a new Church building in 2009 and it’s this way.

What about the parishioner that needs some fellowship in order to feel welcome?
 
MchaelPatrick said:
This is the third thread I’ve seen that touches on this subject. I have mixed feelings about it for a few reasons;

What about the first time visitor that never returns because no one even said ‘Good Morning’. Or does the same because saying good morning to each other appears to him/her as forced or uncomfortable?

What about the Parish that has no fellowship hall and the Narthex is the size of a closet? My Parish built a new Church building in 2009 and it’s this way.

What about the parishioner that needs some fellowship in order to feel welcome?
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Sadly most on this forum will say “Jesus is enough! No fellowship! Only the Eucharist! If newcomers don’t feel welcome they don’t understand!” Which sadly betrays a fundamental ignorance of human psychology. But whatever.

At my former parish, to be fair, the good mornings and sign of peace were ridiculous. All the clique greeting each other and a brief ‘hi’ to someone they didn’t know. As in the popular families going across aisles to hug their friends while the quiet people are ignored. At my new parish, it’s much better. The sign of peace is for those around you and lasts all of twenty seconds.

All the same, I think there are bigger issues to worry about than saying good morning. I think this is an issue that traditionalists worry about too much. Liturgical abuse? That’s a serious issue. Saying good morning? Really?

Reminds me of a talk Fr Larry Richards gave where he discussed old timers grumbling about the sign of peace and saying we should go back to the old days. He said “well in the real old days the sign of peace consisted of kissing the people around you! So fine, let’s go back to the old days!”
 
Reminds me of a talk Fr Larry Richards gave where he discussed old timers grumbling about the sign of peace and saying we should go back to the old days. He said “well in the real old days the sign of peace consisted of kissing the people around you! So fine, let’s go back to the old days!”
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Well in the Tridentine, the laity don’t exchange the sign of peace at all, only priests and servers.
 
Just to be clear, the Cardinal did not issue an order, as the title suggests, but said he did not see the need for it. Who can argue with what he said when in the proper context? There is no need for it. However, greetings are very cultural. Just because such comments are not in the liturgy does not make them wrong. If we get to the point that even simple civility is not allowed because it is not written in black, I think we cross into what Cardinal Arinze called regimenting the people of God.

My priest does not do this, but out visiting priest does it all the time. However, we often have other impromtu greetings, such as recognition of the day. 🤷
 
MchaelPatrick said:
This is the third thread I’ve seen that touches on this subject. I have mixed feelings about it for a few reasons;
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It is odd that I have never seen or heard of any problem with this ever, in any parish, outside of Catholic Answers forum. Again, 🤷
 
At my parish, there is a 2-3 minute “meet and greet” before the mass where we are supposed to “seek out” someone we don’t know and go over and talk to them. This has created a LOT of NOISE right before mass when people like me want to sit quietly to pray. It is very distracting.
 
pnewton said:
It is odd that I have never seen or heard of any problem with this ever, in any parish, outside of Catholic Answers forum. Again, 🤷
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I don’t have a problem with it. All we have at my Parish is the Sign of Peace, which takes less than a minute. The choir/cantor/musicians have some control over how long it lasts. When Lamb of God starts it’s over.
 
peter26 said:
Well in the Tridentine, the laity don’t exchange the sign of peace at all, only priests and servers.
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That’s cool. I’m not criticizing that. The sign of peace to me is what it is and doesn’t change Mass by its presence or absence. I just think getting upset over the phrase ‘good’ morning’ is kind of silly.
 
MchaelPatrick said:
This is the third thread I’ve seen that touches on this subject. I have mixed feelings about it for a few reasons;

What about the first time visitor that never returns because no one even said ‘Good Morning’. Or does the same because saying good morning to each other appears to him/her as forced or uncomfortable?

What about the Parish that has no fellowship hall and the Narthex is the size of a closet? My Parish built a new Church building in 2009 and it’s this way.

What about the parishioner that needs some fellowship in order to feel welcome?
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Greeters at the door serve this purpose. Invitation to donuts or whatever serves this purpose. Parishioners approaching new people before and after Mass outside of the Nave serves this purpose. Frankly, on that score my experience is that Catholics are, in general, stand-offish.

Mass is not for fellowship, it is for worship. It is also very rude to be talking in the Nave because there are usually people there trying to pray before and after Mass. And if your parish has no one doing that, then there is much larger problem.

We need to teach, and to role model, the appropriate way to behave, the appropriate approach to the sacred, and the appropriate presence before our Lord.

This is not a social club.
 
BroIgnatius said:
Greeters at the door serve this purpose. Invitation to donuts or whatever serves this purpose. Parishioners approaching new people before and after Mass outside of the Nave serves this purpose. Frankly, on that score my experience is that Catholics are, in general, stand-offish.

Mass is not for fellowship, it is for worship. It is also very rude to be talking in the Nave because there are usually people there trying to pray before and after Mass. And if your parish has no one doing that, then there is much larger problem.

We need to teach, and to role model, the appropriate way to behave, the appropriate approach to the sacred, and the appropriate presence before our Lord.

This is not a social club.
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“Stand-offish?” To say the least. I reall several decades ago my mother was scandalized when the priest began greeting people on the steps outside after Mass. She thought that was a “Protestant thing to do,” and totally inappropriate for a Catholic priest. Mass may not be fellowship, but in my experience around here, Catholic churches here may as well be like those old New England Congregational churches with pews like little boxes with doors, lest there be any inappropriate sense that we’re really one community of believers.

Can’t wait until the first CAF post asking if Father’s saying “Good morning” is a liturgical abuse.
 
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