Has anyone noticed

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Kristofer88

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first off, I’d just like to say reading what many of your write and being here with you all is truely a blessing and I am honored to be a part of this website. On to my question

Why has the Church slowly given in to the people, for example, we are now allowed to touch the bread/body of Jesus, we do not dress classy at all, kneeling is not mandetory in many churchs, people leave right after communion.

Is it just me or has anyone noticed this? I attend a European Church because I am european, but many times I’'ll go to my local Catholic Church which is closer, and the difference is huge, primarily because I’m used to an Albanian church which is where I’m from, or a Polish Church, which is where I attended school and grew up attending. It seems that European Churches are MUCH stricter then American, and the American priests are MUCH more laid back, as though they are affraid to resort to traditional Church teachings in fear of losing people.

What I mean is that it is and was ok for my pastor at both Euro Churches to yell at me, grab me by the ear, and give lectures to anybody they want. I’m 20 and honestly would not be in the least bit upset if a priest were to yell at me, or lecture me. They demand respect, they have a strict dress code, and for those who come with any intention rather then being there for God are publicly called out and the embarressment usually ensures they don’t do it again.

Why can’t American priests do this, or is it just me? Upholding the teachings should come first, if the people are too comforted by the times to give 1 hour entirely to God, and in every way possible, then why should a priest cut back on the rules just to keep them coming? I believe the traditional ways are much better, and honestly I kind of see it as an insult to the religion itself to put peoples wants before what Priests should actually be doing, and that is being much stricter, even if it means losing a few people.

Has anyone noticed this? Does anyone agree/disagree?

Thank you for your time
 
The important thing is that the priests are in obedience to the Church.

Disiplines are not unchanging dogma or doctrine. Disciplines change over time.

Certainly it’s OK to keep up an older discipline, but as long as newer disciplines have been approved by the bishop, it is not our place to question them when others submit to these newer disciplines.

People are not less respectful or less reverent Catholics because they receive Holy Communion in the hand, or wear blue jeans to Mass. God sees the heart, not the outside, and HE knows the righteousness or sin that is there. It is a really bad idea to judge others when they do things differently than us, especially if those things are approved by Holy Mother Church. That “irreverent person” receiving Holy Communion in the hand might very well be the most charitable person in the parish!
 
The American culture is different from the European culture. Although my country, Great Britain, has the reputation of being soft, I can remember the strict discipline that I received at the hands of the Nun who ran my school. The European Catholic clergy are strict; they don’t put up with any nonsense. I think the American clergy are the same; it’s just that they have had to change over the last 20 years or so. Not to bring up bad memories, but don’t forget that the American Church is still recovering from the sexual abuse scandals, and this may be one of the reasons the clergy have had change the way they operate.
 
bread/body of Jesus
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We don’t receive bread and wine at the reception in Mass, we receive the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
 
Kristofer88 said:
What I mean is that it is and was ok for my pastor at both Euro Churches to yell at me, grab me by the ear, and give lectures to anybody they want. I’m 20 and honestly would not be in the least bit upset if a priest were to yell at me, or lecture me. They demand respect, they have a strict dress code, and for those who come with any intention rather then being there for God are publicly called out and the embarressment usually ensures they don’t do it again.

Why can’t American priests do this, or is it just me?
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I have nothing but the greatest respect and admiration for priests. But if anyone, priest or layman, grabbed me by the ear or yelled at me without good reason, I wouldn’t tolerate it for a second.
 
CollegeKid said:
I have nothing but the greatest respect and admiration for priests. But if anyone, priest or layman, grabbed me by the ear or yelled at me without good reason, I wouldn’t tolerate it for a second.
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I deserved it everytime when I was a kid, now a days they woulnd’t do that because I know better, but I’d look at a lecture from a priest the same way I would from my own father.
 
Cat said:
The important thing is that the priests are in obedience to the Church.

Disiplines are not unchanging dogma or doctrine. Disciplines change over time.

Certainly it’s OK to keep up an older discipline, but as long as newer disciplines have been approved by the bishop, it is not our place to question them when others submit to these newer disciplines.

People are not less respectful or less reverent Catholics because they receive Holy Communion in the hand, or wear blue jeans to Mass. God sees the heart, not the outside, and HE knows the righteousness or sin that is there. It is a really bad idea to judge others when they do things differently than us, especially if those things are approved by Holy Mother Church. That “irreverent person” receiving Holy Communion in the hand might very well be the most charitable person in the parish!
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Despite what God see’s, the people themselves should pay him homage and give thanks not only by attending, but by going there as if dressed to see God himsefl, which techniclly you are.

Do you go to an interview in jeans and a t shirt? Well God is the ultimate “employer” we do his work on earth and noone deserves more respect then he does.

Recieving commuinon in the hand was once forbidden because the hands of a man were never meant to touch something so holy, many rural churches in europe and asia still practice it. We are not worthy to hold it, or even touch it, the allowance of it was only recent.

My problem is, why are we changing because of the demands of people, the only demands we should ever listen to are Gods. Anything that we do differently should not be allowed.

The Church is not a business, if the people don’t want to worship the way it has been done for nearly 2000 years, they should find another Church.

Should have layed off the red bulls lol
 
Eucharisted said:
You said bread/body. Not the same. We receive the Body and Blood of Christ. It is under the appearance of bread and wine, but it is not bread and wine; it is Jesus Christ Himself.
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“one bread one body”

It is bread, transformed to his body. I don’t like when people correct me when what I said was the same thing they said. lol
 
**Recieving commuinon in the hand was once forbidden because the hands of a man were never meant to touch something so holy, many rural churches in europe and asia still practice it. We are not worthy to hold it, or even touch it, the allowance of it was only recent.

Emphasis added.

**And I suppose the Priest is not a man?

NOBODY, even a Priest or Deacon, is worthy. God Himself is the source of our “worthiness” (if that word has any meaning in this context.

Furthermore, in certain of the Eastern Churches, BY RUBRIC, some of the classical liturgies have called for communion in the hand.

BTW, the way you cast your sentence, “it” refers gramatically to communion in the hand, though I don’t think that’s what you meant.**
 
Kristofer88 said:
What I mean is that it is and was ok for my pastor at both Euro Churches to yell at me, grab me by the ear, and give lectures to anybody they want.
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That’s assault last time I checked. If you did that to a stranger, especially a child, you’d be arrested and charged. Priests may deserve respect, I’m not denying that–but they are not above the law.

I’m not going to get into a pro-Protestant rant, but we wouldn’t tolerate that at our church. No one has the right to do that, no one at all.
 
Kristofer88, Very observant of you. Every religion ever known to man changes their rules over time. Quite often to fit the culture around them. Your question shows you are quite capable of much thought and reason. Keep thinking. You’re on the right track.
 
Kristofer88 said:
The Church is not a business, if the people don’t want to worship the way it has been done for nearly 2000 years, they should find another Church.
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There is another option you know. You can share your love of God with them and encourage them to deepen their faith and increase the fire of charity. These problems are not new. Read St. Anthony Mary Claret’s autobiography and see how he dealt with the same problems of his day. He didn’t tell people to leave the faith, but rather inspried and exhorted them to receive it and live it more abundantly. St. Catherine of Siena is another great example of this.

Have compassion on poor sinners, don’t just complain about them or tell them to leave. It’s not so much that people are faithless, but that charity has grown cold. Most people are not obstinate or antagonistic towards the faith, they just need someone to light the fire of divine charity under them.
 
Kristofer88 said:
Why has the Church slowly given in to the people, for example, we are now allowed to touch the bread/body of Jesus, we do not dress classy at all, kneeling is not mandetory in many churchs, people leave right after communion.
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Receiving the Body of Christ in hand is permitted by the Church. Jesus as a fully human man (in addition to being fully God) touched many human hands including those of a few people who were ill or considered culturally unclean. The human mouth is full of germs as well. Why is receiving in the hands any less respectful?

My mom is Presbyterian and I grew up going both to Mass with my dad and church with my mom. At mass people were dressed much more casually, but seemed more interested and reverent towards the service instead of over concerned with how fancy everyone else was dressing in my mom’s church.

Jesus stressed that it is much more important what is on the inside than on the outside. Of course it would be irreverent and improper to wear clothing blatantly immodest or with offensive text on it, but I don’t think jeans are necessarily a problem. I went to many a school mass in jeans 😉

That said I wish we did still have the practice of kneeling at a railing to receive communion. I was at a wedding for an Episcopalian friend, where they still have the practice and thought it was a shame that the Catholic Church abandoned the practice as commonplace in most Masses.

I agree with you about people leaving right after communion. It is common in my parish too:( , but I guess I have been guilty of leaving before the end of the last hymn when my toddler or baby have been acting up to the point of disturbing other people at the mass:blush: :confused:
Kristofer88 said:
What I mean is that it is and was ok for my pastor at both Euro Churches to yell at me, grab me by the ear, and give lectures to anybody they want. I’m 20 and honestly would not be in the least bit upset if a priest were to yell at me, or lecture me. They demand respect, they have a strict dress code, and for those who come with any intention rather then being there for God are publicly called out and the embarressment usually ensures they don’t do it again.
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Yes, pastors should probably be more clear in professing the teachings of the Church, but I don’t think physical violence is justified or is the best route into reaching and changing hearts and minds or souls.

Also being too judgmental can be off-putting. I recall the preachers who would occasionally come to campus when I was in college and loudly proclaim how everybody was going to burn in hell for this or that (they weren’t Catholic). Most people just blew them off. On the other hand FOCUS groups on campus which took a much more subtle approach have been very effective.
Kristofer88 said:
if the people are too comforted by the times to give 1 hour entirely to God, and in every way possible, then why should a priest cut back on the rules just to keep them coming? I believe the traditional ways are much better, and honestly I kind of see it as an insult to the religion itself to put peoples wants before what Priests should actually be doing, and that is being much stricter, even if it means losing a few people.
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I think that it is better to have people come to Mass. We all need God’s grace. I think it is better to search for the lost sheep than to drive them away.
 
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