Is clapping okay after the priest declares that the mass is over?

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Welcome to the Faith. I am so sorry this happened to you and your family.
 
slh3016 said:
Our priest, a good and holy man, beckoned the parishioners to clap for one of our auxillary priest’s birthdays yesterday after daily mass and some teenagers in the crowd (that normally attend an ultra-traditional parish on Sundays) chided my son for clapping along with the priest. It hurt my son’s feelings and left a very bitter taste in his mouth because of their “holier than thou” attitude about it especially since we are recent converts and these are cradle Catholic kids. My son asked them why it was so wrong since the priest had said, “The mass is over” and they did not give him an answer other than, “Well, you’re just not supposed to do that at mass.” There have been occasions, too, where this priest has recognized other people for his or her birthday as well that have come after Holy Communion and after the host has been placed back in the Tabernacle but before the concluding rites.

I’d like to have a better explanation as to why this is wrong, if at all. The parents of these teenagers display the same disdain for our priest for doing these types of things as well. It feels very hurtful that they think we don’t attend a “good enough” parish, especially when I don’t understand if their disdain is due to personal preference or to valid liturgical abuse.

This is the only parish that we have regularly attending and we are relatively new Catholics so please no flaming! I’m asking for sincere, not sarcastic or haughty, replies.
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I’m sorry your son was accosted. Recently I was a target because of my young grandchildren. Some people are bitter. Most are kind and loving.
Clapping for happy occassions like birthdays? Okay!
Onwards and upwards
 
Teens tend to be short-sighted. I mostly attend the traditional Mass, sometimes OF, sometimes Anglican (our parish is blessed to have all 3). Clapping is something we just don’t do AS A GENERAL RULE. That is the case at all our Masses. However, if there were something extra-special as in this case, it would be different, and has been. My guess is the teens had been told clapping was inappropriate and they generalized it to “Never, ever clap for anything”. Or maybe they were just jerks.🤷 I’m offering a possible alternative explanation that doesn’t cast a bad light on anyone. Sorry this happened to you at such an early stage in your life in the Church, though.
 
Clapping is an American thing.
People mean no harm, no disrespect.
People love to criticize. Ignore it.
I would have asked them to keep their hands to themselves. :rolleyes:
 
pianistclare said:
Clapping is an American thing.
People mean no harm, no disrespect.
People love to criticize. Ignore it.
I would have asked them to keep their hands to themselves. :rolleyes:
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Applause happens in Europe, too 🙂

Do look at the video posted. Everyone, from all the countries, were applauding. It was, in that moment, an expression that transcended the many many languages that were spoken under that roof…and it was a very loud voice that thundered.

It was very interesting. Pope Benedict would never encourage such a thing…but neither did he attempt to stop it for a full two minutes. He was visibly moved and even struck.

Those were days of such profound emotion.

Even in the years he was gone from Rome and back in Germany, he was a still a presence simply because he was such a remarkable peritus back in the days of the Council, part of the elite cadre, and his influence even before he was elevated to the episcopate was very far reaching.

Everyone knew this was an epic moment in the passage of history…truly it was a moment in time always to be remembered.
 
our priest frequently asks the congregation to clap for the musicians, cantor and choir before Mass is dismissed. I don’t join in. I certainly appreciate the time and work they devote to their weekly obligation, but having just received the Eucharist I am still in a certain frame of mind and desire to remain that way - reverent, quiet. If others want to clap, fine, but I prefer not to. It would be nice if they could put a thank you in the bulletin or have a nice reception for the musicians, cantor and choir once a year instead of weekly asking people to clap.
 
Don_Ruggero said:
Applause happens in Europe, too 🙂

Do look at the video posted. Everyone, from all the countries, were applauding. It was, in that moment, an expression that transcended the many many languages that were spoken under that roof…and it was a very loud voice that thundered.

It was very interesting. Pope Benedict would never encourage such a thing…but neither did he attempt to stop it for a full two minutes. He was visibly moved and even struck.

Those were days of such profound emotion.

Even in the years he was gone from Rome and back in Germany, he was a still a presence simply because he was such a remarkable peritus back in the days of the Council, part of the elite cadre, and his influence even before he was elevated to the episcopate was very far reaching.

Everyone knew this was an epic moment in the passage of history…truly it was a moment in time always to be remembered.
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I was sad he was Pope for such a short time. I entered the Church in 2008 so I am fond of Benedict XVI. It was a very sad day for me and disappointing when he said he was resigning.
 
I have thought over this. I think it is okay to rarely call for applause for the choir, or for another reason. But to do it regularly is a distraction from the spirit of worship. Better, say, to have a dinner of recognition.
 
Don_Ruggero said:
Of course it was appropriate for the parish priest to make the request and for his parishioners to instantly comply with the request to honour His Excellency, the auxiliary bishop.

Show your son this video…it was one of the most moving moments in February 2013 as Pope Benedict celebrated a final Mass in Saint Peter’s before retiring – and this is during Mass, not after Mass – with all the Cardinals, all the Bishops, the Curial officials, the Sistine choir…even the Masters of Ceremonies of the Supreme Pontiff…giving His Holiness a standing ovation that swept the entire basilica, after His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State had addressed the Holy Father with words that evoked provoked profound emotion in His Holiness and everyone present…it was an unforgettable moment.

youtube.com/watch?v=l3_J4wQIDEE

It says everything about these people when you say they hold your parish priest in disdain. It is their behaviour that is repugnant and worthy of condemnation. This family who did what they did were completely wrong…and it is they who should be reminded, and in the strongest of terms, of what Pope Francis has said against the rigid. Frankly, you should be extremely wary of these people and those of their ilk.

On a positive note, I hope His Excellency, the auxiliary bishop, was touched by the outpouring of affection for him, which is due him by the lay faithful as well as by the clergy who serve him.
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Don Ruggero, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. However, noting that the OP is rather new I wonder if perhaps by “auxiliary priest” he/she meant “assistant pastor” or “parochial vicar” rather than “auxiliary bishop.” Just for clarification and not that this would change anything you said.
 
slh3016 said:
One of these same kids reached across my girls one day to stop a younger boy from clapping with the priest. It happened right in front of me and was very disruptive and disrespectful, IMO.
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I don’t know what the kid did to try to stop the younger boy from clapping, but I do recall how I reacted after a religious sister tried to lift me out of the kneeling position a few minutes after I received communion as an adult and was back in my pew.

Physical touching in this context is unacceptable.
 
slh3016 said:
One of these same kids reached across my girls one day to stop a younger boy from clapping with the priest. It happened right in front of me and was very disruptive and disrespectful, IMO.
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It is decidedly both disruptive and disrespectful.

A member of the congregation should not be acting as though they are some sort of liturgical policeman…and for a child to act that way in the presence of an adult is not acceptable in any fashion.
 
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Solomonson:
One of the very reasons I leave right after the dismissal is because I don’t want to hear the tortured applause for the cantor and the pianist…

That said I would have told those snots to close their pie-holes if they dared speak to my son in that manner.
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:eek:
 
7_Sorrows said:
our priest frequently asks the congregation to clap for the musicians, cantor and choir before Mass is dismissed. I don’t join in. I certainly appreciate the time and work they devote to their weekly obligation, but having just received the Eucharist I am still in a certain frame of mind and desire to remain that way - reverent, quiet. If others want to clap, fine, but I prefer not to. It would be nice if they could put a thank you in the bulletin or have a nice reception for the musicians, cantor and choir once a year instead of weekly asking people to clap.
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Amen and thank you.
 
pnewton said:
There is nothing wrong with clapping outside of Mass. I do not know if I ever read that it was banned at all times during the Mass either. If that is in the GIRM, I must have missed it. In any case, I would thinking clapping after Mass would be preferable to being a jerk after Mass.
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:clapping: 👍
 
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