Is it ok to breastfeed at Mass?

[Memaw]

If you’re discreet, I don’t see a problem. Neither does the pope.

usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/01/12/pope-francis-breast-feeding-sistine-chapel/21620337/

The guy in the pew next to you might disagree though…

Agreed, 100%, It’s the most natural thing to do for your baby and the healthiest. I nursed all mine even in Church and my oldest is 58. Like you said, I was discreet about it. I did always try to feed him before I left for Mass, just to keep him happy tho. (I say “him” because all my 7 babies were boys.) I don’t think warning Fr. is necessary and I do hope Fr. would surly set that person straight if anyone ever did have nerve enough to complain. God Bless, Memaw

 

[Joie_de_Vivre]

My husband and I have a 9 month old son who is breastfed. If he happens to get hungry during Mass, I was just wondering if it would be ok to feed him sitting in the pew or would it be better to walk out and do it somewhere else? I wouldn’t really want to do it in the bathroom just because I think bathrooms are kind of a gross place to eat, I mean I wouldn’t want to eat in one. But our church does have a “Cry room” in the back of the church for people with young babies and children. Would it be better to do it in there? Or does it even matter? I’m always discreet about it anytime that I nurse around other people. Usually you can’t even really tell that I’m nursing him, it just looks like I’m holding him. Thanks in advance.

The Pope actually encouraged women to feed their babies during Mass.

 

[Origen52]

The Pope actually encouraged women to feed their babies during Mass.

 

[Little_Sheep]

Per Natural Law, that is the function of breasts, so I’m not sure what the problem is. We only became ashamed of that fact after the Fall, right?

 

[dixieagle]

I just don,t thing it,s right to do it during Mass in the pew,It,s better if the women were to go to a place were people,don,t have too see her breastfeed,. I have never since it done in my church,so maybe women should not ,and do it were people will notice what their doing.

 

[dixieagle]

I think it’s fine to breastfeed in the pew, in a discrete way. Those breastfeeding covers are great.

However, out of respect for the pastor, I would suggest making sure he’s fine with it first. Mainly incase some whiner complains, Father isn’t caught off guard.

God Bless

Frankly, it’s no one else’s business.

It is astonishing to me that there is any question raised about this.

 

[babochka]

I don’t think anyone would say anything to you if you did it in the pew, but you can be sure some would talk behind your back, etc. So, I would opt for the cry room. That’s partly what they’re for.

We should cater to the un-Christian behavior of those who would talk behind some poor mother’s back?

It also depends on the church. If it’s routine for mother’s to breastfeed in the pew, then you should have no worries. Now if it’s a very large church like I go to, where people can’t possibly know everyone, it’d be frowned on unless it was in the cry room.

We have a serious cultural problem if feeding one’s baby in the church is frowned upon. Nevertheless, I woudl encourage the OP to do what is best for herself and her baby, and not worry about the perceptions of strangers. If you can feed easily in the pew, go for it! I’m at a point with my 13-month-old where I prefer to go out to nurse, because I’m hoping she’ll go to sleep and there are too many interesting distractions in the church for her. But this is new, just in the last few weeks, and I’ve happily nursed all 6 of my children in the 3rd pew on the left of a very small church, discretely, but without a cover. I have no idea what people think, but I do know that I am not doing anything wrong.

It would be forbidden in our Mother Church. They have twenty-six pages or rules they give to new parishioners! And we have to follow them all!

I’d love to see a list! How on earth are these 26 pages of regulations enforced? And what sort of control-freak comes up with 26 pages of regulations on the behavior of other people who have come to worship God?

No cry rooms there because it’s the old - and beautiful - cathedral. One of the rules is for a breastfeeding mother to leave the church.

What is the point behind the breastfeeding ban? I think somebody ought to tell Pope Francis about tis one.

To be sure, the cathedral is not a kid-friendly church. It’s beautiful, but not kid friendly. [So, it depends on the church as well. Still, I’d be on the safe side and opt for the cry room.

Every Catholic church should be welcoming to all Catholics - indeed, all people. To have a church with 26 pages of regulations would drive away so many, even those who would not be put out whatsoever in order to comply with said regulations. I might be jumping to conclusions, not having seen the regulations, but it sounds more like this particular Cathedral is not really about being a home for the people of the diocese. It seems more like they are about projecting an image.

If he’s a fast eater, you can soon return to your seat in the pew.

And if he’s not, you might very well be banned from Mass attendance for a while, according to the regulations in some parishes.
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[catholicmamajoy]

I don’t think anyone would say anything to you if you did it in the pew, but you can be sure some would talk behind your back, etc. So, I would opt for the cry room. That’s partly what they’re for.

It also depends on the church. If it’s routine for mother’s to breastfeed in the pew, then you should have no worries. Now if it’s a very large church like I go to, where people can’t possibly know everyone, it’d be frowned on unless it was in the cry room. It would be forbidden in our Mother Church. They have twenty-six pages or rules they give to new parishioners! And we have to follow them all! No cry rooms there because it’s the old - and beautiful - cathedral. One of the rules is for a breastfeeding mother to leave the church. To be sure, the cathedral is not a kid-friendly church. It’s beautiful, but not kid friendly. So, it depends on the church as well. Still, I’d be on the safe side and opt for the cry room. If he’s a fast eater, you can soon return to your seat in the pew. And if you sit in the back when he’s hungry, fewer people will notice.

Would you be so kind as to post the page from this “list of rules” you speak of? I have never heard of something so bizarre when it comes to Church membership rules. Is this “Mother Church” part of a monastery of men religious or something? You must belong to some, ahem, “interesting” kind of parish…every parish where I’ve attended Mass had babies present and no one bats an eye over a nursing mom and they certainly wouldn’t be talking about her behind her back. If I were you, I’d start looking for a new parish if gossiping about moms is a commonplace in your current parish.

 

[misspriss]

Pope Francis has expressed approval of breastfeeding in the pew.

I say yes, of course. But go about it with modesty, as we do all the time .I nurse both my children in mass (almost 3 and 9 months) discreetly but with no cover. I do nothing special to cover more in church, but I try to be discreet all the time I nurse outside my home. I have yet to receive a complaint (in mass, that is), and I would ask the complainer if they would say the same to our blessed mother as she fed Jesus.

And my goodness, banned? I would ask the same! Would they ask blessed Mary to leave if she needed to feed Jesus? What of the Pope speaking on the matter?

 

[godisgood77]

Of course it is.

 

[sirach2v4]

There’s a church in central Florida, in Haines City, perhaps, where the chief artistry behind the celebrant is a representation of people, presumably the Christian people, in garb of Biblical times, and there on the left is a woman breastfeeding a baby.

In this church you don’t have a choice (once you get there and stay there) about thinking-- almost constantly – about breastfeeding a baby.

The REAL answer would be based on canons 1205 to 1210, about sacred places. 1210 says that in a sacred place (a worship space w/ or w/o the tabernacle) anything that takes place should be related to worship, piety, or religion.

canon law, vatican website: vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P4G.HTM

 

[godisgood77]

The REAL answer would be based on canons 1205 to 1210, about sacred places. 1210 says that in a sacred place (a worship space w/ or w/o the tabernacle) anything that takes place should be related to worship, piety, or religion.

Completely agree with this… and procreation, nurturing children as a mother and spouse is directly related to the vocation of a mother and therefore intrinsically tied to worship of God, piety and religion.

So of course it is okay to breastfeed at Mass.

 

[dixieagle]

Completely agree with this… and procreation, nurturing children as a mother and spouse is directly related to the vocation of a mother and therefore intrinsically tied to worship of God, piety and religion.

So of course it is okay to breastfeed at Mass.

 

[Sarcelle]

I don’t think anyone would say anything to you if you did it in the pew, but you can be sure some would talk behind your back, etc. So, I would opt for the cry room. That’s partly what they’re for.

It also depends on the church. If it’s routine for mother’s to breastfeed in the pew, then you should have no worries. Now if it’s a very large church like I go to, where people can’t possibly know everyone, it’d be frowned on unless it was in the cry room. It would be forbidden in our Mother Church. They have twenty-six pages or rules they give to new parishioners! And we have to follow them all! No cry rooms there because it’s the old - and beautiful - cathedral. One of the rules is for a breastfeeding mother to leave the church. To be sure, the cathedral is not a kid-friendly church. It’s beautiful, but not kid friendly. So, it depends on the church as well. Still, I’d be on the safe side and opt for the cry room. If he’s a fast eater, you can soon return to your seat in the pew. And if you sit in the back when he’s hungry, fewer people will notice.

Just curious, have there been known cases of breastfeeding women being kicked out of the Mother church? Who is given the job of enforcing these rules?

 

[sirach2v4]

Completely agree with this… and procreation, nurturing children as a mother and spouse is directly related to the vocation of a mother and therefore intrinsically tied to worship of God, piety and religion.

So of course it is okay to breastfeed at Mass.

procreation? that’s OK in church, too?That seems to have been tossed out in Biblical times.

 

[EveningSkye111]

I don’t think anyone would say anything to you if you did it in the pew, but you can be sure some would talk behind your back, etc. So, I would opt for the cry room. That’s partly what they’re for.

It also depends on the church. If it’s routine for mother’s to breastfeed in the pew, then you should have no worries. Now if it’s a very large church like I go to, where people can’t possibly know everyone, it’d be frowned on unless it was in the cry room. It would be forbidden in our Mother Church. They have twenty-six pages or rules they give to new parishioners! And we have to follow them all! No cry rooms there because it’s the old - and beautiful - cathedral. One of the rules is for a breastfeeding mother to leave the church. To be sure, the cathedral is not a kid-friendly church. It’s beautiful, but not kid friendly. So, it depends on the church as well. Still, I’d be on the safe side and opt for the cry room. If he’s a fast eater, you can soon return to your seat in the pew. And if you sit in the back when he’s hungry, fewer people will notice.

Twenty six pages of rules? Sounds like a lovely church, but with pages and pages of thou-shalt-nots seems excessive. Do they allow sinners?

When I was a kid, we attended a stately old church and it was not “kid friendly,” but back then, it didn’t have to be. We KNEW how to behave as soon as we crossed the threshold. There were no cry rooms, bathrooms or bubblers. When the new church was built in the 50’s, it had all that, but not before.

I sure miss the old church…does your church have lots of stained glass windows? sigh such beauty!

 

[Memaw]

There’s a church in central Florida, in Haines City, perhaps, where the chief artistry behind the celebrant is a representation of people, presumably the Christian people, in garb of Biblical times, and there on the left is a woman breastfeeding a baby.

In this church you don’t have a choice (once you get there and stay there) about thinking-- almost constantly – about breastfeeding a baby.

The REAL answer would be based on canons 1205 to 1210, about sacred places. 1210 says that in a sacred place (a worship space w/ or w/o the tabernacle) anything that takes place should be related to worship, piety, or religion.

canon law, vatican website: vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P4G.HTM

Breast feeding your baby certainly would be “consonant with the Holiness of the Place.” Breastfeeding was designed by God so perfectly acceptable. Maybe the artistry of the woman breastfeeding her baby is the Blessed Mother. God Bless, Memaw

 

[babochka]

procreation? that’s OK in church, too?That seems to have been tossed out in Biblical times.

I don’t think it has ever been acceptable, but it didn’t exactly go away after Biblical times.

Apparently, it was still a problem in the time of St. John Chrystostom, as he complained that the women at church were no different from courtesans, and the men like “frantic stallions.” He also noted that people were talking throughout the liturgy, and “their talk is filthier than excrement.” Then he went on to report that the rush for Communion proceeded by way of “kicking, striking, filled with anger, shoving our neighbors, full of disorder.”

For an eye-opening read, I recommend “Though Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines saw it”. It is out of print, but if you can get ahold of it, it is quite the read. It might make you grateful for the breastfeeding mother who comes to quietly and appropriately worship God, but happens to need to feed her baby while doing so.

 

[babochka]

?

When I was a kid, we attended a stately old church and it was not “kid friendly,” but back then, it didn’t have to be. ** We KNEW how to behave as soon as we crossed the threshold. ** There were no cry rooms, bathrooms or bubblers. When the new church was built in the 50’s, it had all that, but not before.

Even when you were babies and toddlers? My experience is that such behavior needs to be taught, and these lessons take time and maturity to fully internalize.

 

[babochka]

There’s a church in central Florida, in Haines City, perhaps, where the chief artistry behind the celebrant is a representation of people, presumably the Christian people, in garb of Biblical times, and there on the left is a woman breastfeeding a baby.

In this church you don’t have a choice (once you get there and stay there) about thinking-- almost constantly – about breastfeeding a baby.

That’s awesome! I would love to see a picture.

I would imagine that the parishioners of that Church get used to it rather quickly and don’t give it a second thought after some time.

How about the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, in St. Augustine, which features -gasp- a statue of Our Lady, breastfeeding Jesus. In the chapel. Above the altar. Talk about inescapable! How on earth is one to pray with that sort of thing going on in the Church?

traditium.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/inshrine2.jpg

A google search for images of Our Lady of La Leche, or for images of the Mary Breastfeeding Jesus, will bring up plenty of images in sacred art, from early paintings in the catacombs, to iconography, and throughout the Renaissance.

The REAL answer would be based on canons 1205 to 1210, about sacred places. 1210 says that in a sacred place (a worship space w/ or w/o the tabernacle) anything that takes place should be related to worship, piety, or religion.

canon law, vatican website: vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P4G.HTM

So, in your opinion, would these canons also preclude bottle-feeding a baby in Church? Or helping a wiggling toddler get out of a warm coat? Or taking up a collection? Or providing medical assistance to a person in need? Maybe we should remove a person from the Church before providing CPR?