Is it okay for the priest to incorporate commentaries on private matters into the mass?

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cknick

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Because we are resolving some heavy parish/school issues, the pastor is inserting vague commentaries in the mass in various places. I find it a little frustrating that he is not separating the issues from how he says the mass. Is this okay? I’m sure it is confusing to all the other parishioners who attend mass who have no clue to whom he is talking, and why he is speaking that way. These issues are being prayed for in the intentions, but poorly worded also. I’m a lector and I can’t leave to get him to stop it. Any ideas?
 
cknick said:
Because we are resolving some heavy parish/school issues, the pastor is inserting vague commentaries in the mass in various places. I find it a little frustrating that he is not separating the issues from how he says the mass. Is this okay? I’m sure it is confusing to all the other parishioners who attend mass who have no clue to whom he is talking, and why he is speaking that way. These issues are being prayed for in the intentions, but poorly worded also. I’m a lector and I can’t leave to get him to stop it. Any ideas?
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What?
 
cknick said:
Because we are resolving some heavy parish/school issues, the pastor is inserting vague commentaries in the mass in various places. I find it a little frustrating that he is not separating the issues from how he says the mass. Is this okay? I’m sure it is confusing to all the other parishioners who attend mass who have no clue to whom he is talking, and why he is speaking that way. These issues are being prayed for in the intentions, but poorly worded also. I’m a lector and I can’t leave to get him to stop it. Any ideas?
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Give an example, please, of exactly when during the Mass this would likely happen and what exactly he might say during a Mass when he has done this.
 
cknick said:
Because we are resolving some heavy parish/school issues, the pastor is inserting vague commentaries in the mass in various places. I find it a little frustrating that he is not separating the issues from how he says the mass. Is this okay? I’m sure it is confusing to all the other parishioners who attend mass who have no clue to whom he is talking, and why he is speaking that way. These issues are being prayed for in the intentions, but poorly worded also. I’m a lector and I can’t leave to get him to stop it. Any ideas?
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He probably shouldn’t be. Political-ish matters like that probably shouldn’t be mingled with sacramental matters. Also I understand it’s standard procedure in many companies, jurisdictions, and the like not to discuss matters that are on-going, except with the people directly involved.
 
I don’t know how you would stop him in the middle of Mass anyway. That would be more distracting than whatever vague comments he might be making. The only thing I can see that you could help with is to offer to help with writing the intentions.

It may be that others in the congregation who are not as close to the issues do not pick up on the priests comments and so this is bothering you (and perhaps others ‘in the know’) more than it is most of the parish.

I assume that as a lector, the priest knows you, so I would approach him directly at a time when you can be private and mention how his comments make you uncomfortable and how they are distracting from the Mass. Be respectful and charitable, tell him your concerns, but don’t make any demands about his behavior.
 
He made a few comments about those “hostile” to the church, both in the homily and in the intentions- it stirred a few people up who began whispering about it.

I knew exactly what he was talking about…although I disagree especially about being “hostile”…inquiring and oppositional to poor oversight of serious school issues and adhearance to rs, but hostile, no.

Anything I say in questioning him will be taken offensively, so I can’t say anymore right now. Perhaps either leaving when my lectoring schedule slows down, or just enduring it and praying harder.

One highlight though, is that one of the priests at the parish tried to follow rs by consecrating in the common cups this morning. I was thankful for seeing that he at least tried to follow rs, even though that intinction thing he did was a little strange. Rather than using a chalice, he used four common cups, after the lamb of God, he used intinction and dipped a piece of the host one of the common cups and ate it, rather than taking a piece and placing it the Chalice.

Perhaps with time it will look like the norm.
 
cknick said:
One highlight though, is that one of the priests at the parish tried to follow rs by consecrating in the common cups this morning. I was thankful for seeing that he at least tried to follow rs, even though that intinction thing he did was a little strange. Rather than using a chalice, he used four common cups, after the lamb of God, he used intinction and dipped a piece of the host one of the common cups and ate it, rather than taking a piece and placing it the Chalice.
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The priest is permitted to consume the Holy Sacrifice by intinction, though, right? Are you sure he didn’t do the Fraction Rite?
 
Spirithound said:
The priest is permitted to consume the Holy Sacrifice by intinction, though, right? Are you sure he didn’t do the Fraction Rite?
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I don’t normally see the consecrated host consumed by intinction, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. I’m just not used to seeing it done that way. Usually the priest consumes the consecrated host, and puts a small piece in the chalice. He normally doesn’t consume the piece he is to put in the chalice, right?
 
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