Is there a rule that requires complete silence before Mass?

[Kathryn_Ann]

Is there a definitive Church teaching on whether or not complete silence is to be observed in the nave before Mass begins?

If I’m attending Mass alone (and I usually like to arrive twenty minutes early), after genuflecting, kneeling, and praying for a few minutes, I then put the kneeler up and sit quietly in the pew. I can’t stay on the kneeler longer, as people need to be free to sit where they want. Even if I sit in the middle of the pew, people sometimes like to cross over rather than going around to the far left or right.

I know that once the introit begins and our priest enters that we are all to be quiet. My question is about the time, for those of us arriving early, when we’re faced with people wanting to chat, hug, shake hands, be “cordial.” It would be nice if everyone knew the exact rule, so that we would all focus on God from the moment we enter the nave. I also respect the fact that Christ lives within each of my dear friends. There’s also the occasional visitor who has questions or concerns or who simply wants to feel welcomed. I’m a relatively new Catholic convert, so I’m a bit confused on this. Knowing he Church’s ruling will help me do the right thing and feel more confident about choosing to obey the rule.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

No, to my knowledge, there is no such “definitive teaching” from the Church on the issue. This likely is because Western society enforced the rule of etiquette that people should remain silent in a place of worship, just like it has enforced such rules in other places in which society recognizes a need for silence (e.g., libraries, courtrooms). Rules are only made to address bad behavior. Where people are doing the right thing already, there is no need for the Church or other authorities to pass rules.

It would be helpful for pastors to post signs on the doors to the nave that say something like “Please maintain sacred silence while inside,” and perhaps you might recommend this idea to your own pastor in the course of explaining to him the difficulties you’ve encountered in having to choose between remaining silent or hurting someone’s feelings. If he declines to do so though, you do have the right to gently indicate to others that you are unwilling to talk in the nave before Mass.

For example, when someone approaches you to chat, just give that person a friendly smile and whisper, “I’m so sorry, but I can’t talk with you right now. I’ll catch up with you after Mass to say hi.” (If it is a visitor who needs information, get up, whisper “Please follow me,” and then lead him into the vestibule to give him information.) Then turn your attention back to the tabernacle, the altar, or to your devotional reading material (which could be a helpful prop for discouraging chatters). After Mass, and after you leave the nave, do catch up with that person and say something like, “Hi! I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to greet you properly during Mass. I wish we could have chatted then, but I didn’t want to risk disturbing others who were spiritually preparing for Mass. So, how have you been?” The idea here is to sandwich some information on Mass etiquette into warm social pleasantries.