Laughing at Liturgical Abuse

[latinmasslover]

I understand it is a very serious matter when someone disrespects the sacredness of the Liturgy. Some things I’ve read/heard though, are just so outrageous and bizarre I can’t help but laugh at them. If I don’t intend to disrespect Christ, is it sinful to be amused by the weirdness of certain violations/abuses?

For me, and I’m sure it’s more like this for you:

Disgusted and disheartened at the abuse,
“amused” at the stupidity/ignorance of those permitting/doing it

Not that this is more Christian by any means, but…it’s a little different, just the way I see it.

 

[Digitonomy]

Reading between the lines, it’s not something that we should be blase about; rather, we need to take these things seriously.

You are presenting a false dichotomy: Either a person is blase and has no regard for the liturgy, or a person takes the liturgy seriously and is incapable of recognizing any humor in it. People are more complicated than that.

 

[DL82]

I wonder whether we should return to the traditional division of the Mass into the Liturgy of the Word, as the public liturgy, and the part that has always involved some variation, and as such may be more receptive to ideas designed to make the Mass accessible, and the Liturgy of the Sacrifice, aka the liturgy of the faithful (the words ‘Guard the Doors’ are still included in the Liturgy of St John Crysostom in the Eastern churches to remind us of the once closed character of this part of the liturgy, thus much more solemn, unchanging, and carefully defined.

Would that keep everyone happy, or just leave an unhealthily divided compromise?

 

[benedictgal]

You are presenting a false dichotomy: Either a person is blase and has no regard for the liturgy, or a person takes the liturgy seriously and is incapable of recognizing any humor in it. People are more complicated than that.

No, I am not. There is no humor in knowing that something is wrong and doing it anyway. You need to re-read my posts. As I have noted on many of my posts, I have no qualms about chuckling over Mass bloopers. These are beyond anyone’s control. I’ve made them. However, to be blase and laugh about liturgical abuse shows that one doesn’t take the norms and rubrics of the Church very seriously.

 

[Digitonomy]

However, to be blase and laugh about liturgical abuse shows that one doesn’t take the norms and rubrics of the Church very seriously.

I would agree with that statement. However laughter alone is not an indication of how blase one may be, and thus laughing about a liturgical abuse, or any other tragedy, does not mean that one isn’t taking it seriously.

 

[agr4028]

I would agree with that statement. However laughter alone is not an indication of how blase one may be, and thus laughing about a liturgical abuse, or any other tragedy, does not mean that one isn’t taking it seriously.

Amen, sometimes we have to laugh to keep from crying…