Liturgical Tourism

[PassioAmator]

I really want to go to daily Mass, but I can’t because I have school in the morning. The only church with a Mass that is before school is a Maronite church. I, being a Roman Catholic, was told that I shouldn’t go to that Mass because it is ‘Liturgical Tourism’, and I should not go even though it is the only church. Anyone know if this is a legitimate thing or not?

 

[babochka]

I really want to go to daily Mass, but I can’t because I have school in the morning. The only church with a Mass that is before school is a Maronite church. I, being a Roman Catholic, was told that I shouldn’t go to that Mass because it is ‘Liturgical Tourism’, and I should not go even though it is the only church. Anyone know if this is a legitimate thing or not?

This is ridiculous. First of all, there is nothing wrong with “liturgical tourism”. The Church encourages us to become familiar with the various rites present within the universal Church, and how else to do that than to experience them?I love to experience the various rites and traditions of the various Churches, and as a Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic, am happy to have been able to experience several traditions in addition to my own. I have been to the Mass in the ordinary and extraordinary forms, a Melkite Divine Liturgy, a Maronite Liturgy, a Chaldean Liturgy, a Syro-Malabar liturgy, and a number of Orthodox Divine Liturgies. I did this to worship God, but also to see how others worship God and that is a perfectly legitimate reason to do so.

Besides, if it is the only opportunity for daily Mass or Divine Liturgy, it makes sense. Does this person expect that you should forego attending Mass altogether, even on a Sunday, if there were no other options? Plenty of Eastern Catholics have no option to worship in their own rite. I often attend daily Mass at a local parish because my own parish is quite a drive and doesn’t offer daily Divine Liturgy.

 

[PassioAmator]

This is ridiculous. First of all, there is nothing wrong with “liturgical tourism”.

Yey! This makes me glad

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

I have never heard of such a thing, and I would think anywhere in communion with Rome would be perfectly acceptable. I would question the motives of someone who says otherwise.

 

[GEddie]

Told by whom?

So-called liturgical tourism is not something to be avoided per se anyhow.

ICXC NIKA

 

[billy15]

If “Liturgical tourism” is a thing, then I’ve done it a lot. My wife and I have popped in at Ruthenian Catholic Churches, a Syro-Malabar Catholic cathedral, and a nice Melkite Catholic parish where they warmly welcomed us as visitors and allowed me to read the prayer intentions during Divine Liturgy. And just this morning I went to a Ukrainian Catholic parish for Divine Liturgy because I overslept and missed Mass at my own parish.

Who could possibly say that going to worship and receive our Lord is a thing to be discouraged?! Definitely go visit our Maronite Catholic brothers and sisters! St. John Paul II told us to do so in no uncertain terms! Check out what he said in his 1995 Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen (Light of the East):

“Since, in fact, we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ’s Church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition, so as to be nourished by it and to encourage the process of unity in the best way possible for each.

“Our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters are very conscious of being the living bearers of this tradition, together with our Orthodox brothers and sisters. The members of the Catholic Church of the Latin tradition must also be fully acquainted with this treasure and thus feel, with the Pope, a passionate longing that the full manifestation of the Church’s catholicity be restored to the Church and to the world, expressed not by a single tradition, and still less by one community in opposition to the other; and that we too may be granted a full taste of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of the universal Church which is preserved and grows in the life of the Churches of the East as in those of the West…

“…[C]onversion is… required of the Latin Church, that she may respect and fully appreciate the dignity of Eastern Christians, and accept gratefully the spiritual treasures of which the Eastern Catholic Churches are the bearers, to the benefit of the entire Catholic communion; that she may show concretely, far more than in the past, how much she esteems and admires the Christian East and how essential she considers its contribution to the full realization of the Church’s universality.”

 

[Tomdstone]

The only church with a Mass that is before school is a Maronite church. I, being a Roman Catholic, was told that I shouldn’t go to that Mass because it is ‘Liturgical Tourism’, and I should not go even though it is the only church.

I didn’t know that ‘Liturgical Tourism’ was sinful.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I really want to go to daily Mass, but I can’t because I have school in the morning. The only church with a Mass that is before school is a Maronite church. I, being a Roman Catholic, was told that I shouldn’t go to that Mass because it is ‘Liturgical Tourism’, and I should not go even though it is the only church. Anyone know if this is a legitimate thing or not?

Anyone who would tell you that you should not go is being ridiculous.

The Lord, in His Providence, is giving you an extraordinary gift…the opportunity to experience the catholicity of the Church in a very beautiful and profound way. Take advantage of it! Sadly, so few in the Occidental Church have any knowledge, let alone experience, of the Church outside the West. Avail yourself of this very special opportunity to get to know another face of the Church. Who knows what gifts and graces…human as well as sacramental…that the Lord may have in store for you.

One of my dear friends from my days in seminary was/is Maronite. We were both ordained the same year – his ordination I will never forget – and we are still friends after the passage of so many years. Such an amazing history and spiritual patrimony. May you be richly blessed in whatever time you have in this parish.

 

[Vico]

I really want to go to daily Mass, but I can’t because I have school in the morning. The only church with a Mass that is before school is a Maronite church. I, being a Roman Catholic, was told that I shouldn’t go to that Mass because it is ‘Liturgical Tourism’, and I should not go even though it is the only church. Anyone know if this is a legitimate thing or not?

Not. Latin and eastern canon law:

CIC Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

CCEO Can. 403 §1. With due regard for the right and obligation to preserve everywhere their own rite, lay persons have the right to participate actively in the liturgical celebrations of any Church sui iuris whatsoever, according to the norms of the liturgical books.

 

[MorEphrem]

Liturgical tourism has the connotation that you’re attending a different rite of mass simply for the sake of novelty without [or with diminished] intent to pray. That would be irreverent for the same reason attending any mass without proper respect would be.

The situation you describe is not such.

 

[MissRose73]

One weekend I did the following when I had a rare Saturday and Sunday off work:

Saturday evening - Mass at the parish I belong to (and what is the norm for me with current work schedule)

Sunday morning - Divine Liturgy at a Byzantine church about 20 miles from home

Sunday afternoon - Extraordinary Form/Latin Mass in a neighboring diocese 40 miles from home

I like the rare chances I get to assist at the Byzantine Church and also the church that offers the EF Mass too. I was able to hear 3 different sets of readings and homilies preached too. If you have the chance to go to a TLM and a EC Divine Liturgy, do so and do each a few times to give them a fair chance. I consider them an extension to my current faith life of the OF Mass.

 

[Kielbasi]

I have never heard of this “liturgical tourism” being discouraged at all.

In fact, from my own communion classes back in the day- it was sort of encouraged, maybe not full throated as I really wasn’t living in close proximity to an eastern church, but definitely not discouraged.

Further, some of the local eastern churches have “All are welcome” signs, knowing that the majority of Pittsburgh is latin rite- making it pretty crystal clear that you don’t have to be a Ukrainian to attend.