Low Church Catholics

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I’m a protestant Evangelical who attends a very “low Church” environment (Evangelical Free Church of America). Generally because of my experience going through RCIA (I decided not to finish) many people in my Church who don’t have a clue about the Catholic faith ask questions about how Catholics worship and what Catholics believe.

Some of them had a hard time understanding the liturgy aspect of the Catholic faith. So I then became curious. Are there such things as “low Church” Catholics? I know there are Low Church and High Church Episcopalians because I used to go to a low Church Episcopal parish. What about Catholics?
 
Probably not in the way you observed in the Episcopal Church. Generally “Low Church” Episcopalians have a completely different view of what the Eucharist is from those who would consider themselves “High Church”. Those differences are completely acceptable in the Episcopal Church, at least as of now. While there are undoubtedly those in the Catholic Church who do not believe in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist: body, blood, soul, and divinity–that is not OK. The Catholic Church has basic teachings that have been passed on through time from the beginning and cannot be changed by a vote. OTOH, if you are talking about ceremonial, there will always be differences of taste and preference for one thing or another and that is fine as long as the Church’s liturgy is followed. Hope that helps.
 
I’m not entirely clear on the terms of Low Church and High Church, but what I could gather from a quick Google search, it seems to me that you are wondering if there are Catholic churches which are less focused on the liturgical style and the Eucharist?

There are the Charismatic Catholic churches, which I believe have a similar worship style to many Evangelical churches (but only by rumor, I’ve never attended one myself, but I guess I could look on YouTube). But all Catholic churches are focused on the Eucharist since that is (IMO) the primary focus of the mass/worship, having Jesus himself there to be given to us, in the form of bread and wine.
 
I know in The Church of England there is high church and low church and it is kind of about what language is used, ie Mass is the Eucharist, and they don’t have incense and bells and candles at their main services. When I went to the Church in Wales, no one did the sign of the cross either, which a lot of people do in my church. We are now not as high because being anglican, we moved away from the Missal last year when Catholics had that changed. But whether there is low anglican as opposed to Low Church (of England) I am not sure. I am not sure too if there are low church Catholics since for a lot of Catholics it is all about how the service is carried out as such, the rubics of the service. Which might make a different to high or low?

It takes a life time to get ones head around the service etc, as one picks up different points at different time of their lives. Some parts of the service speak more to you as such depending what is happening for you. Though with a bit of education and effort the Mass, is understandable. It is how the education of it is delivered that goes along way to what a person understands. But true, we don’t understand it all in one go. Its a bit by bit process and it can be quite hard at first to feel engaged in it as its relatively impersonal with it being community worship. The individual has to find their way into the community somehow and that helps them to keep coming to worship God this way. It can be very hard to fit in and find your place in the community especially when it all strange anyway, It is a steep learning curve for many and out of the comfort zone and so a low, evangelical church may feel more welcoming.

And to me one is as good as another because Jesus Christ shows us God whom we worship and if that style works then be of that style. It all the politics behind each denomination that divides rather than unite and I probably be shot down for that because it on a Catholic forum and to suggest everyone is right isn’t a popular statement. But that is what I personally believe. Are there low Catholics because to me, would feel a bit of a contradiction thinking in Church of England terms, but may be not thinking in universally terms.👍
 
englishredrose said:
I know in The Church of England there is high church and low church and it is kind of about what language is used, ie Mass is the Eucharist, and they don’t have incense and bells and candles at their main services. When I went to the Church in Wales, no one did the sign of the cross either, which a lot of people do in my church. We are now not as high because being anglican, we moved away from the Missal last year when Catholics had that changed. But whether there is low anglican as opposed to Low Church (of England) I am not sure. I am not sure too if there are low church Catholics since for a lot of Catholics it is all about how the service is carried out as such, the rubics of the service. Which might make a different to high or low?

It takes a life time to get ones head around the service etc, as one picks up different points at different time of their lives. Some parts of the service speak more to you as such depending what is happening for you. Though with a bit of education and effort the Mass, is understandable. It is how the education of it is delivered that goes along way to what a person understands. But true, we don’t understand it all in one go. Its a bit by bit process and it can be quite hard at first to feel engaged in it as its relatively impersonal with it being community worship. The individual has to find their way into the community somehow and that helps them to keep coming to worship God this way. It can be very hard to fit in and find your place in the community especially when it all strange anyway, It is a steep learning curve for many and out of the comfort zone and so a low, evangelical church may feel more welcoming.

And to me one is as good as another because Jesus Christ shows us God whom we worship and if that style works then be of that style. It all the politics behind each denomination that divides rather than unite and I probably be shot down for that because it on a Catholic forum and to suggest everyone is right isn’t a popular statement. But that is what I personally believe. Are there low Catholics because to me, would feel a bit of a contradiction thinking in Church of England terms, but may be not thinking in universally terms.👍
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Good heavens! You went to a parish which used the Missal? Did they pray for the wrong Bishop as well?

Mind you, I’d still prefer that to the non liturgical parishes which have happy clappy music…
 
No - the “lowest Church” there is in Catholicism is spoken Mass, as opposed to sung (solemn, or High) Mass. It’s all still “smells and bells” all the way!
 
bzkoss236 said:
I’m not entirely clear on the terms of Low Church and High Church, but what I could gather from a quick Google search, it seems to me that you are wondering if there are Catholic churches which are less focused on the liturgical style and the Eucharist?

There are the Charismatic Catholic churches, which I believe have a similar worship style to many Evangelical churches (but only by rumor, I’ve never attended one myself, but I guess I could look on YouTube). But all Catholic churches are focused on the Eucharist since that is (IMO) the primary focus of the mass/worship, having Jesus himself there to be given to us, in the form of bread and wine.
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This is more along the lines of what I meant. I’m not asking if there are Catholics who “doubt” the Euchrist or don’t believe in it.

I’m asking if there are Catholics who put less of an emphasis on the liturgy. Being that I mean their worship styles are informal.
 
Indifferently said:
Good heavens! You went to a parish which used the Missal? Did they pray for the wrong Bishop as well?

Mind you, I’d still prefer that to the non liturgical parishes which have happy clappy music…
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My former rector frequently used the Missal. And prayed for a number of faithful bishops.

GKC
 
In the way you mean, no, I think. As others have said, the style of mass may vary- from all of it spoken, to sung, to having incense or not, etc.

Now, in addition to, but outside of, mass, some churches may have a “praise and worship” style group that gets together on certain nights or something like that.
 
bzkoss236 said:
There are the Charismatic Catholic churches, which I believe have a similar worship style to many Evangelical churches (but only by rumor, I’ve never attended one myself, but I guess I could look on YouTube). But all Catholic churches are focused on the Eucharist since that is (IMO) the primary focus of the mass/worship, having Jesus himself there to be given to us, in the form of bread and wine.
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The liturgy of the Charismatic masses is identical in content to all other masses. The difference is the focus on identifying and employing one’s charism (or charisms) for the building up of the Body of Christ. Matthew 25:14-30 sheds some light on this intent.
 
po18guy said:
The liturgy of the Charismatic masses is identical in content to all other masses. The difference is the focus on identifying and employing one’s charism (or charisms) for the building up of the Body of Christ. Matthew 25:14-30 sheds some light on this intent.
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Okay, thanks for the correction!
 
mitex said:
I’m a protestant Evangelical who attends a very “low Church” environment (Evangelical Free Church of America). Generally because of my experience going through RCIA (I decided not to finish) many people in my Church who don’t have a clue about the Catholic faith ask questions about how Catholics worship and what Catholics believe.

Some of them had a hard time understanding the liturgy aspect of the Catholic faith. So I then became curious. Are there such things as “low Church” Catholics? I know there are Low Church and High Church Episcopalians because I used to go to a low Church Episcopal parish. What about Catholics?
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Never having heard of Low Church Catholic Mass before, could it be the NO Mass vs the Latin High Mass?
 
Low Church Catholics go to Mass twice a year.

The terms originated to distinguish those Protestants who preserved much of Catholicism in their traditions from those who tossed most/all of it. This is the reason why there are no low Church Catholics.
 
edit: oh
mitex said:
This is more along the lines of what I meant. I’m not asking if there are Catholics who “doubt” the Euchrist or don’t believe in it.

I’m asking if there are Catholics who put less of an emphasis on the liturgy. Being that I mean their worship styles are informal.
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People wont necessarily put less emphasis on the liturgy but they will replace traditional things like older style vestments and older music with contemporary examples but the order of the Mass and the readings and the Eucharistic prayers etc are all completely still there (because they have to be).

Using contemporary aesthetics is common in both liberal and conservative (charismatics in particular) sides of the Catholic spectrum. This might appear as low church to an outsider or inquirer, especially form like the Episcopal Church.
 
LongJourney said:
The terms originated to distinguish those Protestants who preserved much of Catholicism in their traditions from those who tossed most/all of it. This is the reason why there are no low Church Catholics.
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Light bulb turned on & I get it now. 🙂
 
Khalid said:
No - the “lowest Church” there is in Catholicism is spoken Mass, as opposed to sung (solemn, or High) Mass. It’s all still “smells and bells” all the way!
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Man, I want to live where you do. Not only is it not “smells and bells all the way” down here, it is the exact opposite. Haven’t seen the smoke of incense in years, and even the sanctus bells have fallen into disuse by many, and are banned at our parish. I expect the giant puppets any day now. 😊
 
LongJourney said:
Low Church Catholics go to Mass twice a year.

The terms originated to distinguish those Protestants who preserved much of Catholicism in their traditions from those who tossed most/all of it. This is the reason why there are no low Church Catholics.
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I certainly know many Catholics, including a few priests, who reject much of Catholicism, both openly and privately. Many liturgical celebrations I have seen would be quite at home in the low Anglican churches I visited in my childhood. Sadly, there are actually many low church Catholics and Catholic parishes. If the OP does some searching it should not be too hard to find them.
 
Low Churches are usually of the Reformed Theology (Calvinist doctrine) as opposed to a High Church. Low Churches are those of Reformed Baptist, Reformed Anglican, Church of Ireland, Church of Scotland, Free Anglican…etc. They reject the sacraments and tend to lay sole authority on the Bible.

Low Church has nothing to do with how laid back someone or a parish is.

newadvent.org/cathen/09399a.htm explains it very well
 
cothrige said:
Man, I want to live where you do. Not only is it not “smells and bells all the way” down here, it is the exact opposite. Haven’t seen the smoke of incense in years, and even the sanctus bells have fallen into disuse by many, and are banned at our parish. I expect the giant puppets any day now. 😊
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I think it may be heading that way in lots of parishes - where I used to live, I went to the church that had the EF Mass twice a week, and sometimes the Orthodox Cathedral.

Clouds of frankincense and myrrh so thick there was a fog, ten boys ringing changes on bells so complex it was an art that the best combinatorial mathematicians would take years to work out, an actual choir of 20 or so individuals in actual choir boxes singing traditional liturgical music and/or Gregorian chant (both the EF church and the Greek Cathedral had full choirs)… I exaggerate, a bit. I suppose I’m very “high church”, even for a Catholic.
 
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