Mass Exodus: Why Catholics Aren’t Going

[Mom_of_5]

dwc:

CSpaulding, I understand what you’re saying and I appreciate your honesty, especially here, where you could easily get flamed or chastised for your opinion. However, ultimately, we have to be responsible for our own faith. The mass is the mass, and to us (Catholics), it is the main way in which we are united with Christ. I think we all have an obligation to Christ and to ourselves to partake of this, regardless of what the human element of the church is doing.

I understand your frustration, and I have my own, although of a different source. Sometimes it seems the Catholic church gets in the way and distances me from Christ. Too often we hear too much about dogma and rules and the magisterium, and hardly anything about God and His love. Too often I hear “good” Catholics speak smugly about their sexual morality and others being damned for their lack of sexual morality, and yet completely ignore Christ’s exhortations to love and serve others. Yet, these are things that imperfect human members of the church do, and it is distinct from the Catholic faith itself. Maybe if you focus on the mass and its meaning and purpose, it will become meaningful and joyful to you again.

Well, through US. How we love others, how we treat others, how we show that Christ’s love lives through us. What did St Francis say-- something like, " Preach the gospel constantly. If necessary, use words." I don’t think the formal faith formation classes alone can be or are effective. The community of believers has to live our faith, be Christ to one another. Obviously, we can do a lot better.

AHHHHH------Yes, thank you. I have been feeling quite alone on these forums. I think we as Catholics,have gotten very “haughty”. We have lots of grand rules to live and worship by and forgotten the reason we are on this earth…the old Baltimore Catechism tells us we are here to “love and serve God in this world and the next”. How do we do that? By loving and serving our neighbor. Mass is the most beautiful and important part of our Catholic faith. Jesus is truly present there for all of His children. Mass is a “family reunion” every time we attend.

Love and Peace

Mom

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

Article Excerpt:

While these theories certainly may contribute in part to the decrease, there is one overarching factor that may be forgotten. It is the same reason why so many young Catholic couples live together before marriage and so many young people in religious education are bored at class. Far too many Catholics simply do not have a relationship with the One who is the very center of Catholicism, Jesus Christ. Decreased Mass attendance is just one symptom of a greater problem.

Boy, this hits the nail right on the head.

I agree with the article. Making the Mass “more interesting” is no solution at all because its roots go far deeper.

I’ve experienced my own “evangelization” as I turned back toward’s the Church, accepting its teachings and my faith is blooming. The Mass is very meaningful to me now, in fact, I’ve gravitated to a traditional form of the Novus Ordo, in Latin, with Gregorian Chant. Go figure.

I’ve also witnessed it in people around me who are also turning back to the Church and setting aside their desires for that of the Church. They are now allowing the church to help them form their conscience, as I am.

The pulpits have got to get busy. They need to “make the news” in the media on issues concerning Mass attendance.

Relativism is really a key contributor, as well. People want to follow their own conscience, but don’t want to allow the Church that Christ instituted to help them form it.

I believe things will change with time. It’s already starting as I just heard that in Holy Orders and Religious Institutions that wear the habit - their numbers are increasing. Those that are loose and don’t wear the habit, are on the decline. We see many examples of young men and women following Catholic orthodoxy and EWTN gives it publicity. Look at all the young faces on those Franciscan Friars of the Eternal Word. They are young, and they are orthodox. How wonderful it is to witness this rebirth of our Church.

 

[marvin]

The ones here don’t like the whole idea of preference for the poor, tithing, paying taxes,welfare,wallet related issues.

This is not true.

 

[Ahimsa]

Why Catholics aren’t going?

Perhaps because you’re using a certain definition of “Catholic” – you’re including cradle and convert Catholics.

I would suspect that in most American Protestant churches, there is no cradle anything – you’re not considered a member until you convert as a conscious decision. Thus, I would suspect that a higher percentage of, say, Southern Baptists, go to church every Sunday, because a higher percentage of them actually consciously chose to *be *Southern Baptist.

But I don’t know the data on Protestants, so I could be wrong.

 

[iserve]

Ditto, it isn’t. And…for years the government and the Church threw good money after bad at social situations that had their genesis in moral issues. Poverty is often not the problem, ignorance is. Ignorance causes the wealthy to develop attitudes of holding back, and the poor to retaliate in ways that end up only hurting themselves more. The answer is Jesus Christ, which no one wants to put forward because He makes uncomfortable demands on BOTH sides of the issue.

The Millenium slogan says it all: Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today, Forever. He is our king, and we are the servants, those people who attend Mass sporadically or not at all are the ones to which He said, “the Sabbath was made for mankind, not for God”. They just don’t get it, at Mass we recieve the faith, hope and grace to go out and behave as He would have it.

 

[marvin]

iserve:

Ditto, it isn’t. And…for years the government and the Church threw good money after bad at social situations that had their genesis in moral issues. Poverty is often not the problem, ignorance is. Ignorance causes the wealthy to develop attitudes of holding back, and the poor to retaliate in ways that end up only hurting themselves more. The answer is Jesus Christ, which no one wants to put forward because He makes uncomfortable demands on BOTH sides of the issue.

The Millenium slogan says it all: Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today, Forever. He is our king, and we are the servants, those people who attend Mass sporadically or not at all are the ones to which He said, “the Sabbath was made for mankind, not for God”. They just don’t get it, at Mass we recieve the faith, hope and grace to go out and behave as He would have it.

Could not have said it better myself! I would also submit that promiscuity and lack of values contributes greatly to poverty and other social problems.

 

[FiremanFrank]

Why Catholics Aren’t Going

Simple answer.

The Truth is no longer being enthusiastically preached at most Catholic Church pulpits.

Period.

There is no other reason …

 

[Chris_Jacobsen]

Why Catholics aren’t going…

The liturgists have been undermining and attacking the Catholic Faith for decades. What is their goal? Their goal is to drive as many people as possible out of the Church.

It looks like the liturgists are accomplishing their goal.

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

Simple answer.

The Truth is no longer being enthusiastically preached at most Catholic Church pulpits.

Period.

There is no other reason …

I agree that this is a key contributor. While people slipped into relativistic ways, there was no one there to challenge them - me included. Homilies became fluff that was mindful of people’s self-esteem at the expense of good hard talk mindful of salvation.

I’m in a different parish now. After a lifetime (43 years) of being in parishes where self-esteem was minded, I finally found one where salvation is the priority. I have no shortage of homilies that carve through my conscience. In fact, I now pretty much go daily when my work schedule allows. When the priests in my parish speak, I move. That is what homilies are suppose to do.

These guys do not shy away from anything either. They talk frequently about hot button issues. They talk about sin and reconciliation. Maybe that explains the long confession lines before Mass. People aren’t afraid of going to hell as much as they are concerned with doing good and pleasing God.

All of that good culture rubs off on me too.

 

[BayCityRickL]

Elizastaci:

Very good points all!

But what does the term “cafeteria Catholic” mean? I’ve seen it before here and I’m afraid I’m clueless.

To make a long story short, Believe in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

If you dissent from this teaching or that teaching, then you are picking and choosing, as in a cafeteria line.

 

[BayCityRickL]

Paragraph 1182 of the Catechism calls the Mass the “communion of faith.”

I have not been able to attend Mass for three years, because it is not a communion of faith.

What I hear are homilies, essays, articles, etc. that contradict the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Now, I don’t like Gregorian Chant, it’s pretty dreary on EWTN. I don’t have to feel like a monk in church, if you please, do I?

I’m old enough to have expected a renaissance of good music in English after Vatican II, when the doors to vernacular language were opened. I think it’s out there, but it’s not filtering down. Listen to EWTN and the nuns used to really swing with violins, organs, etc. – good music. Then, they left, and now we get those dreary monotonous tunes, day in and day out.

What a lost opportunity for EWTN to showcase the best in vernacular music. They want to showcase their monastic style of worship, and it may give them the jollies but not me.

But, that’s not why I don’t go to Mass. All I hear are the “Neomodernist” ideas, which are even in this thread about “experiencing” Jesus. Mainly, I have heard homilies that contradict Church teaching, and they make me sick to my stomach.

Yes, I’d love to have a genuinely Catholic evangelistic homilist, who would really proclaim the gospel. What I hear, instead, are whiney priest dissenters who spread skepticism about the message of the Gospel, and suspicion about the Church. Sure, I’ve heard some great protestant evangelical sermons. Yes, I’d like to hear those that do not slam Catholic doctrine.

Tell me the time and place and I’ll be there, after confession.

 

[mdzialo1]

As you can see, people can’t find their way to Mass for the usual reason, which is that they are not lowly enough and prefer, instead, to be senseless obstinate.

 

[BayCityRickL]

BayCityRickL:

Paragraph 1182 of the Catechism calls the Mass the “communion of faith.”

I have not been able to attend Mass for three years, because it is not a communion of faith.

What I hear are homilies, essays, articles, etc. that contradict the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Now, I don’t like Gregorian Chant, it’s pretty dreary on EWTN. I don’t have to feel like a monk in church, if you please, do I?

I’m old enough to have expected a renaissance of good music in English after Vatican II, when the doors to vernacular language were opened. I think it’s out there, but it’s not filtering down. Listen to EWTN and the nuns used to really swing with violins, organs, etc. – good music. Then, they left, and now we get those dreary monotonous tunes, day in and day out.

What a lost opportunity for EWTN to showcase the best in vernacular music. They want to showcase their monastic style of worship, and it may give them the jollies but not me.

But, that’s not why I don’t go to Mass. All I hear are the “Neomodernist” ideas, which are even in this thread about “experiencing” Jesus. Mainly, I have heard homilies that contradict Church teaching, and they make me sick to my stomach.

Yes, I’d love to have a genuinely Catholic evangelistic homilist, who would really proclaim the gospel. What I hear, instead, are whiney priest dissenters who spread skepticism about the message of the Gospel, and suspicion about the Church. Sure, I’ve heard some great protestant evangelical sermons. Yes, I’d like to hear those that do not slam Catholic doctrine.

Tell me the time and place and I’ll be there, after confession.

Sorry, that should be paragraph 2182, not 1182.

To the previous poster, sorry, what’s a superficial rationalization to you is a crisis of faith to me. That’s exactly the problem I posed to my Bishop. I said to him, either the teaching by the priests and sisters is false teaching, or the Catechism of the Catholic church is in error. Either way, he was the only one who could do anything about either.

Sorry, but I don’t subscribe to the idea that if people don’t attend Mass on Sunday that it’s entirely their fault. The Catechism itself says that one must attend Mass on Sunday, except for grave reason. I think false teaching from the pulpits and rectories is a grave reason. Very grave.

 

[Libero]

The Truth is no longer being enthusiastically preached at most Catholic Church pulpits.

So true, I have very rarely attended a mass that I can say I found genuinely inspiring. some people do need this.

People stop going to churches, as the priest does not make them interested in the teachings of God, thus their children then do not attend a mass, and then we have a whole generation missing mass!!!