New "tradition"

[DonaNobis_Pacem]

I have a question to ask. My purpose is not to spark a debate or bait anyone, but it was announced at Masses last weekend that we would be starting a new “tradition”; that is, we would be greeting those around us immediately before Mass begins. The explanation given was that it is to help us celebrate the Mass in a true spirit of charity, or something similar to those words.

It’s a bit troubling to me, as I don’t know whether it’s permitted or not. Is this new “tradition” something that can be done, or is it considered an “abuse”? I don’t even know if the Church has had anything to say on it happening elsewhere. If someone can answer my question, it’d be much appreciated.

 

[YoungTradCath]

It can’t be called an abuse, as it is done before mass actually starts. If you read the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, I believe there is a part in there about have silence before and after mass. I don’t like this idea at all, but I’m not really sure of a way to stop it.

 

[DonaNobis_Pacem]

I do like the part about silence before and after Mass, as it seems during Mass we don’t have enough of it (our music minister has a tendency to play music in the background during certain time of the Mass when the General Instruction calls for instruments to be silent).

Thank you for the correction about the “abuse” part, since it takes place outside the Mass. But if we have people greeting each other before Mass, isn’t that sort of redundant since we still have the Sign of Peace during Mass as a means of expressing charity and forgiveness towards one another?

 

[ProVobis]

Isn’t new tradition an oxymoron?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I see you are at a Franciscan ordinary form parish–if I were you I would send a personal message (PM) to JReducation and ask him for advice.

 

[DonaNobis_Pacem]

Right you are, Tantum ergo! I didn’t know if there were any others out there who might be knowledgeable and have an answer to my question, hence why I asked here as I thought it related to the Liturgy.

 

[pnewton]

It sounds like something that the priest is doing on his own prior to Mass. In such a case, he is within his rights. If you want to offer your own opinion to him, that is up to you, but it is the priest’s decision on such things.

 

[Petergee]

I do like the part about silence before and after Mass, as it seems during Mass we don’t have enough of it (our music minister has a tendency to play music in the background during certain time of the Mass when the General Instruction calls for instruments to be silent).

Thank you for the correction about the “abuse” part, since it takes place outside the Mass.

A way of doing what your priest wants whilst still complying with the GIRM requirement of silence, is to meet and greet people OUTSIDE the church proper, and at a volume that doesn’t echo into the church where people are trying to pray or disturb the sacred silence. Same goes for convesations AFTER Mass when silence in the church is also prescribed.

But if we have people greeting each other before Mass, isn’t that sort of redundant since we still have the Sign of Peace during Mass as a means of expressing charity and forgiveness towards one another?

Actually the Sign of Peace is just what it says, a SIGN (i.e. a word/gesture) showing that CHRIST’s PEACE is on all of us. It’s not about me showing MY personal friendliness to the person next to me or giving him MY greetings, it’s all about CHRIST. For this reason and because it’s meant to be a simple sign, there is no place at the Sign of Peace for conversation such as “how are you going? What’s your name? Have you had a good week?” etc.etc.

And in any case the Sign of Peace is actually** optional** - although for many years since I have never seen a priest omit it, even those who omit just about everything else that they possibly are allowed to and use the shortest permissible option of every prayer, seemingly in order to get Mass over and done with as rapidly as humanly possible.

 

[Spirithound]

But if we have people greeting each other before Mass, isn’t that sort of redundant since we still have the Sign of Peace during Mass as a means of expressing charity and forgiveness towards one another?

Occasionally on these forums we hear someone say how they did not feel welcomed at Mass, due to some lack of a personal touch. I think your pastor is trying to address this.

 

[Filii_Dei]

I don’t strictly approve of practices like these in church, but it sounds a bit vague from your initial descriptions. Whether it is harmful or helpful will depend very much on how it is executed.

How does your priest envision this to happen? Does he ask that everyone give others a smile and a few words whenever they enter the church? If so, I think this is more related to creating a welcoming environment than actually disrupting the prayerful peace and quiet, provided people don’t turn their greetings into a full-blown conversation in the house of the Lord. New parish communities could especially benefit from building up this feeling of community.

Or is this a moment just before the procession where the congregation is given a cue to turn to each other to say “hello”? This one sounds more like he is adding a pre-processional rite to the mass that could be seen as liturgical abuse. It may not actually add anything to the community spirit, and is more like a contrived exercise at replicating the Sign of Peace.

 

[Phemie]

We did that in our parish for a while. It felt so contrived, everyone greeting each other by shaking hands when in normal life you wouldn’t think of doing that if you met your friend on the street. It didn’t last very long and the Pastor didn’t push it because he knew that some people didn’t like it.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I never slip into my pew without acknowledging the folks around me with a nod, a smile or a whispered ‘good morning’. Nothing loud, just an acknowledgement that I’m not totally alone in the building. I don’t need a formal rite to ‘greet my neighbour’.

 

[Bearontherun]

Occasionally on these forums we hear someone say how they did not feel welcomed at Mass, due to some lack of a personal touch. I think your pastor is trying to address this.

I agree with this. I think that there is a problem that is evident to the pastor and he is making an effort to improve the situation by introducing this action.

 

[Bob_Aliano]

I have a question to ask. My purpose is not to spark a debate or bait anyone, but it was announced at Masses last weekend that we would be starting a new “tradition”; that is, we would be greeting those around us immediately before Mass begins. The explanation given was that it is to help us celebrate the Mass in a true spirit of charity, or something similar to those words.

It’s a bit troubling to me, as I don’t know whether it’s permitted or not. Is this new “tradition” something that can be done, or is it considered an “abuse”? I don’t even know if the Church has had anything to say on it happening elsewhere. If someone can answer my question, it’d be much appreciated.

That has been the customary practice around here for years and it has even further degenerated to a demand the we learn the name a new person each week Thankfully I have the option of avoiding the OF most of the time.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I do like the part about silence before and after Mass, as it seems during Mass we don’t have enough of it (our music minister has a tendency to play music in the background during certain time of the Mass when the General Instruction calls for instruments to be silent).

Thank you for the correction about the “abuse” part, since it takes place outside the Mass. But if we have people greeting each other before Mass, isn’t that sort of redundant since we still have the Sign of Peace during Mass as a means of expressing charity and forgiveness towards one another?

The Sign of Peace is a separate thing from this greeting, which is a social thing. The SOP is not a social thing, but is meant as a reconciliation with your sisters and brothers in Christ before Communion. It may seem redundant, but it actually is not.

I don’t particularly care for it, but if it is done right it can be less disruptive. What is done at my daughter’s church is they greet each other, then the priest calls for a period of silence (which is more than a few seconds) before Mass begins. It is amazing at how quiet and reverent that church becomes and how quickly they become recollected.

 

[Leon_Bloy]

I don’t know… as was said here already, it’s not an abuse if it happens outside the mass…

Perhaps it is meant as an antidote to the common abuse of the sign of peace, which has deteriorated into a back-slapping hootenanny in many parishes. The priest might be hoping that will prevent the other abuse from happening, or at least lessen it. You could always ask… and if you get no answer, ask the Bishop’s office - of course, in a very patient, charitable, non-critical way.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

Occasionally on these forums we hear someone say how they did not feel welcomed at Mass, due to some lack of a personal touch. I think your pastor is trying to address this.

I agree with this also; at least in our parish, it would have been possible for someone to come to Mass faithfully for 10 years and never be spoken to by another soul.

So, we did implement a pre-Mass greeting similar to this several years ago. Ironically, because of the widespread habit of about 80% of the people always sitting in the same place, the “greetings” are pretty much always exchanged between the same folks!

 

[pat_mc_1]

They tried this at my parish years ago. People were annoyed because they were trying to pray. So they stopped it.

 

[puzzleannie]

I we would be greeting those around us immediately before Mass begins. T.

key words
before Mass begins
not during Mass
therefore, no problem, no abuse
if you personally have an issue with greeting or smiling at your fellow parishioners, simply avoid the situation by coming late, pretending to sneeze into a kleenex at that time, studying the bulletin or other dodge, since it is your right not to participate.

yes they did do this at our former parish, and just like the sign of peace before communion, it was actually a time for visiting with family and friends, and the strangers, singles, people sitting alone, were often ignored as usual so it did not work as planned

 

[Petergee]

I agree with this also; at least in our parish, it would have been possible for someone to come to Mass faithfully for 10 years and never be spoken to by another soul.

You know, some people might actually like that. Some people don’t really appreciate strangers coming up without invitation and forcing inane small talk upon them. Especially in church, or maybe even on the way in or out.

Most people are perfectly capable of initiating a conversation if they feel like talking to someone. And yes I know a lot of people are shy. I myself was very shy when young. But I’m sorry, if you choose not to talk to people , you can’t simultaneously blame** them **for not going out of their way to talk to you; they probably get the impression that you don’t want to talk to them or that you might even be annoyed if they talk to you.

Look, nobody dispute’s that this priest’s intentions are good. Just take the conflab outside the church.

So, we did implement a pre-Mass greeting similar to this several years ago. Ironically, because of the widespread habit of about 80% of the people always sitting in the same place, the “greetings” are pretty much always exchanged between the same folks!

Yep and I’d say the same happens in all churches.

 

[Petergee]

key words
before Mass begins
not during Mass
therefore, no problem, no abuse
if you personally have an issue with greeting or smiling at your fellow parishioners, simply avoid the situation by coming late, pretending to sneeze into a kleenex at that time, studying the bulletin or other dodge, since it is your right not to participate.

Or maybe pretending to pray.
Or maybe, this might be a crazy suggestion, but how about actually praying?

yes they did do this at our former parish, and just like the sign of peace before communion, it was actually a time for visiting with family and friends, and the strangers, singles, people sitting alone, were often ignored as usual so it did not work as planned

Yep exactly, people greet only those people whom they would have greeted anyway. Or if forced to intrioduce themselves to a stranger, they forget the stranger’s name straight away anyway.

It would be an interesting question, does anybody have a friendship which started when they were forced to introduce themselves to each other in church? I doubt it.