No Crucifixes in Church or Mass

[YoungTradCath]

Thank you, True Light! I was worried someone wouldn’t know what I meant. Although the ones my diocese has over the altar are all without a cross behind Jesus. I wanted to give an example, but I’d also give away the diocese…oh, what the heck… Look at the Welcome and About Us pages to see the Risen Lord statue above the altar. This statue is identical in most of the parish churches here.

olqu.org/home.php

That’s pretty bad, yeah. It’s the classic (like 70’s) one.

 

[TrueLight]

Thank you, True Light! I was worried someone wouldn’t know what I meant. Although the ones my diocese has over the altar are all without a cross behind Jesus. I wanted to give an example, but I’d also give away the diocese…oh, what the heck… Look at the Welcome and About Us pages to see the Risen Lord statue above the altar. This statue is identical in most of the parish churches here.

olqu.org/home.php

Ugh!

 

[peace2u2]

Yes, this is what I was afraid of, as I’m now in the south, in the Bible Belt, and there are just so many Protestant mannerisms the priests do (turn to your neighbor and greet each other before Mass, holding hands during the Our Father, saying the “Communion Prayer” all together after communion…) I don’t like it. But what can I do about it?

Outrageous. This should be brought to the attention of the Bishop for this Parish that they are injecting " Protestant" mannerisms in the Catholic Mass especially with the removal of the Crucifix. The Crucifix is the very focus of our Catholic worship and of the Mass.

With regards to “holding hands”, I think if people want to hold hands during the “Our Father”, they should ask people first and not assume that all want to participate that way and they shouldn’t be offended if people don’t want to hold hands. I don’t think Jesus and His 12 Apostles were holding hands at the Last Supper?

It also bothers me in table blessings when people assume that all want to hold hands in saying grace before meals. I know I do not. We are sharing fellowship and friendship by sharing in the meal together so I simply say, “Thank you but no thank you, this is the time that I offer thanks and praise to God Alone for all His goodness that He pours out so freely and willingly and that we can “hold hands” during the “sign of the Peace” or we’ll go for a walk around the neighborhood after and hold hands”.

I usually extend my hands close to me but in an upward manner while praying the “Our Father” at Mass as a sign of my Worship to God alone and to allow any Blessings to penetrate my heart and those around me.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I just don’t understand why any Catholic church would do this…

Start with the pastor. Tell him you’ve just moved and haven’t seen a statue like this before. Depending on what he says and how he says it will help you determine what to do next.

You will also want to tour the school and speak to the principal about the program. If the parish school doesn’t offer orthodox Catholic teaching, then you might want to consider public school, other private schools, or homeschooling for your son.

 

[Armor_of_Light]

Yes, this is what I was afraid of, as I’m now in the south, in the Bible Belt, and there are just so many Protestant mannerisms the priests do (turn to your neighbor and greet each other before Mass, holding hands during the Our Father, saying the “Communion Prayer” all together after communion…) I don’t like it. But what can I do about it?

Ugghh. I feel your pain. Happens all over I’m afraid. Bring a proper crucifix to mass with you and just go put it up where it belongs!! Kidding of course…

I think you had a good idea with going to the other ‘religious order’ masses and dropping off your envelopes in the office of your parish. If anyone EVER questions you on that, you will have a great conversation starter!

 

[choliks]

Outrageous. This should be brought to the attention of the Bishop for this Parish that they are injecting " Protestant" mannerisms in the Catholic Mass especially with the removal of the Crucifix. **The Crucifix is the very focus of our Catholic worship and of the Mass. **

With regards to “holding hands”, I think if people want to hold hands during the “Our Father”, they should ask people first and not assume that all want to participate that way and they shouldn’t be offended if people don’t want to hold hands. I don’t think Jesus and His 12 Apostles were holding hands at the Last Supper?

It also bothers me in table blessings when people assume that all want to hold hands in saying grace before meals. I know I do not. We are sharing fellowship and friendship by sharing in the meal together so I simply say, “Thank you but no thank you, this is the time that I offer thanks and praise to God Alone for all His goodness that He pours out so freely and willingly and that we can “hold hands” during the “sign of the Peace” or we’ll go for a walk around the neighborhood after and hold hands”.

I usually extend my hands close to me but in an upward manner while praying the “Our Father” at Mass as a sign of my Worship to God alone and to allow any Blessings to penetrate my heart and those around me.

I think it was Bro. JR who said that the focal point at Mass, though facing the crucifix, should be the Altar of Sacrifice.

 

[wasserfall]

Thank you, True Light! I was worried someone wouldn’t know what I meant. Although the ones my diocese has over the altar are all without a cross behind Jesus. I wanted to give an example, but I’d also give away the diocese…oh, what the heck… Look at the Welcome and About Us pages to see the Risen Lord statue above the altar. This statue is identical in most of the parish churches here.

olqu.org/home.php

These should be helpful to you:

smvparish.org/index.html
ourladyhelpofchristians-hsv.org/

 

[Mike30]

There has been for some time now a rather concerted move on the part of many Catholics both Clergy and laity to move away from the old way of thinking about the death and suffering of Jesus and to move into a mindset that thinks only of His resurrection. I have been to parishes where it is repeated at almost every Mass that we are a resurrectionist people. The risen Jesus statue is almost always prominently displayed in those areas. It is as if contemplating the death of Jesus is seen as an anachronism. Old fashioned and entirely unnecessary in the new way of thinking. It goes hand in hand with many of the other innovations that came into being after Vatican II.

The entire movement away from paintings, statues etc. is indicative of us returning to the primitive and supposedly purer Church. Beautiful simplicity I believe they call it.

 

[roadsend]

There has been for some time now a rather concerted move on the part of many Catholics both Clergy and laity to move away from the old way of thinking about the death and suffering of Jesus and to move into a mindset that thinks only of His resurrection. I have been to parishes where it is repeated at almost every Mass that we are a resurrectionist people. The risen Jesus statue is almost always prominently displayed in those areas. It is as if contemplating the death of Jesus is seen as an anachronism. Old fashioned and entirely unnecessary in the new way of thinking. It goes hand in hand with many of the other innovations that came into being after Vatican II.

The entire movement away from paintings, statues etc. is indicative of us returning to the primitive and supposedly purer Church. Beautiful simplicity I believe they call it.

Yup. I have been fed the same line, many times.

 

[pamnbam]

These should be helpful to you:

smvparish.org/index.html
ourladyhelpofchristians-hsv.org/

Thank you so much for these! St. Mary’s is one of the two parishes that keeps the crucifix (run by a religious priest). I’ve never heard of the other one–do I need a veil to attend? (not trying to open a can of worms–just asking)…

I think you had a good idea with going to the other ‘religious order’ masses and dropping off your envelopes in the office of your parish. If anyone EVER questions you on that, you will have a great conversation starter!

Funny, at one of the two parishes run by religious priests, before the concluding rite, all visitors were asked to stand and introduce themselves (another “Protestantism” ALL the Catholic churches seem to do here–though I can live with things like that–NOT without my crucifix…). Anyways, some parishioners asked me where I was from and how I found their parish, etc. I was SO CLOSE to bringing up the crucifix reason…but I didn’t think it would be constructive in that context.

Start with the pastor. Tell him you’ve just moved and haven’t seen a statue like this before. Depending on what he says and how he says it will help you determine what to do next.

You will also want to tour the school and speak to the principal about the program. If the parish school doesn’t offer orthodox Catholic teaching, then you might want to consider public school, other private schools, or homeschooling for your son.

I like this idea to bring up the topic of “not having seen this statue before” to the priest. I just have a feeling it will dive into a conversation of him trying to justify its presence, and I’d then be identified as the new Catholic prude in town. I don’t want to make a bad reputation for myself, but it needs to be addressed.

I’ve heard great things about the Catholic education at the school (and there is a crucifix as soon as you walk into the school–yay!) I don’t know if there are crucifixes in each classroom, though (I sure hope so). But when my son goes to school Masses every week, he’ll be looking right at the Risen Jesus statue each time.

I’m hesitant to do other private schools because of the area we live in (very Protestant anyway). I don’t want a Catholic-hostile environment for my son. I can’t afford not to work to have him homeschooled (though I would love to), and public schools here aren’t too hot.

I just feel that there’s no good answer the pastor can give me about having that statue in place of a crucifix. How can any priest (and so many for it to be a diocesan-wide problem) just not know? Either none of them care (which can’t be true) or they are being forced by the bishop to do it and must obey. I just don’t get it…

 

[wasserfall]

Thank you so much for these! St. Mary’s is one of the two parishes that keeps the crucifix (run by a religious priest). I’ve never heard of the other one–do I need a veil to attend? (not trying to open a can of worms–just asking)…

I believe the second is not actually a parish, but rather the “organizers” of the afternoon traditional Mass at St. Mary’s.

Even if you don’t intend to attend the traditional Mass, the parish that hosts it is likely to be a good parish.

That still doesn’t solve your problem with the kindergarten though.

 

[wasserfall]

I believe the second is not actually a parish, but rather the “organizers” of the afternoon traditional Mass at St. Mary’s.

Even if you don’t intend to attend the traditional Mass, the parish that hosts it is likely to be a good parish.

That still doesn’t solve your problem with the kindergarten though.

I forgot to actually answer your question: Many women wear a veil at traditional Latin masses, but not all do. It’s up to you, and no one is going to freak out if you don’t wear a veil.

 

[TimothyH]

There has been for some time now a rather concerted move on the part of many Catholics both Clergy and laity to move away from the old way of thinking about the death and suffering of Jesus and to move into a mindset that thinks only of His resurrection. I have been to parishes where it is repeated at almost every Mass that we are a resurrectionist people. The risen Jesus statue is almost always prominently displayed in those areas. It is as if contemplating the death of Jesus is seen as an anachronism. Old fashioned and entirely unnecessary in the new way of thinking. It goes hand in hand with many of the other innovations that came into being after Vatican II.

The entire movement away from paintings, statues etc. is indicative of us returning to the primitive and supposedly purer Church. Beautiful simplicity I believe they call it.

For me, and the way I understand our theology, the passion, death and ressurection are a strict unity. The passion and death are meaningless without the ressurection, and the ressurection is an absurdity without the passion and death. The death of Jesus is not the end. It is a means to an end. That is what I have been taught and I wonder if it is wrong to acknowledge this.

The way I see it, if we worship the Crucified Christ without worshipping the Risen Christ, then it’s like living in a perpetual lent.

I have no idea bout ressurexafixes or whatever they are called and couln’t really care less about what happens in some parish in Huntsville, Alabama. I’m not defending the practices of the parish in the OP. But I think too many of us have a dour attitude toward our religion. It’s like living in a perpetual Holy Saturday. Living as a child of God who have risen to new life with Christ in the ressurection isn’t just sentimentality for me. It’s as old as Christianity and it happened to me at my baptism, and to me today at Mass.

I saw the priest ressurect Christ on the altar today. For me it isn’t just about the sacrifice because the sacrifice is meaningless without the ressurection. I want to get past Good Friday and Holy Saturday to the point where Christ rises.

-Tim-

 

[roadsend]

Very nice sentiment, but I think it is very possible to celebrate the Resurrection, while following the liturgical laws and traditions of the Church.

 

[Seamus_L]

If a church is without a crucifix that invites us to contemplate the sufferings of our Saviour, I see it as a serious problem.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Here is an example of a Living Christ crucifix.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/2517/livingchrist.jpg

Here is an example of a Living Christ statue:

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2517/livingchrist.jpg

I like Living Christ statues. I do not like Living Christ crucifixes. It is so important that we never forget the Jesus’ suffering on the cross.

I always envision this one as the Resurrected Christ statue…

http://secure.mycart.net/product_images/catalog2709/q34712.jpg

 

[thistle]

No thanks for me taking the time to post pictures for you , while all bleary-eyed in the early hours of the morning?

Thanks for your efforts but I clicked on all your links and nothing happened.

 

[TrueLight]

Thanks for your efforts but I clicked on all your links and nothing happened.

Oh okay. The pictures should show up in the post itself. You can’t see them?

 

[Allegra]

I noticed in my new church that they replaced the usual crucifix with a bejeweled cross with no corpus at Easter. (Actually, they just turned it around. Apparantly it was designed that way. I actually thought it was kind of neat because it symbolized Christ’s Resurrection. I didn’t realize it went against the rubrics. There are other crucifixs present in the sanctuary, though the one in question is the main one over the altar. I never realized it was a problem.

 

[TrueLight]

For me, and the way I understand our theology, the passion, death and ressurection are a strict unity. The passion and death are meaningless without the ressurection, and the ressurection is an absurdity without the passion and death. The death of Jesus is not the end. It is a means to an end. That is what I have been taught and I wonder if it is wrong to acknowledge this.

The way I see it, if we worship the Crucified Christ without worshipping the Risen Christ, then it’s like living in a perpetual lent.

I have no idea bout ressurexafixes or whatever they are called and couln’t really care less about what happens in some parish in Huntsville, Alabama. I’m not defending the practices of the parish in the OP. But I think too many of us have a dour attitude toward our religion. It’s like living in a perpetual Holy Saturday. Living as a child of God who have risen to new life with Christ in the ressurection isn’t just sentimentality for me. It’s as old as Christianity and it happened to me at my baptism, and to me today at Mass.

I saw the priest ressurect Christ on the altar today. For me it isn’t just about the sacrifice because the sacrifice is meaningless without the ressurection. I want to get past Good Friday and Holy Saturday to the point where Christ rises.

-Tim-

Your comment is interesting. When I was learning about Catholicism, I saw that there was a large focus on the passion - on the sacrifice, then there was in Protestantism.

Traditional Catholicism, and I don’t mean traditionalist, is very focused on sacrifice, and suffering and making reparation. Look at the writing of the Saints.

You’re right that without the resurrection, our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14), but without the passion, there would be no salvation.

That’s why every Sunday we celebrate the sacrifice of the mass.

I don’t think it is appropriate to have a grinning Christ on a cross.