Our Priest told us off

  • Thread starter Thread starter paddy17
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I think it’s terribly arrogant to call anyone “idiot.” Nevertheless, the old adage “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” ought to be universally known, especially by men in such positions of authority as a priest. Yelling is unseemly from any adult, but particularly so from a priest.

I couldn’t support the recommendation to pull financial support from a parish because of a priest’s personality. That money goes to pay the parish staff’s salaries (and they’re probably underpaid as is) and the light bill, materials for the religious education program, and numerous other truly essential expenses.

Abuses must be reported to the bishop. Period. That’s the only place where a priest has any accountability. And it’s my sad experience that a priest who can keep a parish in the black these days is not going to receive much of a wrist-slapping from the bishop unless he does something really serious – and fits of temper don’t count as “serious.”
 
Everyone is guilty of an outburst once in awhile. Before you go running off, calling names and writing letters, find out what the source of the issue happens to be. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe, as some have suggested, he was referring to the “old guard” as opposed to Orthodox Catholic liturgy. I’ve likewise attended my share of churches where a certain group rules the roost…and woe to the unsuspecting new pastor!

Remember Jesus had an outburst at the temple and flung the money changers’ tables over–and do we not agree he was justified in his anger?

Perhaps this pastor’s anger was just as well, and quite possibly he didnt’ express it with enough detail or context.

I say all of us here need more information before giving any real advice.
 
Hold on a second, why does every time a group of inflexible senior citizens trying to freeze out the pastor from putting his personality into the parish then all of a sudden it turns into a rant about the TLM or NO masses.

This is such a fringe issues that there is no point discussing it without an indult. The real issue is the ten thousand pound gorilla in the middle of the room being these parishioners who actually think they can over rule the pastor preferences for hymns!! Inflexible traditionalist and inflexible liberals are both cut from the same cloth of personal judgment.

Shame on everyone who puts his or her personal preferences on how mass should be conducted ahead of the priest’s lawful executions. The church is a hierarchy (LG) and the laity’s role is never to antagonize the pastor. Get onside or bite your tongue and unless a competent authority (bishop) has told you that he is abusing the liturgy never ever stomp out of mass because you didn’t get to sing the song you wanted.

God Bless

PS BTW the last time I checked hymns such as faith of our fathers or other 1800’s hymns are hardly Gregorian Chants
 
“…all of a sudden it turns into a rant about the TLM or NO masses.”

I’ve seen these rants in other threads, but not in this one. Or did I miss something?
 
Hold on a second, why does every time a group of inflexible senior citizens trying to freeze out the pastor from putting his personality into the parish

The priest is a bore.
 
I agree that withholding money is something the priest and bishop would notice; not, a letter. It will just be thrown into the circular file. I also agree that switching to the Byzantine Rite would make the priest notice if 40-50 people left the parish. As far as having a low IQ I doubt it because all priests are required to get straight A’s in the seminary.
 
40.png
BrianDay:
I’ve seen these rants in other threads, but not in this one. Or did I miss something?
Click to expand...
Sorry you must have missed my earlier post and the reaction that immediately followed.

God Bless
 
Thanks everyone for your responses…good and not so good. It wasn’t me he told off but a friend and she still hasn’t recovered some 12mths later. Suffers depression now. From little things big things grow. Yes holding back money is one thing, writing to the bishop another. I wrote to the Bishop, the response from the priest was " your letters are worth a laugh if nothing else". “As One Voice” song book, available in many parishes around the country is full of old hymns with new wording, and new songs full of inclusive language and songs with questionable doctrine. Songs refering to mother earth “Come as you are” beautiful song but does not have a place in a Catholic church. It makes confession obsolete and it speaks as if talking for Christ.

Come as you are,
Come with bare midriff,
Neckline that plunges,
Rings in your nose,
Here you’re on home-ground,
Nothing here’s special,
Remember in New Church
Anything goes!

Come as you are,
We’ve all gone folksy,
Can’t you just tell it?
-Look at our clothes…
Who needs old hymn-books?
When we like hymns mawky
Doctrine and symbol
Each of us loathes…

Come as you are,
You’ll find us singing
Pop-songs to Jesus,
Marshmellow words…
Traditional reverence?
That’s out of fashion,
Transcendent worship?
That’s for the birds!

Not my words but those of “Bruce Dawe”

As Mr Dawe says, “a song which seems to sum up the laissez faire attitude to worship now manifesting itself in many churches”.
 
With due respect to the wisdom and experience elders of the parish, who may be of the generation who built it up with their contributions of time talent and substance–we only have one version of this story.
Did the priest publicly humiliate and abuse those present?
Did he really ream people out about their choice of music?
Did he go out of his way to offend certain people.
Is it possible that he suggested other music more in tune with the liturgical season or the feast being celebrated?
Is it possible that he suggested other tunes easier to sing without an organist?
Is it possible he suggested that a daily Mass with few in attendance can be a very reverent, positive experience without singing?
Is it possible he suggested that reciting the entrance antiphon and communion antiphon, in lieu of hymns, is a very orthodox proper procedure?
Is it possible that there is a small group of “regulars” at daily Mass who dictate every aspect of the celebration to conform with their own expectations and comfort level, freezing out others who intrude on their private liturgy?
 
Dear friends

Christ Jesus said to make way for the new but not totally let go of the old, in the wine skins parable, as our faith is led by the Holy Spirit in a living and growing faith, then the Church does change in some respects over time. It’s the embracing of the new with the richness and learning of the old behind it.

It is never right to withold your thither, this is not your gift to the Priest, it is a gift to Jesus Christs church, a gift to God not a pawn in a squabble.

Priests are human they sin, maybe your Priest has good reason, maybe you don’t know the full story, either way whether this Priest lacks style with you or not, whether he is right or not, launching a campaign against him because he won’t let you sing the hymns you want is NOT Christian. It’s the Priests right and sole authority what hymns are sung. The Priest is ‘another christ’, his authority is for the good of the parish and every soul in it, he is your shepherd and I am sure he knows much better than you what is best for the parish…very few Priests breach liturgical rules…this Priest is not one of them if he is telling you what hymns to sing, that is his AUTHORITY. You as a layperson are to obey your Priest, he is your Shepherd. Maybe you can forgive him in love of Christ if you feel hurt by his actions rightly or wrongly and strive ever harder to make him your friend.

So you don’t like your Priest, well you don’t have to, YOU have to love him and support his decisions, he is doing it for a reason and he is doing it for the good of the church. From the reaction you have told us about from those present, maybe he has a good cause to be angry, maybe he knows he has a parish who want to dictate to him how to run his parish???

If your parish population attending Mass is over the age of 45+ then your parish has a BIG problem and it strikes me this Priest is there to sort it out…

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
Yes he did publicly humilate
Yes he did ream people out
Yes went out of his way
No other suggestions of music only one book and not even a 50/50 compromise.
I believe hymns to OUr lady In oct and may would be appropriate but these are forbidden.
No daily mass.
No recitation of antiphon , entrance or communion.
Yes two regulars one a convert and the other 80yrs old use to getting her own way. both organists.
40.png
puzzleannie:
With due respect to the wisdom and experience elders of the parish, who may be of the generation who built it up with their contributions of time talent and substance–we only have one version of this story.
Did the priest publicly humiliate and abuse those present?
Did he really ream people out about their choice of music?
Did he go out of his way to offend certain people.
Is it possible that he suggested other music more in tune with the liturgical season or the feast being celebrated?
Is it possible that he suggested other tunes easier to sing without an organist?
Is it possible he suggested that a daily Mass with few in attendance can be a very reverent, positive experience without singing?
Is it possible he suggested that reciting the entrance antiphon and communion antiphon, in lieu of hymns, is a very orthodox proper procedure?
Is it possible that there is a small group of “regulars” at daily Mass who dictate every aspect of the celebration to conform with their own expectations and comfort level, freezing out others who intrude on their private liturgy?
Click to expand...
 
Hymns are not the only issue…Wrongful sermons with questionalbe doctrine…encouraging defacto people receiving The Blessed sactament…Free over the top talking and chattering in the church in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament…No teaching at all on any matters coming out of Rome…Constant advertising in Church newsletter of Anglican church worship times and prayer services…encouragement of Anglican functions in the Catholic Church with no advice from the priest on keeping things to a dull roar in the presence of the Blessed sacrament…free reign on anything but true Catholic teachings…No mention of Our Blessed mother at all…this would be offensive to converts…etc etc
40.png
Teresa9:
Dear friends

Christ Jesus said to make way for the new but not totally let go of the old, in the wine skins parable, as our faith is led by the Holy Spirit in a living and growing faith, then the Church does change in some respects over time. It’s the embracing of the new with the richness and learning of the old behind it.

It is never right to withold your thither, this is not your gift to the Priest, it is a gift to Jesus Christs church, a gift to God not a pawn in a squabble.

Priests are human they sin, maybe your Priest has good reason, maybe you don’t know the full story, either way whether this Priest lacks style with you or not, whether he is right or not, launching a campaign against him because he won’t let you sing the hymns you want is NOT Christian. It’s the Priests right and sole authority what hymns are sung. The Priest is ‘another christ’, his authority is for the good of the parish and every soul in it, he is your shepherd and I am sure he knows much better than you what is best for the parish…very few Priests breach liturgical rules…this Priest is not one of them if he is telling you what hymns to sing, that is his AUTHORITY. You as a layperson are to obey your Priest, he is your Shepherd. Maybe you can forgive him in love of Christ if you feel hurt by his actions rightly or wrongly and strive ever harder to make him your friend.

So you don’t like your Priest, well you don’t have to, YOU have to love him and support his decisions, he is doing it for a reason and he is doing it for the good of the church. From the reaction you have told us about from those present, maybe he has a good cause to be angry, maybe he knows he has a parish who want to dictate to him how to run his parish???

If your parish population attending Mass is over the age of 45+ then your parish has a BIG problem and it strikes me this Priest is there to sort it out…

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
Click to expand...
 
Dearest Paddy

I can see from how you explain this you are truly hurt and upset at this whole situation. Please bear with me as I try and look at this situation from the point of view of the Priest, it is not to admonish your feelings or your point of view. It is not to say you are right or wrong, or he is right or wrong…it is to find the reasoning behind it because people rarely act without reason…
40.png
paddy17:
Hymns are not the only issue…Wrongful sermons with questionalbe doctrine…encouraging defacto people receiving The Blessed sactament…Free over the top talking and chattering in the church in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament…No teaching at all on any matters coming out of Rome…Constant advertising in Church newsletter of Anglican church worship times and prayer services…encouragement of Anglican functions in the Catholic Church with no advice from the priest on keeping things to a dull roar in the presence of the Blessed sacrament…free reign on anything but true Catholic teachings…No mention of Our Blessed mother at all…this would be offensive to converts…etc etc
Click to expand...
Now you say there is alot of noise in church, this is an issue for all churches with some degree of noise, not everyone observes silence infront of the Blessed Sacrament and alot of people who are praying in church are rightly offended by this, just the other week I personally asked two elderly ladies if they would not be offended but I’m not good at concentrating and I couldn’t concentrate on prayer, I didn’t say your conversation is so distracting no-one can, which was the truth of the matter. Our Priests have asked for people to be quiet in church and respect the Blessed Sacrament and other people are praying, but still they do it. Maybe this is an issue your Priest will tackle in due course Paddy, give him a chance to settle in and work on this in your Parish.

The hymns are not an issue, the hymns are his choice and his authority to choose, you either accept this or not, but you have no say in this and you will have to accept it and drop this matter.

Maybe your Priest is introducing ecumenical worship, which is acceptable to join with other Christian faiths, especially Anglican churches and have joint worship…the bridges are in the processof being built…joint worship has often lead to many converts to the Church.

As for devotion to Our Blessed Mother, surely the Hail Mary is said in Mass??? Surely Her feast days are celebrated??? When you say no mention, what do you mean??

As for the ‘defacto’ people you mention, I am sure you mean to say ‘sinners’ of which we all are and surely these people must have confessed their sins…no-one knows the heart of another, no-one knows what the Priest and the communicant have discussed. It would be unfair to presume on this matter.

If you have so many issues to raise with your Priest rightly or wrongly, I think you should speak directly with him, it is neither profitable or charitable to be angry with him and complain about him behind his back (this amounts to gossip which I sincerely dislike in any degree or nature) speak directly in a calm manner and just ask him as you don’t understand what is happening within the Parish, what his intentions are as you are hoping to be able to support him. Your Priest needs love and support…he is at your Parish for a purpose. Until you speak with him all you can do is speculate and speculation often leads us down the wrong path…

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top