Patriotic Masses

[vern_humphrey]

Some do, some don’t. My experience is it is far more don’t have the flag at the front of the Church, when it is usually also there is a Vatican state flag. Our Priest had it taken out of the church and moved to the hall. Let’s just say there were some upset Veterans and Knights (Knights of Columbus)

Perhaps he doesn’t understand. My wife was an Army nurse during the Viet Nam War. She was pregnant when I left for my second tour, and couldn’t stay on active duty (regulations.) She was living in Philadelphia, working in a hospital there, and some people found her husband was a soldier in Viet Nam. They taunted her and made her cry by telling her they hoped her husband would be killed.

I see people who show disrespect to the flag as being part and parcel of the same bunch.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m so sorry that happened to your wife.
Stuff like that is why I go out of my way to pray for veterans and support every kind of non-scam veteran support activity there is including pro bono and health care as well as prayers.
Anyone who doesn’t like it, tough.

 

[Athanasiy]

There is a chauvinistic, ostentatious, propaganda patriotism, but there is sincere and constructive.
Unfortunately, in so many states, young people will have to fight for democracy against authoritarian systems with systems that have the media and the army in their hands.
Marginalized Christians who, under conditions of mass propaganda and a ruling empire, have the courage to hear and see the pain of their nation and fight for rights, for democracy, such people always cause admiration.
If somewhere in the northern Caucasus or Siberia one can hear the same voice for their language, for their national autonomy, for the protection and preservation of their national wealth, such people always cause admiration.
You can be an opportunist because of the benefits, and you can be on the strong side, but you can look deeper and see more, and you can become a real patriot.

 

[Athanasiy]

Yes, I still have to grow to the sacrifice of a true patriot citizen.
We always have a choice of who to be.
There is still a lot of homo-sovieticus in me.
You know, a lot of people from our generation are spoiled, and we all have to die one by one., and then changes will come more faster There are not a few eagles in this new generation, and we are more of crawling mammals, comparably to them.
During revolutions of dignity, young people are the first to protest, unlike us who grew up under totalitarianism.

 

[Athanasiy]

Have you ever been to a Russian outback? in the village? in the province? no need to go far, just drive a little from Moscow or St. Petersburg.
Alcoholism, squalor, indifference, and the Soviet “expectation of manna from heaven” is the mentality of homo-sovieticus there.
The most miserable huts are the huts of the Russians, and the most well-kept courtyards and estates are the estates of Ukrainians, Germans, Baltic families, but since there are not many of them, the Russian province is a deplorable sight.
Therefore, we are Europeans in spirit! In the Soviet scoop, we no longer want! We want to be part of Europe. Despite the chauvinistic nature of the Russian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian and Russian spirituality are antagonists in nature.
Not surprisingly, many Ukrainians living in the Russian outback have become Еvangelical Christians.
The sad thing is that just before the collapse of the Russian Empire, our new government began to flirt with Putin, and as if trying to agree on something with him. This is very sad.

 

[pnewton]

In the United States, we don’t show patriotism (flags, songs and ect) in honor of our leaders. We do it in honor of those who sacrificed their lives for our country, those that died in the line of duty - military personnel, police officers, firefighters, first responders and those that died in tragedies like 9/11.

I am responding to several posts, or a recurring idea I see in them, but as your post is most closely associated with my own parish, I quoted it. That (above) is my parish, and my heart, as well.

All the different problems I see addressed in various nations, regions, and eras, are why such decisions on flag appropriateness should be made locally. There is no valid complaint about how some other place decides to place, or not place, such symbols without knowledge of that community. Within one’s own parish, such complaints might be valid, but I would recommend reading Philippians chapter 2 first. Here is the first part, but read the rest, if you do not already know it.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

 

[pnewton]

One more thing. I also wear my flag tie on appropriate occasions at Mass.

 

[Cruciferi]

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

I Approve

 

[phil19034]

From pictures I have seen that Catholic Chuches in the USA almost always have an American flag at the front of the Church or on a flagpole outside.

it’s not always the front. it’s sometimes the back. But it’s typically wherever the Vatican City flag is.

 

[blackforest]

I know that in much of the world, this is the case. A Mexican told me that he found it weird how we wear the flag even on our own underwear in the U.S.; so much as a Mexican flag on a t-shirt is considered disrespectful. Standards for appropriate expressions of patriotism vary throughout the world.

 

[Matthew25]

“No man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other, Ye cannot serve God and mammon”. You can’t pledge allegiance to God and anything else. “Loving” your country is fine kept in proper prospective. But there will come a time when the two conflict, so what do you choose? Much of what we see today is nation “worship”. More nationalism than patriotism. In my opinion, the flag should not be in the church.

 

[Sarcelle]

The posts about flags being worn prompted me to check what I wore to see if there were flags.

No American flags but I wear the Swiss flag in my watch and another Swiss flag on my backpack.