"Praise Dance" in Catholic Cathedral

[Dauphin]

It occured to me that it’s been a while since a liturgical abuse video has been posted on this forum, and I felt like sharing one I hadn’t seen before today.

Try to aim your vomit *away *from the keyboard. It can make the keys very sticky.

youtube.com/watch?v=7aLLsJa9xYY

 

[Image_of_God]

I wish not to condemn anything, but I am really sad about this…

It looks like someone is watching a Music awards preformance. I can see that God is not first. Everyone is focused on the dancing not the altar…

Why are they dancing? It seems more like for entertainment than for worship. Although, I can’t claim myself to innocent either.

 

[dafalax]

We have just enough religion to make us love, but not enough to make us praise-dance.

 

[Walking_Home]

A few seconds of viewing that was enough. Is there a sick to the stomach smilie, if not-- we need one.

 

[PatienceAndLove]

Oh my…

 

[Image_of_God]

We have to figure out why people are doing this. Does anyone have any imput?

 

[Hijikata]

sigh

 

[agapewolf]

First let me say, I think liturgical dance is terrible and does not belong in Mass at all.

BUT…Get your facts straight before posting something like this. There are a lot of things to know here…

First this is NOT a cathedral.

This church is a church in the St. Louis archdiocese…it is in north city which is a very low economic area, also almost 100% african american. This particular church’s culture is a black spiritual nature. They sing gospel songs. The spirit there is absolutely amazing. They have people coming from all over as parish members, and their RCIA is packed every year of converts to the Catholic Faith.

The dances are NEVER ever done during Mass. What you saw was probably done at a praise session or mission during the week…when they dont’ have masses.

This particular Church just experienced a very large fire (1 million in damages) . The archbishop Burke (one of the BEST) is very supportive of this church and their community.

I’m not saying that it was the best decision for this dance to take place in a church, but be assurred it was NOT during Mass.

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

I don’t like so called “liturgical dancing” but what shocked me was some of the comments made by other viewers on youtube, calling it a “Zulu dance” or saying that the burning down of the church was a good thing, and other hateful things.

 

[Dauphin]

First let me say, I think liturgical dance is terrible and does not belong in Mass at all.

BUT…Get your facts straight before posting something like this. There are a lot of things to know here…

First this is NOT a cathedral.

This church is a church in the St. Louis archdiocese…it is in north city which is a very low economic area, also almost 100% african american. This particular church’s culture is a black spiritual nature. They sing gospel songs. The spirit there is absolutely amazing. They have people coming from all over as parish members, and their RCIA is packed every year of converts to the Catholic Faith.

The dances are NEVER ever done during Mass. What you saw was probably done at a praise session or mission during the week…when they dont’ have masses.

This particular Church just experienced a very large fire (1 million in damages) . The archbishop Burke (one of the BEST) is very supportive of this church and their community.

I’m not saying that it was the best decision for this dance to take place in a church, but be assurred it was NOT during Mass.

Wow! I could have sworn it was a cathedral. It’s extremely beautiful. You don’t find many parish churches that look like that.

The dignity of the church doesn’t really seem to mesh with “black spirituality”*** and “gospel music”. Maybe they should be given a hall somewhere to do this kind of nonsense.

*(which seems like an outrageous generalization)

 

[Dauphin]

I don’t like so called “liturgical dancing” but what shocked me was some of the comments made by other viewers on youtube, calling it a “Zulu dance” or saying that the burning down of the church was a good thing, and other hateful things.

I stopped looking at YouTube comments a long time ago. It just isn’t worth your time.

 

[Pong]

So… it’s nonsense because you don’t like it, Dauphin? I’m very sorry that you find black spirituality to be “nonsense”, maybe you can find an all white parish somewhere to suit you.

 

[agapewolf]

So… it’s nonsense because you don’t like it, Dauphin? I’m very sorry that you find black spirituality to be “nonsense”, maybe you can find an all white parish somewhere to suit you.

that is exactly what I was thinking. Someone else’s prayer is not nonesense.

 

[Dauphin]

So… it’s nonsense because you don’t like it, Dauphin? I’m very sorry that you find black spirituality to be “nonsense”, maybe you can find an all white parish somewhere to suit you.

I really think it is nonsense, and I’d have some trouble finding an all-white parish in Southern Ontario. At least 3/4 of my regular congregation are non-white, and the parish is fully orthodox. For some reason, there’s not even a thought given to jumping around in the nave like fools.

I also take issue with the idea that there’s a “black spirituality”. I’m sure you find it convenient to lump people into certain beliefs based on their skin colour, but it really is a repugnant notion. I’m sure there are many black people who would be upset by this kind of display in a church, and who find absolutely no appeal in “black spirituality”.

 

[Pong]

I am certain that there are many blacks who find this type of spirituality appealing. It really doesn’t matter what the “hypothetical blacks” think, it’s the people in that particular parish who have a need for this. They aren’t doing anything wrong or distasteful, who are you to condemn them?!

 

[Dauphin]

I am certain that there are many blacks who find this type of spirituality appealing. It really doesn’t matter what the “hypothetical blacks” think, it’s the people in that particular parish who have a need for this. They aren’t doing anything wrong or distasteful, who are you to condemn them?!

I think it is both wrong and distasteful to do this inside of a church where the Blessed Sacrament resides. I have no objection to doing it somewhere else, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it.

 

[Walking_Home]

I am certain that there are many blacks who find this type of spirituality appealing. It really doesn’t matter what the “hypothetical blacks” think, it’s the people in that particular parish who have a need for this. They aren’t doing anything wrong or distasteful, who are you to condemn them?!

---

Card. Arinze—Prefect of Devine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments—on dancing:

adoremus.org/1003Arinze.html

Has liturgical dance been approved for Masses by your office?

There has never been a document from our Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments saying that dance is approved in the Mass.

Now, some priests and lay people think that Mass is never complete without dance. The difficulty is this: we come to Mass primarily to adore God – what we call the vertical dimension. We do not come to Mass to entertain one another. That’s not the purpose of Mass. The parish hall is for that.

But when you introduce wholesale, say, a ballerina, then I want to ask you what is it all about. What exactly are you arranging? When the people finish dancing in the Mass and then when the dance group finishes and people clap – don’t you see what it means? It means we have enjoyed it. We come for enjoyment. Repeat. So, there is something wrong. Whenever the people clap – there is something wrong – immediately. When they clap – a dance is done and they clap.

Most dances that are staged during Mass should have been done in the parish hall. And some of them are not even suitable for the parish hall.

Why make the people of God suffer so much? Haven’t we enough problems already? Only Sunday, one hour, they come to adore God. And you bring a dance! Are you so poor you have nothing else to bring us? Shame on you! That’s how I feel about it.

Somebody can say, “but the pope visited this county and the people danced”. A moment: Did the pope arrange it? Poor Holy Father – he comes, the people arranged. He does not know what they arranged. And somebody introduces something funny – is the pope responsible for that? Does that mean it is now approved? Did they put in on the table of the Congregation for Divine Worship? We would throw it out! If people want to dance, they know where to go.

 

[Pong]

If you would have read the previous posts, you would have noticed that this did not occur within a Mass.

 

[Walking_Home]

If you would have read the previous posts, you would have noticed that this did not occur within a Mass.

---

It still does not belong in the church. I believe the Card. Arinze mentioned parish hall.

 

[Image_of_God]

If you would have read the previous posts, you would have noticed that this did not occur within a Mass.

Yes, but there is a reference in the document saying that the dances belong in the Parish Hall.

I don’t condemn the dancing, not at all. The only thing that can’t be condoned is that the dancing is being done before the altar. The altar is not a gym. Other than that, the dancing is completely enrinching and useful.