"Progressive worship styles": bad or okay?

[La-Petite-Fleur]

I’m somewhat of a new Catholic (converted in 2001). I need some opinions, because something is really confusing me. My husband and I moved to another town, and we’re looking for a parish. Unfortunately, several of the parishes we visited seemed quite liberal. For instance, one practices walking a labyrinth and celebrating the autumnal equinox, and another hinted at tolerance of homosexual lifestyles. The parish that has the labyrinth & that celebrates the autumnal equinox is the closest to where we live. So I emailed the priest, telling him my husband and I had just moved into the area, and as strict Catholics we are looking for a parish. I told him I had a few concerns about the labyrinth and celebrating the autumnal equinox, as the autumnal equinox is most often celebrated as a pagan holiday. I also asked him to give me any information on how the Vatican approves them. When he wrote back, he didn’t give any information about the Vatican supporting such things. He just said his parish would probably be too progressive for me, but he did give me a few alternative parishes to attend that were more “traditional” in worship style.

Instead of church hopping every Sunday, I decided to email the archdiocese and ask them which local parishes were the most strict (sorry, that’s the best word I could come up with, but you all get what I mean). They emailed back today and said, “Worship styles can vary from parish to parish”. What’s this about “traditional” and “progressive”? And what’s with “worship styles”? Am I reading too much into this, or shouldn’t all parishes be “traditional” and the same? Not that they need to be completely the same, but in liturgy, shouldn’t they all be the same and as they call it “traditional”?

Since when did adhering to the Vatican become the traditional way? Shouldn’t “traditional” be replaced with “correct”? So from what I have gathered just from two emails (one from a priest, and one from the archdiocese) there are “worship styles”. Traditional is the way the Vatican prescribes the mass. Progressive incorporates paganistic practices such as labyrinths and celebrating the autumnal equinox, and possibly clown masses and all of those unlovely things. ‘Traditional’ is actually a practice of the Catholic faith, whereas ‘progressive’ is a practice of the Catholic faith, the pagan faith, the Buddhist faith, what have you. The very word ‘progressive’ suggests that it is ‘progressive thinking’, in other words, not like those ‘Neanderthal Vatican traditionalists’.

Thank God for Pope Benedict XVI. Maybe he’ll do something about these parishes that are doing things not of the Catholic faith. It’s just so sad. Jesus deserves better than this. I can’t for one second believe that Jesus would be happy with pagan practices within His church.

Please let me know your thoughts on this…

 

[Kay_Cee]

Egads!

I’m sorry you’re having to put up with such nonsense.

Styles of worship can be a matter of discipline and therefore changeable. However, what you’re describing is going far, far off the deep end.

I’m afraid you may have to “shop” for the right parish a bit, but it would certainly be well worth the effort.

And churches are not supposed to be “progressive.” The Church transcends time.

 

[La-Petite-Fleur]

Thank you! I’m also afraid that the archdiocese might support such things, I hope I’m wrong. But there seems to be quite a few parishes around here that incorporate activities within their church that aren’t necessarily Catholic or even faintly Christian. It’s troubling, and I wish the archbishop would do something about it. But as far as I know, even archbishop’s cathedral is known for having a large homosexual following as it is (according to the homsosexual community here) gay friendly. Right now I’m getting this strange feeling that the archdiocese might be “progressive”, for lack of a better word. The good news is, I have several recomendations for a few “traditional” parishes in the area, and I look forward to attending one of them this weekend. It’s a bit across town, but at this point I’d travel though snow and ice just to get to it .
Kay Cee:

Egads!

I’m sorry you’re having to put up with such nonsense.

Styles of worship can be a matter of discipline and therefore changeable. However, what you’re describing is going far, far off the deep end.

I’m afraid you may have to “shop” for the right parish a bit, but it would certainly be well worth the effort.

And churches are not supposed to be “progressive.” The Church transcends time.

 

[netmilsmom]

La-Petite-Fleur:

I need some opinions, because something is really confusing me. …

Where are you at? Someone might help you find a nice parish if you can give us a hint.

The only place I know with a Labyrinth is the Sisters of St. Joseph in Rocky River, OH. If you are there, try St. Albert the Great in North Royalton. It’s very good and traditional.

 

[Isidore_AK]

La-Petite-Fleur:

Thank you! I’m also afraid that the archdiocese might support such things, I hope I’m wrong. But there seems to be quite a few parishes around here that incorporate activities within their church that aren’t necessarily Catholic or even faintly Christian. It’s troubling, and I wish the archbishop would do something about it. But as far as I know, even archbishop’s cathedral is known for having a large homosexual following as it is (according to the homsosexual community here) gay friendly. Right now I’m getting this strange feeling that the archdiocese might be “progressive”, for lack of a better word. The good news is, I have several recomendations for a few “traditional” parishes in the area, and I look forward to attending one of them this weekend. It’s a bit across town, but at this point I’d travel though snow and ice just to get to it .

Now, we don’t know where you’re located (and theres no need to tell us!), but some of the Bishops out there are really really OUT THERE.

Some of us are stuck with Bishops that are…shall we say, not on the same sheet of music as the Pope. Its very possible that your diocese is headed by a heterodox Bishop. All you can really do is duck your head and weather the storm. Hopefully Papa Benedict will clean house soon…

 

[netmilsmom]

Isidore_AK:

Some of us are stuck with Bishops that are…shall we say, not on the same sheet of music as the Pope. …

Oooo! That was put very well!