I went to church a few Sundays ago and found a card in the pew for celebrating summer solstice. Is this wrong for the church to put on such a celebration? I know that this is a pagan custom.
It would depend on what kind of celebration of the solstice this church had in mind. For many centuries Christians have sanctified seasons and, by extension, created time, by prayer, fasting, and festivity. For example, in Catholic Europe bonfires were lit around the time of the summer solstice in honor of summer. In fact, the feast of St. John the Baptist, which falls on June 24, was sometimes considered the Summer Christmas because of St. John’s relationship with Christ who was born six months later.
Of course, if this particular church was putting on a non-Christian pagan celebration, it would be problematic for a Catholic church to do so. However, if the church was simply offering a Mass, or a summer festival, or even a bonfire in honor of the summer solstice, there would be nothing wrong with that church doing so.
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