Talking in Church

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Paul_theApostle

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Hi I am wondering here what peoples attitude is towards people chatting inside the church when it’s open or before and after mass.

In my city the Cathedral and other city churches have silence in their churches which makes it nice and easier to pray and reflect upon God.

But in my local parish what is missing inside are the coffees for the parishioners to drink while they sit before mass and talk at the top of their voices.

I have walked out annoyed and missed Mass at times because I find it very disrespectful and even disgusting that they have no reverence and respect for a sacred place for people to pray to God.

Even when others are kneeling to pray everybody still talks away and the man who opens the church said that nobody talks in the Cathedral or city churches because no one knows each other.

Please pray for this man named John who opens the church and talks all the time very loudly.

The parish priest said that he allows them to talk in church…

I just see that in some churches silence is strictly observed while at others it is like a market place.

Is there any explanation about this as I don’t know what’s going on but it’s affecting my prayer life and where I attend church.
 
The previous edition of the GIRM was released in 1975, but in 2000 Pope John Paul II released a new edition, which was slightly modified in 2002.
This new edition of the GIRM was substantially the same as the prior one but had many small changes made to improve the quality of liturgical celebrations and clarify matters that previously were ambiguous.

Most national conferences of bishops petition Rome for local “adaptations” of the liturgy to be used in their countries. Rome must approve these adaptations before they have force of law.
The United States had such a set of adaptations under the 1975 GIRM, but they needed to be redrafted and resubmitted with the release of the new GIRM. Consequently, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops proposed and submitted to Rome a set of national adaptations for use in the Latin-rite dioceses of the United States. These adaptations were approved and incorporated into the American translation of the GIRM.

This translation was approved and went into force on March 17, 2003. It is now liturgical law in the United States and is presently being implemented in dioceses across the nation. The following represent some of the most often asked about changes in liturgical law.

SILENCE IN CHURCH

Some have questioned whether the custom of observing silence in churches is to be retained, particularly before Mass. The new GIRM commends this practice:

“Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner” (45)."
 
Paul, I really loathe the “before the game starts” chat in the church but I think you have your priorities wrong if you would rather miss Holy Mass than put up with talking in church before or after Holy Mass. If it were me I would wonder if the evil one was trying to get me so agitated by talking that I would loose the graces of the Mass and the opportunity to worship God. If the parish priest doesn’t mind talking in the church maybe you could send him an email with the appropriate references which others have given and cc the letter to the bishop.
 
Yineka

It’s more convenient to attend that church next to my house but as I don’t want to show acceptance of their talking by staying there passively I leave and travel to a another church further away which does have silence.
 
Thanks for the clarification Paul. 🙂 When you said you *have walked out annoyed and missed Mass at times * I thought that you meant that you didn’t go to Mass.
 
I really dislike when people talk before Service. I sit quietly and pray before Service begins and people are yappin away, I find it very difficult to concentrate. I don’t understand it either.
There isn’t any official stance on being quiet before worship as far as I know. I once read somewhere(sorry I don’t have a link) that said in the 60’s and 70’s there was a push for Lutheran Churches to be more inviting and cordial. So they made narthexes bigger and bigger to accomodate the social time before Church and they bring it straight into the Pew with them. I think this takes away from the Worship itself.
I beleive people should be silent anticipating and preparing for worship, but thats just me. The church I attend is trying to change the attitude of the congregation. They have something printed in the bulletin each week, and the Pastor speaks about it regularly, that people are praying before worship and we should try to be more contemplative before worship so we can better receive Jesus Christ. I think it is a great thing. There is time for fellowship and talking after worship.
My :twocents:
 
I hear people talking before Mass quite often and, yes, I find it highly annoying considering that I (and other people, though very few of them, apparently) am trying to pray.

And then there are the ushers in the back of the church who sometimes talk during Mass. I can hear them from the organ loft occasionally.

And then today really took the cake. While the recessional hymn was still being played (and sung) a good number of people started talking loudly. I’m not talking about just a few, but probably a good dozen or more people started having their conversations. We had just barely started verse 2.
 
Paul_theApostle said:
But in my local parish what is missing inside are the coffees for the parishioners to drink while they sit before mass and talk at the top of their voices.
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They serve coffee before Mass? Why would they do that? Wouldn’t that break the required one hour fast before receiving the Eucharist? :confused:
 
Yinekka,

At a weekday Mass I think I walked out and missed Mass as I didn’t go to another Church that morning but I didn’t worry to much I didn’t assume Satan possessed me or anything I could always go tomorrow ,I could think that Satan prevented me from Mass attendance but we are free brother/sister to make our own choices and if I sit there while they speak I don’t want to participate in this lack of respect,reverence and unprayerful attitude of the others plus mainly I can’t pray properly by being there if they talk,don’t blame Satan,blame those people…
 
To wear at Easter service. I can’t justify spending my money on such a frivolus thing, I would rather use it to aid the poor and suffering of the world.
AuraVie
 
I don’t really like talking in church for various reasons and feel it should be kept to a minimum, as there may be occasions when you can’t avoid speaking to somebody.
 
I’m new to Catholicism and I go to church with someone who knows everything and they usually whisper to me whats happening and why it’s happening. I’m not sure if this is disrespectful (I hope not) but thats how I learn whats being done and why.
 
To be honest, I don’t really mind talking, as long it’s quietly done. I guess it comes from being raised Protestant. Everyone talks before and after church, a lot. People pray for each other, catch up with friends. So I’m used to tuning out the noise and I’m able to focus.

However, I’m always quiet at Mass. As soon as I step into the Cathedral I feel this sense of awe in my spirit, and peace comes over me. I do hope to make friends in my parish and be able to fellowship with other Catholics, but not inside the sanctuary. That place is reserved in my mind for quiet reverence of God.
 
I do not like talking in Church either- I think Mother Angelica is right when she says that it is disrespectful to Jesus present in the Tabernacle- but I have found it impossible not to talk while in Church. For one thing, my husband is constantly leaning over and whispering something about the liturgy or some such thing- and as he kinda has ADHD and OCD going on, it’s pretty hard to keep gently telling him not to whisper during those times. I usually have to answer him very briefly or I just nod or smile to let him know I have heard him, but I try to save discussion for later. Same thing with my children. They want to gab with me before, during, and after mass and I have to keep putting a finger to my lips or again, answering them briefly and telling them I will discuss it more after mass.

But it is really hard to enforce the silence in the Church when EVERBODY, including the priests, are greeting each other, discussing the weather, laughing, joking, etc. within the church itself instead of in the atrium or social area. It takes a looooong time to shuffle out of the church, and most people start asking you questions and want to talk with you while you are in the slow line to get out. I feel cornered in that instance and it’s hard to keep the ‘vow of silence’. 😦
 
I am sure there is at least murmuring going on in our church before Mass, but I can honestly say I do not pay any attention to it. The conversation I am having my head (prayer) drones it all out.
 
I am completely fine with people talking before Mass, just as long as it isn’t extremely loud. But it is when they talk during Mass that annoys me. At the Easter Mass there were some younger people, 25-30 age range, and they were talking during the Mass, and it was so distracting. It just kind of made me think that they were only their because their family made them come and not because they actually wanted to be there.
 
I had the same experience. It turns out that the person that they were there to see was converted that night, So I think they were protestant (not in a bashy way) and probably didn’t know that people were concentrating and praying.
 
Our later Mass is quiet chatty…I diskliked it so! Now that my husband doesn’t have early dismissal…we are back to the earlier Mass…and it was so quiet right up to the very start of Mass! 👍 Ahhhh it’s good to be back!
 
ClamDigger said:
They serve coffee before Mass? Why would they do that? Wouldn’t that break the required one hour fast before receiving the Eucharist? :confused:
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I think the OP means…it’s so much like a Protestant service that this is the only thing that is missing. At my old Protestant church…they had a latte stand and you could get your coffee and take it into service with you:bigyikes:
 
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