The Quality of the Celebration of the Mass has Slowly Improved at my Parish

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This is completely out of line.

No one here is saying tradition is bad.

What is bad is the OP casting his former priest in a bad light by claiming that he was intentionally doing things for nefarious reasons.

When one is using valid and licit options, it is not right to call motives into questions.
 
CilladeRoma said:
What is bad is the OP casting his former priest in a bad light by claiming that he was intentionally doing things for nefarious reasons.
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Actually, he never said anything about his priest in his post. You, on the other hand, were the first person to bring the priest up!
 
I actually have asked certain priests I knew about their liturgical choices in the context of the Ordinary Form in casual conversation. The response of those who use the shorter forms has never been that it is theologically richer; it is always that it is shorter. Thus, I wouldn’t say Ostarius’ comment is groundless.

I would say that one shouldn’t hesitate to ask priests about their liturgical decisions. It helps reveal more about their thinking, gives them a catechetical moment, and lets them know about our concern about the liturgy. If we don’t say anything, the clergy will never know our minds and thus what is conducive to our own salvation. Priests often fail in their pastoral charge because we don’t work with them enough except perhaps in emergencies.
 
Ostiarius said:
t takes a real toll however when a pastor clearly does his best to “optimize” the Mass in terms of keeping it as short as possible. Disheartening actually. Terrible
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Third reply in the post.

This is calling the motives and intentions of his former Pastor into question. Period.
 
How about asking why he chooses the options he does?

There might be a good reason, or it might be because he wants the shortest possible Mass.
The decision is his to make though.
 
This is the case almost everywhere. The liturgical abuses actually started to disappear quite rapidly around here in the early to mid 90s.
 
CilladeRoma said:
Third reply in the post.
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I stand corrected. However, I still disagree that we should not question the questionable actions and motivations of the priest, simply because he is the priest.

It leads to too much liturgical variety in what should be a universal Church. How often do you hear ‘We left our geographical parish because we just didn’t like the x/y/z of how Fr. So-and-So celebrates Mass.’ Gone is the notion that some of those things are better than others, in comes the notion that liturgy is a matter of local, pastoral, and individual taste.
 
Ostiarius said:
Restoration of using the Confiteor . Its use was abolished from 2006-2018 in my parish.
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This is the only one in your list that I’ve observed in parishes I go to. Some parishes rarely or ever say it. I wish they did. I prefer it. I know it’s optional to confess other ways at that point in the liturgy as it says right in the missal. And no I’m not judging the pastor, it’s just my preference. And no I’m not asking Mrs. Lincoln other than that how was the play. In the whole scope of Mass it might be minor but I like when it is said. And no I’m not interested in debating the new order vs tradition. I’m quite comfortable with new ways, traditional, OF, EF. It’s all good.
 
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CilladeRoma said:
Oh, I don’t know, just very tired of seeing our Priests and Pastors thrown under the bus on a public forum by people who question their intentions and motives at every turn.
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And then we wonder why more young men aren’t rushing to the seminaries.
 
0331 said:
questionable actions and motivations of the priest,
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When they are questionable.

These are valid and licit options. The OP might not like them, but they are valid and licit nonetheless and one’s motives or intentions for using valid and licit options should not be questioned.
 
angel12 said:
And then we wonder why more young men aren’t rushing to the seminaries.
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Because they’re afraid of having questionable liturgical practices criticized online? They’re afraid that Catholics actually care enough about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to criticize goofy practices? Again, if a man holds himself above criticism simply because he wears a collar (or a badge, or any other symbol of authority) he’s bound to abuse his authority.

Now, young men actually are flocking to seminaries in more orthodox places, and to traditional orders, for reasons very much related to the liturgy and it’s respected sacredness…
 
0331 said:
Because they’re afraid of having questionable liturgical practices criticized online?
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We are not talking about “questionable practices” though. We are talking about valid and licit options that are the decision of the priest offering Mass and no one else.
 
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@CilladeRoma

We’re also talking about felt banners, folk music, lack of reverence for the sacred space.

No wonder men don’t want to be priests, when they grow up seeing the Mass celebrated with such banality.
 
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0331 said:
Again, if a man holds himself above criticism simply because he wears a collar (or a badge, or any other symbol of authority) he’s bound to abuse his
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Nobody said anything about men holding themselves “above criticism.” But a constant drumbeat of questioning and criticizing every little thing, often without thought as to whether it’s justified, is not very encouraging for anyone.

Sometimes a post just says what it says, and doesn’t need to be psychoanalyzed to find some non-existent hidden meaning
 
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@angel12

Were you not alluding to criticism of priests for certain liturgical practices?
 
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0331 said:
No wonder men don’t want to be priests, when they grow up seeing the Mass celebrated with such banality.
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Banality is not a word I’d ever consider appropriate to describe the Mass.

People are entitled to liturgical preferences, but not questioning the motives of the celebrant, nor indeed, the congregation.
 
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