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consecrated_one
Guest
Don’t tell me how to think. Like you said, we agree to disagree
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palmas85
Guest
When did I tell you how to think?Don’t tell me how to think. Like you said, we agree to disagree
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MIKE46
Guest
Maybe he thinks that you were trying to do so because you apparently disagree with his viewpoint or spoke about it at some length?When did I tell you how to think?
.Or her. I’m sorry that I wasn’t more precise.
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ElizabethPH
Guest
These are important reminders of Jesus’ suffering for us. Do your children do the Stations? Then it shouldn’t be so hard to explain these instruments of our Lord’s sacrifice for us.
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Phemie
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Not all. I counted 3 crucifixes, including the processional cross, in the local Anglican church.
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Lamafacaja
Guest
This isn’t the point, in my opinion. Putting these things up on the altar is about as esthetically pleasing as felt banners. Is it really allowed, even?
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Phemie
Guest
I don’t think there are any rules that say ‘that can be used for decorating the sanctuary & this can’t’. Nothing is allowed ON the altar except what will be used at Mass, but around the altar in front of the altar I think ‘taste’ would dictate. While I’m not overly thrilled with the OP’s description of the decorations, sometimes you need to be hit in the forehead to really think about how things were and this could be just such a hit. Even as a mom I don’t understand how these things by themselves could be that frightening to a child. More frightening than a dead man hanging on a cross?This isn’t the point, in my opinion. Putting these things up on the altar is about as esthetically pleasing as felt banners. Is it really allowed, even?
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consecrated_one
Guest
I would love to hear from some of the people who think this stuff is so great- What’s Your church decorated like? Any cat-o-nine tails laying around? 6" nails and a mallet at the base of the alter? If it’s so great, please, share with me your great experiences with your Church’s Lenten decorations! This does’nt bring one to sorrow or remorse, it’s looks like it belongs in a Holloween or “other” type of store. We have a very appropriate and moving 8 ft Crucifix, our Alter is a wooden Table with a purple divider, during Lent. Our Stations of the Cross are so modern art you can’t always be sure what’s being depicted. It’s a tough church to love. The Tabernacle is 20-25 ft away behind a small wall., It’s not easy.
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adstrinity
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Once they add David Caruso, find a different parish.It looks like a bad CSI. And there’s more added each week.
There’s a wood-looking cross display in front of our altar at the church 5 minutes away from me. It looks like two tree-trunks put together, not the nice sanded-down with corners cross we’re used to seeing. There is a crown of thorns hanging in the front of it. At the bottom are three nails, standing upright, and a malot.
This is right in front of our altar, on the top step. I think I have a problem with that, mostly, that, it’s in front of the altar and taking up space (not that it’s really blocking anything) and one has to maneuver one’s way around it.
Incidentally, this altar, has the Last Supper carved and painted on it. The one behind it, ad orientem with the Tabernacle has that scene from Purgatory where Mary is helping people on it.
Anyway, where was I? Oh, right, Cross with torture imliments. I don’t like that one has to manuever one’s way around it, but, where else can it be put that people will take note, I mean, it’s there, front and center, people see it.
I don’t know how I’d feel about the cat-o-nine tails, though, but, I’d hope it would be appropriate and not gaudy.
Hey, OP, how old is your daughter?
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ElizabethPH
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Obviously folks have already said what they think one way or another. Sounds like you got an ax to grind with your church as a whole. Those instruments as I have already said are reminders of our Lords sacrifice. You choose (as well as others here) to be offended by it. Have you talked to your priest about how offensive this is to you? Have you talked with other parishioners? Maybe getting together with others that are like minded; and speak with the priest together will get the display removed.
Peace
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consecrated_one
Guest
I really appreciate the people who took the time to discribe what your church is like. Catholic Churches vary so much in style and design, it’s facinating to hear what’sup in other people’s religious lives. My daughter is 14 going on 7, she isn’t emotionally where her peers are. I must confess that I am not able to watch The Passion, myself. I did leave the cloister because I couldn’t whip myself, I had an emotion breakdown, more or less. Thank you to all who participated, agreed, disagreed and offered helpful suggestions.
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jmcrae
Guest
They don’t need to be near the Altar, though. Our parish has a cactus in front of the ambo, but that’s it for “Lenten decorations” other than everything except the altar cloth to be violet, in keeping with the season.
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JKirkLVNV
Guest
I agree with Palmas (wholeheartedly). As regards *The Passion of the Christ, *I would not show it to my five-year-old godson, but I wish I could get his 19-year-old brother to sit through it. If film is an art from, like painting or sculpture or music, and if we can learn from art forms, ie, if they can deepen our faith, then Gibson’s *The Passion of the Christ *is it’s genre’s Cisceri’s Transport of Christ to the Sepulcher or Michaelangelo’s Pieta or Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passsion.I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one. In my view reminding us of what Jesus actually went through is an important thing and should not be ignored. Also, I see this whole issue as smacking of some protestant sensilbility. Let me explain. Protestants do not use the crucifix in their gatherings because they see it as an unnecessary and gory remembrance of the death of Jesus and not the resurrection itself, which is why they use the bare cross. Christ has risen. They used to and probably still do accuse Catholics of re-crucifying Christ at every Mass
Someone who has problems with gory reminders of the act itself, seems to be leaning towards that same sensibility.
As far as children, yes they need to know about the Good Shepard.
They also need to know and understand that the death of Christ was not a sanitary event and that his suffering was a direct result of us and our sins.
That particular area is often completely overlooked, ignored and in many cases forgotten these days.
Remember the film the Passion of the Christ? Mel Gibson was raked over the coals for his bloody depiction of the death of Jesus. Sadomasochistic fantasies screamed the headlines., What will this do to impressionable children? It is horrible that this was filmed. Awful, completely awful.
What did the Holy Father say about it?
IT IS AS IT WAS
We need to remember that and never allow ourselves to think of the death of Christ as anything other than what it was. A horrible, degrading and brutal event that saved us. And it that takes some heavy handed prodding on occasion, I’m all for it:thumbsup:.
I wish you and your family all the best
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CDNowak
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Not at my current parish. I have been in a parish which put a crown of thorns on a pillar (like they would put under the flowers), off to the side. It is quite striking to realize that the thorns weren’t like the common American brambles, 1/4" long, but rather 2-3". Another has them depicted on the arch in the sanctuary.
A popular family retreat in OH that my family was associated with brought out a 3/4 life size crucifix made to realistically depict the wounds Christ would have received, which had a profound impact on the teens (my peers at the time). They also, at different times, presented the spikes (to call them nails is understatement) that would have been used, a replica of the flagellum (complete with barbs), had the shroud travelling exhibit, talks and a dramatic rendition that gave great detail into what the sufferings of the Passion were. They did reach people, move them to repentance. (Particularly this one man play) (If just the inanimate implements are too disturbing, I guess I should warn that, without props or costumes, this makes the events real and personal).
We only have your description of these and it may be poorly done, but perhaps you could realize not everyone has the same reaction. The items themselves are appropriate reminders of the horrible price of sin. Their inclusion in the decoration of the Church, permanently or during Lent, helps to remind us what the Mass is.
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consecrated_one
Guest
but not necessarily for everyone!
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Lamafacaja
Guest
I don’t know, maybe you’re right and it’s not an abuse. But it strikes me as an abuse, an “innovation”. Our church here is just ordinarily very bare at Lent, no flowers, no lit candles by the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph… Holy week all the statues get covered up with purple cloths.
If I get a chance, I’ll ask my priest about that. But then, he doesn’t even have an advent wreath up on the altar in Advent, because “it’s not liturgically correct”.
As a mom I wouldn’t worry about my kids being scared by that S&M display, either. Even the little ones. They’d be like “What is it?”
But the cross, we must teach them gently to love. Very important.
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palmas85
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Anglicans are not and do not consider themselves to be Protestants. Nor does anyone else that knows anything about their history for that matter. They are actually considered by most authorities to be a fourth branch of Christianity which includes the Catholic Church the Orthodox Churches and the Protestants. It is actually kind of a cross between Catholicism and protestantism and was formed to basically find a middle ground between the extremes of the Catholic Church and the protestant groups of the period, 1600’s, mostly Calvinists. It retains many Catholic elements and some of it’s Priests have valid orders.
There has been in recent years movement by some Anglican groups to return to the Catholic Church, In fact in November 2009 Pope Benedict XVI issued an apostolic constitution, Anglicanorum Coetibus, to allow groups of former Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
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CatholicLife
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If you think that some nails and other items are scary then you would be afraid to see the head of Saint Oliver Plunkett. As for the Passion of the Christ, my brother was three when he watched it and most of my cousins were about ten. I think we should teach our kids about how the Lord suffered for them just like how we teach them how he loves them.
http://www.oflahertytours.com/Mall/St_Oliver_Plunkett's_head.jpg
http://www.oflahertytours.com/Mall/St_Oliver_Plunkett's_head.jpg
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Famule
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No, the Celebrant would trip over them and wouldn’t be able to reach the altar.
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ciero
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''Maybe thats a good thing. Shouldn’t we all be upset?
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