Tourists disrespect the Blessed Sacrament

[puzzleannie]

I’ll
Today as I approached this beautiful Basilica I saw a tour bus in the parking lot. As I was coming up to the doors I passed two young women, one of which remarked how sickening the building was with “all the starving people on the street”.

ooooh you just reminded me of something that happened when I was on a tour in Mexico. We were taken around to several of the organization’s projects, given education on Mexican history, culture, politics, economics etc, and taken on tours to many places, including cathedrals and basilicas.

One couple in particular, my generation, aging hippies (dressed in expensive brand-name safari clothes, sandals made by the Earth Shoe company, no lie, they still exist, expensive cameras and optics for bird-watching) made themselves obnoxious the entire time by their commentary on the evils of the Spanish conquest, particularly the horrible crimes committed by the Catholic Church against the natives. Every time we went into a church they made the comment about all this money “wasted” on a building while their were starving people in the streets. A retired Catholic nun who was on the tour with her family finally turned to them after one such comment and said in her strong Irish brogue: And I suppose you will be selling your fine cameras and fancy togs and cashing in your plane tickets to feed the poor at the gates now.

 

[Caesar]

ooooh you just reminded me of something that happened when I was on a tour in Mexico. We were taken around to several of the organization’s projects, given education on Mexican history, culture, politics, economics etc, and taken on tours to many places, including cathedrals and basilicas.

One couple in particular, my generation, aging hippies (dressed in expensive brand-name safari clothes, sandals made by the Earth Shoe company, no lie, they still exist, expensive cameras and optics for bird-watching) made themselves obnoxious the entire time by their commentary on the evils of the Spanish conquest, particularly the horrible crimes committed by the Catholic Church against the natives. Every time we went into a church they made the comment about all this money “wasted” on a building while their were starving people in the streets. A retired Catholic nun who was on the tour with her family finally turned to them after one such comment and said in her strong Irish brogue: And I suppose you will be selling your fine cameras and fancy togs and cashing in your plane tickets to feed the poor at the gates now.

Hahaha!!!

 

[davy39]

What can we expect from tourists, when a lot of our own Catholic people, do not show proper respect inside our own churches. We have a small parish in Ohio, and after Mass, it sounds like the aftermath of a basketball game, more than a church. A survey mentioned on EWTN stated that only thirty per cent of Catholics believe that Jesus is present in the Body and Blood of the Eucharist. Can we expect any different behavior from tourists and non-Catholics? I don’t think so. We should clean our own house first.

 

[m134e5]

My spiritual director recently suggested that I stop for a prayer before the Tabernacle in the Cathedral here everyday to cultivate a devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. I have been dropping by after school as the Cathedral is near my home.

That’s a good idea. Be grateful that you can stop by a church every day. Not everyone has that priviledge.

Today as I approached this beautiful Basilica I saw a tour bus in the parking lot. As I was coming up to the doors I passed two young women, one of which remarked how sickening the building was with “all the starving people on the street”.

Ignore them. I’m sure they have more than one pair of clothes- there are many with only one pair, or with very few pairs. Their argument is not valid.

Inside there was a large crowd of tourists, talking, walking around, snapping pictures without any thought given to the spiritual value of the church.

That is because spiritual value doesn’t make money.

I took my normal place kneeling in front of the side altar where the Tabernacle is placed now, and some people came up and stood in between me and the altar laughing and talking and posing for pictures.

The church should only allow guided tours (during certain hours) and no pictures.

Nobody was genuflecting, there were people who had the nerve to wander around the sanctuary and posing for photographs sitting on the Cathedra itself.

No one should be allowed in the church unless they are there to pray or go on a guided tour.

Disrespect everywhere.

Such is the norm these days.

Then someone tried to play the antique pipe organ, obviously having never even touched one before.

Ok…now is when you tell the rector- and whoever is responsible for giving tours. If you play certain combinations of notes on a pipe organ, the vibrations will break the windows in the church. If the church gives tours, it is probably on some historical registry somewhere- the historical society will make sure the church is secure, because they have a very real interest in the preservation of the church. Nobody should be allowed to even touch a real pipe organ unless they are certified by a recognized guild of organists, or are studying with someone who is a member of a recognized guild of organists.

I was sickened by these people.

I don’t doubt it.

I couldnt concentrate on my prayers, and I was getting some strange looks when I knelt down to pray

Well at least you tried- maybe you got some people to think about what they were doing.

 

[MusicMan]

This entire thread is an example of how dare they not respect our Church and its beliefs. Please bear in mind that not all religions share our beliefs or are aware of things that are considered respectful in a Catholic church.

I challenge all of you to meditate on that. Ask yourself how respectful you’d be if you found yourself in an historic church of a non-Catholic denomination. Would you be as respectful at St. Paul’s Cathedral or Westminster Abbey in London? What about the Haggia Sophia? What about the next time you attend worship in a Protestant church for a wedding, funeral, or baptism of a friend or relative?

If you cannot show them the kind of respect you expect of the tourists in this example, then you are no better than they, and you have no business exepcting them to respect our space.

 

[slyboots]

Funny thing is, go visit the Alamo in San Antonio. I’ve visited many times and the reverence and awe is exemplary. Of course, there are docents and signs everywhere asking men to remove their hats and reminding people that they are in a shrine and to keep their voices to a respectful level, no gum chewing, no flash photography.

Of course, it’s no longer a consecrated church and the history that took place there impresses the average non-Catholic far more than the spirituality of cathedrals being visited by tour groups.

Still, it should be the tour company’s responsibility to remind tourists (especially non-Catholics) to show proper respect and reverence in a sacred place.

Well heck, It’s the Alamo. You best believe you better behave reverently there.
Seriously it is a very special place. When we go to SA we have previously toured other missions. Even before we were Catholics my children were expected to behave reverently
inside the mission areas.
I have been in Sikh Gurdwaras, Hindu temples and Jewish synagogues. No matter what faith is practiced there I cannot imagine acting like those folks making noise and flashing cameras.

 

[Teelynn]

I’ll post this while I’m still angry.

My spiritual director recently suggested that I stop for a prayer before the Tabernacle in the Cathedral here everyday to cultivate a devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. I have been dropping by after school as the Cathedral is near my home.

Today as I approached this beautiful Basilica I saw a tour bus in the parking lot. As I was coming up to the doors I passed two young women, one of which remarked how sickening the building was with “all the starving people on the street”. Inside there was a large crowd of tourists, talking, walking around, snapping pictures without any thought given to the spiritual value of the church. I took my normal place kneeling in front of the side altar where the Tabernacle is placed now, and some people came up and stood in between me and the altar laughing and talking and posing for pictures. Nobody was genuflecting, there were people who had the nerve to wander around the sanctuary and posing for photographs sitting on the Cathedra itself. Disrespect everywhere. Then someone tried to play the antique pipe organ, obviously having never even touched one before.

was sickened by these people. I couldnt concentrate on my prayers, and I was getting some strange looks when I knelt down to pray

I

 

[Teelynn]

If it were me, right or wrong, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my mouth shut.

Tee

 

[mellon00collie]

This entire thread is an example of how dare they not respect our Church and its beliefs. Please bear in mind that not all religions share our beliefs or are aware of things that are considered respectful in a Catholic church.

I challenge all of you to meditate on that. Ask yourself how respectful you’d be if you found yourself in an historic church of a non-Catholic denomination. Would you be as respectful at St. Paul’s Cathedral or Westminster Abbey in London? What about the Haggia Sophia? What about the next time you attend worship in a Protestant church for a wedding, funeral, or baptism of a friend or relative?

If you cannot show them the kind of respect you expect of the tourists in this example, then you are no better than they, and you have no business exepcting them to respect our space.

Personally I would never dream of showing disrespect to any place or ritual of worship. Be they Protestant, Anglican, Buddist, Hindu, or Pagan people still gather there to rejoice in their religion and as i request them to honor my Cathedral so will I extend that same courtesy to them. Though I can certainly understand were you are coming from.

 

[Chancellare]

This entire thread is an example of how dare they not respect our Church and its beliefs. Please bear in mind that not all religions share our beliefs or are aware of things that are considered respectful in a Catholic church.

I challenge all of you to meditate on that. Ask yourself how respectful you’d be if you found yourself in an historic church of a non-Catholic denomination. Would you be as respectful at St. Paul’s Cathedral or Westminster Abbey in London? What about the Haggia Sophia? What about the next time you attend worship in a Protestant church for a wedding, funeral, or baptism of a friend or relative?

If you cannot show them the kind of respect you expect of the tourists in this example, then you are no better than they, and you have no business exepcting them to respect our space.

Your challenge addresses the wrong audience.
First, why should I go to a place that I neither appreciate nor admire?
Secondly, a mature person will be very circumspect and behave with utmost respect regardless whether he is in Vatican or in Westminster.
Unless you assume people in this thread are immature, that is out of the question.

 

[NewGuyInChurch]

This entire thread is an example of how dare they not respect our Church and its beliefs. Please bear in mind that not all religions share our beliefs or are aware of things that are considered respectful in a Catholic church.

I challenge all of you to meditate on that. Ask yourself how respectful you’d be if you found yourself in an historic church of a non-Catholic denomination. Would you be as respectful at St. Paul’s Cathedral or Westminster Abbey in London? What about the Haggia Sophia? What about the next time you attend worship in a Protestant church for a wedding, funeral, or baptism of a friend or relative?

If you cannot show them the kind of respect you expect of the tourists in this example, then you are no better than they, and you have no business exepcting them to respect our space.

I would never even consider showing disrespect inside of any place of Christian worship – and as I wouldn’t step inside a temple or church of another religion, I wouldn’t have to worry about that. If people are not willing to show respect inside a Catholic church, then they should think twice before coming in. I don’t want people to feel unwelcome inside of a Catholic church, however, disrespect and sacrilege are not welcome. Churches are first and foremost places of worship for God – we should not be bending rules or expectations in order to draw tourists in.

 

[Sarabande]

That is sad and horriable, but sadly, this is the case for many “well-known” churches and Cathedrals. Many will have signs and security guards for tourists which help in keeping the reverence within the church. At St. Patrick’s in NYC, they guards and block out the middle aisle so that tourists can’t walk right up the middle during mass. At my home Cathedral, it’s not as well-traversed and visited like St. Patrick’s, which is fine by me. But I’ve found that the visitors are often Catholic and are very respectful. When I visited the Duomo in Firenze, it was wonderful to see that the workers were making sure the women had their shoulders covered before entering. It was in the middle of summer. They would have to wear a paper covering. I always brought a sweater or jacket for that reason.

 

[PatienceAndLove]

Would you be as respectful at St. Paul’s Cathedral or Westminster Abbey in London? What about the Haggia Sophia? What about the next time you attend worship in a Protestant church for a wedding, funeral, or baptism of a friend or relative?

You bet I am quiet and respectful. I may not share their beliefs, but I am in their place of worship, thus I should give their place of worship the same respect I give mine.

 

[nichjake]

That is horrible, I’m an atheist and haven’t had doings with the church for years (I wasn’t Catholic before either) but for people to have such blatent disrespect towards another’s beliefs and place of worship is sickening. Where do people get off thinking its okay to do such things, whatever happened to respect and being considerate

 

[Freshman88]

I hear that pre-Vatican II only the faithful were allowed inside. This kind of makes you wonder why it was changed.

Regardless of whether they knew what they were doing, could it be argued that they have sinned?

 

[Sarabande]

You bet I am quiet and respectful. I may not share their beliefs, but I am in their place of worship, thus I should give their place of worship the same respect I give mine.

I totally agree. Why wouldn’t I give the same respect as I would like them to give to my church? I am always quiet and respectful whenever I visit any house of worship of any faith, whether as a tourist or visiting for a friend or family member. Although we are not of the same religion, I do respect their houses of worship.