Video during mass

[felsguy]

I’d be willing to bet that if the technology had been available at that time, St. Paul would have videotaped his messages too. :yup:

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[Digitonomy]

The bishops’ conferences interpret IGMR for their country. Thus there is a different GIRM for the U.K. and the U.S., for example. I don’t think an individual bishop can decide that an 1958 strict prohibition is no longer in force for his diocese.

The bishops’ conferences are actually pretty toothless, and are mainly coordinating bodies that bishops participate in out of a sense of collegiality, and because the conferences often accomplish tasks which lighten the load for diocesan staffs. A bishop is not obliged to accept a random publication or recommendation from his national conference.

While the national conferences can propose particular law for the Vatican to approve (the different GIRMS would be an example), what we’re talking about here is a judicial and administrative matter - assessing whether an old law is still in effect, and if so how and to what extent it is to be executed.

Can. 391 §1. It is for the diocesan bishop to govern the particular church entrusted to him with legislative, executive, and judicial power according to the norm of law.

 

[ProVobis]

I’d be willing to bet that if the technology had been available at that time, St. Paul would have videotaped his messages too. :yup:

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It would have been interesting to see how many likes and dislikes he got from them too.

 

[FAB]

So during mass yesterday, the priest played a video instead of giving a homily. It was about the Annual Catholic appeal. The same thing happened this time last year, at a different nearby parish. I can reasonably assume that this action was condoned by the bishop, as the bishop appeared in the video.
Is this liturgical abuse? I know that the homily may be omitted but…a video during mass? Really?

The message is from the bishop and is shown at all masses per his instruction. It is not liturgical abuse. Some priest or deacons with still give an abbreviated homily, but it is not necessary. The bishop is choosing through the video to ask for financial support for the work of the Church. Certainly a message about giving of one’s treasure is appropriate, after God asked for 10%, Catholics need to be reminded of this from time to time.

Deacon Frank

 

[Cone]

I’ve seen it before, No big deal.

 

[FAB]

pn, it applies to both the music and the liturgy.

De musica sacra et sacra liturgia
Instruction on Sacred Music and Sacred Liturgy

It’s also noteworthy that since 1969 (?) the homily is now part of the Mass.

It seems to me that there are a number of documents issues since 1958 on music and liturgy. It could simply be that these subjects have been reviewed, and any reference to the use of amplification and projection was left out, since it no longer applies and is no longer prohibited.

Deacon Frank

 

[FAB]

Most people (including leadership) don’t like it. But I don’t think they dislike it for liturgical reasons…they dislike being tapped for more $$$.
We even have a version in Spanish (in which the Spanish pronunciation is pretty bad. )

There may be those who do not like it, but a diocese works in the real world and need $$$$ to operate. Most Catholics give no were near 10% to their parish, diocese, or any Catholic organization. The request is simply a matter of good stewardship. To keep the services of the Church going, including charitable, to train deacons and priest, for the formation of the faith and much more, money is needed. Instead of being upset, perhaps those people should be happy, if they give and all around them give from their first fruits, the local church can flourish and do great things.

Deacon Frank

 

[Cat]

Sadly, I think that in this day and age (2015), most people in the congregation wouldn’t listen to a written letter from the bishop read aloud, unless the letter was about sex.

We are not a “listening” people in the United States. We are “audio-visual.”

And it doesn’t matter whether you like it or not–it’s reality. Gone are the good ol’ days when a letter was something exciting!

 

[Digitonomy]

It’s also noteworthy that since 1969 (?) the homily is now part of the Mass.

This is certainly noteworthy, but at least regarding De Musica Sacra that distinction is irrelevant, since that document prohibited video projection in church, period.

 

[baliano]

Pastoral Letters from our Archbishop are frequently presented in the form of a recorded message to be played over the PA system, so I suppose a video is a development of that. Actually, you will probably find that it is very successful in terms of raising money.

I realize that the Bishop feels it must be shown while there is a captive audience but it bothers me immensely to have the sacred celebration of the Mass interrupted for a commercial message. Even worse, our parish passes out forms and pencils so we can complete our pledge before Mass resumes! I do not nor will I ever complete a form under those conditions. I don’t care how important the Bishop’s campaign is, it isn’t more important than the Mass or even a good homily. We receive little enough teaching and little that is dedicated to sin and redemption, we cannot waste even a moment of the opportunity to hear the good word.

Why is it that when we express financial concerns to the clergy we’re told God will provide if we trust in Him, doesn’t God provide for Bishops concerns?

 

[pianistclare]

There may be those who do not like it, but a diocese works in the real world and need $$$$ to operate. Most Catholics give no were near 10% to their parish, diocese, or any Catholic organization. The request is simply a matter of good stewardship. To keep the services of the Church going, including charitable, to train deacons and priest, for the formation of the faith and much more, money is needed. Instead of being upset, perhaps those people should be happy, if they give and all around them give from their first fruits, the local church can flourish and do great things.

Deacon Frank

There are more reasons, which I won’t go into here. I work in a parish, and am frequently at the Chancery. I’m well aware of what it takes.

 

[ProVobis]

Sadly, I think that in this day and age (2015), most people in the congregation wouldn’t listen to a written letter from the bishop read aloud, unless the letter was about sex.

Or an announcement that the parish is on the bishop’s list for closing or merging.

I think we’ve talked about this already.

We are not a “listening” people in the United States. We are “audio-visual.”

That’s the problem. People can easily afford hundreds of dollars per month for their I-Phone service and checking messages every five minutes but not one dime goes to the Church. I think I heard somewhere that over 90% Catholics (maybe up to 98%) don’t give at all? Here we are arguing about a video that probably for the most part preaches to the choir. Maybe the appeal should go to those who don’t attend Mass at all; what’s there to lose?

 

[jmcrae]

I still cannot get past that Musica Sacrum was addressing music in Mass, not the homily and is not the General Instruction. Context matters and provides the universe for which a statement is to be taken.

I see it as being two subsets of the same idea - that recordings of the human voice must not replace real human voices.

 

[jmcrae]

There may be those who do not like it, but a diocese works in the real world and need $$$$ to operate. Most Catholics give no were near 10% to their parish, diocese, or any Catholic organization. The request is simply a matter of good stewardship. To keep the services of the Church going, including charitable, to train deacons and priest, for the formation of the faith and much more, money is needed. Instead of being upset, perhaps those people should be happy, if they give and all around them give from their first fruits, the local church can flourish and do great things.

Deacon Frank

I think a lot of people are under the impression that their local parish is supported by the Diocese; they don’t realize that actually, it’s the other way around, and that the entire Church, beginning with the parish, survives only on what is put into the collection plate on Sundays.

 

[FrDavid96]

Please describe the part of the Missal that says “read a letter from your bishop here”.

“A Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians”

Written or video, same thing. Just because technology changes doesn’t mean that the tradition of the bishop providing a homily to his scattered flock is any different.

No. Reading a letter aloud is one thing. Turning the church building into a temporary movie theatre in the middle of the Mass is something significantly different.

This is not just my personal opinion. The law of the Church reads thus:

1. The use of any kind of projector, and particularly movie projectors, with or without sound track, is strictly forbidden in church for any reason, even if it be for a pious, religious, or charitable cause.

Whether you (or I) see a difference or not, there is no question that the Church most certainly sees a difference.

 

[FrDavid96]

This is not about money, or the need to raise funds.

It is about the dignity and reverence of the Mass.

How did we ever reach the point where dignity and reverence in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can be dismissed so casually???

 

[Neofight]

This is not about money, or the need to raise funds.

It is about the dignity and reverence of the Mass.

How did we ever reach the point where dignity and reverence in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can be dismissed so casually???

When we have reached the point that what we feel that pomp and ceremony outweigh the call for charity (St. Augustin tells us that of fasting, prayer, and alms giving, alms giving is the most pleasing to God), we have lost the very message of the Gospel.

Addressing the topic, whether in video or traditional homily, hardly detracts from the dignity of the Mass.

Instead of the question you ended with, we could also ask, How can Christ’s call for us to act with charity, which includes monetarily, be dismissed so casually???

 

[Karen107]

This is not about money, or the need to raise funds.

It is about the dignity and reverence of the Mass.

How did we ever reach the point where dignity and reverence in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can be dismissed so casually???

Father no disrespect but that sounds like something that would come from someone following in the sedevacantism position… Because I love the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass even if occasionally we are presented with a video which shows us up close really what is happening in our diocese and why our money is needed.

I don’t think of it as a commercial break as someone put it, but an important part of learning about stewardship.

Now I love my Church, and I hate to see these squabbles, and I don’t believe what these Bishops are doing is wrong or at all takes away from the mass and they are used sparingly.

 

[otjm]

I realize that the Bishop feels it must be shown while there is a captive audience but it bothers me immensely to have the sacred celebration of the Mass interrupted for a commercial message. Even worse, our parish passes out forms and pencils so we can complete our pledge before Mass resumes! I do not nor will I ever complete a form under those conditions. I don’t care how important the Bishop’s campaign is, it isn’t more important than the Mass or even a good homily. We receive little enough teaching and little that is dedicated to sin and redemption, we cannot waste even a moment of the opportunity to hear the good word.

Why is it that when we express financial concerns to the clergy we’re told God will provide if we trust in Him, doesn’t God provide for Bishops concerns?

Interesting that when a homily is given on the readings of the day, most don’t get upset, but when a homily is given on the needs of the diocese and our duty to support the Church, it is called a commercial message.

 

[FrDavid96]

When we have reached the point that what we feel that pomp and ceremony outweigh the call for charity (St. Augustin tells us that of fasting, prayer, and alms giving, alms giving is the most pleasing to God), we have lost the very message of the Gospel.

Addressing the topic, whether in video or traditional homily, hardly detracts from the dignity of the Mass.

Instead of the question you ended with, we could also ask, How can Christ’s call for us to act with charity, which includes monetarily, be dismissed so casually???

It is not about the call for charity. That is a different issue. I am not (as you falsely characterize my earlier post) dismissing the value of Christian charity.

I am asking how and why (and how we reached the point) where the dignity and reverence of the Mass are so casually dismissed as unimportant and irrelevant.

There is a time and place for everything.