Walking out of Mass in Protest

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I nearly walked out of a mass once many years ago. It seemed overly ‘protestant’, something you just couldn’t quite put your finger on, but it gave me a chill all over - and a really sick feeling in my gut , especially at the consecration. I prayed to the Lord that this travesty could be forgiven and I never went to mass there again.
Would it be OK to walk away from a Clown Mass? I say yes, definitely. Take your children with you and tell them God is not mocked and then attend a sung High Mass in the Tridentine Rite to offer yours and their souls to God the Father in a most fitting way with Our Lord Jesus.
I personally think God is being mocked far too much these days as ‘perceived creative acts’ enter the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. A question one could ask is, “Would this or that song, act, prayer, mode of dress, idle chatter, whatever, be appropriate as we stood, knealt, danced?, with Our Lady and John at the foot of the Cross as Our Saviour gave up his life for us, bleeding and in the most acute pain, alone! for us! ?”
From what I’ve seen of innovative masses many seem to forget the Calvary they are kneeling before. If one could see the reality, the Heavenly Host, the Angel taking the Sacrifice to the Altar in Heaven, to see Christ, the Perfect Immolation. Oh my!
 
Simon62 said:
A question one could ask is, “Would this or that song, act, prayer, mode of dress, idle chatter, whatever, be appropriate as we stood, knealt, danced?, with Our Lady and John at the foot of the Cross as Our Saviour gave up his life for us, bleeding and in the most acute pain, alone! for us! ?”
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This is similar to what I say to my children. I like to remind them to constantly challenge themselves with the question: “If our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ were to appear bodily standing before the altar, would I do anything differently than I am doing right now?” If so, then they are not acting as they should, because He is as much there in His Precious Body and Blood as he would be if he appeared standing before us.
 
Simon62 and Cothrige… I resounding AMEN!!

I would not be able to stand by while my Lord is being mocked… it definitely would be an occasion of sin to watch this. Now I’ve stayed while people were clapping their hands and swaying to “baptist revival” type music during Mass, silent and saddened… it’s starts with anger, then moves on to sadness after thinking about it. I left that parish promptly to find a reverant Mass elsewhere.

I do go there for Saturday confessions because it’s close, and the priests are very good, and during that time the choir practices their music (near the front beside the altar). Last Saturday after confession and praying in the side room reserved for our Lord, I left the Church with a song imbedded in my head “This little light of mine… I"m gonna let it shine… let it shine, let it shine, let it shiiiiiine” . That’s when I remembered that this was the song that the choir was practicing as I was waiting in the line to the confessional :eek:
 
Loboto-Me said:
Simon62 and Cothrige… I resounding AMEN!!

I would not be able to stand by while my Lord is being mocked… it definitely would be an occasion of sin to watch this. Now I’ve stayed while people were clapping their hands and swaying to “baptist revival” type music during Mass, silent and saddened… it’s starts with anger, then moves on to sadness after thinking about it. I left that parish promptly to find a reverant Mass elsewhere.

I do go there for Saturday confessions because it’s close, and the priests are very good, and during that time the choir practices their music (near the front beside the altar). Last Saturday after confession and praying in the side room reserved for our Lord, I left the Church with a song imbedded in my head “This little light of mine… I"m gonna let it shine… let it shine, let it shine, let it shiiiiiine” . That’s when I remembered that this was the song that the choir was practicing as I was waiting in the line to the confessional :eek:
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Wow. Sounds terrible.
 
I learned that song at a summer "vacation Bible school’ many years ago and we all loved it. Of course it wasn’t during a Mass. 😃

That said, I would also not leave Mass simply because the music was tacky. Or for any liturgical abuse that doesn’t actually invalidate the confection of the Eucharist! Only if actual sacrilege was going on.

To the OP, since you were offended, what actions have you taken to share your views and potentially get the situation changed?
 
SanctaMommy said:
What if your baby is fussy or one of your young children is being disruptive? I often take my little one to the narthex or even outside if he’s causing a fuss or needs to nurse.
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Try a bilingual Spanish Mass here in the deep south.

Kids are upside down in the pews so that you see feet where the boy’s head is supposed to be - mom and grandma are just standing there, holding hands with their eyes closed saying the Lord’s Prayer. Another one over there is smacking her kids, telling them to stop punching each other and pay attention to the priest. Then there is a mother nursing in the third row. Cabellero’s with day-glow orange shirts and five hundred dollar alligator boots. Parking lot full of low rider pickup trucks with Our Lady of Guadalupe airbrushed on the hood. I wouldn’t be surprised if people show up with chickens for the offering. It really is a hoot and while it might seem irreverant to some, it is a very real experience, people just being themselves in Gods presence.

And all along, the priest seems oblivious to it all and is just like, “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer…”

Then everyone kneels and it gets real quiet.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
Try a bilingual Spanish Mass here in the deep south.

Kids are upside down in the pews so that you see feet where the boy’s head is supposed to be - mom and grandma are just standing there, holding hands with their eyes closed saying the Lord’s Prayer. Another one over there is smacking her kids, telling them to stop punching each other and pay attention to the priest. Then there is a mother nursing in the third row. Cabellero’s with day-glow orange shirts and five hundred dollar alligator boots. Parking lot full of low rider pickup trucks with Our Lady of Guadalupe airbrushed on the hood. I wouldn’t be surprised if people show up with chickens for the offering. It really is a hoot and while it might seem irreverant to some, it is a very real experience, people just being themselves in Gods presence.

And all along, the priest seems oblivious to it all and is just like, “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer…”

Then everyone kneels and it gets real quiet.

-Tim-
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Good point. I think a problem with having a unified Rite such as the Latin Rite which spans different cultures, there are many incultured expressions of the faith which one from another culture may not understand or appreciate. And when these cultures clash in one parish, it sparks chaos. Unlike in Eastern parishes where the ethnicity is distinct, you kind of expect what you will get when you enter the parish. Being a non-Ukrainian in a Ukrainian parish, I do get drowned in the culture sometimes, but more often than not I enjoy it.
 
I’ve usually been of the opinion that putting sacred words to a secular melody sanctifies that melody (the words of “Amazing Grace” sung to “House of the Rising Sun” is hauntingly beautiful) (and all the “Amazing Grace” haters, don’t hijack the thread; it was only an example). However, I think I would have to draw the line at any words put to “Louie Louie.” Eww!

😃
 
It sounds pretty “eeeewww!” to me, but I would have stayed. Jesus stayed through that bizarre aesthetic, and I figure if He could stay, so could I. I’d definitely write a note of complaint to the pastor afterwards, though, and if this type of thing continued, would find someplace else to attend Mass.

God must have a sense of humor if He didn’t aim a lightning strike at that, though!
 
odile53 said:
It sounds pretty “eeeewww!” to me, but I would have stayed. Jesus stayed through that bizarre aesthetic, and I figure if He could stay, so could I. I’d definitely write a note of complaint to the pastor afterwards, though, and if this type of thing continued, would find someplace else to attend Mass.

God must have a sense of humor if He didn’t aim a lightning strike at that, though!
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It makes me wonder whether this is God having a sense of humor, or whether this is just God having given up on them (see Rom. 1:28).

This brings up a question. Jesus is there after the Consecration, but only if the proper matter is used and the proper form is followed. I don’t have time to research this right now, but isn’t part of the “form” that the priests believes/intends that what the Church teaches is to happen, will actually happen. What if the priest doesn’t believe it, but is just going through the motions to keep the sheeple happy?

I thank God for an excellent parish, but I have to wonder about the spiritual status of priests that would allow some of the shenanigans that I read about on these forums.
 
Haha, I love that song!

OK, now let me explain:

Coming from a 17 year old, I do not see a problem with that song at all, but let me clarify that a bit.

Is that song a good song to sing? Yes. All the kids at the high school rally for our diocese this year loved it and it really got them involved and fired up.

Is that a good song to sing at Mass? No. If you want to sing a song that is more contemporary and has guitars and stuff, something like “Mighty to Save” would be more appropriate.

Getting up and leaving because of a song? No. I have the feeling that that was a Mass for youth or something similar. I know that there are plenty of people here who love the more traditional chants and songs instead of all this new guitar stuff. My opinion is, if you want to get kids (especially high schoolers) involved in the Mass or anything religious like a rally or conference, songs like that aren’t only a good thing, but practically necessary.

So to sum it all up, I do not think that it is appropriate for Mass, but I would not have a problem with it being sung at a rally or something similar. And I don’t think that it is really a good thing to leave Mass because of one song. If that Mass plays music you don’t like, then go to a different Mass. And I don’t find that sinful in any way, shape or form. If you took kids to a Mass with chants and older hymns, they would be falling asleep left and right. At the very least, this type of music keeps them awake and mostly paying attention.

As for what Jesus thinks, I’m sure that He is fine with it. If I remember correctly, He loved kids. I have seen teenagers fired up for Him and all excited and everything, ready to go out in the world and make a real difference, and one of the things that helped them get to that point was great music like this. Jesus doesn’t have to be this old guy who likes older music and a quieter form of worshiping Him. If there are a bunch of kids in a place singing and dancing and throwing their fists in the air, He will love that music just as much as a classic hymn sung in Latin or Greek.

Just my 2 cents on this issue.

P.S.- It goes, "let my people go home!
 
DaveBj said:
I’ve usually been of the opinion that putting sacred words to a secular melody sanctifies that melody (the words of “Amazing Grace” sung to “House of the Rising Sun” is hauntingly beautiful) (and all the “Amazing Grace” haters, don’t hijack the thread; it was only an example). However, I think I would have to draw the line at any words put to “Louie Louie.” Eww!

😃
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A couple of years ago a priest from Ireland retired from our parish. For his final mass the choir sang an old Irish hymn [or at least that is what the program said it was]. I wonder how many others recognized the tune: Blooming Heather which was in the Clancy Brothers album The Boys Won’t Leave the Girls Alone. When it came out in the 60’'s it was banned on some radio stations.
Chorus: And we’ll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
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I always liked the song, and the rest of the album; so knew the words too well to be able to focus on whatever lyrics the choir was using. :rolleyes:
 
Sorry, folks, but I have walked out numerous times from a past parish that did similar stuff.
My anger was so great that I fell into sin. So I left. Then it was back to confession again.

I’m now at a reverent OF parish with numerous trips to an FSSP parish. The anger hasn’t appeared in a long time.
 
Phemie said:
Baptist Church, Jewish singer, Jews and Christians praying for the peace of Jerusalem. I can see that song being sung there – at Mass? No.

OTOH, I would probably never leave Mass in protest unless a sacrilege was taking place.
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Who says that what was going on was not sacrilege?
By staying and participating it seems as if one would be condoning this sacrilege.
I would be out of there as quickly as I could.
Nothing requires us to participate in an illicit or sacrilegious Mass.
 
roadsend said:
Who says that what was going on was not sacrilege?
By staying and participating it seems as if one would be condoning this sacrilege.
I would be out of there as quickly as I could.
Nothing requires us to participate in an illicit or sacrilegious Mass.
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As long as the Mass is valid, we should be there. I would probably not come back the next week, but I’ll see the Mass I was there for through.
 
Why do people assume that all young people want contemporary music? Most of that stuff hasn’t been contemporary since the early eighties.
 
I disagree with most posts here! Of course you walk out! You are obligated to walk out! This was not a Mass, but a sacrilege, therefore you are obliged to remove yourself and particularly young ones. In addition an expression of your shock at the lack of reverence must be expressed to the priest in the form you’re most at ease with. It’s not a matter of “protest” but right and wrong.

NOW GET THIS: If we did not have wimpy people saying, “Oh, my, no, don’t walk out, oh dear, we might hurt someone’s feelings, oh, they must have good intentions…” then we would not have these sacrileges occurring all the time.

The zombie pewsitters will tolerate anything, and so anything is what you’re getting. Not the SACRED LITURGY you are entitled to as Catholics and which the priest is obligated to provide. Notice I said entitled.

You are being deprived of your most basic need as a Catholic - Sunday Mass. Of course walk out! How do you dare to stay! How can one be such a coward?
 
The question of staying or leaving hinges on the question of whether or not it is a valid Mass, and that question hinges on whether or not the consecration is valid. I know that the validity of the consecration requires having the proper form (the right words said and the correct gestures done) and matter (unleavened bread and unadulterated grape wine). Now I have not had time to research this, but I seem to remember reading that the validity of the consecration also depends on the priest’s intending to do what the Church intends to be done (i.e., changing the substance of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ). If I am wrong about that, and if a consecration is still valid when it is performed by a priest who doesn’t really believe in what he is doing, but is only going thru the motions because that is what the sheeple expect, I welcome correction.

I would be suspicious that a priest who allows the kind of music and actions described by the OP would fall into the category of one who is just going thru the motions, and given the options of getting up and walking out or staying for a Mass that might be invalid, I would probably choose the former.
 
Lady_Marchmain said:
The zombie pewsitters will tolerate anything, and so anything is what you’re getting.
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I agree with this. And most priests and bishops will see this kind of action as “popular” with the public and will continue it. If they were to remove the Sunday obligation, perhaps they could truly see the true desirability of such “Masses.”
 
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