Walking out of Mass in Protest

[MaryAnne77]

In the fairly recent past, a song called “Pharaoh, Pharaoh” to the tune of “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsmen was sung during Mass. Some people even did the “Walk Like an Egyptian” movements with it. There was a full band with drums, etc. My husband and I packed our kids up and LEFT. We were shocked. I can’t remember when it exactly it was - it might have been the children’s choir performing that Mass. I haven’t thought much about it since, but another post regarding the appropriateness of music got me thinking. Were we right to walk out in protest? That song is not appropriate for Mass - right?? Most of the rest of the congregation was really into the song!

Here’s sort of what it was like:
youtube.com/watch?v=MRbOo1nVYvs

The only difference is that after the congregation sang “…let my people go” they went “Huh!” with a fist pump. I am not kidding.

 

[LDNCatholic]

I don’t know if it’s OK to leave Mass in this instance but I will tell you I had to close that video after 20 seconds.

 

[lovemyboys]

I would never walk out of Mass in protest-- and I have seen and heard some crazy things. It would reek of pride and arrogance.

 

[Alexander_Smith]

No the song isn’t appropriate for Mass, but you should NOT have walked out under any circumstances whatsoever, and I say it like that, because the Mass is infinitely more important that whatever shenanigans go on within the Church itself. The power of the Mass shines through all that.

Even if the circus was performing during the Mass, you should stay and pray.

 

[Phemie]

I don’t know if it’s OK to leave Mass in this instance but I will tell you I had to close that video after 20 seconds.

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.

 

[SanctaMommy]

No the song isn’t appropriate for Mass, but you should NOT have walked out under any circumstances whatsoever, and I say it like that, because the Mass is infinitely more important that whatever shenanigans go on within the Church itself. The power of the Mass shines through all that.

Even if the circus was performing during the Mass, you should stay and pray.

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.

 

[ProVobis]

How is this a Mass? Or even a part of one? Did they dance or sing this instead of doing the readings?

 

[lovemyboys]

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.

No worries, SanctaMommy-- that’s allowed!

 

[Loboto-Me]

MaryAnne, knowing myself, I would have done exactly as you did. I can’t stand to see our Lord treated without reverence and rather than to shout and have a tantrum right then and there, it would be better to leave. Another thing, having children, it’s a teaching moment for them as well, that Jesus is truly there, and this kind of blase attitude, bordering on lewd gestures should not be tolerated.

I hope that you went to another Mass to fulfill your “obligation” (obligation makes it sound like ppl are being forced, I prefer to think of it as "love gesture )

I assume you explained the reason for the sudden departure to your children?

I’ve been held hostage by a few weird musical occurences during Mass in the past. I decided to try a different time and discovered that it was still too “Baptist Revival” during those times as well. We decided to find a new parish which we are very happy at.

So, yeah… I’d have done as you have, as I appologised to our Lord and gone to another Mass to pray for that other parish… but that’s my character.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Pray for guidance and do what seems best for your particular situation, e.g. example for children, etc. Personally, I think that if Jesus stays for it so will I. He needs all the friends He can get in such a place.

However, if He goes back the next week, I will assume that He knows what He is doing and leave Him to solve the problem Himself.

 

[jtodisco]

Walking out of Mass just because you dislike the way some of the parishioners are worshiping is not an acceptable reason to leave before the Mass is ended. Granted, some forms of worship may be more or less fitting to the Mass, but in the end most of this is just cultural and personal preferences. I’ve watched videos of Masses taking place in other parts of the world (i.e. Africa, Latin America, etc.) in which the music, dress, etc. were all quite different than what takes place in a typical American Mass, yet the worshipers were clearly just trying to praise and glorify God in their own way.

In the end we are at Mass to be with the Lord and to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist and that far outweighs any annoyances or inconveniences we might have to deal with during Mass.

As for the question about leaving Mass because your child is being noisy, this is a totally different matter. In that case the person who is leaving is doing so out of respect for the Mass and for those in the church. Also, most people I know who leave Mass when their children are being disruptive don’t actually leave the church, they simply go to another part of the building until their child has quieted down and then come back, hopefully in time to receive the Lord.

 

[laszlo]

I walked out from a Mass, with family when the pastor invited the people on the fifth times in the same Mass to applause different groups and individuals. My standard says that God shall be worshiped not the human success. I was fortunate, I found a Church where God is in the center, and it is just half our drive from my home.

I endured several times similar music like the Pharaoh-Pharaoh, I prayed the rosary. God exercise for self denial; but there is no reason to be constantly distracted on the Mass. There are reverent Masses, just have to look for them.

 

[Seatuck]

In the fairly recent past, a song called “Pharaoh, Pharaoh” to the tune of “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsmen was sung during Mass. Some people even did the “Walk Like an Egyptian” movements with it. There was a full band with drums, etc. My husband and I packed our kids up and LEFT. We were shocked. I can’t remember when it exactly it was - it might have been the children’s choir performing that Mass. I haven’t thought much about it since, but another post regarding the appropriateness of music got me thinking. Were we right to walk out in protest? That song is not appropriate for Mass - right?? Most of the rest of the congregation was really into the song!

Here’s sort of what it was like:
youtube.com/watch?v=MRbOo1nVYvs

The only difference is that after the congregation sang “…let my people go” they went “Huh!” with a fist pump. I am not kidding.

Was the music fitting for Mass, No but I don’t think a great sacrilege was going on so, no, I’m not really on board with your walking out in protest. Did you discuss it with anyone after you left? Does the Priest and/or Pastor even know you walked out in protest? What good did it do? Was this a one time thing or is it regular practice?

 

[ConstantineTG]

Same here, I would never leave Mass unless I feel that the Mass is invalidated by what has happened. I would also talk with the priest afterwards, trying very hard to be as charitable as I can.

 

[Mystic_Banana]

I’d be tempted to leave just at the tacky awfulness of this stuff

Anyone suggesting happy clappy stuff like Kumbaya is tacky should check out this kind of thing just to get a centre on what tacky religious music *actually * is. And then get out the tambourines…

Anyway, no, wouldn’t walk out of mass. no matter how aesthetically misguided, I’m sure there’s a well intention somewhere there, and at the end of the day Mass is Mass.

 

[LDNCatholic]

I’d be tempted to leave just at the tacky awfulness of this stuff

After 20 seconds of listening to that I needed 10 minutes of Greek chant just to get over the tackiness of it all.

 

[PennyinCanada]

We have a number of families from the Roman rite that come to our Eastern rite Divine Liturgy, because they got tired of shinanigans. It seems to me that the frog in boiling water story is relevant here. If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, he will jump out. Throw him in the pot and slowly increase the heat, he’ll stay in the pot till he’s cooked. When I think of the faithful who came to pray the Mass with Padre Pio, I wonder what they would say and do if we could just ‘drop them into’ this Mass. I suspect they may jump out too.

 

[steboyz]

If I walked out of Mass everytime something stupid happened my time in church for the last five years would probably last about five minutes in church.ger

 

[Corki]

No the song isn’t appropriate for Mass, but you should NOT have walked out under any circumstances whatsoever, and I say it like that, because the Mass is infinitely more important that whatever shenanigans go on within the Church itself. The power of the Mass shines through all that.

Even if the circus was performing during the Mass, you should stay and pray.

I disagree with this. Unless there is no other option for you to attend Sunday Mass, there is no requirement that you stay at a specific Mass. If I was alone, I would probably stay, and I have stayed for much worse (with tears streaming down my cheeks) but if I had my kids with me and they were under about the age of 10 or 12, I would quietly and without fuss have left. We have a duty to protect our children from these things.

And if there was a circus performing at the only Mass that day, I would not consider that I had an obligation to stay at all. At most, it would be a venial sin to leave.

 

[utah_rose]

Walking out of Mass just because you dislike the way some of the parishioners are worshiping is not an acceptable reason to leave before the Mass is ended. Granted, some forms of worship may be more or less fitting to the Mass, but in the end most of this is just cultural and personal preferences. I’ve watched videos of Masses taking place in other parts of the world (i.e. Africa, Latin America, etc.) in which the music, dress, etc. were all quite different than what takes place in a typical American Mass, yet the worshipers were clearly just trying to praise and glorify God in their own way.

In the end we are at Mass to be with the Lord and to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist and that far outweighs any annoyances or inconveniences we might have to deal with during Mass.

As for the question about leaving Mass because your child is being noisy, this is a totally different matter. In that case the person who is leaving is doing so out of respect for the Mass and for those in the church. Also, most people I know who leave Mass when their children are being disruptive don’t actually leave the church, they simply go to another part of the building until their child has quieted down and then come back, hopefully in time to receive the Lord.

Sorry, I would have walked out too. From what she described, it was NOT doing Jesus any honor, and worse would have given the children the wrong idea.

However, I sure would have talked to the pastor about my feelings after words. If this was some type of children’s Mass, it is still giving a poor example of the Mass to kids.

If this continues, I would find a different parish to go to, and would certainly inform your pastor why you are leaving.

And finally, would have tried to attend a different Mass that day.