Walking out of Mass in Protest

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Not appropriate music for a Mass, but not something I would walk out on. The Mass is too important to walk out on unless sacrilege is evident, and bad music, or funny music, or childish music is not sacrilege.

On the other hand, I LOVE this song and the hand motions. It would be great for the sing-along, get up and move portion of catechism for the little ones who need a moving around break.

The link OP provided is clearly in a synagogue and not a Mass.

Singing and dancing before the Lord is a time honored tradition - King David did it after all, and if you know Jewish music, it wasn’t Plain Chant, that’s for sure!

I have a few songs on CD from here and there, Sister Act and from the movie The Fighting Temptations (He Still Loves Me is my favorite), and sometimes I like to just dance and pray before the Lord when nobody is around, or maybe with my son after we finish Home School.

So again, not appropriate music for the Mass, but not any reason we would exit the Mass.

At any other time… as St. Teresa of Avila said, “May God protect me from gloomy saints.” Amen to that!
 
Our deacon told us about a time he and his wife walked out of a mass they were at when they were traveling.
 
Were you and husband P.O.'d and talking on your way home, in front of the kids?

Hope not, that negative stuff affects children’s spirituality and their connection to the Church. They aren’t old enough to discern that the Catholic Church is 1 billion strong.

I hate that type of music in Church. I heard a person from a protestant denomination call them Seven 11 songs.

(Seven words, sung eleven times.)
 
MaryAnne77 said:
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.
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I think you did the right thing! Once people feel like they’re at a circus, they have the right to leave like they’re at a circus. While those people were dishonoring th Mass, you were honoring the Mass by dishonoring them. PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE DIS RESPECTFUL AT THE MASS LIKE THEY’RE AT A CIRCUS.

Also, are you sure it was a Catholic Church?
 
All I can say is wow! To walk out of mass or not to walk out is really a matter of opinion. What may be acceptable to the majority doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be taken as offensive to the few. Maybe the choir was just trying to be creative or something yet should have stayed within the boundaries of music for mass. 🙂
 
I have see a few things during Mass that I didn’t approve of, including a priest sitting down before the Blessed Sacrament had been put back into the tabernacle of the Chapel. However, just because people make mistakes or are arrogant that doesn’t mean we should walk out of the house of the Lord during Mass which is essentially a form of prayer to Him!
 
“I can’t hear ya”. “Actually, we could hear them… Just a show biz technique.” For some reason I think this comment is hilarious. Silly, tacky, inappropriate, irreverent to some extent, cringe-worthy to see the grownups doing the silly pharao moves. Or perhaps God is more laidback and tolerant of goofiness than I think he is. Or maybe not.
 
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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Agreed! That I know of that is the only other reason to leave, if the mass no longer is the mass. The song is a joke! Has no place in Catholic worship. When will these “modernist” catholics realize we are not protestans, pagans, nor are we Jews (inspeaking of religion).
 
I have walked out of mass before and would do it again. It was because of the arrogant and pompous statements made by the foreign priest we had. He and I had a real interesting discussion after mass. Was not for the faint of heart.
 
I would say that it is not appropriate to walk out of Mass when there are children, unless something absolutely indecent is taking place (e.g., public nudity).

I think that walking out of a Mass could be confusing to children. On the one hand, they’ve heard you teach that Jesus is present at the Mass.

But on the other hand, their parents deliberately walk out on Jesus.

(Jesus does not refuse to come to Mass just because the music is not the best–if this were the case, Jesus would only be at a few Masses in the entire world!).

Do you see why this could be confusing? The children would wonder, “How can my parents walk away from Jesus?”

I think this could lead to doubting the True Presence of Jesus in the Mass.

I also think it could lead to the idea that it’s OK to walk away from something that’s difficult. That’s not a good way to go through life, since much of life is difficult. And much of life is not kind to Jesus–we will all face many situations in which Jesus is insulted or even blasphemed. Shall we walk away from all of these situations and not ever challenge those who are doing the blaspheming?

I would have simply sat through the Mass, and afterwards, quietly told my children that the song was not appropriate for the Mass.

However–and this is important!—I would have been very, very careful NOT to undermine the authority of the presiding priest. The priest has the ultimate say-so in what music is allowed in Mass. If a parent is not careful, they could inadvertantly give their children the message that the priest is not really wise or good, and this could lead to the kind of thinking that Protestants have, mainly that we can and should leave whenever the teaching/preaching doesn’t suit our high standards. This is not Catholic thinking. Catholics do not attend Mass because of a priest, we attend because of Jesus. It’s a fine line. We need to imbue our children with respect for priests and their authority.

Also, and this is important, too!–I would have told my children that the song itself is not “bad,” and is highly appropriate for camps, fun family times, picnics, fun activities with a children’s group or youth group, etc. It’s really a great song for these types of activities. I agree that it’s not appropriate for a Mass–it’s a “camp song.” (That’s when my children sang it–when they were at summer camp, a Christian camp, BTW.)

I think that it’s important for Christian people not to be musical snobs when it comes to music. Yes, we need to discern what music is appropriate for Mass and what isn’t. But we need to accept that there are many kinds of songs, styles, etc., and that for Christians, it’s OK to enjoy “camp songs” in their place.
 
I didn’t walk out, but I stopped going to my local parish after nearly wanting to burst with rage during one mass… I came to the conclusion it would be better for everyone if I just politely smiled and acted natural with everyone after mass and then never went back.
 
Pharoah pharoah is a great song to listen to in your car. It’s a fun song for a youth group leader to sing with the kids. OUTSIDE of the mass.

I feel the same way about a lot of modern Christian music that has crept into the mass. Just because you like a song, just because it touches on God, Jesus, or a biblical theme, does NOT make it appropriate music for LITURGY.
 
I have wanted to walk out many times. But I knew I never could have. It would have been offensive to the Lord. I don’t really care what anyone else thinks. Jesus is all that matters. We had a priest in our parish who when he celebrated Mass, had a “band” to play the music. It wasn’t bad enough that it was praise and worship “feel good” kind of stuff like you see on commercials on TV. They played crazy music, while not even wearing shoes, right beside the sanctuary. I used to hate to go to Mass when he was the celebrant. I would grit my teeth and bear it because I knew I couldn’t leave. But it was a huge distraction from trying to pray the Mass. I didn’t want to give my kids the idea that it was okay to walk out of Mass before it was over. So we stayed. But I charitably explained afterwards why that type of music did not belong at Mass. I made sure not to say anything negative about the priest. He was pretty popular with the younger people, which I guess can be good. I just think we don’t need to make the mass a party to bring people in. Focus on Jesus in the Eucharist. That should be enough for all of us!
 
I wouldn’t have walked out. I might have had difficulty controling my gag reflex. A quick trip to the restroom to upchuck might have been needed, but I would have returned.

(Moderators, that was a truthful statement on my part and not an attempt at humor.)

To each their own. Afterwards, I would have checked with the ushers or someone to see if other masses offered at the church were themed differently (youth, traditional, hispanic, or other), and switch times next week. If this was a pervasive practice, I’d seek out other parishes. JMHO
 
I have walked out of Masses several times, but not as a protest. I did so as a protection for my soul. We should never forget that we are called as Christians to avoid sin. If you see something in a Mass which leads you to unreasonable anger then you should, SHOULD, leave. Guard your soul. What leads you towards sinful thoughts may not affect others in the same way. But, as a personal thing, I don’t do protest. If I leave it is because I believe I have to, either for myself or for my children, but not because I wan’t to make a protest. I don’t judge others who may do that, but it isn’t for me.
 
lovemyboys said:
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.
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Oh, I don’t know. Would it be okay to walk out of a “Clown Mass”? Sounds like what the OP experienced was on that level.
 
I have walked out of Mass and then gone to a different church to fulfill my obligation. I completely understand why you did it. No reason to put up with crazy stuff like this. That is why I go to TLM now. Never been happier in my life as a Catholic.
 
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