What should I do about these violations in my parish?

  • Thread starter Thread starter braeden_mackay
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
braeden_mackay said:
My parish priest has enlisted my help to set up and use the laptop and projector used during mass to project the Readings, prayers and religious images on a screen mounted in the church. The man who usually does this is going away on vacation for the next 10 weeks.

I always thought there was something “too prostetant” about having a huge screen and projector in the church. Then i read that the Congregation for Divine worship (#73) has banned any kind of projectors even for pious or devout purposes inside the church, especially during mass. What should I do? Should i tell the priest about it? they just paid 500.00 to put a permanent screen in too.

Another violation i noticed in my parish is that the organ is not used except for a rare occasion. Instead a piano, female vocal singers and guitars and violins. Are these instruments allowed? What should i do about this?

My church seems more like a audoritorum rather than a sacred place. There is a performance by the muscians and choir after the mass and everyone claps. It drives me up the wall!!!

What should i do? I need advice before being scolded by the priest. I think that he gives too much authority to parishnoners who are obseesed with “modernizing” and making the liturgy more “cool”. Are these things left up for the bishop to deal with?

Thank you for any help, has anyone else dealt with anything similar? pretty much every parish except the Cathedral does this.
Click to expand...
Find another church. The priest has already made up his mind w new projector etc. Nothing you say will sway him.
 
johnmann said:
It’s very debatable whether projectors are still banned. Even if you believe it probably isn’t allowed, the ambiguity should be resolved in favor of the one with authority.
Click to expand...
Also I don’t think most priests would take too kindly at being “corrected” by a high school student who entered the Church a year ago even if they were in the wrong. 🙂

.
 
I wouldn’t consider any of these things abuses. I wouldn’t really like the projector thing but maybe it’s cheaper than buying a lot of books for people to use.
 
My church and a few others that are newer that I attend project many of the responses/prayers plus the all of the hymns. It is a lot easier for most to see. Also, it does save on the expense of printing worship aids that some may consider distracting.
 
braeden_mackay said:
My parish priest has enlisted my help to set up and use the laptop and projector used during mass to project the Readings, prayers and religious images on a screen mounted in the church. The man who usually does this is going away on vacation for the next 10 weeks.

I always thought there was something “too prostetant” about having a huge screen and projector in the church. Then i read that the Congregation for Divine worship (#73) has banned any kind of projectors even for pious or devout purposes inside the church, especially during mass. What should I do? Should i tell the priest about it? they just paid 500.00 to put a permanent screen in too.

Another violation i noticed in my parish is that the organ is not used except for a rare occasion. Instead a piano, female vocal singers and guitars and violins. Are these instruments allowed? What should i do about this?

My church seems more like a audoritorum rather than a sacred place. There is a performance by the muscians and choir after the mass and everyone claps. It drives me up the wall!!!

What should i do? I need advice before being scolded by the priest. I think that he gives too much authority to parishnoners who are obseesed with “modernizing” and making the liturgy more “cool”. Are these things left up for the bishop to deal with?

Thank you for any help, has anyone else dealt with anything similar? pretty much every parish except the Cathedral does this.
Click to expand...
It seems to me your post has an agenda. An agenda of Traditional Latin Mass verses the Novus Ordo Mass.

Let me ask you, how many different types of “stringed instruments” do you see listed in the psalms which were used in worship and how many organs were used?
 
Cat said:
And remember that in the 1950s, there was no OF Mass, only the Latin Mass. Why would a projector have been needed when the people were not expected to respond out loud?
Click to expand...
Seems like projectors can be used for the entire Mass text, not only the people’s or server’s parts. As well as instructions as to when they should sit, stand, kneel, bow. It may be offensive to many but just sayin…
 
Lapey said:
It seems to me your post has an agenda. An agenda of Traditional Latin Mass verses the Novus Ordo Mass.

Let me ask you, how many different types of “stringed instruments” do you see listed in the psalms which were used in worship and how many organs were used?
Click to expand...
Begging your pardon, but it seems to me your post has an agenda,of finding an agenda. Where did he mention anything about the form of the Mass in that post?

OP: I’m pretty sure these things you mention are not violations, and I would be loath to tell a priest he’s doing something wrong.

Why not go to a different parish? My wife and I must drive past 20 parishes to go to the one where we feel at home, but we’ve found it’s worth it.
 
Rich_C said:
Begging your pardon, but it seems to me your post has an agenda,of finding an agenda. Where did he mention anything about the form of the Mass in that post?

OP: I’m pretty sure these things you mention are not violations, and I would be loath to tell a priest he’s doing something wrong.

Why not go to a different parish? My wife and I must drive past 20 parishes to go to the one where we feel at home, but we’ve found it’s worth it.
Click to expand...
Dear Rich, if you do not see some of the slight jabs here in the OP’s post then you do not want to see them. I’ll point to a couple items;

“Another** violation i noticed in my parish is that the organ is not used **except for a rare occasion. Instead a piano, female vocal singers and guitars and violins. Are these instruments allowed? What should i do about this?”

“My church seems more like a audoritorum rather than a sacred place. There is a **performance by the muscians and choir after the mass and everyone claps. **It drives me up the wall!!!”

Possible I read too much into some of these items? Sure, but these are some of the same issues which are brought up constantly by some who would rather the Church go back in time.

If I have misread the OP’s intent, I do sincerely apologize.

PS. I am a TLM lover myself but contrary to many I understand and respect what the Church has done and as long as the NO is approved, I will recognize what Mother Church does as good and holy.
 
Lapey said:
Dear Rich, if you do not see some of the slight jabs here in the OP’s post then you do not want to see them. I’ll point to a couple items;

“Another** violation i noticed in my parish is that the organ is not used **except for a rare occasion. Instead a piano, female vocal singers and guitars and violins. Are these instruments allowed? What should i do about this?”

“My church seems more like a audoritorum rather than a sacred place. There is a **performance by the muscians and choir after the mass and everyone claps. **It drives me up the wall!!!”

Possible I read too much into some of these items? Sure, but these are some of the same issues which are brought up constantly by some who would rather the Church go back in time.

If I have misread the OP’s intent, I do sincerely apologize.

PS. I am a TLM lover myself but contrary to many I understand and respect what the Church has done and as long as the NO is approved, I will recognize what Mother Church does as good and holy.
Click to expand...
I see a new convert dealing with disappointment who needs a helpful hand. Putting words in his mouth, stereotyping him and accusing him of breaking serious forum rules will just get him in trouble instead.

I think his opinions are valid but his facts are probably wrong. I was going to leave it to the better read to say more, as I haven’t worried myself about rubrics and such in years.

Sometimes I stick up for people even if I don’t agree with them.

OP: Some parishes are like that and I’m pretty sure it’s all legit. Anyway, father’s in charge and that’s how it’s supposed to be so I’d find another parish that suited me better in your shoes.
 
marytk said:
I wonder if any objected to printed books rather than hand written ones. (there is a funny youtube video about a monk having a hard time adjusting to a book rather than a scroll. I don’t think of technology as protestant or Catholic. Technology can be used for good or evil. They of course did not use a piano and violins in the early church but the organ wasn’t around either.
Click to expand...
So even though I like your comment, I do think that the YouTube video producer was not very clear as to what monks wrote on. I know we have visions of these monks writing on scrolls but it was actually the early Christians that made the change from scroll to the early books that are known as codex or codices.

The main difference between a codex and a book is: codices are hand written and a books are printed.

The following is from an article in Wikipedia (I know I know that it is not the best source for information but it I am sure that this is correct)

As far back as the early 2nd century, there is evidence that the codex—usually of papyrus—was the preferred format among Christians: in the library of the Villa of the Papyri, Herculaneum (buried in AD 79), all the texts (Greek literature) are scrolls (see Herculaneum papyri); in the Nag Hammadi “library”, secreted about AD 390, all the texts (Gnostic Christian) are codices. Despite this comparison, a fragment of a non-Christian parchment Codex of Demosthenes, De Falsa Legatione from Oxyrhynchus in Egypt demonstrates that the surviving evidence is insufficient to conclude whether Christians played a major, if not central, role in the development of early codices, or if they simply adopted the format to distinguish themselves from Jews. The earliest surviving fragments from codices come from Egypt and are variously dated (always tentatively) towards the end of the 1st century or in the first half of the 2nd. This group includes the Rylands Library Papyrus P52, containing part of St John’s Gospel, and perhaps dating from between 125 and 160.[17]
 
Rich_C said:
I see a new convert dealing with disappointment who needs a helpful hand. Putting words in his mouth, stereotyping him and accusing him of breaking serious forum rules will just get him in trouble instead.

I think his opinions are valid but his facts are probably wrong. I was going to leave it to the better read to say more, as I haven’t worried myself about rubrics and such in years.

Sometimes I stick up for people even if I don’t agree with them.

OP: Some parishes are like that and I’m pretty sure it’s all legit. Anyway, father’s in charge and that’s how it’s supposed to be so I’d find another parish that suited me better in your shoes.
Click to expand...
I understand your point and I can appreciate it; however, where do you get the recent convert information? Did I miss that? What evidence do you have to say I am stereotyping the OP? I simply pointed out some troubling remarks and comments and stated that it appeared to me that this was a possible explanation. Furthermore, I was not the only one who pointed out the very troubling “female vocalists” comment.

Again, if I am mistaken I do apologize, but in the same breath I must say you are off base by accusing me of malice in this thread.

Then there is also this statement on the OP’s profile page under interests:

“Assising at the Holy Sacrafice of the Latin Mass, praying to the Saints, Rosary”

Is the Novus Ordo not the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Why not simply state “Sacrifice of the Mass”?
 
Lapey said:
I understand your point and I can appreciate it; however, where do you get the recent convert information? Did I miss that? What evidence do you have to say I am stereotyping the OP? I simply pointed out some troubling remarks and comments and stated that it appeared to me that this was a possible explanation. Furthermore, I was not the only one who pointed out the very troubling “female vocalists” comment.

Again, if I am mistaken I do apologize, but in the same breath I must say you are off base by accusing me of malice in this thread.

Then there is also this statement on the OP’s profile page under interests:

“Assising at the Holy Sacrafice of the Latin Mass, praying to the Saints, Rosary”

Is the Novus Ordo not the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Why not simply state “Sacrifice of the Mass”?
Click to expand...
Someone on page 1 said the OP was a convert and he didn’t correct them. I didn’t notice that bit about the Latin Mass in his sig, so I apologize for thinking you were pulling that out of thin air and putting him in a box with other people he reminded you of (stereotyping). I should have given you the benefit of the doubt.

I could surmise he put “Latin” in there to help meet other Catholics with a love for the old Mass. Or he might even like a Latin Novus Ordo the best. Not sure. I guess we don’t know. I think inferring that he implied the new Mass is not equally the Mass is too much of a stretch. It’s proposing the worst possible intent.

Anyway, let’s assume he’s not trolling and that he would listen to good answers. You would be best suited to answer his concerns – not me.
 
Rich_C said:
Someone on page 1 said the OP was a convert and he didn’t correct them. I didn’t notice that bit about the Latin Mass in his sig, so I apologize for thinking you were pulling that out of thin air and putting him in a box with other people he reminded you of (stereotyping). I should have given you the benefit of the doubt.

I could surmise he put “Latin” in there to help meet other Catholics with a love for the old Mass. Or he might even like a Latin Novus Ordo the best. Not sure. I guess we don’t know. I think inferring that he implied the new Mass is not equally the Mass is too much of a stretch. It’s proposing the worst possible intent.

Anyway, let’s assume he’s not trolling and that he would listen to good answers. You would be best suited to answer his concerns – not me.
Click to expand...
The “Latin” also could have been put in to show his connection to the Sacrifice of the Mass of the “Latin Rite” Church. But anyway, it’s all good.

I think his questions have already been answered; none of the issues he brought up were actual infractions or abuses, at least not serious enough to go to the pastor let alone go to the bishop. But I’ll take your suggestion and dissect his OP and give my opinions of these points.

One thing to note, the OP has not returned since March 30th two hours after the first post was made.
 
Is this an April Fool’s joke? Most parishes aren’t using their organs, if so equipped.

My parish’s choir director doesn’t know how to play one well, and even said so. I’m not about to pay his for organ lessons, so piano it is.

And OP, you mentioned “female” - where are you coming from where you never saw a woman on the altar?

As per projectors, those are common in other parts of the word, especially in Catholic churches in the Phillipines.
 
Rich_C said:
Perhaps he is too busy during the work week, or gave the Internet for Lent?
Click to expand...
Lent began March 5th. 😉
He was on line this morning, by the way.
40.png
Felsguy:
Also I don’t think most priests would take too kindly at being “corrected” by a** high school student** who entered the Church a year ago even if they were in the wrong. 🙂
Click to expand...
Maybe he knows something about the OP that we don’t?
 
I wanted to thank everyone who gave me REAL answers, and not to those who were rude to me. I thought i would ask you guys before i went to the priest, i didnt know that was a crime.

And yes, i have seen women serve the altar before, but i only brought that to attendtion in my OP becuase she is an aweful singer, everyone is different, i was not stereotyping. Boy, jsut because i dont reply right away i am suddenly bad and bashed based on what i put on profile information, how exteremly rude. I love the latin mass and the Novus Ordo (when celebrated correctly). They are both equal.

I have to stop posting here, i am running into rude, presumptious people who think they are superior catholics to me. No respect for me and my question, whatever. Who cares when i was online? Crazy thats what that is, i do have a life you know.

Thanks again to all those who replied with REAL answers.
 
braeden_mackay said:
I wanted to thank everyone who gave me REAL answers, and not to those who were rude to me. I thought i would ask you guys before i went to the priest, i didnt know that was a crime.

And yes, i have seen women serve the altar before, but i only brought that to attendtion in my OP becuase she is an aweful singer, everyone is different, i was not stereotyping. Boy, jsut because i dont reply right away i am suddenly bad and bashed based on what i put on profile information, how exteremly rude. I love the latin mass and the Novus Ordo (when celebrated correctly). They are both equal.

I have to stop posting here, i am running into rude, presumptious people who think they are superior catholics to me. No respect for me and my question, whatever. Who cares when i was online? Crazy thats what that is, i do have a life you know.

Thanks again to all those who replied with REAL answers.
Click to expand...
Accepting correction with graciousness is a mark of humility and maturity, Braedon. If this is how you react, then I suspect your priest is not going to appreciate your helping him to learn his job correctly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top