When one thinks of notorious vigilantes, several names and personality types come to mind. Perhaps Charles Bronson or Dirty Harry, or maybe even the Dark Knight, Batman. But personally, I have yet to run into tragic costumed figure or a rogue cop who has just had enough.
But I have met a person who has had enough and can’t take it anymore, a person who has seen too much lawbreaking simply ignored by the competent authorities, a person who has finally decided to do something about it—to become a vigilante—Mrs. McGillicuddy. She sits in the third pew on the left.
As general rule, vigilantes are not born, they are made. Their steely resolve to right the wrong, forged in the fires of un-rectified lawlessness, transforms them into self appointed guardians of the good. They become—watchmen.
The Mrs. McGillicuddys of the world have had much to endure these last forty years. They sit in their pews and watch as liturgical experimentation and improvisation transform the holy mass into a vehicle of self expression for those who do not understand what it truly expresses. They sit and wonder, when will somebody do something about this? When? When they finally reach the reluctant conclusion of never, what follows results in either resignation or transformation.
Now a confession, I’m a Mrs. McGillicuddy. But I don’t want to be.
Some years ago, I bought a new house. In preparation for the move of my family, I excitedly went to mass at my soon-to-be parish home. I was floored. The holy Mass seemed almost unrecognizable. I actually checked the sign on the way out to make sure it said Roman Catholic, just in case I had accidentally wandered into some other strange denomination’s environs. No such luck, it said Catholic.
Folks, let me be clear here. There’s your run of the mill liturgical abuse and then there is this place. At my geographical parish, I imagine they must have traveled far and wide to discover each and every variation of liturgical abuse, only to bring all them home resulting in a synthesis of all liturgical abuse, a Noah’s Ark of liturgical abuse if you will. It was that day that I first transformed from mild-mannered Patrick into Mrs. McGillicuddy—Liturgical Watchman.
I resolved to call the diocese. I got the Director of Worship on the phone. I said, “I want to report some liturgical abuse.” I never knew this before, but you can actually hear eye-rolling over the phone. I am sometimes surprised that an epidemic of blindness does not plague diocesan liturgical directors, for all the eye-rolling they must do.
But I didn’t get angry or emotional. I simply recited the litany of liturgical abuses I witnessed. At first, the Director tried to defend this or that practice, but eventually the list was too overwhelming and specific for him to continue. Then his tone changed and the audible eye-rolling ceased. I knew then, I knew that he knew. His tone was not of a watchman, but that of the resigned.
He kindly told me that his brother lived in the same area and refused to go to that parish because it was so bad. You will be much happier if you join this other parish a few miles away, he told me.
We did, and we have been happy. But the question lingers, why should I have to?
In the years since, even at my happy parish, I had occasion to call my now former pastor due to an abuse that I could not ignore by a regularly visiting priest. (Ad libbing and impromptu ten-minute sermons during the Eucharistic prayers.) It happened time and time again. “This is wrong,” I thought. “Seriously wrong,” I have to say something.
I didn’t want to be that guy, but I had to be. I politely spoke to the priest in question after mass, but he just laughed at me. I don’t want to be that guy, truly. Why should I have to be? But I couldn’t let it go. So I called the rectory and left message after message. The pastor never called me back, not once.
Father John Zuhlsdorf regularly posts on his popular blog about the proper etiquette of reporting liturgical abuse, noting correctly that further bad behavior won’t help the situation. When reporting liturgical abuse, I advise following his very sage advice.
But, for me, it always comes back to this question. Why should I have to?
Reporting liturgical abuse can seem worse than going to the DMV or filling out health care reimbursement claims. Write a letter to your pastor, in triplicate, calmly explaining the abuses. Wait six months and send him another letter, in triplicate of course. After a year of no response, send a notarized letter to the Bishop destined for the circular file. Rinse. Repeat. I exaggerate of course, but not by much.
This is not my job. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be that guy.
Point is, somebody has to care for the law and I don’t want it to be me or the Mrs. McGillicuddys of the world. Its not our job. It’s someone’s job, if they would only do it.
Permit me a final quick story. For a while, we had a semi-permanent visiting priest saying mass each weekend, a good man I think. But at each elevation during the consecration he would break into an impromptu hymn of “O come let us adore Him.” I knew he meant well, but it is just not right. This had been going on for months and each time I felt more compelled that I would have to say something. I thought, I really don’t want to be that guy, again. Please, not again.
But then something happened. We got a new young Pastor and shortly after his installment, the offending priest stopped doing it. This abuse stopped, just stopped. I don’t know the particulars, but somebody did his job and I am ever so grateful for it. For once, I didn’t have to be that guy, there was no need. Somebody did the job, so I mercifully didn’t have to.
Nobody wants or likes liturgical vigilantes, not even those of us who do it from time to time. But somebody must stand watch. Ultimately it is the job of the local Bishop to ensure that the mass in each and every parish is valid and licit in all the particulars. When they don’t, for better or for worse, others will try.
By the way, ten years later at my would-be geographical parish, little has changed. It remains liturgical abuse central. There still remains much work to be done and the resultant question, who will do it?
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I’m always “that guy.” Friends call me a “liturgical nazi.” Friends tell me I get “too nit-picky.” Friends say “it’s not a big deal.”
It’s heart-wrenching how frequently and carelessly the liturgy is sacrificed on the altar of modernity. I have actually cried at Mass at how much disrespect was being shown to Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament through the multitude of abuses.
Being the thorn in the side, the squeaky wheel, is never fun, but every one of the faithful has the right to each parish, each liturgy being executed according to the rubrics set forth by the Church.
The Mass is the single-most public expression of our Catholic Faith. When one changes the liturgy, one changes the perception of the Faith. Fr. Z is fond of saying “say the black, do the red” and “save the liturgy, save the world” - I couldn’t agree more.
What’s so sad about your article is that I see this far too often. Actually, where I now live there are two choices of Catholic churches in that area unless one wants to drive over an hour to the city…and I’ve not a clue if the closest urban parish is even remotely orthodox. I’ve met many Catholics in my area who have become so tired of the abuses in both parishes that they’ve simply stopped going to Mass. Many no longer affiliate themselves with the Catholic Church. A few (7 at last count) are now confirmed/chrismated Orthodox, a couple are now Anglican and a few others simply don’t go to church. I’m not going to get into an eschatological argument of the state of their souls, or if they’re wrong or right, because it’s none of our places to make such judgments. However, the fact remains that many Catholic churches are simply no longer Catholic, or sad semblances of them. And as I’ve seen time and time again, with devastating and utterly sad results.
Thank-you for writing this. Most Sunday masses at my parish are just inane, mundane, unremarkable, simply NOT HOLY events. Homilies from the pastor are notable for their lack of substance. He is far more in to patting the “good people of this good parish” on the back than he is on giving a homily on the gospel reading. The pre- and post-mass noise level, the ad-libbed prayers at the consecration, the omission of the Gloria at least 45 weeks out of the year - all minor when taken alone, but they add up to incredible stress and sadness over a loss of sacredness. I would like the Mass to be God-centered, not people-centered, so I can be spiritually filled and go out and live God’s presence in the community. If the community never shuts up and never steps back, God can’t help but be minimized.
I shouldn’t have to address this. But I have. Our pastor is not interested in hearing from us.
@Therese60640
What’s so sad about what you wrote is that it is NOT your pastor’s parish. It’s only his assignment. It’s your parish. Yours and the rest of the parishioners. If you don’t get anywhere with the pastor, get together with others in your parish and complain to the diocesan office. Good luck!
I hear you. While I don’t witness as many liturgical abuses in my parish I do see an astonishing lack of respect during the Mass. It seems like during times of singing or reflection (preparation of gifts, post communion, procession, etc.) many people start “social time” because the singing masks their whispering. Or, it would mask the whispering if half the parish wasn’t engaging in that.
I can forgive kids that maybe don’t know any better for that type of behavior. But adults should really be able to show a little more self-control and leave social hour for after they leave the church. I think I may have to become “that person” too and tell the parish that the Mass might as well be labeled a choir concert.
I stopped getting angry at Mass and simply found the diocesan Extraordinary Form.
More beautiful.
More reverent.
More orthodox.
Much happier.
The best thing to do is to vote with your feet. Don’t waste your time vocally protesting. You’ll only be banging your head against a wall. Find a traditional Mass, and go only to it. Your blood pressure will drop enormously.
Hopefully with Pope Benedict and his “leading by example”, the effect that is having on priests (even the 70’s types like myself) and the arrival of a generation of younger more orthodox priests, these kind of abuses will fade away. I also think that the more the extraordinary form and ordinary form interact, there will be positive effects in this regard. What is at stake here is recapturing the Catholic sense of liturgy, i.e. the liturgy as received within the Church’s tradition and not something the priest, “liturgy commission” or community creates. A few years ago I read an article entitled “Clerical Narcissism.” We priests want to be loved and applauded and so we change the liturgy in order to please whatever group we are celebrating with. In one sense, the structure of the Ordinary Form does not help. With different options available, priests and liturgists then think they can create their own. To go back to the point I began with, I think Pope Benedict’s leading by example and a new generation of priests (and bishops) will help “re-Catholicize” our celebration of the liturgy. Thank you to all the laity who love the liturgy enough to call us to account, when needed.
The key to celebrating Mass reverently: remember, Father, this ain’t about you—your needs, your popularity, your agenda. It’s about Christ and his Church and ONLY about Christ and his Church. Fr. Philip Neri, OP
Pat Archbold, Your piece is hilarious but painfully true.
Fr. Richard,
God bless you. Well said! We in the pews may never thank you for it, but we are *hungry* for the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith, as expressed through her liturgies. Thank you!
Who’s in charge? It’s not the Bishop! A sign of smoke in the Church….
I guess I am lucky, because even though I have only been Catholic for a few years, I have attended several different churches and never experienced any “liturgical abuse” as you describe it. What I have noticed is what Brent and other mention, a definite lack of respect. The noise level in the sanctuary before and after Mass is incredible, as soon as the cantor stops singing people start talking, loudly. Hardly anyone genuflects before receiving Communion and even fewer genuflect before entering their pew. I suppose, though, after reading this article and the comments, that I am lucky not to have to endure worse.
I went to a Traditional Latin Mass once, but because I didn’t know what to expect, I felt very uncomfortable. All the women but me had their heads covered, so I felt very conspicuous. I had never received on the tongue and I was so nervous about doing it “correctly” that I got so worked up and didn’t go up to receive at all. Even with years of study in Latin and the Latin/English missal, I had a hard time following along- I will say, though, that it had that reverent attitude that my regular Mass lacks at times. I am open to trying it again sometime, but I would suspect that switching Masses is not such an easy fix for all of us.
Whenever possible, my wife and I attend either a Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy or a Maronite Catholic Divine Liturgy.
At our very small rural parish, we only have one Mass to go to. When the regular organist can’t attend Mass, then the “folk guitar” parishioner steps in for her. While he is sincere, and trys his best, he always sings “Speak Lord I’m Listening,” for the gospel acclimation, instead of “Alleluia.”
While it grates like fingernails on a chalkboard to my ears, it sounds like small change compared to what others have posted here.
I think Fr. Richard summed up my feelings too when he said “I think Pope Benedict’s leading by example will help “re-Catholicize” our celebration of the liturgy.”
Time and time again I have been disappointed, in general, with the reverence of the people and the celebration of the Novus Ordo. I have found a TLM to attend and there is never any form of liturgical abuse and the people are reverent. I love it.
Where are the Bishops?!
Pope Benedict is leading and doing a good job setting a good example. Without our Bishops involvement with the simple matters of liturgical sanctity within their diocese we’ll continue to say the same thing year after year.
I just wanted to throw out there that not all bishops turn a deaf ear to this. I had cause to send a letter to our bishop and got a very swift and satisfying response. He said I was correct and that it would be dealt with. And it was.
We need some MISTER McGillicuddys to talk to the their fellow male priests. When are the men in the parishes going to quite relying on the Mrs. to take care of these matters. Where are the Abrahams and Moses’ in our parish to follow God’s directive and protect the faith of their families. I am not advocating women in the priesthood. Women are looking for men of courage to defend the faith.
Vote with your feet. You are wasting your breath complaining to a scoff-law. Go where the liturgy is honored and the Lord is revered.
This article is sad, but also true at the same time.
I myself witness countless liturgical abuses at some of the parishes I go to. And just last year, I saw some really egregious ones when I partook in Mass at St. Patrick’s in Chicago during a trip layover (boy, did we have some words for that on the train ride back home that evening!).
But yeah, I’ve stoppped going to certain churches here in town because they seem more content to appease modernity and the more liberal/lax Catholics than actually show some sense of respect to the Mass itself. Ugh.
Blessed Mother Teresa wrote:
the fruit of silence is prayer,
the fruit of prayer is faith,
the fruit of faith is love,
the fruit of love is service
the fruit of service is peace
...if we start with silence I think we can see what has happened to the Mass. It does not exist in the Novus (noisy) Ordo.
+JMJ
If you are fortunate enough to live near an Anglican Use community, by all means drop in. I have been attending our local Anglican Use Society’s Masses and paraliturgical services for about three years and I’m as happy as a clam at high tide. My (geographical) pastor is an idiot, as far as I’m concerned, who once praised (in a sermon) a boy of 12 for leaving his mother alone on the afternoon of his father’s funeral to play in a Little League game. However, the most hopeful phrase in this whole discussion is “young priest.” The younger ordinands have (in many cases) had better theological and liturgical grounding than their currently active seniors. Pray for new priests - one more reason! After 40 years of watered-down social work practiced by amateurs, I want a pastor who is a theologian, or at least knows he should be.
Part of the problem is that most parishioners in the pews don’t know enough about how it’s *supposed* to be done to feel confident in complaining about something that doesn’t seem to be “right”. In other words, they don’t know whether or not what Father is doing is a valid variation allowed for by the GIRM (although they don’t know that term). They don’t even know WHERE to turn to try to look up such things. They are too busy to spend much time & effort on it; and besides, they genuinely like Father and don’t want to hurt his feelings or cause a problem for him. So if not for those of us who KNOW, then nothing changes, and the holy sacrifice of the mass continues to be profaned.
I know it’s difficult. Believe me, I’ve been there and have been ostracized by my priest (he told me that since I threatened to bring his liturgical abuse up to the bishop—the abuse I had spent the past year asking nicely for the priest to change—that “this means war” between him and me) and I’ve been chastized by my bishop (he accused me of being a “bad Catholic” for questioning the priest’s actions or bringing up the liturgical abuse to the bishop, and for the fact that I buttressed the case I made in the letter to him with quotes from the GIRM and other official liturgical documents). But in the long run, it was worth it: I was obedient to what I felt God calling me to do, and the bishop must have talked to the priest despite what he implied in his letter back to me, because the abuse stopped (at least *that* abuse did—I “picked my battle” and brought up only the most eggregious abuse). And now both that priest and that bishop are retired.
All of the churches remotely convenient to where I live practice the same happy-clappy approach to the liturgy, with the celebrant as jovial toastmaster and the insipid children’s music that I am sad to say the majority of our fellow Catholics seem content to embrace. I did think a line was crossed a few weeks ago when a visiting priest, after the Gospel reading but before his homily, strode across the altar, picked up a guitar and played The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. This seemed a bit extreme even by our low standards (and the homily was based on something the actor Michael Landon had written—I guess he is our newest Doctor of the Church.) For the first time in my life I did report this to the pastor. No reaction so far, and I don’t expect one. I am afraid we are outnumbered.
Denise mentioned parishioners who have been chrismated (Eastern) Orthodox. Several years back, I traveled in Russia, and visited many parish churches and cathedrals. The Russians say it was the “baba’s” who saved the Russian church during the decades of fierce persecution, not the clergy. Today, in America as well, the Greek, Lebanese and Slavic grandmas are still the ones who try to keep the clergy on the straight and narrow, including bishops. By the way, all is *not* “sweetness and light” in American Orthodoxy. They deal with many of the same sins and problems that Catholic do - sexual sin and financial shenanigans - among the clergy and faithful alike. Lord have mercy.
I, too, have suffered disruptions in the Mass in the past, but, no more. I am happy to say, I now attend a church where the pastor is truly a “Holy Priest.” I love his Masses. He never changes one word of the liturgy and his reverence for the Eucharist is always done in a holy manner. Each person that serves, altar boys & girls and liturgical helpers follow the pastor in his awesome manner in how they serve. I have known this priest since he was first ordained. I worked for him when he was chancellor of our diocese, a position he still holds. In all the turmoil that followed Vatican II, he kept peace in the parishes and among the priests. Not only that, but he is the pastor and only priest of one of our largest churches in the diocese with a budding grade school.
I have many battle scars from the liturgy wars in a previous parish-with many many complaints oral and written to the pastor and assistant pastor, with letter after letter to bishops, to various Congregations in Rome, and to a head of a religious order-documenting the abuses. I learned if you are not the pastor, and he does not want to change to what is right, change will not occur - even if a bishop orders it. After years of complaint, I finally gave up and started going to a parish that humbly accepted legitimate church authority. I also realized that maybe the devil was using the abuses for, among other things, seeing to it that, although I was present for the Mass, I really was not attending since I was so tuned in to what was being done wrong. The pendulum is swinging, back to a whoshipful Mass, I just with it did not have to swing so slow.
Thank you for a great article. My parish has been pretty good at following liturgical norms during mass (with a few exceptions). My problem is that there seems to be a real lack of respect and reverence. People come in, don’t genuflect and start talking like they’re at a party. Our Pastor also comes in and starts talking to people. The people dress like they’re going to a sporting event or the beach. The priests whip through the consecration with little reverence (in my opinion) and when they give a homily they walk up and down the aisles making jokes like they’re on a comedy tour (some even with props). I’d like to hear something about the Catholic faith teachings tied into the readings….you know something on morals, abortion, traditional marriage & family and reverence for the Eucharist occasionally. Instead we hear that God loves us and charity (which is great), but when they do mention the word abortion (after the Respect Life Ministry pleads with them for special pro-life occasions), it has to wrapped in the “seamless garment” mantra…..you know pick a couple issues you like but forget abortion is really the most important issue. There seems to be no problem with some priests giving homilies on these issues, like on EWTN. It’s really disheartening!
My friend said she was going to move to a “good” parish
And I told her to get a mobile home Us McGillycudahy’s are dying out. Glad to see the torch has been passed. Oremus
Jay, You’re right about problems in the Eastern Orthodox churches. There will always be sinful men & women along with holy men & women in whatever church you might attend. Even 1/12 of Jesus’s own chosen “bishops” proved to be mortally sinful in the end. But no matter how beautiful, respectful, and reverent the Orthodox liturgy is, one CANNOT leave Catholicism for Orthodoxy and NOT be in schism. I almost did that once upon a time because I “bought” what my Orthodox friends were “selling”: that the Orthodox Church (not the Catholic) was the one true Church founded by Christ, and that the Catholic Church broke from THEM rather than vice-versa. Reading David Curie’s book “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic”, however, really opened my eyes. In chapter 4, he documents several times down through the centuries in which the metropolitans (patriarchs) of EVERY OTHER ancient See except that of Rome had officially embraced and promoted known heresies—Arianism, Monophysitism, whatever. ONLY the bishop of the See of Rome (the pope) was always protected from promulgating heresy. If that doesn’t speak VOLUMES about how Christ has kept his promise and protected the Church he built upon the Rock of Peter & his successors, I don’t know what does. One can see the “fruits” of this lack of the Holy Spirit’s protection for the Orthodox Churches today: The Orthodox Churches accept divorce and contraception. These are two areas in which the Catholic Church has been TOTALLY counter-cultural and has stood up against the feelings of most of her members and even against many if not most of her bishops & clergy. ONLY through the Holy Spirit’s protection—because of Christ’s promise to Peter—could the Catholic Church have resisted all pressure from both within and without to accept divorce & contraception. So no matter how other churches’ liturgies may inspire, a person is, in effect, abandoning Christ if he chooses to leave Christ’s only bride, the Catholic Church. When I see liturgical abuses, it helps my peace of soul to remember all this.
Take heart. A lot of the seminarians I know could be called “liturgical nazis”. They are sick and tired of the wishy washy spineless nonsense and they intend to have very faithful masses. Some are even prepared to put their foot down when it comes to the music also because, let’s face it, there’s a lot of rubbish being sung at mass now.
Keep praying and keep trying. Water dripping on rock eventually erodes it. I’ve been in this situation and it’s not a fun process, but stay the course as charitably as possible. If necessary, document events. As the faithful persist, the parishes and thus the Church will survive and thrive.
A majority of the problem lies in poor catechesis that flowered in the wake of Vatican II. Everyone had a theory but few followed the teachings of the church, so now these adults, myself included, have a poor background in what Catholicism really is. We have to study and learn as we can now. The 60’s and 70’s did few favors for us.
I think liturgical catechesis goes a long way to fixing this problem. Everyone needs it, not just the people in the pews, not just the priest at the altar. I think this is one of the parts of Vatican II’s liturgical reform that has been overlooked: we’re reforming the liturgy constantly to meet our needs without trying to reform ourselves to “meet the liturgy”.
From Sacrosanctum Concilium:
14. [..] In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit; and therefore pastors of souls must zealously strive to achieve it, by means of the necessary instruction, in all their pastoral work.
Yet it would be futile to entertain any hopes of realizing this unless the pastors themselves, in the first place, become thoroughly imbued with the spirit and power of the liturgy, and undertake to give instruction about it. A prime need, therefore, is that attention be directed, first of all, to the liturgical instruction of the clergy. Wherefore the sacred Council has decided to enact as follows:
19. With zeal and patience, pastors of souls must promote the liturgical instruction of the faithful, and also their active participation in the liturgy both internally and externally, taking into account their age and condition, their way of life, and standard of religious culture. By so doing, pastors will be fulfilling one of the chief duties of a faithful dispenser of the mysteries of God; and in this matter they must lead their flock not only in word but also by example.
As a former seminarian, I’m appalled at what I have seen in most of the masses I have attended. I left the seminary just the as Vatican Council was about to start implementing the New Liturgy. As soon as the Blessed Sacrament was removed from the altar to the side or hidden away from view,as if it was shameful for the Lord to be the center of adoration, I thought that the Church was moving away from the liturgical orthodoxy that I grew up with. Soon after the church became like a public square where everyone would talk as loud as they could and there was no chance for some meditation, contemplation, etc, before mass. And to compound the problem the mass began to look more like pentecostal services. The peace and quiet one looked for in our churches faded away. The lack of respect for the Holy Presence took over. I refuse to attend any church while the liturgy is abused so blatantly. I pray that Pope Benedict will bring back the order that is needed for us to be able to worship the Lord in a more orderly fashion.
Pat, Now that we have justly lambasted liturgical abuse endured at the hands of pastors who have been less than ideal, how about a column on good and heroic priests? I’m sure we all have examples to share. I’ve been liturgically abused hundreds of times but I’ve also been blessed by some wonderful, faithful, saintly priests.
Kevin, Amen! There are some wonderful, holy priests out there! The problem with trying to write about them is that they “decrease so He may increase”—in other words, they are always focusing attention back on Christ, which is exactly where the focus should be. Trying to write about them would probably be like trying to write about the saints—they are so humble that they “blend into the woodwork” and not much is known about most of them.
After reading many, many of the comments, sounds like we are NOT outnumbered, as one commenter laments. Even when, as in my parish, the pastor is the biggest perpetrator of these abuses. It has been noticeable that parishioners are leaving the parish since his arrival several years ago. As it is clearly like pushing chains uphill to get this individual to acknowledge the abuses, and that they ARE abuses,I will be writing to our archbishop and bishop, not to complain about the priest and his abuses, but to request that our next pastor “stick to the script”, and that this one not be extended for a second assignment.
“We need some MISTER McGillicuddys to talk to the their fellow male priests.” I can tell you from personal experience that this does very little good. I am not saying that it shouldn’t be done, but realize that the abusers will simply dismiss Father McG as an out-of-touch-pre-Vatican2-antiwoman troglodyte.
I turned in my liturgical badge and gun about ten years ago. It was around the time that our pastor in Arlington Heights, IL invited the boys and girls to sit around the altar where he invited them to pray this next week about whether God was calling any of them to be a priest. The next week he called them up again and asked them if they had prayed about whether God was calling them to be a priest. Afterward, I went to the pastor to correct him for asking girls to consider whether God was calling them to something his Church had declared impossible. To my astonishment, he simply flatly denied he had ever said anything of the sort.
I quit the squad because I reasoned, this is the bishop’s job not mine. After that, we either went to Mass in a parish that was not offensive or just put up with it.
It is easier to not get mad at liturgical and doctrinal abuses (as objectively bad as they are), if you can remember how poor one’s own inner dispositions are and how many are one’s own distractions.
Jesus Christ laid down His life to redeem us. At least we might follow Him.
@Kevin—I love your last line: “It is easier to not get mad at liturgical & doctrinal abuses ... if you can remember how poor one’s own inner dispositions are and how many are one’s own distractions.” Good reminder for us all!
That being said, even though you “turned in your badge and gun” (another line I love!), keep in mind that God sometimes puts us where we are for a reason, so if something seems particularly egregious to you, pray about what the Lord wants you to do about it (if anything) and keep your mind open to being “re-deputized.” The bishop can’t be everywhere and sometimes has no idea what’s going on unless parishioners tell him.
Wow, Pat, I didn’t know you went to our parish!!! :D Ours is soooo like that it’s not even funny. We tried to keep count a couple of times, but the number got way too high to keep track of and still worship! We’ve written the pastor (who thinks we’re nuts and there is retribution if you complain.) Hundreds (no exaggeration) letters have gone to the bishop—they are unanswered and ignored. Several of us have even written to the Papal Nuncio (“your concerns have been duly noted”). Most of the ‘orthodox’ ie faithful Catholics have found other parishes (but you are right, why should they have to..it IS their parish! Of course, the pastor would vehemently disagree….it’s HIS parish, HE’s the pastor and what HE says goes!); so it doesn’t really work to vote with your feet. Many have also stopped giving, but he’‘s very charismatic and since he opens communion to EVERYONE, there are always young new families who are thrilled and who give lots of money (which is why i don’t think the bishop cares!). It’s soooo sad. I’m a convert and I take the liturgy (and all of Catholicism) very seriously,,,it’s not something i chose lightly (lost several friends, many still think i’m going to hell in a handbasket!) I want it to be done right but it rarely is. I don’t understand how bishops and even the pope can and continues to tolerate it. It puts the souls of the offending priest/bishop in jeopardy; not to mention the souls of those they are leading astray. We will not be salt and light until we are radically different, like Jesus; and he cannot bless if disobedience is present.
A few words on vigilantism. It can be a noble undertaking. The source of law is citizens appointing/electing lawmakers (politicians), law enforcers (police) and law interpreters (judges). In extreme situations, if these appointees/elected do not do their duty, citizens do not seize the law. Law automatically flows back to them, its source. Citizens must know when to back off once order is restored.
I hope the author of this blog is not promoting liturgical apathy. As for liturgical vigilantes, I kind of find it offensive. Perhaps Pat Archbald has not read Redemptionis Sacramentum:
6. Complaints Regarding Abuses in Liturgical Matters
[183.] In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will be protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses be thoroughly corrected. This is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one, and all are bound to carry it out without any favouritism.
[184.] Any Catholic, whether Priest or Deacon or lay member of Christ’s faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff. It is fitting, however, insofar as possible, that the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally to be done in truth and charity.
—
Remaining silent on liturgical abuse matters can be equated to giving one’s ascent to the abuses. If the priests don’t do the defending, then, perhaps it should fall to the faithful.
I fear that with this kind of a blog, NCRegister is turning into the NCR>
So how do you know if your pastor is committing liturgical abuses? I am not a cradle Catholic, so forgive my ignorance. I think I have witnessed liturgical abuses in the past: a priest who would say “thank you!” when the congregation said “And also with you.” Another priest altered the Gospel reading to eliminate all masculine references (“brother” became “neighbor”, etc.). But when does something like this cross the line from an annoyance to an actual abuse?
Stu’s got it right. Orthodox, sane, and reverent liturgy is usually no farther away than your nearest Extraordinary Form Mass or Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Save Fr. Happy Clappy for when you’re on vacation and there’s no other choice.
Just a plug for our Roman priests and pastors that say the Extraordinary Form or an orthodox and reverent “by the book” Ordinary Form. These priests often get a lot of flak from brother priests and even bishops for the radical decision to offer the Mass as Holy Mother Church intends. Keep these priests in your prayers and be sure to support them financially as your means allow.
I take umbrage that Stu poses the matter as a choice between the EF or an Eastern Rite liturgy on the one hand and “Fr. Happy Clappy” on the other. While we have all suffered through our (unnecessary) share of loopy liturgies, there are lots of reverent orthodox priests (and many of them are young), so smearing them with the brush of liturgical abuse is unfair.
Also, the directives for “the Mass as Holy Mother Church intends” is found in the approved liturgical books, including the GIRM.
It is hard to be, “the one”, and even harder when eyes are rolled, or you know it has gone in one ear and out the other. I am one of those that have sat in the pews for 40 years wondering what in heaven’s name is going on. I have had people pat my hand and say, ” you will get used to it, dear”, and when I say no, I will not, because it is wrong they say, ” well, it is, in the scheme of things such a small item”, and then I say that all those small items are building a large mountain, they look at you with, “oh, the poor dear” in their eyes.
As for your local parish, if the abuses have been called to the bishop’s attention and nothing is done, then it is he that is not doing his job. For too many years bishops wanted to be friends with all, instead of doing what they were meant to do. And, sadly, many really agreed with what the priests were doing. Years of poor training for priests has only added to the problem.
For us the saddest thing are the abuses done by older priests, who should know better…they have really turned their back on Holy Mother Church, and are, “doing it their way.”
Thank you to all the priests who love the faith and are feeding the flock, always looking to Rome. I pray daily for all our priest’s and religious, and although things are certainly getting better, we went downhill so far and so fast, the climb upward will take a long time. With all the good and faithful Catholics, and wonderful converts coming to the faith, I know the Church will be stronger than before.
Christ’s peace!
I see I misread part of what jm wrote, so my apologies to Stu and jm.
I made a decision of the will not to let little things bother me, especially sappy music. I’m in music ministry but we don’t get to pick the music. Some people like the contemporary stuff, and some people like traditional hymns, and we have both, to make everyone miserable and happy in equal measure. It works for us.
Anything that formerly bundled my undies, I reckon as Time Off In Purgatory. LOL
Oh, by the way, the Mrs McGillicuddy’s often seek safety in numbers in the Marines, er, the Altar Society. This is an effective counterterrorist unit, if they’re willing to assert themselves and write some checks to underwrite the re-verticalization of aesthetics. We now have stained glass windows, etched glass Chi Rho entry doors, indoor and outdoor statuary, an outdoor Stations prayer path and Rosary garden with a Marian grotto, etc. And they insisted on Rosary before Mass on Sunday to keep the non-prayer chatter down. I led it this last Sunday, using a Scriptural Rosary…well received. The answer to liturgical terrorists is liturgical counterterrorism. LOL
Pipe up, there’s nothing to be lost. Recently we moved cross country to unfamiliar territory, so we registered in the cathedral parish because surely it would be correct liturgically. And it was, till a supply priest showed up one Sunday.
Surely it was because I hadn’t had breakfast, but I blew my top at him on the steps of the cathedral after Mass, went home and wrote to The Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments (Palazzo delle Congregazioni,Piazza Pio XII, 10 00120 CITTÀ DEL VATICANO) and copied the bishop. In about a month came a note from the office of the Apostolic Nuncio that they were looking into it.
Soon came, as I knew it would, the dread moment when as lector one Sunday I found myself alone in the sacristy with the rector for the cathedral. I didn’t say a word, and sensing my discomfort he said, “What, are you kidding? Don’t worry about it! It’s feedback.” Incredible. The bishop also was the soul of equanimity, smiled and said he had heard from Rome. The offending priest was apologetic and is a reformed celebrant. And I apologized to him also for my outburst. In short it was a grace filled moment all around, and profoundly deepened my respect for these priests and the bishop. Pipe up. It can only be good for you and the Church.
When another supply priest at our local parish could not bring himself to say “Blessed Mary, ever virgin” but only “blessed Mary” in his every Mass, and could not bring himself to use the word “Lord,” my hair practically stood on end, but I didn’t have the heart to write anybody.
Eventually I remonstrated with him in the sacristy, and it turns out that he says Mass for a convent of nuns who find the dropped words and phrases offend their feminist sensibilities. He promised to put those words back in the Mass, and assured me emphatically that he believes in the perpetual virginity of Our Lady. Still it was painful to watch him freeze up in subsequent celebrations when he came to those moments. His habits were telling him one thing, and his mind was telling him something else.
Again, though, this was a beautiful encounter. It was totally uncharacteristic of me to speak sympathetically much less persuasively to a “miscreant.” Perhaps old age and experience are having their effect, but having a few almonds (in time, vigilantes) before going off to Mass also seems to help. Mr McGillicuddy without breakfast can be a little prickly.
Needless to say, though, I too have had my share of unanswered letters and rebuffs. We McGillicuddys of the world should keep Demosthenes in mind. When someone came upon him speaking forcefully to a statue, he explained that it was just practice, for some people are statues. So pipe up! If Demosthenes needed practice, surely the clan McGillicuddy does also.
Both my husband and I have been ‘that guy’. To our joy, we also have Ukrainian Catholic (our chosen parish), Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic, Chaldean Catholic and Maronite Catholic Churches close by. No, people aren’t perfect there, anymore than anywhere else, but they remind us daily how God-breathed liturgy is supposed to be. Us Latins can only benefit from exposure to the Christian East.
I would love to be able to go to an Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy, but that’s just not an option. There aren’t any around for hundreds of miles. (I live in one of the biggest states in the country, with fewer than a million people to spread out over those 150,000 square miles.) I’ve been to Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgies, which I’m sure are viturally identical to Eastern Rite Liturgies; but that can’t and mustn’t take the place of going to a Catholic Mass, whether it be an Eastern Rite or Western. Likewise, there is not an Extraordinary Form Mass anywhere around except a schismatic group that doesn’t accept Vatican II or any of the popes since Pius XII. Therefore, I have to try to make the best of what is available to me, keeping in mind that our priests travel hundreds of miles on weekends to do Masses in many towns, and we are blessed to even have the Mass every Sunday. We all need to be on our knees, asking the Lord of the Harvest to send out more workers—ones that will be faithful to all the teachings of the Chuch and bold in proclaiming Truth. When that happens, I’m convinced that liturgical abuse will fade away into a distant memory.
I could have written this. Nice to know I am not the Lone Ranger. And my husband moved to Elkins,WV this winter. I looked on line for the local parish. The church looks like a ski lodge with no pews and all glass and my husband was most disappointed with Mass. I warned him but he thought it was worth a try. I had gone on line and searched out parishes that offer Latin Mass. Found one 20 miles away. He went and found a home.Guess we will always be romin’ Catholics.
I didn’t used to be that guy. I used to go along blissfully with every cute little liturgical modification our female “liturgy director” came up with. I don’t know what made me finally snap, but I remember when visiting parishes, on the way home, I’d play “spot the liturgical abuse” with my daughters.
Finally, I realized that there are abuses, and there are ABUSES. I’ve become much more picky about the “hills I choose to die on”. I discovered that even if the “presider” was dressed in a clown suit, and was consecrating a wheat Boboli, and wine in a glass Kool Aid pitcher, it was still the body and blood of Jesus if he said the proper words of instantiation.
Morphing into Mrs McGillicuddy hurts my soul a little bit, and the anger, even if it’s righteous, affects my peace in a negative way.
Move elsewhere, slam the door… that’s what traditionalists, sedevacantists, FSSPX and schismatics do. You should find the best Mass but don’t forget about the
If you love the one and only Roman Catholic Church, then you must follow what Ratzinger and JPII asked us to do in Redemptionis Sacramentum (link below):
Everybody, including laymen, have THE MORAL OBLIGATION, to report abuses to the liturgy. This means that if you don’t, you commit a sin of omission: keep confessing it until you finally do something about it.
Why is it an obligation? The Mass belongs to God, not the Priest. Disobeying the Missal is like stealing from God. An abuse in the Mass could mean disobedience, loss of graces and which is worse, sin.
The worst abuses are related to the Eucharist. Some examples:
a) lack of faith in the dogma that Jesus is really present in each crumble visible at normal sight (lack of patens and “cloths”, lack of proper purification of all elements),
b) protestant custom of going to communion row by row (therefore putting pressure on someone in mortal sin who doesn’t want to be pointed out by family, friends, parish).
9 step manual:
1. Read about the duty of fraternal correction in the Bible (love the sinner, hate the sin that supra-temporally makes Christ suffer in the Cross).
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04394a.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3033.htm
2. Read Redemptionis and the Roman Missal: mark, one by one, all the points being violated. Yes it’s boring but it’s a job for God’s glory. Be generous with your time: He doesn’t let anybody out beat him in generosity… a hundred to one.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html
3. Pray for the Priest, especially the Rosary. Offer mortification and sacrifices for him and in reparation of sins. The Mass is the perfect prayer and sacrifice: offer many
4. Get an appointment with the Priest: email is not the best choice.
5. Pray to the Holy Spirit that you will be humble enough to let Jesus shine through you.
Ask the Priest to explain a simple layman why there seems to be inconsistencies with what the documents point out.
6. If he doesn’t change continue with the fraternal correction: add 1 or 2 parishioners to the next meeting (if he lets you!)
7. No success: write to the bishop (pray for him before too). The easiest thing is to call and get the email, then call back to confirm reception and ask for a response date.
8. Follow up. No success: write to the Nuncio (the Pope’s rep in your country)
9. Follow up by email AND phone. No sanctions: write to the Congregation for the Divine Worship in Rome. Don’t forget to pray day after day.
Beware of Latin Mass fanatics: there is nothing wrong with that extraordinary form but many groups around it are a schismatics and criticize the Pope and the Church and not in the context of following fraternal correction. Stop them at once: hearing that kind of criticism turns you accomplice to that sin.
Ave María, Mater ter admirabilis!
Ray, I wish you wouldn’t use the term “Nazi”. The nazis were evil because they were killers, not because they were thorough
One can only hope that when the new Missal comes out later this year it will result in a more “bulletproof” liturgy than the current NO seems to be. We don’t have too many abuses in my parish, but we do seem to have a lot of parishoners who are doing such things as insisting on imitating the gestures of the priest (i.e., raising their hands when saying “And also with you.”) Some of the grammatically incorrect language of the NO Mass just grates on my nerves a little. “And also…” Isn’t that a double conjunctive? It isn’t the priest’s fault, or the people’s fault, but it just sounds cumbersome. At least it’s better than “You Who sits at the right hand….” Indeed! “You Who.” My brain always thought of the slang salutation “yoo-hoo!” when I used to hear that every Sunday!
It is great to realize that I am not alone. The abuses at our church are not as dramatic as many of those listed in the comments, but they are abuses nevertheless. I am in the process of joining another parish. But before leaving my present parish I’ll try writing to and meeting with the pastor again, although I don’t think it will do any good. The lack of reverence in church is approaching an epidemic, especially talking, leaving early and improper clothing, all symptoms of a failure to realize that Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament. Perhaps there is a need to adopt the tactics of the youth of Egypt (not a march in the streets)but a use of modern media to flood the offices of the Bishops with letters of complaint, listing the abuses as specifically as possible.
(Any other ideas appreciated.) There must be some dramatic way to bring this very serious problem to the attention of the Bishops in such a way that they will really address the problem. I realize after reading the messages that it would be a sin of omission not to try to do something.
I cry every year when our bishop comes to do confirmations. We always have a least a half-dozen teen age girls dressed as if they are expecting to be the entertainment at a bachelor party - and the pastor says nothing; the bishop says nothing. Actually, that’s not quite true. One year when I mentioned it the pastor replied, “Oh, but they are Hispanic” with an underlying, “and everyone knows about THEM.” Our parish music director, who graduated kum bi ya from Peter, Paul and Mary, tries out all his new electric rock guitar licks. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) he’s not a very good guitarist. This is the pastor who finally stopped one parishioner from dunking his host in the Communion cup after I repeatedly complained and his excuse of “pastoral reasons” had obviously gotten real old. Just when I thought I’d seen it all, last week he just skipped over the lavabo like it had never been there. It’s sad and they need our prayers and our doing reparation for their sins right after we do reparation for our own. There is one bright spot: study history and you will find this is not “...the worst of times.”
@ Paul: Whatever happened to the confirmation kids wearing academic gowns and those beanies we had to wear? The whole point of them was for everyone to look uniform, and to avoid competition as to who looked better than whom. Although nowadays, that competition could be who looks the worst! I think we rented them for about two dollars, and in today’s economy, not buying a dress or a suit that can cost over $100 would be a boon for many families!
I read all of this with great interest. I spent several years as a ‘circuit rider’, substituting for absent priests. I saw very little in the way of real abuses. Sometimes it was carelessness over small details, but for the most part I was quite impressed with the overall faithfulness of parishes (and by extension their pastors)to the prescribed rites of the Church. Now this does not get into the realm of aesthetics. Some of the artwork was awful, much of the music was of the ‘bubble-gum’ variety, but my dislike of those things doesn’t stack up to being liturgical abuse. However, at one place, a mrs. magillicuddy disliked my manner of folding up the corporal, and told me that I was not showing it adequate respect. She also told me that it was her duty to rebuke me. I felt like saying (but did not) “My dear, if I were pastor here, you would have rebuked your way out of a job.” Harrumph.
Fr. Woodland, Most liturgical abuse comes from the presider, so if you were presiding and were not a liturgical abuser, naturally you’d see little liturgical abuse. It would be like Frank Sinatra saying, most of the place I’ve sang at, the singer sounded pretty good.
Many years ago, when my family attended an Episcopalian parish nearby, (while I pulled double duty as the sole Catholic) I couldn’t help chuckling about the Episcopalian battle royale over the new BCP their leadership adopted during the late Seventies, especially considering the fact that even after many of the old Elizabethan touches had been Americanized, the liturgy, which is very similar to ours, was conducted with greater dignity in most Catholic parishes and this was during the mid-late 80s. Maybe it’s just a northeastern liberal thing, but for one or more reasons the northeastern Catholic liberals running parish councils just refused to accept John Paul II as their shepherd; preferring still the kumbaya spirit of the listless years under Paul VI. They weren’t listless because of Paul’s illnesses. They were listless because the liberals decided to take advantage of his illnesses. Not all Catholics did; but the few who did, left behind a lot of damage which resulted in the loss of a lot of Catholics to the Evangelical churches.
The Mass teaches the Gospel from beginning to end. Even the Episcopal liturgy does likewise. No matter how boring the homilies and sermons delivered by Catholic and Episcopal priests, respectively, then were ... the fact that our Masses were so easily altered and hijacked by these experimenters with their versions of the Spirit of Vatican II on ‘roids—it demonstrated to all-too many lapsed Catholics who fell for the “were you ever taught the Gospel during Mass” challenge that the Church wasn’t serious about teaching the Gospel.
Those megachurch folks were serious, and still are. And if we’re not vigilant enough, they’ll keep stealing our sheep and get away with it.
Being a priest, fortunately for the most part I don’t have to put up with liturgical abuse. Sometimes when there is a concelebrated Mass, I do. Unfortunatley, many bishops seem to have little liturgical formation and commit some abuses themselves. I teach litrgy in a seminary in Peru. My impression is that the best thing to do is to try to give these seminarians a good liturgical formation so that when they are ordained they will celebrate the liturgy properly. One of the very annoying things I have to put up with here is the substitution of the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, which happen to be unchangeable and in the litugy of the Church in both West and East going back to the third and fourth centuries. We get a Spanish version of the marching hymn of the republic with its Gloria Allulia. I feel it is no use complaining to the bishop as he also commits some abuses, though not very major. Another thing that bothers me greatly is that in concelebrated Masses, some of the priest beside me chat to one another during the Mass. I really have to make an effort to pay no attention to that as well as wonder why they ever wanted to concelbrate, why they didn’t stay outside the Church and have their chat.
There is a priest at my church who changes the liturgy, the abuse most notable is changing the words this is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, happy are we who are called to this supper with something he said during the homily. Well one time I’d had enough when he gave a homily on Don’t worry be happy, guess what he changed the words to, you guessed it, Don’t worry be happy. I don’t even like that song, in fact I hate it. And what does that have to do with the response, Lord I am not worthy to receive you, only say the word and my soul will be healed. Needless to say I try to avoid going to a mass when I know he will be the celebrant. My question is this serious abuse or less serious and does it make the mass invalid
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