Elizabeth Mary Cole, who writes from Kentucky (“a gold mine of apologetics opportunities!”), sends this liturgical horror story. The name of the town has been omitted to save embarrassment for the bishop. We have retained the actual name of the parish for reasons which will become clear.
“While vacationing, I went to the Pentecost Mass at a Catholic community (their name for it) — in [a large Midwestern city]. The building looks like a pyramid from the outside. Coming into the church, I didn’t know in what direction to genuflect — I could not see a tabernacle anywhere nor a crucifix — nor even a cross.
“I did a double-take on what I thought was the bulletin just to make sure I was in a Catholic church. Well, it wasn’t a bulletin; it was the ditties for the performance. No missalettes, no Bibles, no hymnals, no hymns. I had my daily Roman missal with me, thank heaven.
“I knelt bare-kneed on the hard linoleum floor (no kneelers) to pray before the show — difficult with all the socializing going on, causing quite a din.
“Then the show got started. Some ill-dressed, sour-pussed, and very embarrassed young teens processed in with candles, while a reader described some hitherto unknown formulation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (who was never called “Holy,” of course, so I don’t know which spirit was being conjured).
“The presider (I presume he was an ordained priest) came in for his bit, skipping the whole introductory rite and just giving us a warm and friendly personal greeting, very expressive of his personality, but not so conducive as an alter Christus performing an act of liturgical worship, allowing Christ to be the personality of focus.
“I recited the Confiteor to my neighbors, confessing and asking them to pray for me to the Lord our God, because I wanted a valid Mass, even if nobody else did. I managed a ‘Lord, have mercy’ quietly — although it was more as an editorial expression on what I was witnessing than in the true spirit of the Kyrie.
“As I stood for the Gospel, a moment of panic tugged at me — what if they don’t do that here?
“Whew! They did. “
I knelt for the Eucharistic Prayer, again toughening up my knees; I offered it up in reparation for outrages against the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
“I stand for the national anthem. I kneel for nobody but God. It is the only time my pride is stripped from me, which is right, because God alone is good and I am nothing without him. If you think there’s no difference between kneeling and standing, try kneeling for the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ at the next baseball game you attend. Then you’ll know the difference.
“There was liturgical dance, but not as bad as I’d seen pictures of. Four of the young women wearing black pants, white blouses, and red cummerbunds dipped their knees and made coordinated waving-hand movements toward the altar. (Not the leotards and pagan-circle ritual dances with feathers ‘n’ incense, thank goodness!) But even though they were directing their gestures toward the altar, being so young and lovely and choreographed, they really directed more attention to themselves. Purpose defeated.
“At Communion, the extraordinary minister sighed in exasperation while I held up his speedy line by genuflecting. Then he hit my folded hands to try to make me take Communion in the hand. I just stood there with my tongue hanging out, waiting. Finally, some neural connection fired in this man’s memory: yes, people receive our Lord in this way, too.
“Looking up from my prayers, I noticed that most communicants were self-intincting — verboten.
“After Mass I asked several people, ‘Do you attend church here? Where is the tabernacle?’ Everyone I asked was a regular parishioner, but didn’t know! Some wondered aloud if the church still had one.
“On my way out, I ventured down a hall and stumbled onto a broom-closet-cum-Eucharistic-chapel. No tabernacle lamp. A couple of prie-dieu chairs in mint condition. I got on my knees (which were quite sore by this time) and wept while I overheard the presider and the liturgist/rock-band-conductor/choreographer rate their performance. (Glowing reviews by their adoring fans — themselves. From an entertainment perspective, I’d rather watch an old episode of Sonny and Cher.)
“I stayed with Jesus for hours. I got the feeling he was very lonely and didn’t have many friends here. The Guest of Honor excluded from his own banquet.
“In this church, you put your own host in a pottery dish when you enter. I don’t know why, but this totally rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps someone else can explain it more eloquently. You dish your own host, never see a tabernacle, ciborium, or monstrance. Why should anyone get the idea that consecrated Hosts are being reserved at all? Does this promote belief in the Real Presence? The worst irony is that the church is named Corpus Christi.
“During the whole fiasco I was discerning the spirit of my own reactions. Was I prideful or angry? No. The feeling I had was great sorrow and deep pity. I was witnessing a full-blown crisis of faith being played out before my eyes.
“I also discerned the spirit of what I was witnessing. It was performance, self-referential group psychotherapy — with a convenient little remade god tacked on as an afterthought. I could read on some faces an awareness that something was amiss, but no one could quite put a finger on it — or perhaps some knew, but they were restrained by the stifling ethic of ‘Midwestern Nice.’
“The well-heated church was cold.
“Part of what I discerned was the spirit of Non serviam: I will not serve. The worldwide Church has a set liturgy and rules for it, and the national bishops’ conferences have leeway in adapting the texts and liturgy for their own countries (always subject to the approval of Rome). There is even some leeway for each parish, but one must distinguish what is a firm rule and what is open for local modification.
“Often, liturgists disregard the rules, whether through ignorance or malice. Even individuals can single-handedly violate the rubrics. A common example is to impose inclusive language over the approved lectionary texts. This is the equivalent of using a new and unapproved lectionary, being disobedient to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and forcing one’s own will on others to politicize the liturgy. Some people have good intentions and don’t realize how serious an offense this is to the public prayer of the People of God. Jane and Joe in the pew follow along in the missalette — when available — and realize they’re being clubbed over the head with an ideological two-by-four.
“Where people are well-intentioned and ignorant of the form they must follow, a charitable reminder is all that is necessary. Some, though, will continue to place their own will over the will of the Church, and they need to be invited to rethink where their best exercise of ministry really lies. Of course, culpability is greater for priests and professional liturgists. They should know what the boundaries are.
“A good topic for parish adult education is the liturgy itself-norms, rubrics, rites, and forms. Then everyone who serves in the Mass, as well as those who assist, will appreciate the treasure we possess and want to preserve it.”
Liz could be describing a Pentecost Mass we witnessed last year (in a diocese adjoining the one in her story). This one, too, had liturgical dancers — complete with little artificial doves on their hands (get it?). They danced around a fountain with pitchers of water, then leapt and gestured ahead of the procession as the bishop entered.
At that point, we had to excuse ourselves. The scene was so reminiscent of the petal-scattering nymphs in the old Bullwinkle “Aesop’s Fables” segment that we knew we could not trust ourselves to keep from guffawing. We certainly were in no proper frame of mind to worship.
Fr. John Mikalajunas, a longtime friend and supporter of Catholic Answers, recently launched a Sunday morning radio program in upstate New York. The shows are apologetically oriented: the Mother’s Day show was on perpetual virginity of Mary, the Father’s Day show was on contraception. Fr. Mikalajunas can be reached at St. Joseph’s Church in Binghamton, New York, (607)797-5264, if you’d like more information.
What do many Catholics have in common with Southern Baptists? A sense of alarm at recent actions by the Disney conglomerate, apparently.
The Southern Baptist Christian Life Commission has recommended to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention that, unless Disney returns to more wholesome media offerings (and corporate policies), Baptists should boycott theme parks, movies, books, and merchandise licensed by the entertainment giant.
At issue are anti-Christian films and books from Disney subsidiaries and affiliates, so-called “gay nights” at Disney parks, as well as the company’s granting of spousal benefits to same-sex partners of employees. Dr. Richard Land, president of the Christian Life Commission, said Disney is apparently marketing itself to the gay and lesbian community, just as it has marketed itself to traditional families.
“We’re saying to them: Gentlemen, ladies, you’re not going to have it both ways,” Land said in a broadcast interview. “We don’t like it, and we’re not going to come to your parks anymore or buy your products.”
Cited as objectionable by the Baptists was the film Priest, a British-made film rife with anti-Catholic sentiment, which sparked protests by Catholic groups when it was scheduled for release on Good Friday, 1995.
Baptists voted to continue to try to negotiate with Disney for greater respect for Christian values. But, Land added, “If Disney continues to give us the back of their hand . . . they’ll get a boycott next June.”
Following the lead of dissident Catholics in northern Europe, a coalition of American Catholic dissenters (among them the group Call to Action) has launched a petition drive to demand married clergy, women’s ordination, a “rethinking” of Catholic sexual ethics, and other changes in the Church. “We Are Church” (or, as we like to call it, “Church R Us”) is headed by married former priest Anthony Padovano, who said on National Public Radio that the petition drive is, in part, an effort to influence the next papal election. A more effective means might be prayer to the Holy Spirit.
As a rule we are wary of petition drives in the Church. Truth is not, after all, determined by popularity but by divine revelation. Nevertheless, the “Vatican III” movement is so offensively heterodox (including personal attacks on the Holy Father and other Church leaders) that loyal Catholics may want to do something to express their love of orthodoxy.
So we pass along information about a petition being circulated by Human Life International in support of Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, who has been subject to detraction and ridicule for excommunicating Catholics in his diocese if they persist in belonging to groups incompatible with Catholic faith.
Petitions will be presented to the bishop on September 8. HLI asks that they be returned to its offices by August 20. You can copy the letter below, adding space for signers to enter their name, street address, city, and zip code, or call HLI for printed copies.
You may also “sign” the petition by e-mailing your information to lizcole@ukcc.uky.edu. Completed petition forms may be mailed to HLI at 4 Family Life, Front Royal, VA 22630.
Here is the letter:
“Dear Bishop Bruskewitz,
“We the undersigned salute your courage in staunchly defending the faith with your recent announcement that Catholics in the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, who fail to dissociate themselves from organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Call to Action, Freemasons, Catholics for a Free Choice, and other groups which actively promote abortion or in other ways dissent from the teachings of the Magisterium will be excommunicated.
“We hope and pray that your brother bishops throughout the world will follow your leadership.
“Please know that as faithful Catholics, loyal to our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers, just as we also pray for those whose souls you seek to save.
“Most Sincerely Yours . . .”
Call to Action faces increasing strictures from some American bishops. Bishop John M. D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend sent a letter to all priests of his diocese barring CTA from meeting in any Church facilities.
“It seems to me quite obvious that a group which is opposing Church teaching and Church practice should not be using our facilities to undermine sound Catholic teaching,” the letter said.
After CTA was not allowed to meet at St. Joseph’s in South Bend, it appealed to the bishop, who established a commission to hear both sides of the matter and make recommendations. The commission’s report concluded: “The national organization [CTA] is fundamentally at odds with the teaching of the Catholic Church in regard to priestly ordination and other central points of doctrine.”
Along with Bishops D’Arcy and Bruskewitz, ,B>Archbishop Elden F. Curtiss (Omaha), Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin (Hartford), and Bishop John R. Keating (Arlington) have taken action against CTA in their sees. It may be the start of a trend.
During the height of the mad-cow scare, Kris Franklin sent us a wire-service story that provides yet another reason to be grateful for the Catholic faith.
In India, where the cow is sacred to 900 million Hindus, many were aghast at the prospect of diseased British cows being slaughtered to prevent the spread of the bovine brain disease.
“You don’t kill a sick member of the family,” said Swami Keshav Dev Hari, a Hindu priest who has spent his life lobbying for a national ban on killing cows.
Cows in India are used as dairy animals and to plow fields, but when they become aged or infirm, they are sent to “retirement” shelters. The manager of one such shelter, Bal Krishna Sharma, warns of awful consequences if English cows are slaughtered:
“There will be an apocalypse if this happens. It will mean terrible wars and the end of humanity.”