In Noting That Overlong Sunday Masses Are Driving Down Church Attendance, Cardinal Dolan Vindicates Critics of the Liturgical Reform
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York recently published an article about why Catholics are not coming to Sunday Mass any more. The top reason: Mass is too long. He also notes that the "Liturgy of the Word"— readings from scripture— now overshadows the "Liturgy of the Eucharist," leading the Eucharist to become an "afterthought."
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“The greatest advance of liturgical renewal after the council was the restoration of the prominence and solemnity of the Easter Vigil. But the greatest negative of these last decades has been that every Sunday Mass is now as long as Holy Saturday!” Noting the extensive singing at modern Sunday Masses, he states: "So (my correspondents weighed in), an hour-and-a-half Mass — not just on solemnities, but every Sunday — has become normal, and they candidly propose that this is one of the factors driving people away."
I have been to Sunday mass in at least 20 different U.S. states and 6 European countries and have never experienced a mass as long as the Easter Vigil.
Just when did you ever attend an Easter Vigil that was as short as one hour and twenty minutes????
I think things that would shorten both the sung or spoken Mass, or the hodgepodge of both, most common today, is to revamp the Liturgy of the Word. There are too many readings to take in and digest. Go to the daily Mass configuration. Get rid of the Responsorial Psalm that has too many dang verses with the refrain repeated between each verse, but sung twice at the beginning, once by the cantor then the congregation. So a five verse RP ends up being 11 verses!!!!
Recover the Gradual, with refrain, once, one verse, the Gloria Patri and repeat the refrain.
No offertory procession, brief homily, kneeling at the railing to receive Holy Communion and no post Communion song or anthem. That would take 20 minutes out if not more.
I wonder how much of this dissatisfaction has to do with the innate human desire for mystery, awe, reverence, and wonder, which many modern liturgists see as pointless and so have rejected it in favor of what is relentlessly practical. If the modern liturgy has the practical as the goal, can we blame the Catholic laypeople for rejecting something as impractical as a longer liturgy?
Nick
A Sunday Mass that lasts at least two hours is often the case throughout Africa.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Yes, the Sfrican priest who have been in our diocese for a while, never want to go back to that!
The African priest may not wish to return to that. However, tremendous love and enthusiasm for Holy Mass exist throughout Africa.
Regardless as to the amount of time that it takes to offer Holy Mass in Africa: The liturgical reform has proved very successful throughout Africa.
Deo gratias for that.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
I agree with the Cardinal Dolan that in the typical Novus Ordo Mass the Liturgy of the Word is longer than the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Two readings before the Gospel is absurd. Of course the Propers, taken from Sacred Scripture, are almost never used. Go figure. Also the music is generally insipid for the 4 hymn sandwich Mass instead of singing the texts of the Mass itself which allegedly was the Council’s preference.
Priests who cannot celebrate the TLM themselves are not worth listening to: they are poorly trained in Liturgy and some even vote for the Party of “Abortion is Healthcare” so what can they really bring to the debate anyway other than their unvarnished opinions?
Growth in the Church in Africa, formerly explosive, has barely kept pace with the population growth since 1970--much success! Ah, it must be the collapse of their bowling clubs.
Nick
Nick,
Great comment!
Cardinal Dolan knows far more than our resident lefty, desperately trying to prop up failure. He’s too self absorbed and slothful to learn the TLM. I wish he would because many priests call it a “conversion experience.”
One point of exception I would take to Cardinal Dolan's point on the Low Mass. I was fortunate to have gone to a Catholic University's Church on Sunday as a young boy when the TLM held sway. The choir was magnificent, and I grew to love Gregorian Chant and Sacred Polyphony. I recognize that was probably not the norm because the Low Mass was the predominant form of Mass at my grandparents' parish. Even as a child I found the Sung Mass far more interesting than the Low Mass, but again, I was exposed to the Church's musical patrimony at a very high level.
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