Defining liturgical abuse
Simply stated, a liturgical abuse occurs when the priest intentionally deviates from the norms of the Mass, substituting his private alterations for the liturgical norms and rubrics of the Mass, as set forth in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (the GIRM).
We all know about clown and puppet Masses. Children’s Masses seem just as prone today to liturgical abuse as in the 70’s.
But your normal Sunday Mass, just how many liturgical abuses are there today?
Let me tell you my anecdotal experiences.
I am way too critical of the Masses I attend where I am not vested liturgically, such as when I am on vacation and participate from the pew as an incognito priest.
I go crazy by what I see, not only how the sanctuary is arranged, but the shear sloppiness of the liturgy, especially poorly trained and sloppily dress altar servers who know nothing about how to carry themselves publicly. And don’t get me started on tennis shoes and flip flops under a baggy alb, tied with a rope and hooded making them look like KKK!
And then there are the celebrants who play to the congregation. They have long, sermon like, folksy introductions to the Penitential Act. Often there is an acknowledgement of visitors and a welcome to them. It completely destroys the trajectory of prayer begun with the Introit. It’s an intermission from prayer for the priest to act like an MC and bring all of the attention to himself.
What is wrong with simply saying, after the Sign of the Cross and Greeting, “Brothers and Sisters, let us acknowledge our sins so as to prepare ourselves to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries”? For many priests, it means they aren’t friendly, it isn’t about their abilities and their desire to be like an mc and begin the show like the late night comedians do!
And then there are the celebrants who have idiosyncratic styles to how they “proclaim” prayers to the Congregation, gesture to the us at the consecration in a dramatic way and show all their pious looks and powerful spirituality. Again, its all about them and their acting abilities, their performance.
It need not be this way even when facing the congregation, although facing the congregation creates a greater need to be less me and more directed to God. Pope Francis’ style of celebrating Mass is blah, but it certainly isn’t about him in his style. Although he would be better ad orientem because he seems so blah, but there you have it, the problem with facing the congregation.
What liturgical abuses have you experienced at a Sunday Mass in the Ordinary Form and have there been any in the Extraordinary Form?
4 comments:
There is an interesting church in Orlando Florida called "The Shrine of Our Lady Queen of the Universe". Erected, evidently, to serve the needs of the tourists who avail themselves of the various attractions the city is known for.
I have attended Mass twice at this church, in both instances a few years apart. BOTH times, the priest began by making some sappy statement about what good people we were for bothering to go to Mass while on vacation, so "give yourselves a hand". That one stupid statement and what followed were enough to ruin my mindset for the rest of the services. Equally annoying are the priests who will start by saying, "Introduce yourself to someone around you."
Look, not to be uncharitable, but I don't attend Mass to get that folksy warm fuzzy feeling of knowing that Chad and Lois are in the row behind me and are such great, friendly people. I also don't need to congratulate myself for showing up. I'm showing up because I am a sinner and I need Jesus Christ. Which, by the way, is also why I don't need the empty gesture of a "greeter" at the church door offering me his or her insipid welcome. When I walk into that church, I am trying to mentally prepare myself for something of a serious and grave nature--not the green room of a game show.
When I think about it, I have begun so many Masses over my lifetime fuming about the superfluous B.S. that I had NO CHOICE but to tolerate in order to fulfill my duty. I didn't ask for any of it. It was shoved down my throat.
Thomas, by coincidence, my post is a recollection of that Mass and its celebrant too, where I experienced the exact same thing. It happens at other parishes in south Florida. But I have be subject to horrible celebrants at the cathedral in Chicago and other parishes in this country and elsewhere!
Thomas Garrett,
Those practices are what drove me back to the EF. I don't need a Jolly Ollie priest and maudlin, sappy messages. A priest should be dignified when celebrating Mass. Of course, during the homily you will see flashes of his personality. I don't mind his personality coming through during the homily. A lot of what you describe is off-putting to most normals yet many priests, usually older ones, continue with this nonsense. Younger priests are more likely to say the black and do the red.
Before attending Mass, at home or abroad, I need to know what I am letting myself in for. This would not have been necessary before the mid-1960s, and does mean doing some research, or relying on previous experience. It is the only way to avoid being exposed to liturgical abuse and crap music.
If the Mass begins with 'Gather Us In' I will guarantee that the only thing gathering me in would be the nearest pub.
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