[Aquinasfan]

We have clapping and occassional readings (in the homilies)at our parish, both of which we can do without. Unfortunately, I can't see either practice being curtailed. Neither will our parish restrict the number of altar girls since there is a "pastoral exception" wide enough to drive a tractor trailer through.

It's overdue, although, at the moment I'd prefer a call to excommunicate nominally Catholic politicians who support abortion.

[HungarianGypsy]

does this mean an end to the brass bands too? I remember when I was Catholic 15 years ago they kept adding rock-style music to attract the teens. Being one of those teens, I did not feel at all spiritual. I was a bit of a traditionalist.

[Revolting cat!]

Bummer! No more American Bandstand/Soul Train/MTV immitations during Catholic mass? What are these bishops thinking? (I note a surge of disappointment around here.)

[marshmallow]

According to the authoritative Italian Roman Catholic monthly magazine "Jesus," a draft document urges the faithful to notify their bishop or the Vatican to report suspected abuses.

Been there. Done that. Along with a significant number of other laity who'd had enough of impromptu liturgical improvisation and abuse of the rubrics.

Result? Nothing as far as remedial action against modernist clerics is concerned. However, I have been called a number of derogatory names by various bishops and clergy, along the lines of "fanatic", "rule-obsessed" etc etc.

In short, unless these reported guidelines are accompanied by a new resolve to discipline miscreants, the result will be a continued flouting of liturgical norms. Furthermore, in many dioceses in this country, the local Ordinary is often in the vanguard of the liturgical silliness, precluding him as a source of sanity in this matter.

[My back yard]

This is good news I think. This kind of thing has been getting out of control, and needed reigning in. I was at Easter Mass last year and there were cell phones ringing, teenage girls in tank tops and flip flops. There were baptisms during the service, and the 'priest' was telling standup jokes while he baptised them, and the '''audience''' was applauding his humor. I felt more like I was attending a David Letterman taping rather than Mass on Easter Sunday!!

[Consort]

I suppose playing the Jews Harp is out, as well. How about toe-tapping and playing the spoons?

[B Knotts]

It discourages the practice where the faithful receive the wafer and wine at communion.

This I do not understand. Jesus commanded that we eat His Body, and drink His Blood. Not one or the other.

Is it perhaps that the practice futher encourages the use of EMEs?

[mtbopfuyn]

Sounds very much like the Taliban. Just more to strengthen my resolve not to return to the Catholic Church.

[Core_Conservative]

Oh my! The Catholic Church has such pressing issues - such as the possible break up from the American Catholic Church - and the lack of new priests - plus the forced retirement of other priests, that they now want to discipline priests for doing things that they have done for years. Clapping in mass for a wedding, a congratulations on an award, or other such things is common practice in my wifes parish. Also, if they did not allow alter girls (and recently female ushers) there would not be enough members to help the priest do his job - like reading the prayers, preparation of the gifts for communion, etc. Does the Vatican really have nothing better to do? Are they trying to Micro-Manage the entire world of Catholic Churches from Rome? I think they seem to be forcing a division of the church - and we really don't need another division - I'd rather see the coming together of churches - means the end would be getting closer.

[Lost Highway]

I guess this means no Sister Act III.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

According to the authoritative Italian Roman Catholic monthly magazine "Jesus," a draft document urges the faithful to notify their bishop or the Vatican to report suspected abuses. >>

I'm sure the bishies will get around to recifying the complaints as soon as they're done sending a child rapist to replace the heretic in the parish next town over. Or is it heretics to replace the child rapists? Or has it been a year already and time to toggle back?

These are ugly days to be a believing Catholic.

[SengirV]

How about no singing. In the last two Sunday masses I counted Four and Five songs before the SECOND READING!! It is getting ridiculously out of hand. Next thing you know they will be hocking CDs of that mass's performances while you leave the church. It's getting impossible to pay attention to THE MASS while the SEVENTH verse of some BAD obscure song is sung. Give us a break already!!!

[Campion]

Does everybody realize that this whole thread is about some Reuters (ack! ptooie!) shill's description of what he thinks some new document that the Vatican might promulgate could say? For all we know, the shill in question isn't even a Catholic! ("wafer"? "wine"? huh?)

I mean, people, read the actual primary source when it's published, and lets talk about that. (Of course, anything good it says will be ignored by the American church anyway, but ...)

[dansangel]

ping

[Terriergal]

Now this strikes me as nitpicking legalism... (present in many many churches both protestant and Catholic, in many different forms.)

[SuziQ]

Well, I for one am gonna wait until I see something official from the Vatican before I comment. I don't believe ANYTHING Reuters might say.

[moodyskeptic]

I'm one of those Catholics who stopped going to Mass because the silly pop music and hand holding makes my stomach turn. Don't jump to the conclusion that I simply drifted away, because the whole while I'm paying expensive Catholic school tutions for my kids and I read the Tidings paper. My kids work at the Church office.

I watched the transition from the front row: I was in Catholic high school in 1970 when the nuns took to the hippie ethic and priests were testing the gay waters with the new openmindedness. It was all wrong, and it got worse for years.

Drum kits and clapping and dancing are fine for the Prots. They can have it. I miss the days of stately classical music in Mass.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

But some conservative Catholics are against altar girls, saying their presence has eroded a traditional recruiting ground for priests.

The author didn't finish this sentence.......

".......a traditional recruiting ground for priests..... to find little boys to molest."

[Koblenz]

ARTIST: Tom Lehrer
TITLE: The Vatican Rag


First you get down on your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect

Do whatever steps you want if
You have cleared them with the Pontiff
Everybody say his own kyrie eleison
Doin' the Vatican Rag

Get in line in that processional
Step into that small confessional
There, the guy who's got religion'll
Tell you if your sin's original

If it is, try playin' it safer
Drink the wine and chew the wafer
Two, four, six, eight
Time to transubstantiate

So get down upon your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect

Make a cross on your abdomen
When in Rome do like a Roman
Ave Maria, gee it's good to see ya
Gettin' ecstatic an' sorta dramatic an'
Doin' the Vatican Rag

[MattAMiller]

Maybe it's because I'm not religious and I don't have to take this stuff seriously, but I love it when the Pope hard-asses it. The whole Catrholic asthetic always struck me as the way a religion is supposed to be.

Also, was the author here trying to crack pedophile jokes with these lines about the church prefering altar boys is it just impossible to discuss this without providing straight lines?