Friday, November 19, 2010

Mass, Liturgy, Nostalgia, and being Catholic in America

I'm a convert to Catholicism. The fond memories of my childhood and youth include some very pleasant experiences in the mainstream Protestant church I grew up in. Emotions associated with those memories help me, I think, understand a little of what practicing Catholics went though in America, during the last half of the 20th century.

It's one thing, when an outsider comes in and wrecks your church. When it's your own priest - - - Well, it could have been worse.

Liturgy, the Bible, Catholics, and Living in America

Don't get me wrong: I like America. The country's not perfect, but it'll do for now. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (July 3, 2008)

On the other hand, I don't think America is the only country that's okay. And that's another topic.

Almost.

America isn't the WASP nest it was in my youth: Which may explain some of the crazier 'red-white-and-blue-blooded Americans' you run into now and then. Change isn't easy - particularly for folks on their way down the social ladder. Yet another topic.

Despite demographic shifts, though, America is still a country with a whole lot of folks who have some sort of allegiance to a Protestant church.

Catholics living in America are - if they're serious about their faith - part of a minority.

Which gets me to this excerpt from the professors' post:
"...In fact--I'm just going to come right out and say it--there does seem to be a real overreaction to Protestantism in Catholic circles. Quote chapter and verse from the Bible in some Catholic circles and you might get a weird look: are you really a Catholic? Yet Pope Benedict is calling for precisely that: memorization of Scripture in Catechesis (cf. Verbum Domini 74).

"There seems to be a creeping suspicion in some Catholic circles that liturgy is for Catholics, the Bible is for Protestants. The only problem is: that not what the Pope himself is saying!..."
"Catholic Bloggers Ignoring the Pope's 'Fundamental Priority'?"
The Sacred Page (November 12, 2010)
I've discussed part of the weird side of 'Biblical' Christianity earlier today. (November 19, 2010)

Those two paragraphs from The Sacred Page reminded me of how strongly many 'cradle Catholics' seem to feel about Catholic liturgy. Or at least, about the way Mass was celebrated in 'the Good Old Days.'

Like I said, I'm a convert. I have no memories, fond or otherwise, of going to Mass as a child. Vatican II happened well before my conversion: and indirectly helped it along. It has to do with Humanae Vitae, and that's yet again another topic.

Mind you, I'm talking about the real Vatican II: not the sort of silly Cromwellism1 that gripped so many apparently over-enthusiastic and under-informed priests in America. Weird redecorating of the sanctuary and hiding the Host seemed high on the priorities of that 'in the spirit of Vatican II' nonsense.

It must have been terribly upsetting to folks who like the rich heritage of the Church.

I wasn't too crazy about the aftereffects, myself. I like places of worship that don't resemble sensory-deprivation chambers.


Now, that's a church.

I think I even understand - and sympathize a little - with some Catholics living in America who apparently decided that the Pope had gone crazy, the Vatican was in enemy hands, and that they alone were the one, real, Catholic Church. Note: "Understand" doesn't mean "agree with." The sympathy? Give me a running start, and I can sympathize - a little - with quite a lot of folks.

But that doesn't mean that I'd leave the church because I didn't like the decor in my parish.

There was more going on, of course, than vandalizing sanctuaries. From the sixties on, some really, really, weird ideas cropped up among the more 'with-it' nominal Catholics. (November 18, 2010)

As for quoting the Bible - sensibly? Well, I grew up as a Protestant - but I still cringe, sometimes, when I hear words like "Biblical." Though not, perhaps, for quite the same reason as a 'cradle Catholic' would. (November 19, 2010)

Somewhat-related posts:Views from another set of bloggers:
1"Cromwellism" doesn't seem to be a word - yet - but I think it should be. The neologism harks back to Oliver Cromwell, an English patriot of sorts. If he'd done his thing today, he'd probably be facing genocide charges. My opinion.

As it was, the Lord Protector's 'improvements' weren't universally appreciated in England: with the result that his body was dug up, hung, and beheaded - postmortem.

I'll admit to a bias here: I'm half-Irish, and converted to Catholicism, and don't appreciate what was done to my forebears. That's as far as it goes, though. Forgiveness, and all that. Which isn't my idea: it's standing orders from my Lord. (September 11, 2010, for starters)

2 comments:

Brigid said...

I'd still like to have a few words with Cromwell about using churches as stables and a few other little things he did to Ireland. Especially a little speech of his that boiled down to 'the only good Irishman is a dead one.'

Forgive? Yeah, I guess. It's a little easier for me since I didn't experience and of that personally, but that sure doesn't mean I like the guy. At all.

Brian H. Gill said...

Brigid,

Indeed.

I've found it useful to remember that we're commanded to love others. Liking someone or not is optional. It helps when emotions are lined up with our will, of course.

Like it? Pin it, Plus it, - - -

Pinterest: My Stuff, and More

Advertisement

Unique, innovative candles


Visit us online:
Spiral Light CandleFind a Retailer
Spiral Light Candle Store

Popular Posts

Label Cloud

1277 abortion ADD ADHD-Inattentive Adoration Chapel Advent Afghanistan Africa America Amoris Laetitia angels animals annulment Annunciation anti-catholicism Antichrist apocalyptic ideas apparitions archaeology architecture Arianism art Asperger syndrome assumptions asteroid astronomy Australia authority balance and moderation baptism being Catholic beliefs bias Bible Bible and Catechism bioethics biology blogs brain Brazil business Canada capital punishment Caritas in Veritate Catechism Catholic Church Catholic counter-culture Catholicism change happens charisms charity Chile China Christianity Christmas citizenship climate change climatology cloning comets common good common sense Communion community compassion confirmation conscience conversion Corpus Christi cosmology creation credibility crime crucifix Crucifixion Cuba culture dance dark night of the soul death depression designer babies despair detachment devotion discipline disease diversity divination Divine Mercy divorce Docetism domestic church dualism duty Easter economics education elections emotions England entertainment environmental issues Epiphany Establishment Clause ethics ethnicity Eucharist eugenics Europe evangelizing evolution exobiology exoplanets exorcism extremophiles faith faith and works family Father's Day Faust Faustus fear of the Lord fiction Final Judgment First Amendment forgiveness Fortnight For Freedom free will freedom fun genetics genocide geoengineering geology getting a grip global Gnosticism God God's will good judgment government gratitude great commission guest post guilt Haiti Halloween happiness hate health Heaven Hell HHS hierarchy history holidays Holy Family Holy See Holy Spirit holy water home schooling hope humility humor hypocrisy idolatry image of God images Immaculate Conception immigrants in the news Incarnation Independence Day India information technology Internet Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Jesus John Paul II joy just war justice Kansas Kenya Knights of Columbus knowledge Korea language Last Judgment last things law learning Lent Lenten Chaplet life issues love magi magic Magisterium Manichaeism marriage martyrs Mary Mass materialism media medicine meditation Memorial Day mercy meteor meteorology Mexico Minnesota miracles Missouri moderation modesty Monophysitism Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mother's Day movies music Muslims myth natural law neighbor Nestorianism New Year's Eve New Zealand news Nietzsche obedience Oceania organization original sin paleontology parish Parousia penance penitence Pentecost Philippines physical disability physics pilgrimage politics Pope Pope in Germany 2011 population growth positive law poverty prayer predestination presumption pride priests prophets prostitution Providence Purgatory purpose quantum entanglement quotes reason redemption reflections relics religion religious freedom repentance Resurrection robots Roman Missal Third Edition rosaries rules sacramentals Sacraments Saints salvation schools science secondary causes SETI sex shrines sin slavery social justice solar planets soul South Sudan space aliens space exploration Spain spirituality stem cell research stereotypes stewardship stories storm Sudan suicide Sunday obligation superstition symbols technology temptation terraforming the establishment the human condition tolerance Tradition traffic Transfiguration Transubstantiation travel Trinity trust truth uncertainty United Kingdom universal destination of goods vacation Vatican Vatican II veneration vengeance Veterans Day videos virtue vlog vocations voting war warp drive theory wealth weather wisdom within reason work worship writing

Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.