Fighting About Latin Mass

 

A family friend became a Lutheran minister late in life. She shared some of the experience from the "inside." One of the things was how locked in some in her congregations were to what happened during a church service. Experimentation was risky. 

During the decades I was a regular church attendee I was no different. After years of going though the service, nodding and moving on from people I did not know or did not really want to engage in conversation with I looked forward to chatting with those I liked at the coffee time after the service. Then, like a bolt of lightning, this new fade came into churches. In the middle of the service the preacher would say, "Please greet the friends sitting near you." There was uncomfortable mumbling and handshakes and it was back to the service. I hated that. Shaking hands is unsanitary, making conversation without getting acquainted was not meaningful. Sometime people would say something religious like "God bless you" and I could not respond.

With Catholics the rituals are even more heavy. Some people grew up hearing Latin Mass and can't stand to hear it in English, Spanish or any other local language. They are at war over this. The link suggests churches allow one Latin Mass per month. Others demand only Latin. 

I wonder if technology now allows instant translations. Those who want hear Latin could wear headsets that piped in Latin when the priest was using something else. 

Another choice is the one becoming more popular each year. Don't go to mass.