Is it Okay to Joke or Clap During Mass?

[@MyImmaculateQueen]

My local church has become a cabaret act with plenty of jokes, laughter and clapping, even a jumble sale at the back of the church sometimes. The tabernacle is hidden to the side of the church behind a large stone pillar. The priest has become an entertainer and it's all about everyone feeling nice. My childhood priest was old school, talked about hell fire and judgement but he was more real to me. This is serious, it's all about the salvation of souls, I personally don't like laughing and clapping in church.

[@aruljohnbosco6987]

We have to be definitive in articulating that there MUST be no humor/joke/clapping during the Holy Mass. Period. It's the non-bloody sacrificial ceremony and there's no place for joke, laughter and clapping. If you give an ambiguous answer, then only the worse would be chosen. Ave Maria.

[@jesseseva2219]

The mass is a celebration of the Passion Death and RESURRECTION. There is a place for PROPER HUMOR in mass. should we wear sack cloth during mass too?

[@ShareYourCatholicFaith]

Amen. Praise be to God. 😇

[@janetyoung1269]

I put those two situation with Holloween Costumes, Puppet Masses, And even favorite items place on a casket. at a non-Catholic person being buried from a Catholic Church. just because the parents were Catholic.

[@larkbird9247]

Totally disagree. The MASS is not, contrary to peoples' belief, a meeting. It is a solemn reenactment of the Crucifixion (Ultimate Sacrifice) of our Lord. It's not even a place to preach/teach the Faith.

[@Saint_Magnapinna]

> It's not even a place to preach/teach the Faith. than how are people going to learn anything about the faith?

[@larkbird9247]

@ Anton P. ----- congregants are supposed to be taught the faith by their parents/clergy/studying the works/classes. Yes, a priest should be teaching his congregation, but NOT at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a sacred rite - not a meeting or a classroom (or shouldn't be).

[@aaronsmedina]

+Lark Bird What about during the homily?

[@7James77]

The Mass is not a Reenactment. It is Calvary. It is the Sacrifice done in 33 A.D. The Priest does not "reenact" The Priest completes the purpose of Calvary which is the Eucharist by Transubstantion. As well as you are incorrect on teaching the Faith and Preaching.

[@BenjaminMankowski]

Peter's first time speaking after the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles involved humor. "These men are not drunk. It is only 9:30 in the morning." That said, the rest of his speech to the people wasn't all one big joke.

[@KaiseRex42]

Oh don't be so po-faced! It is a part of human interaction that humour is a great way of getting a message of gravity over. Pope John Paul the second nearly at every homily would joke with his congregation. Indeed Jesus in Scripture stresses important messages with the prevision of "I tell you solemnly" which means/implied he has just been joking with his Apostles but is stressing a point of not a joke. BUT humour is always a personal thing and to not always get the joke . .be it from a cleric, pope or God himself is also part of our humanity and we do not all celebrate every joke .. .but please stop being so po faced about it!

[@larkbird9247]

@KaiseRex42 ---- There is nothing I find humorous in that a Solemn Rite of Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ has been turned into a performance complete with emcee instead of a priest, whose job is to lead us through the Solemn Rite. I mean seriously, who jokes or claps at the crucifixion of our Lord? Only those who don't really believe He is real and present to yet again give His Sacred Body and Blood to us, whom He loves.

[@KaiseRex42]

Well I would agree with you . . .but nobody is stating that the Mass should be ridiculed! That would be grave sin. BUT God gives humanity the ability to Praise the Lord with Laughter! This means a sense of humour can be used to express devotion and even theological appreciation. The problem is that Religion in many places can become a leviathan of serious problems. The soul can be crushed by the reality of faith . . .hence to balance this reality we Catholics have Hope. So whilst I agree that the solemnity of the Mass is important, Clerics, pastors, popes etc are allowed to use Humour not to ridicule the Mass but to inspire hope and generosity and Charity. Of course humour is not always appreciated by everybody all the time. Some may laugh at one thing and others find it silly but that is not an argument against humour par-se. Lastly Lark Bird try to see that God enjoys laughter when appropriate such as in the Homily? It communicates humanity in his ministers and his people and does not properly offend his Divine Majesty.

[@etrnlygr8tful87]

I'm pretty sure that the clapping did not happened in any random part of the mass, if ever it would be during the homily or prior to the last blessing at the end of the mass when the Priests makes some announcements, like sometimes to acknowledge moms on Mother's day or Dad's on Father's day that falls on a Sunday , so during the mass the Priests would ask them to stand up and ask the parishioners to clap in their honor or when the congregation achieved a project goal. they would clap about too. I don't see anything wrong with that.

[@KaiseRex42]

etrnlygr8tful. Good. And clapping "may" occur when the congregation sing. In the West with our often very Dull services, where any type of emotion can be crushed by the idea of "Oh what if these people think I am foolish. ." "I can't sing" or "I hope nobody sees me" . . .and Restraint is prized over emotion, some. . indeed many Catholic Masses in third world nations are exuberant and clapping can be part of the celebration and in keeping with the notion that the mass is supposed to be sung properly anyway! Good point.