Why would we believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ if we don't act like it in a church. . .we walk in and see a trap set instead of a tabernacle, the altar looks like a card table, teenagers in shorts are handing out communion while the priest sits, there is no respect for the process or reserving the hosts after communion (just set them aside,) and most people have already walked out of the Church (straight from receiving the Eucharist) by then, not even waiting for the final blessing or knowing that there is one.
I think it really varies from diocese to diocese, and in some places even parish to parish. I'm not sure if it's the faith of our shepherds or of the community as a whole that drives that.
I've witnessed some of what you mentioned in different places, the opposite in others. I flirted with Lutheranism (long story...) in college because I found more reverence for their Communion (kneeling) than at any Mass I had been to in my life. I saw "Sunday best" instead of shorts and football jerseys. Then I discovered the TLM, but stopped attending that after I ended up in a diocese with lots of adoration in parishes and reverence for the Eucharist in the Ordinary Form (this was in my late 20s- I found peers, a sense of community and service opportunities there and not in the TLM...my experience with the Latin Mass doesn't mesh with this survey article).
I'm cautiously optimistic that the bishop's Eucharistic revival plans will help. There is a dire need for catechesis, adoration, and processions. I'm sure some priests and bishops will be more enthusiastic and effective than others in implementing it. It's hard to fix the problem when many of our leaders don't show reverence for the Eucharist.
Good question, but the decline over years says something. Either there was better catechesis or we have grown into into a culture that can not believe in spiritual, mystical things. . .
It's right in the article that the people who go to TLM have almost identical answers to the questions about the Eucharist, so apparently that is not the main or only problem.
The question about being in a state of sin is a bit oddly worded. I have thought that I’ve been in a state of sin and therefore didn’t not receive the Eucharist until I went to confession. It didn’t ask if they refrained from receiving when they thought they were unworthy to receive it.
I thought this also. Maybe people who regularly go to confession answer that they rarely feel that they shouldn't receive, because they are rarely at Mass when they shouldn't receive.
The surprisingly (to me) small numbers of people who say it's not realistic to think that priests and seminarians would not use porn and hookup apps (without the double negative -- it is realistic to think they WILL use those apps) may explain the relatively small numbers of people in favor of regulating tech for priests and seminarians. If you think people won't do something, you won't regulate it. I didn't monitor all my children's television viewing when they were young because we didn't have cable. I knew the same few shows they watched, and I bought the tapes they played. So in a survey about what kinds of viewing software we used, I would have said "none." (Yes, this actually happened to me in a focus group -- I was surprised that everyone else had software, and everyone else was surprised that I didnt' have cable.)
Can you please show the statistics for the following:
"We compared the answers given by those who say they attend a TLM regularly to other weekly Mass attenders on some of the more doctrinal questions in the survey, such as “I believe the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ” but found that rates of agreement were the virtually the same for both groups."
I would be interested in seeing the actual numbers on this.
Why would we believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ if we don't act like it in a church. . .we walk in and see a trap set instead of a tabernacle, the altar looks like a card table, teenagers in shorts are handing out communion while the priest sits, there is no respect for the process or reserving the hosts after communion (just set them aside,) and most people have already walked out of the Church (straight from receiving the Eucharist) by then, not even waiting for the final blessing or knowing that there is one.
I think it really varies from diocese to diocese, and in some places even parish to parish. I'm not sure if it's the faith of our shepherds or of the community as a whole that drives that.
I've witnessed some of what you mentioned in different places, the opposite in others. I flirted with Lutheranism (long story...) in college because I found more reverence for their Communion (kneeling) than at any Mass I had been to in my life. I saw "Sunday best" instead of shorts and football jerseys. Then I discovered the TLM, but stopped attending that after I ended up in a diocese with lots of adoration in parishes and reverence for the Eucharist in the Ordinary Form (this was in my late 20s- I found peers, a sense of community and service opportunities there and not in the TLM...my experience with the Latin Mass doesn't mesh with this survey article).
I'm cautiously optimistic that the bishop's Eucharistic revival plans will help. There is a dire need for catechesis, adoration, and processions. I'm sure some priests and bishops will be more enthusiastic and effective than others in implementing it. It's hard to fix the problem when many of our leaders don't show reverence for the Eucharist.
I hope you are right!
How does this explain that regular TLM goers have no difference in Eucharistic belief?
Good question, but the decline over years says something. Either there was better catechesis or we have grown into into a culture that can not believe in spiritual, mystical things. . .
Or both.
And what could the priest possibly mean when he says "Corpus Christi" as he gives you the host. . .
It's right in the article that the people who go to TLM have almost identical answers to the questions about the Eucharist, so apparently that is not the main or only problem.
I sincerely hope that all those practices stop. I have never seen those and I live in California.
Really?
Lots of weirdresults here. JD and Ed, I hope you discuss this one on the podcast!
The question about being in a state of sin is a bit oddly worded. I have thought that I’ve been in a state of sin and therefore didn’t not receive the Eucharist until I went to confession. It didn’t ask if they refrained from receiving when they thought they were unworthy to receive it.
I thought this also. Maybe people who regularly go to confession answer that they rarely feel that they shouldn't receive, because they are rarely at Mass when they shouldn't receive.
The surprisingly (to me) small numbers of people who say it's not realistic to think that priests and seminarians would not use porn and hookup apps (without the double negative -- it is realistic to think they WILL use those apps) may explain the relatively small numbers of people in favor of regulating tech for priests and seminarians. If you think people won't do something, you won't regulate it. I didn't monitor all my children's television viewing when they were young because we didn't have cable. I knew the same few shows they watched, and I bought the tapes they played. So in a survey about what kinds of viewing software we used, I would have said "none." (Yes, this actually happened to me in a focus group -- I was surprised that everyone else had software, and everyone else was surprised that I didnt' have cable.)
me: tell me something about the Church these days!
the Pillar: <produces this study>
me: tell me something
...
less frightening.
"This could suggests the kind of crosspollination of liturgical sensibilities reported anecdotally by some pastors and liturgists"
It's almost as if Pope Benedict new what he was doing...alas the likelihood of this happening is now greatly diminished.
Hello Brendan,
Can you please show the statistics for the following:
"We compared the answers given by those who say they attend a TLM regularly to other weekly Mass attenders on some of the more doctrinal questions in the survey, such as “I believe the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ” but found that rates of agreement were the virtually the same for both groups."
I would be interested in seeing the actual numbers on this.