We have a new Pope!

[Tangy Bee]

Ouch! I didn't realize Baptist services were that long. We had a Catholic church near my college that everyone called the "Drive-Through Church" because the masses were 40 minutes, max. The priests gave very short homilies (sermons) and there was little music. I was a little disappointed though when I went there for Easter one year and it was business as usual, though. That is my favorite holiday, church-wise, because of all the pomp and circumstance. (I don't care how annoyed I am with the Vatican... I will *always* go to Easter Vigil mass at a Catholic church! [Easter Vigil is the Saturday night before Easter.])

Yes! During summer months, some Baptist churches have "Revivals". This consists of TONS of singing, healing, praying, & preaching that might go past midnight because Revivals are held mostly after 6pm. Do Catholics hold Revivals?

[yetanothermeg]

Yes! During summer months, some Baptist churches have "Revivals". This consists of TONS of singing, healing, praying, & preaching that might go past midnight because Revivals are held mostly after 6pm. Do Catholics hold Revivals?

We have something similar in the summer months. We call it the parish festival. This consists of TONS of carnival rides, beer drinking, bingo, & rodent gambling. So, like, almost the same.

[mockingbird]

Yes! During summer months, some Baptist churches have "Revivals". This consists of TONS of singing, healing, praying, & preaching that might go past midnight because Revivals are held mostly after 6pm. Do Catholics hold Revivals?

Nope... we do have retreats, which seem like they could be similar depending on the style of the retreat, but they are always optional (they can be one day or night or a few days, or there are even online ones now that are more like devotionals) and usually for a targeted group like a women's retreat, teens, etc. We also have a few non-mass services. That basically means you don't celebrate the Eucharist and they are usually for sacraments like weddings (you can have a wedding mass too if you want), anointing of the sick, Reconciliation/confession services around Lent (you can get confession whenever you want, but this is where they do some readings and bring in a ton of priests so multiple people can get confession at the same time), etc. The longest mass is the Easter Vigil mass which is usually around 3 hours. It's once a year though so it doesn't get old as fast haha. There are 9 or 10 reading and the converts get baptized. I think midnight mass on Christmas can get pretty long too but I have never been.

ETA: We have a parish festival too, but there is usually zero religious element besides the opening mass. LOL

[Tangy Bee]

We have something similar in the summer months. We call it the parish festival. This consists of TONS of carnival rides, beer drinking, bingo, & rodent gambling. So, like, almost the same.

Parish Festival sounds like more fun!! :dance:

[fundietrashcan]

anyone think that the new pope looks like that dude from the phantasm movies?

[ceg045]

anyone think that the new pope looks like that dude from the phantasm movies?

Someone on Faacebook posted a picture of Bergoglio juxtaposed with Jeffrey Tambor (probably most notably George Bluth, Sr. on Arrested Development).

[divadivine]

Bwah! Seriously, why doesn't Abigail write "I heart Pope Francis!!!!" on her Trapper Keeper like he's Justin Bieber and get it over with?

I just posted this on my Facebook page:

"Well, I didn't get that job at the Vatican."

Don't give her any ideas. I'm sure she's already gotten her pack Sharpies ready and she's sketching the design while sitting at the Kitchen table.

[ADoyle90815]

Ouch! I didn't realize Baptist services were that long. We had a Catholic church near my college that everyone called the "Drive-Through Church" because the masses were 40 minutes, max. The priests gave very short homilies (sermons) and there was little music. I was a little disappointed though when I went there for Easter one year and it was business as usual, though. That is my favorite holiday, church-wise, because of all the pomp and circumstance. (I don't care how annoyed I am with the Vatican... I will *always* go to Easter Vigil mass at a Catholic church! [Easter Vigil is the Saturday night before Easter.])

My brother got married in one of those "Drive-through" Catholic churches, as while there was a full mass, everything was still over in an hour. I say that because the other masses that priest did lasted 45 minutes at the most, and that included the Easter Sunday one.

[Lillybee]

Andy Borowitz just posted this.

VATICAN CITY - College of Cardinals says white smoke was false alarm: "We were just burning documents."

[divadivine]

Nope... we do have retreats, which seem like they could be similar depending on the style of the retreat, but they are always optional (they can be one day or night or a few days, or there are even online ones now that are more like devotionals) and usually for a targeted group like a women's retreat, teens, etc. We also have a few non-mass services. That basically means you don't celebrate the Eucharist and they are usually for sacraments like weddings (you can have a wedding mass too if you want), anointing of the sick, Reconciliation/confession services around Lent (you can get confession whenever you want, but this is where they do some readings and bring in a ton of priests so multiple people can get confession at the same time), etc. The longest mass is the Easter Vigil mass which is usually around 3 hours. It's once a year though so it doesn't get old as fast haha. There are 9 or 10 reading and the converts get baptized. I think midnight mass on Christmas can get pretty long too but I have never been.

ETA: We have a parish festival too, but there is usually zero religious element besides the opening mass. LOL

Our Easter Vigil is Cray-Cray Wicked Mad Long and it's bilingual. The first year I was in the choir we had two new priests. They wanted to make the Mass more meaningful for everyone involved (English and Spanish speakers) so they decided to do the 7 readings with prayers and responsorials or antiphons in the between each. We had 40 people baptized, 65 received their First Communion and Confirmation, 2 received the sacrament of Confirmation and we had two Marriage Convalidations- one in English and one in Spanish- which is more or less where a couple is married in the eyes of the Church-- they just say their vows and everyone claps. I think we got out of Mass at 12:45 a.m. (Mass started at 9 pm...) The Hispanic parishioners went off to a feast in the parish hall while everyone else went home to sleep for a few hours before they had to be back for 9 am Mass. Oh, and in the middle of Mass a lady in the front row took a call on her cell phone.... and she proceeded to talk to the person on the other end.... I can't make this stuff up. It really happened. I'm surprised she didn't burst into flames right there.

Let's just say things were a lot different the next year. This year, they are only having the Catechumens go through Easter Vigil. The Candidates will go through their Rites at other Masses. This will cut down on some of the cray-cray, but not much. It just makes it easier for the Candidates because they don't have to wait around for 45 people to be baptized and sing Alleluia 45 times.

Actually, Holy Week is just CRAY-CRAY! You go to Church four times- Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter day. I started calling it "Massapolooza". I want to pitch my idea to Pope Francis. I think we could develop an app and sell t-shirts, bottles of Holy Water, bumper stickers, Virgin Mary night lights, etc. There would also be a "Stations of the Cross" app and some modern music for the youth of the Church. I think Pope Francis might like my idea.

Parish Festivals are the BEST! Lots of food, gambling and alcohol!!!!!!!!!!!!! Catholics throw the best festivals- no doubt about it!!

[mockingbird]

Our Easter Vigil is Cray-Cray Wicked Mad Long and it's bilingual. The first year I was in the choir we had two new priests. They wanted to make the Mass more meaningful for everyone involved (English and Spanish speakers) so they decided to do the 7 readings with prayers and responsorials or antiphons in the between each. We had 40 people baptized, 65 received their First Communion and Confirmation, 2 received the sacrament of Confirmation and we had two Marriage Convalidations- one in English and one in Spanish- which is more or less where a couple is married in the eyes of the Church-- they just say their vows and everyone claps. I think we got out of Mass at 12:45 a.m. (Mass started at 9 pm...) The Hispanic parishioners went off to a feast in the parish hall while everyone else went home to sleep for a few hours before they had to be back for 9 am Mass. Oh, and in the middle of Mass a lady in the front row took a call on her cell phone.... and she proceeded to talk to the person on the other end.... I can't make this stuff up. It really happened. I'm surprised she didn't burst into flames right there.

Let's just say things were a lot different the next year. This year, they are only having the Catechumens go through Easter Vigil. The Candidates will go through their Rites at other Masses. This will cut down on some of the cray-cray, but not much. It just makes it easier for the Candidates because they don't have to wait around for 45 people to be baptized and sing Alleluia 45 times.

Actually, Holy Week is just CRAY-CRAY! You go to Church four times- Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter day. I started calling it "Massapolooza". I want to pitch my idea to Pope Francis. I think we could develop an app and sell t-shirts, bottles of Holy Water, bumper stickers, Virgin Mary night lights, etc. There would also be a "Stations of the Cross" app and some modern music for the youth of the Church. I think Pope Francis might like my idea.

Parish Festivals are the BEST! Lots of food, gambling and alcohol!!!!!!!!!!!!! Catholics throw the best festivals- no doubt about it!!

LOL love it. The only time I've done "Massapalooza" was one year I was an altar server and everyone else was out of town so I got stuck with them all except Sunday. It was cool to see everything (the Good Friday service was really dramatic) but normally I don't even do Easter Sunday if I go to Vigil. I thought it counted lol.

I only go to the Vigil mass for the Litany of the Saints song to be honest... 8-) I love watching it but that is the best part for me. Also I have only been to churches with maybe 10 converts maximum. I don't know if I could do 45 haha.

[tropaka]

Just to add a little levity, an account from after the election:

Cardinal Dolan said the new pope showed his humility and humour shortly after his election Wednesday night.

Dolan said most of the cardinals had taken buses back to their residence in the Vatican and had lined up to greet the new pope as he arrived for their last meal as a group.

They were expecting him to arrive in the limousine that they had seen waiting for him at the base of the Apostolic Palace.

“And as the last bus pulls up, guess who gets off? It’s Pope Francis. I guess he told the driver, ‘That’s OK, I’ll just go with the boys,’ “ Dolan told reporters at the American seminary in Rome.

During the dinner, Dolan said the new pope showed his humorous side.

“We toasted him and when he toasted us he said: ‘May God forgive you,’ which brought the house down,†he said.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/ ... _side.html

Seems to me what could be expected from this Pope is action against sexual abuse and maybe advocacy for condoms etc as disease control. It would be nice to see a shift towards caring for the needy.

[darkplumaged]

[mg78]

From a 2011 article in the Guardian UK:

The one person born in Argentina whom I online-know is in horror over this choice.

There are a lot of stories about te ties of the Catholic Church with the militar goverment in Argentina. During this time thousands of people were "dissapeared" because of political causes. The Argentinian Church did not do anything about it.

Argentina poor class has no access to anticonceptives mainly because people like Bergoglio has lobbied thecstate against this. I really do not expect much changes...

[Irishy]

These look so damned delicious... Can't get em here.

[Arete]

Oh my goodness, you Catholics are such sissies when it comes to the length of your services! An Orthodox Easter Vigil and Ressurection Liturgy with clock you in at 5 hours if you go from start to finish. A regular Sunday Divine Liturgy with cost you about 2, give or take (depends how many languages your using).

One hour and three hours? Gird your loins, people! ;)

[Loveday]

Oh my goodness, you Catholics are such sissies when it comes to the length of your services! An Orthodox Easter Vigil and Ressurection Liturgy with clock you in at 5 hours if you go from start to finish. A regular Sunday Divine Liturgy with cost you about 2, give or take (depends how many languages your using).

One hour and three hours? Gird your loins, people! ;)

I start to get antsy if it even looks like Father Michael might go over the allotted hour on Sunday morning. :oops: :lol:

[Savoring Samsara]

Whenever I get stuck going to Mass with my very Catholic in-laws, I'm always shocked by how short the homily is. It usually clocks in under 10 minutes, most of which is usually ranting about some combination of atheism, Barack Obama, abortion, and/or teh gayz. Coming from a Unitarian Universalist church where most of the service is made up of a very cerebral, very liberal 25-minute-plus sermon, it's always a shock to my system. (I know that's still nothing on a good hour-long Pissing Preacher sermon-slash-complete-emotional-breakdown, but still.)

[Irishy]

Honestly, and in fairness I don't go to mass often. But I've never heard a homily on gays, abortion or anything controversial. It's usually something nicey nice and geared towards the kids.

[MaireadPearl]

Yeah, I have to say I've never heard a homily that even touched those topics. Granted, I haven't been to a regular Mass in almost two years, maybe that's changed. The ones I remember from my childhood/teen years when I was forced to attend Mass weekly were generally about charity, helping others, and a reflection on that day's readings and gospel passage.

[Savoring Samsara]

Honestly, and in fairness I don't go to mass often. But I've never heard a homily on gays, abortion or anything controversial. It's usually something nicey nice and geared towards the kids.

I have a feeling it's probably an American thing. The last time I went to Mass (which will be the last time I ever go, if I can help it) the priest started out with denouncing and condemning a local atheist activist from the pulpit by name, then launched into a lengthy tirade about how LGBT people are destroying society and the Church. For extra bonus hypocritical fun, the Gospel reading we had just heard was Matthew 22:34-40:

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sad'ducees, they came together.

35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.

36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

38 This is the great and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

And that is why nowadays when my in-laws ask me to go to Mass with them, I beg off for reasons of baby care so I don't have to subject myself to that stuff anymore. It will be interesting to see what happens when my kid gets older and I can't use him as an excuse so readily.

[Nothing2CHere]

We get to church maybe once a month, and the homily is usually a reflection on that day's gospel reading. I've never heard an anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-Barack Obama homily in my church or any other Catholic church I've attended. (Which is good, because if I did, I would walk out.) I'm in the US. I'm also in the northern part of Ohio, which does tend to be more liberal than, say, the rest of Ohio.

Now, the eparchy* newsletter that comes once a month, I don't even bother reading that any more because that's where the gay-marriage-is-evil-we-must-save-all-the-babieeeeezzzzzz stuff can be found. I don't even bother reading that any more, and when it comes I usually ask my husband, "Do you want to read the anti-abortion newsletter that came in the mail today?" It usually goes straight into recycling nowadays.

*eparchy = same thing as a diocese in the Roman Catholic church; I'm Byzantine Catholic, so our services are kind of like the Orthodox church, but we follow the pope. Supposedly Pope Francis is familiar with the Byzantine Rite, so maybe yea us?

[Savoring Samsara]

I'm glad to hear that my experiences at Mass are not universal in the US. I must just live in a particularly annoying diocese. I'm in a fairly liberal area of the United States, but the archbishop here is renowned for stunts like mailing a virulently anti-gay DVD to every single Catholic household in the area...then months later announcing that the church was so short on money that it was going to have to close or consolidate a large number of parishes. Uh, just a thought, but maybe if you didn't spend all your money on spam DVDs, you would have enough to keep your churches open?

[Cran]

If you hear such a sermon again, you can gently *g* remind the priest that the homily at mass is supposed to be an explanation of the gospel read in mass today, and not a platform to air personal views.

[Diana]

i always found soo long and boring the 45 min - 1 h masses, i cant imagine 3 or more hours haha

I never heard in a catholic mass a priest talking about topics like gays or abortion..and i even attended a opus related one, it was always a reflection on the gospel, and bible lectures.

i attended a catholic school too, and we had sexual education and all. For what i read here i see that the catholic church is more radical in the usa.