Dear John:

I have deleted your identical post in the Defending the Faith Forum. Your question is not germane to that Forum. And, it is not permitted to post the same question on two forums.

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I agree with you that the adoration chapel, or the nave of the Church with the Blessed Sacrament on the Altar, wherever Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place, should be a place of solemn silence. God tell us in the Bible, "Be Still and Know that I am God."

This is also true for the nave of the Church. In most parishes the nave of the Church after Mass sounds like a sports arena after a game. Shameful. The Sanctuary and the Nave of the Church ought to be a solemn place of peace and decorum 24 hours per day.

One time, after a Mass, I knelt at my pew, bowed my head, and was in a gesture of obvious prayer for several minutes when a couple came up to me to welcome we to the parish. I appreciated the welcome, but not the rude interruption of my prayer. While they talked to me I remained kneeling. They did not get the hint. They were well intentioned, but obviously did not think before they acted.

I  understood that and did not get mad or even irritated. I talked with them politely, still kneeling, and then returned to my prayer when they left.

Oftentimes the problem is that people just do not think before they act. This can happen to anyone, but it is true that it happened more today since the past couple of generations have never been taught the virtues of those virtue of consideration for others, anticipating others' needs, and courtesy.

Whatever the cause of those who disturb the silence and prayer in Adoration, those people are not blasphemous. What they are is rude.

Rudeness does seem to be the standard behavior in today's world. My generation, perhaps the last generation to be taught this regularly, learned virtues I mentioned above, such as consideration for others, anticipating others' needs, and courtesy. These virtues, and the maturity they require, are lost in today's society.

In terms of the Adoration Chapel, if one is alone, there is no problem praying or reading out loud, or even singing if the Spirit moves. But, if others are present, then courtesy and consideration of others comes into play. One should then pray, read, or even sing only within their own minds. Even whispering can be a problem. Silence should be the rule.

Rather than getting bent out of shape when the silence is broken, pray for these people. Under no circumstance should one get mad and certainly one should not commit the crime (grave sin) of rash judgment. John, to characterize these people as who inappropriately speak in tongues during Adoration as an "sanctimonious display of holiness" is utterly inappropriate for you to say. It is rash judgment since you do not know their hearts. I suggest your need to confess this crime in the Sacrament of Confession.

As to your analysis of tongues itself, I agree to a point. There is a legitimate gift of tongues. It is just that most in the Charismatic Renewal never experience that, even if they think they do.

I wrote a major essay on this subject that was actually placed into our Rule of St. Michael. The essay details the pros and cons of the Renewal, quotes bishops and popes, and exposes what I call the Pentecostal contaminations that most, but not all, Catholic Charismatics allow into their thinking and practices.

Here is the link for that essay called, Charism Gifts Building Up the Church (pdf file).

Any suffering you experience because of these rude people, offer it up to God for them and for all, especially those who need God's grace.

Merry Christmas.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary