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Liturgical dancing and gestures during mass Gabriel Monday, January 13, 2014

Question:

Is it appropriate to do the following during mass:
1. At the start of the mass, Liturgical dancers dance towards the altar ahead of the priest holding pots with incense or a stick with streamers at the end of it. Usually done during Lenten season.
2. Also during Lent, when we sing "Come Holy Spirit" or it's equivalent in Latin, the people are asked to slowly raise arms with palms up and genly lower them while wiggling the fingers. A couple of Eucharistic dancers stand in front of the altar facing the assembly or sometimes inviting some of the mass attendees to join them in front.
3. At Christmas season, the assembly is invited to slowly move the arms upward then cross them on the chest as they are lowered during the response to the prayers of the faithful
4. "Flexibility" during youth mass like altar servers wearing short skirts without an alb, clapping while singing songs during mass.
5. Holding hands when we pray the Lord's prayer although I thought I already heard from our parish priest about a year ago during a teaching mass that it should not be done. But it is still happening. How about the orans posture during this prayer?
6. Should "lively" music be played in mass just to satisfy the parishioners who want a lively mass?

Are any of these really allowed in the liturgy?

We go to a church in California. The vicar priest admitted he is a "liberal" or "progressive" during a teaching night attended mostly by fellow parishioners who called themselves "Vatican II" Catholics. The parish priest has not said anything about being "liberal" or anything like it but he and the vicar priest have known each other for a long time.

Thank you very much.
Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek

Dear Gabriel,

None of these things are acceptable.  The Holy Mass is a sacrifice... not a circus. So dancing is inappropriate.  About the waving of the arms and fingers, the holy Mass is a prayer, not an aerobics class.

The Liturgy has very specific instructions to which nothing can be added.  All the items you mentioned, even though some are very popular, are still personal innovations that do not belong to Sacred Liturgy, which is not a personal prayer but rather the universal prayer of the Church.

One thing though, you asked about "lively" music...  There is nothing wrong with lively music, some sacred music written by the great composers can be VERY lively.  :-)  However I think you meant to ask about drums and guitars and such... yes they are also lively but in the US they are too closely associated with secular music and therefore are inappropriate for sacred use.

Mr. Slavek
Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers.

(b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks.

(c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively.