Some thoughts on Mass Attendance Figures (Dec 2000)
The Catholic Directory's latest set of figures makes depressing reading. We now have a situation where attendance at Holy Mass is almost as low as the figures for Anglican attendance at their services. The difference being that it is obligatory for Catholics to attend Mass, whereas it has always been a very different situation in the C of E. The first sign of lapsing for a Catholic is failing to attend Mass. There are now less that 1 million Catholics attending Mass weekly. That's official. There are by contrast 1.7 million Muslims attending their services weekly. Their figures are considerably improved on last year's.
Not News
To many of us, this headlong rush in the wrong direction is not news. Statistically there is an excellent case to be made simply by correlating pre- and post-Vatican II figures. You can draw from those figures several conclusions, from the effects of the abandonment of the Latin Traditional Mass to the state of Society in general. Like most LMS members, I have no doubt that the catalyst in this auto-destruction has been the liturgical changes and their attendant changes in attitude amongst the faithful. Principally though, I believe the crisis lies in our failure to grasp the enormity of the importance of Holy Mass.
The Mass itself
Too long we have fought our corner quietly. There is more to supporting the Traditional Liturgy than just attending it from time to time. We need to be very clear outwardly in our beliefs and not hesitate to communicate them to others, including those who attend or prefer the New Mass. We must inculcate afresh a far greater appreciation for what the Mass is. The idea that it is just some sort of holy community meal or parish get-together is not good enough. Look how careless people are in Church: careless in attitude, their general disposition and their understanding of it. The liturgy is still often allowed in places to be celebrated in a banal and casual manner, minimising the dignity due to Our Lord. When laity are allowed to handle the Blessed Sacrament and lay ministers to all intents and purposes seem to hold the same status as the priest on the sanctuary, kneeling for Communion is impossible or actively discouraged, what hope is there for vocations or proper awe of the Real Presence?
Young are not fooled
The symbolism of the new ways is a very strong indicator, particularly to the young who are sensitive to these things. A young man in his twenties, recently returned to the Church and who had never known the Old Mass, having once "discovered" it, felt immediately at home. He knew no Latin and found at first the ceremony difficult, but in comparison with the new Liturgy found the latter shallow in comparison as well as not liking the constant need for intrusive participation. Yet still we see aging congregations. How many young people could be included in a deeper and more stable faith were they only present? Do we talk to them about it? Does anyone?
Peace of God's House
The Blessed Sacrament's presence is still not always clearly displayed in Church. People frequently chat loudly to each other in Church – even on their way back from Holy Communion – and leave at the first opportunity.
Sometimes during distribution of Communion or in the general stampede straight after Mass. Where has the quiet devotion gone and the peace of God's House?
Who Cares?
Who these days, cares if someone lapses or leaves the parish? Where is the thirst for souls that should fire us and our clergy? Converts are down too of course. False ecumenism over 30 years, preaching indifferentism and wholly erroneous "sameness" has seen to that, and where, one asks, did it get us? Look at the statistics.
How many priests still visit their parishioners? – Overworked as they are and bogged down in bureaucracy and endless committees. Some few cannot be bothered, of course, whilst others run themselves ragged daily trying to be good pastors to their flock.
Does anyone still go to Confession? There alone is a whole sacrament in neglect – who could ever have foreseen that - the very one we all need most! This is not a catalogue of my own prejudices. I believe that these very things have materially contributed to the mess we are now in after 30 largely wasted years. It is high time we took stock and acted.
The Church gives us Certainty
Set in all this, we still have the certainties that the Church brings: the Sacraments, the Gospel, the means to Salvation. That has not and cannot change. If the Church has grown in the past when it has been under siege, then it will do so again. But this dull acceptance of the inevitable decline and the complacency surrounding these latest figures by the Catholic Media Office (comments to The Times of 18th Dec) which suggested that the pattern of Mass attendance had changed (ie people go but not longer every week) as though that were acceptable will just not do. There needs to be a new zeal, not just to fill up the benches, but to combat a Godless age and save souls.
We ignore Mass attendance figures at our peril. There are of course other measurements of success or failure, but attendance at Mass touches the heart of our practice of the Catholic Faith. They matter very much. Let's hear no more feeble excuses
Jeremy Boot
[Taken from the Latin Mass Society's February 2001 Newsletter.]