I hardly think being too informal isn’t the biggest issue affecting the atmosphere at Catholic churches. Nonetheless, a few priests in the Diocese of Leeds in England came to the conclusion that it’s inappropriate to say “good morning” after standing in front of the congregation and making the sign of the cross. So they’ve decided they’re no longer going to do it.
Mass isn’t social hour, I guess the reasoning goes, so sit down and shut up:
A spokesman for the diocese said: “The review of the liturgy is looking at whether there are elements of the service that have become a bit too distracting.
“People might argue that if you go in to a house, you say ‘hi’, but the priest is not going in to a house. He is going in to a sacred service. We need to emphasise that the priest is president of the community and is presiding at the service.
“It is a debate that has been going on in the Church for a long time – are we doing a cabaret or are we actually celebrating the Eucharist?”
