tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30490922.post4846076544862583861..comments2024-03-26T12:56:54.350+00:00Comments on LMS Chairman: A note on babies in church, from 1921Latin Mass Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17951084157414901564noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30490922.post-44696316294103519042018-08-14T14:22:38.751+01:002018-08-14T14:22:38.751+01:00I don't mind babies but parents who let their ...I don't mind babies but parents who let their kid play with noisy toys or have tantrums get on my nerves. I once sat next to a woman whos three year old reached into my purse and took out the pill box. That couldve turned tragic and I was very glad when the mother moved to a different pew the next week. That kid was such a terror that people were relieved when she stopped coming to the evening Mass.Dymphnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01469622835449220113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30490922.post-42562774394257381202018-08-13T21:42:59.494+01:002018-08-13T21:42:59.494+01:00It’s sad, today, because some people do not know h...It’s sad, today, because some people do not know how to parent and their children rule the roost. They scream and scream and climb all over and some parents seem clueless. Or worse, some parents today have only 1 or 2 children and treat them like gods. If they treated God with respect and the priest and the others who are at Mass, they might actually consider trying to quiet their own child/ children or taking them to the back or outside or in the bathroom for a few minutes to quiet them. Usually, the parents who actually spend time and give good attention to their children have well behaved children in church. I’m one of 7 children and my Catholic mother took us to Mass and never had any trouble with us. I took my own children to Mass and they were quiet and well behaved. I was a director of a day care of approx. 40 children and they can all behave well and be happy and quiet, if you treat them well and give them the proper attention, care, and guidance, including special needs children.Prayprayprayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17969335585903492626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30490922.post-84290263110763143302018-08-13T18:30:33.947+01:002018-08-13T18:30:33.947+01:00I admit I used to get quite irritable about crying...I admit I used to get quite irritable about crying babies in Church - but age brings patience and empathy, and these days I am generally just happy to see young families at Mass (especially at the TLM, as this is the next generation that will grow up to carry on the old traditions after we are all gone; I was delighted to see the tiny girl in front of me enthusiastically singing the Salve Regina at the end of Mass yesterday). If I do catch myself getting a bit annoyed, I quietly say a prayer for the little ones (and their parents) and ask the Lord to watch over them and keep them safe and faithful as they grow up.<br /><br />Of course it has to work both ways, and while we should all try to be patient and welcoming to young families, there should also be understanding for those who genuinely struggle to tolerate loud, high-pitched noises (e.g., some on the autism spectrum with sensory issues) - don't automatically assume someone is a judgemental child-hater if they flinch or put their hands over their ears!MAethelflaedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08975846482564955637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30490922.post-23896255371197949632018-08-13T15:53:53.328+01:002018-08-13T15:53:53.328+01:00Yes, pews are actually a Protestant import and wer...Yes, pews are actually a Protestant import and were not much liked by Pugin, Fortescue, and other experts, cluttering up the nave as they do, impeding the Stations, side altars and so on. <br /><br />Regarding babies, personally I'd rather they stayed home or at least moved to the porch. It's a house of prayer after all and few things frustrate this end more than wailing babies - full voiced conversation being another.beadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14769156558523270637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30490922.post-8786835868799194262018-08-13T12:47:57.109+01:002018-08-13T12:47:57.109+01:00Also, we should support (allow) breastfeeding in c...Also, we should support (allow) breastfeeding in church when necessary.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13858873453982708283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30490922.post-23891682471561922042018-08-13T12:45:51.173+01:002018-08-13T12:45:51.173+01:00I'm told pews are a post-reformation invention...I'm told pews are a post-reformation invention, and that older churches, and still many Eastern churches, were without them. I've heard it's common during in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in these pew-less churches for the children to be escorted around the church in order to venerate the various Holy Icons.<br /><br />Surely it's quite unnatural and difficult for an infant to sit still in a pew for any length of time. It might be convenient to have a place in the church where the children can roam about a bit, particularly if you could involve them in something pious. This might be difficult to arrange without distracting those sitting in the harshly regimented rows of pews, though, and the idea of "active participation" in the liturgy has given many the impression that following the bare text and vocalising the responses is the only really legitimate way of being present at Mass. <br /><br />I think we have to be especially tolerant in the case of lone mothers bringing their children along, because it seems the mother has a much harder time shutting up an infant than a father (although not necessarily the case for crying babies, where the mother probably has a better chance).<br /><br />Interestingly, I get the impression from St Thérèse' autobiography that in her 19th century French Catholic household that the children were considered too young to attend Mass until they reached a certain age. There's an episode where Thérèse has to wait for her older sister to come home from Mass so that she can receive the "blessed bread" (not the Eucharist) from her, being too young to attend herself. I wonder how common and widespread that was then.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13858873453982708283noreply@blogger.com