My second of two letters with the Junior Year Abroad Network at Georgetown, this one takes a look at the contemporary Catholic Church here in Buenos Aires:
One of the unique things about the Catholic mass is that it has the same structure all over the world. On any day of the year, people in India will hear the same gospel that is read in Germany, with the only difference being the language. No matter the continent or hemisphere, there is the same Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist and all of the lines and prayers within both are also the same. However, the style of the mass and how it is delivered can differ greatly, within the same city, or even within the same parish. It’s one of the main variations within the Catholic Church – as anybody who’s been to both the 5:30 mass and 8:30 mass at our own Dahlgren Chapel on campus can attest to. In an appeal to its youth many parishes have become more contemporary in their presentation of the mass-putting forth a style that strays from the traditional structure.
This same distinction can be seen in Buenos Aires, with the presentation of the mass and the style of the parish varying throughout the city. While nearly 88% of the 2001 population was baptized Catholic according to a recent study by the Agencia Informativa Católica Argentina, the number of practicing Catholics is drastically lower, especially in the capital. As the practicing population ages, some chruches have taken to this more contemporary approach that can be seen throughout the United States as well.
The first few masses I attended here in Buenos Aires were very traditional, especially the mass at the National Cathedral. Traditional hymns were sung -accompanied by only a large organ, and the priests wore decorative vestments and spoke from a pulpit on the altar. While my sample size is too small to draw any definitive conclusions, I think its worth noting that the majority of those in attendence were elderly individuals, and in the case of the Cathedral, more people wandered in to take pictures of the side chapels and San Martin’s tomb than to celebrate the mass.
A few weeks later I stumbled upon a more “modern” presentation of the mass in Villa Crespo, the neighborhood where I live. Within the first few minutes I could tell that this mass was going to be very different, as the opening hymn was accompanied by youth on a few guitars and a drum, and a young priest with long flowing hair came down the aisle wearing a simple white robe. The music was persistent throughout the mass, with peaceful guitar picking and song even accompanying the consecration of the eucharist, one of the most sacred parts of the mass. During the sermon, the young priest opted to walk amidst the first few rows with his Bible in hand rather than lecturing from the pulpit.
While the church is nearly full of people of all ages nearly every Sunday, the parish’s youth is one of the most active groups within the church. After each mass, a twenty-something altar boy studying to be a priest leads a prayer session exclusively for jóvenes, or young people. A theme is put forth for reflection amidst the guitars and the singing of a contemporary song. While the traditional prayer, “Our Father,” closes each 10-15 minute session, the experience is far more contemporary than anything I have experienced in the Catholic Church.
The youth group also holds small get-togethers at the church once or twice a month as well. In the first that I attended, the young priest had prepared an exercise to better illustrate how Jesus’ resurrection from the cross liberates us from our sins and imperfections. Throwing a large rope in the middle of the circle, he had us close our eyes and then used the rope to bind us to others in the group in uncomfortable positions, and then had us open our eyes and undo the loose knots a few minutes later. It was untraditional way to convey a traditional Catholic message. More song and fellowship closed the evening, along with the grilling of a staple of the Argentine asado, the churripan, a brat-like sausage sandwhich.
Finally, the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) in Buenos Aires on Good Friday was one example of a contemporary touch blended into a very traditional practice. Organized by the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 2003, this ancient Catholic tradition combined traditional Catholic hymns and prayers, such as the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary,” with a contemporary acting out of the first and last three stations of the cross amid a stage at both the beginning and the end of the march down Avenida de Mayo. While people of all ages made up the 40,000 strong crowd, young families and young adults seemed to make up the majority. The acting out of the twelfth station, in which Jesus dies on the cross, was even accompanied by claps of thunder played over a loudspeaker.
Only time will tell if this variation of the presentation of the mass is something that sticks with the Catholic Church. But at the very least, in appealing to its youth, it seem as if the Church is consistent across the world – not only in the traditional structure of the mass, but in its evolution as well.
3 Comments to "The Catholic Church, its Youth and the Contemporary Mass in Buenos Aires"
hey david
i found this interesting. which mass did you prefer? once at a st. mike’s thanksgiving mass in the 1970s we had two modern dancers on the altar. Once at niagara univ. a modern dance woman did a “liturgical, interpretive dance prayer”. the priest who had the mass wouldn’t even look up when she was dancing. he didn’t like the idea of her there during the mass (it was another’s priest idea who was his boss in campus ministry).
changes in the church remind me of education. education tries new innovative ideas and then every few years says we have to get back to the basics (i.e. reading and writing). the basics of the mass is the eucharist.
sacred heart had it’s last closing mass. i’m going to miss it.
Personally, I preferred the more contemporary mass. While the consistency of the mass is its defining characteristic I think at a lot of churches there is a lack of true passion for what is actually taking place-sometimes it seems like priests and even the whole parish are just going through the motions week in and week out. I liked when the priest moved throughout and down the center aisle, making eye contact with individuals and giving an engaging sermon instead of just reading from the pulpit.
After the consecration, I found the slight finger picking and gentle singing of “Jesús, tu eres la persona más imporante en este lugar” (Jesus, you are the most important person in this place) to be really refreshing. During the liturgy of the Eucharist I often find my mind wanders, and this really brings me back into the mass in reminding me that myself and my wandering thoughts are far less important than what’s taking place.
I would agree with you in that some contemporary additions can be distractions. However, when they are incorporated to reinforce the idea that “Jesús, tu eres la persona más imporante en este lugar” I think they can be incredibly valuable.
It’s easy to tell when a priest is saying the Mass versus when the priest is praying the Mass.
As in college and high school classes – it is hard to be motivated when the Instructor just reads to the class. Unfortunately, in our Mass, too many prayers are read, the Scriptures are read, the liturgy of the Word is read, the final blessing is read – our prayers need to be more heartfelt and not just read.
May God be with you always and everywhere,
Brian