Dear Editor, The failure of the Catholic Church to note the very pragmatic steps taken by other religions to help congregations is odd. Why, when providing resources that can help the celebration of Mass, does our Church fail so often and so miserably – certainly in Ireland – to venture out of old habits and instead embrace this era of information technology?
For example, why is it that even in the biggest churches, it is so rare to see large flat-screens and video cameras installed throughout the church to enable people to actually see and appreciate what is happening on the altar? Why are seats – if not all, then perhaps some – bereft of audio loops which enable those who are hard of hearing to plug in earpieces and clearly appreciate the Word?
Since sacred music has such a rich tradition in the Catholic Church, why are hymnals or sheets with song lyrics not made available to the congregation – is there some commandment somewhere, which I have missed, which says “thou shalt listen but thou shalt not sing”?
A government-sponsored initiative some years ago led to the installation of floodlights outside many churches, but why are the insides left dark when the installation of coloured lighting can enrich the atmosphere during an off-peak visit?
Certainly, ‘new ideas’ are not always so great – whoever thought it was a good idea to use electric-powered candles instead of good-old wax candles must have had safety in mind since it is otherwise an ugly ‘upgrade’. My pennies are reserved for the offerings boxes which accompany real tapers.
Yours etc.,
Declan Rankin,
Donnycarney, Dublin 9.