Taking photographs in Church

L

liaconn

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I was at a First Communion on Saturday where, at the start of the ceremony, the priest asked people to be discreet if they wanted to take photos during the Mass. He also reminded them that there'd be plenty of opportunities to take photographs afterwards. Despite this loads of parents were standing up in their seats and in the middle of the aisle, blocking other people's view of the altar and clicking away when it was their child's turn to do something. Not just taking one photograph but loads, so they were standing for ages and other people had to crane their necks to see what was going on. What part of 'discreet' did they not understand?
 
I wonder why they bother at all. These pics in the church are usually rubbish. What bugs me more is people like me were expected to stand round PCs looking at them.
 
I was at a christening where the grandmother was on the altar for practically the whole cermony taking pictures, it was mortifying, there's a time and a place!
 
I think it's a bit flash and disrespectful to take photos in churches at the best of times. Doubly so if specific requests are made for restraint.
 
In my experience, of my son's first Holy Communion last year, many of the parents in the Church were there for the first time, either ever or in a long time.

That may explain some of the basis for the lack of respect.
 
At Easter Sat night vigil mass there was a couple of babies christened during it. Now bearing in mind Easter mass vigil is solemn, there was candles, darkness, no music and people interested in the religious aspect of the mass. One of the babies entire family paraded onto alter to watch the baby being baptised and it was a photo shoot if ever there was one, really OTT and inappropriate. Last Sat at my brothers First Communion there was plenty taking pics not discreetly despite being asked not to.
 
At the church my son did his communion and confirmation there is a blanket ban on photograps or filming during the service. There are always a couple of chancers but either the priest or one of the teachers will ask them to stop, particularly embarrassing if it's the priest who asks as he will stop the service to do so! There's ample opportunity for pictures after the event.

Now, if only they would come down as hard on people texting throughout the service - what could be so important it can't wait?
 
TarfHead said:
In my experience, of my son's first Holy Communion last year, many of the parents in the Church were there for the first time, either ever or in a long time.

That may explain some of the basis for the lack of respect.
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I agree. Likewise, some relatives let their toddlers scream and roar even though they were drowning out Communion children up on the altar doing readings or singing solo parts of hymns. The poor kids (including my nephew) had been practising for months and the parents and grandparents had been dying for their child's big moment, but this didn't seem to bother these people.
 
If the catholic church insist on indoctrinating kids at such an early age then its the least they can put with for for new members...
 
It is the parents who insist on their child making Communion even though they don't practise their religion, not the Church. How does a child making their Communion make them a 'new member'?
 
The_Banker said:
If the catholic church insist on indoctrinating kids at such an early age then its the least they can put with for for new members...
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Children receiving their first Holy Communion are not 'new members'; they would have been baptised into the Church before then.

And it's the parents who insist on their child being part of the Church. If that is important to the parents, they should demonstrate respect for the sacrament and for the Church.

Which, of course, is dragging this thread off in another direction, but sure that's probably why you trolled in the first place ?
 
Not a throll. I may not have made my point as well as I wanted to so I will clarify….

Kids in Ireland will predominately go to a Catholic School because the vast majority of schools in Ireland are catholic. Even if a child isn’t catholic (not baptised) a child will still want to make his/her communion when he sees all his friends making communion and talking about the money that will be made… Parents will want there children to make communion because no one wants to see there child left out.
The whole system of education and religion is intertwined in this country that it is nearly impossible for people to opt out…

Therefore, as the church is using education to bring in new people every year the least they can put up with is parents disrespecting the church to get a few pictures of Johnny or Mary in there best clothes…

So to put my point bluntly… The church has used the education system in this country for years, so what if parent use the church for a few photos on a Childs “special” day.

That might sound mercenary towards the church but to be honest, I don’t really care.
 
I think you will find that the Church are not the ones who have turned First Holy Communions into big extravaganzas. Most of those in charge would far prefer that it returned to a simple, religious ceremony that only children from practising families took part in. However, can you imagine the furore if they insisted that school uniforms be worn, tried to stop money being handed out, spoke out against parties and fancy dos being associated with the day, insisted that only children who were brought to mass regularly could partake?
And it is not simply the priests etc that people are dis-respecting, it is the genuine Catholics in the congregation ,who do not like seeing a Mass being treated like this and want their children to see it as a religious event first, and a family celebration second.
 
 
Yes, but a First Communion is an event you make a deliberate decision to take part in. Christmas and Easter are a bit difficult to avoid. In any event I would still expect people to treat church ceremonies at these times with reverence and respect or just stay away from them.
 


I disagree. The church want to keep mass appeal for these ceremonies. Therefore, because it is a childs ceremony reverence and respect goes out the window.
The only way they will get reverence and respect at these ceremonies is if the people making communion or confirmation are adults who willingly enter into those sacraments.
The kids who make confirmation or communion have no idea what they are committing to and are only in it for the day out/money/fuss made of them.
 
Well, that is the point I've been making. The adults, who have decided not to practice their religion, should not then present their children for sacraments that are meaningless to them and then treat the ceremony with no respect. Just stay away and be honest about it!
 

Exactly.

From observations in various countries and in various churches, I'm sorry to say that the average congregation of the catholic church in Ireland seem to be the worst offenders for this kind of disrespect.

Photos, constant talking, laughing, arriving late, unruly kids etc
 
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