Expert: Fr. Michael - 3/28/2011

Question
When did all the talking in church begin and the clapping after Mass?  I find this very disrespectful to the Blessed Sacrament.

Answer
It sounds as if what you are describing is not a valid Catholic Mass, but one of those New Order (Novus Ordo) services that began after the Vatican II Council (1962-1965).  Some Catholic church buildings were taken over after that time by people calling themselves "Catholics," but what they are doing cannot be reconciled with the traditional Catholic Faith.

The kind of behavior that you are describing is part of this New Order type of thing and should, of course, be completely avoided by Catholics.  For a geographical list of traditional Catholic churches, see the Official Traditional Catholic Directory at www.traditio.com/nat.htm.