A caller asks Fr. Hugh Barbour if indigenous dances are allowed during Mass. His answer: it depends.
Transcript:
Caller: I’d just like to know if indigenous dancers are allowed during the Mass.
Fr. Hugh: With the question of indigenous dances, we all know the difference between something which fits in a particular culture and makes sense and something which is kind of like a corny school pageant approach where, you know, it’s not something people do every day. It’s not a part of their normal religious practice, but suddenly, in order to do something nice for the liturgy, they do some kind of dance.
You know, I would say to start with good taste. And, you know, if it’s not something you normally do, then it’s not an authentic expression of your religious practice, either. And there’s a lot of fake liturgy out there where, you know, even though people are not doing indigenous dances, ever, they stir them up and arrange them for the liturgy.
And the liturgy is made up of signs which correspond to our human religious experience. If you’re living in the Congo, for example, and you have a church-approved liturgy which involves also the congregation processing, swaying back and forth, and playing instruments, and whatnot as part of the liturgy, but that is the normal way in which they celebrate anything, then that’s something very, very different. And, when you witness that you can tell the difference between a self-conscious “Aren’t we great? Aren’t we inclusive? Aren’t we just lovely?” cultural experience and the serious, focused, God-oriented liturgy of the church.
And I think there’s a consideration. There’s room for cultural accommodation. But people react when they begin to feel like it’s fake. And I’m not going to say where you draw the line or what’s fake and what’s not.
And of course, the thing is, at any given Mass, a lot of people could go away edified even from the corniest, tackiest display of self-conscious religiosity. They can still like it. And they may be edified because God is the Lord of all, and He can move hearts any way He wants.
So, I’m not saying that that’s a complete loss, but the church does not foster a liturgy which is a fabrication which is planned, which is calculated. She fosters a liturgy which is according to her liturgical law, her books, her traditions, her music, and each and every place. So I would just say it’s not so much an easy answer, but rather you have to look at it in each particular context.
Host: Tony, I’m interested because here in the U.S., we have lots of Catholic parishes or Catholic missions and chapels on Indian lands. And, you know, I’ve never—I’ve been to many masses on Indian lands, but I’ve never seen indigenous dancing. But I would imagine—you’re calling from Idaho, that might be the case there. Is that what you were talking about?
Caller: No, Aztec, Mexican Aztec dancing.
Host: Oh, Aztec dancing.
Fr. Hugh: But where?
Caller: My local church.
Fr. Hugh: Yeah. And are any of those people Aztecs? That’s my question.
Caller: Well, I mean, I guess the Mexican community…
Fr. Hugh: The distant, distant ancestors. But, I just, my thing is to just look at it and say, is this something that they naturally would do or is it something that would be suggested to them as a political-cultural statement? Because Mexican Catholic culture has a long liturgical tradition and very beautiful music that’s been there for hundreds of years. And so I’m a little suspicious when these things are introduced. Not that they have to be wrong, but just that we should apply these things with certain caution because the church’s liturgy is not simply a class project.