Why people are leaving the RC Church

The Editor: It was interesting to read that the Roman Catholic Archbishop has discovered that people are leaving his church. I can think of nothing that would make me want to leave the church into which I was born and the one in which I hope to die, but there are many reasons for the current fallout. I would like to give some of my observations.

When we were growing up we went to Sunday Mass with our parents and when I say went to Mass, I mean we went into the church and participated in the eucharist. Today young people come to church in groups, the same way they go to the Library to "lime". They stand at the door or outside on the grounds and talk and generally carry-on. Just as most of our children today have no idea what a "library" is about or for what purpose, they don't know what Mass is about because their parents are not with them.

The sad part is that no one in the church, from priest to lay minister does anything about stopping the liming. Secondly when I was a child I made my first communion and confirmation at the age of seven years - on the same day! Now I know that one must move with the times and I have no problem with accepting that the rules with respect to confirmation needed to be changed and that perhaps 7 years was too young. Now confirmation is in the teens at a time when children are taking examinations. In addition it now takes two years to prepare for confirmation and is done at parish level rather than through Catholic schools. Why so long?  The church must also face the reality that parents today - at least those who care about the welfare of their children - are fearful of the dangers that teenagers face and may be reluctant to allow them to go to and from confirmation classes on their own, particularly when they see for themselves what teenagers are allowed to do outside the church at weekend services.

There may be many other reasons why people are leaving the church, but I believe the authorities must consider the points I have raised, plus the fact that many preachers bore the congregation to tears! Mass now takes two hours and in one church that I know, baptisms are conducted in the middle of Mass which means that Sunday Mass takes hours. Is this what we really want in the Catholic Church?  If it is then the Archbishop has the answer why people are leaving in droves.

Mathilda James
San Fernando