In an interview with Terri Gross, Jimmy Fallon weighs in on liturgical innovations:
GROSS: Do you still go to church?
Mr. FALLON: I don’t go to – I tried to go back. When I was out in L.A. and I was kind of struggling for a bit. I went to church for a while, but it’s kind of, it’s gotten gigantic now for me. It’s like too… There’s a band. There’s a band there now, and you got to, you have to hold hands with people through the whole Mass now, and I don’t like doing that. You know, I mean, it used to be the shaking hands piece was the only time you touched each other.
GROSS: Mm-hmm.
Mr. FALLON: Now, I’m holding hand – now I’m lifting people. Like Simba.
(Laughter)
Mr. FALLON: I’m holding them (Singing) ha nah hey nah ho.
(Speaking) I’m doing too much. I don’t want – there’s Frisbees being thrown, there’s beach balls going around, people waving lighters, and I go, ‘This is too much for me.’ I want the old way. I want to hang out with the, you know, with the nuns, you know, that was my favorite type of Mass, and the grotto, and just like straight up, just Mass Mass.
More here, including Fallon’s revelation that he wanted to become a priest.
December 6th, 2011 | 12:50 pm
It’s a strange typo for a Catholic publication, but I’m pretty sure that should read, “…it used to be the shaking hands PEACE was the only time…”
December 6th, 2011 | 1:53 pm
It seems to me that any Catholic who truly believes that the mass is what the Church says it is would not stop attending church no matter what complaints he or she had about the style of the liturgy. If you strongly preferred the Tridentine mass but only “clown masses” were available, you would go to the “clown masses.” And if you wanted mass in English with folk music and liturgical dancing, and all that was available was the Tridentine mass, you would go to the Tridentine mass.
December 6th, 2011 | 2:23 pm
This may be the first time I’ve said this on the FT site, but here goes: Dear David Nickol, Good point!
December 6th, 2011 | 3:08 pm
RS – That’s not a typo. He’s saying the equivalent of “that whole shaking hands thing.”
December 6th, 2011 | 6:25 pm
Yes, yes, but: What parish is he talking about in Los Angeles? I’m an Angeleno and often disturbed by casual behavior at Mass, but beach balls? I’ve attended Mass all around the diocese for 20 years and I have never seen that. I’d like more specifics before I entirely believe him on this.
December 6th, 2011 | 10:25 pm
When he says “beach balls,” he’s exaggerating and using a little license to make a point. He is a professional comedian. The point he is making is that the post conciliar liturgy is an absolute joke. On that he is correct.
December 7th, 2011 | 4:03 am
David Nickol’s proposition could be just a tad rigorist if it is taken too far. A Catholic is not only not obliged to attend a liturgy deformed to the point where it profanes the Sacrament, he is obliged NOT to assist at such a sacrilege. The question is, how much is to be tolerated?
December 7th, 2011 | 7:04 am
[...] Jimmy Fallon, Liturgical Traditionalist – Matthew Schmitz, First Things/First Thoughts [...]
December 7th, 2011 | 7:50 am
Regarding the experience in LA I am certain that Archbishop Gomez should be told about this with documentation,I am certain he will
listen and get the matter corrected. Instead of
going there he should have gone to Mass at the Chapel of St Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula.
He would have felt differently and besides the
extraordinary (Latin Tridentine)MASS is there
December 7th, 2011 | 8:31 am
Jason, Jimmy Fallon was BORN post-conciliar. He obviously was accustomed to reverence before he fell away.
Let’s pray for Jimmy to return to Holy Mother Church.
December 7th, 2011 | 8:38 am
I have a brother of the same mindset. Of course when I pointed out several traditional parishes, including a few Latin options in the diocese, he does not attend, ever. It’s a bunch a bunk. It’s all about Jimmy. Laughs, what he prefers, doing as he pleases on the Lord’s Day. With all due respect, I think it’s pathetic to use him as a citation for “Traditional Mass” promotion. Gee, as the Latin Mass as spread, the pews have been filled with secular liberals? Dream on…
December 7th, 2011 | 8:46 am
My brother says the same things, and like Jimmy rarely attends Mass. When I pointed out to my brother many diocesan parishes (less than 20 minutes from where he lives) that provide a solid, liturgy (even a few Latin Mass options), of course he does not attend. Jimmy is just going for laughs and rationalizing why he doesn’t live his faith of “identity”. He lives for himself on the Lord’s Day and other days. For this site to use him as a “cite” to promote (directly or indirectly) the Traditional Mass is ridiculous. In my opinion, it is silly to believe that the pews would be full with secular liberals if the Traditional Mass was the ordinary form. But I’m sure many reading this will take exception. I can hear Jimmy and the like making jokes about incense and chant even as I type. Wake up.
December 7th, 2011 | 8:48 am
I can’t help but wonder if this is all tongue in cheek. I mean, Jimmy Fallon being the jokester he is…Idk, I can see this on Jon Stewarts show or something.
December 7th, 2011 | 9:34 am
It may be tongue in cheek, but he brings up a good point. If those in charge of the Mass don’t celebrate in a reverent way, how can we expect those participating to be reverent?
And if Mass is not seen as reverent worship, what brings people in from their usual, irreverent lives?
People find peace in the challenge of the reverent and solemn Mass. Once it turns into a show, it’s just competing with whatever other fun thing is scheduled for the day…
December 7th, 2011 | 11:02 am
REVERENCE is kind of a big deal when in presence of the Lord.
December 7th, 2011 | 12:09 pm
I heard this entire interview in May ’11. I don’t know if that was the first time but it was
replayed a few weeks ago.
December 7th, 2011 | 3:36 pm
Just because he or others don’t attend the TLM even though it’s more widely available doesn’t mean there’s no point to their experience.
Many Catholic thought, “this is our true faith,” and then were told guitars and clown Masses were fine too. Even if the TLM was next door, many of them would be (psychologically) justified in saying, “well this is crazy … if all this is okay, then religion is really just a joke.”
How will we convince the world we offer a consistent faith and are not a joke as long as the clown masses are tolerated anywhere?
A tangent, but related would be ecumenism with the Orthodox. Frankly, it would be stupid for the Orthodox to return to communion with us while we still have the NO — why would they lower themselves to that level?
December 7th, 2011 | 10:42 pm
Cardinal Arinze once cautioned against what he called “Rev. Showman.” And yet there are priests who know how to find the humor that arises out the readings or the struggle to be a Catholic. I know such a priest at the parish where I attend mass regularly.
But I cannot be alone in occasionally composing a fantasy “sermon” now and again. There is an episode on the Simpsons in which Rev. Lovejoy falls ill and Ned Flanders rips off his shirt and tie to reveal a clerical collar and jumps into the pulpit prepared sermon in hand — unfortunately for him he looks out at the congregation and faints.
Is Jimmy Fallon playing it for laughs? Sure. But is he that wrong about the lack of seriousness at some Eucharistic celebrations? Not to mention the instant intimacy that is to protestant by half (speaking as a convert here). If you have the opportunity, attended a Chaldean or Maronite mass — somber, devout, and shaming in its seriousness. It seems to me that Mr. Fallon is making a disturbing point about American Catholics — that can’t distinguish between worship and entertainment.
December 8th, 2011 | 10:40 am
Stefano, Jimmy Fallon is not your brother, and unless you know him that well or can give us some concrete examples I’d refrain from commenting about what he does on the Lord’s day (I don’t know what you’re referring to there; his show? That is taped on weekdays) or any other day.
About your brother: maybe he needs you to insist, gently but firmly, on going with him. ;)
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