Letter to the Editor - Christmas decorations

On December 12, 2006, Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical university reiterated his last year's comments on Christmas decorations published on November 29 and December 13, 2005 published by ZENIT, international news agency reporting from Rome as follows:

"Christmas trees are preferably located outside the sanctuary and church proper, and are best left in vestibules or church grounds. This has been in practice in St Peter's Square from the time of Pope John Paul II. Within the church proper, apart from the crib, Christmas may be evoked by using, for example, traditional poinsettias, holly and other traditional elements according to the culture."

Father E. McNamara also said: "I have no difficulty with Christmas trees, but…I think that placing them in the sanctuary is not a common practice in the Church. It is not advisable because, as a ubiquitous symbol, it no longer has an exclusively religious meaning and can easily evoke the more material and commercial aspect of the holy season."

Father Edward McNamara pointed out that because some Christmas decorations have often lost their original religious meaning, churches should be rather circumspect about employing them and should do so with great discretion.

Taking into consideration those recommendations, it is difficult to understand why some churches are so extravagantly decorated, in putting a multitude of highly lighted decorations including Christmas tree inside the sanctuary. Hundred and hundred of plastic and wood items, and many dummy gift boxes are displayed making the sanctuary look like a bazaar. Large amount of money is spent for exhibiting such decorations but at the same time, the little child Jesus put in the crib has mutilated hand with broken fingers (How can it be done? Can't they buy a new one? Where is the respect?). Undesirable exhibition such as various pieces of Santa Claus dresses (tunic, trouser, bonnet, socks and boots) are hanged all around the sanctuary. How this can be possible? Where do Christmas decorations end? Where profanation starts?

The overdoing of Christmas decorations is such that the religious aspect is not there anymore but simply an exhibition of modern artifacts displaying the pure commercial side. The spirituality and the true meaning of the celebration are absent.

Looking at the celebration of Midnight Mass in the Basilica of St Peter in Rome, we can notice the great simplicity of the Christmas decorations for such solemnity.

The extravaganza of the Christmas decorations in some of our churches is distracting the attention of the "People of God" who are loosing the true meaning of the celebration of the birth of Christ. The glittering material attracts. The spiritual is gone. The shining light of the coming Son of God has not penetrated the darkness of our routine daily life

Are we losing the real spirit of Christmas giving place to commercialism? It looks like it.

Jean Michaut
Cebu City