On The Clown Mass
Peregrinus
A strange religious phenomenon began to occur in the middle of the 20th century. It was in the wake of the Second Vatican Council that clowns suddenly entered en masse into the sanctuaries of Catholic Churches. They began to say mass, act as servers, catechists, dancers, puppeteers, or ministers of whatever “liturgical” functions they wished to invent, and have remained doing so until the present. Even if the clowns themselves are absent, a parish priest who is so inclined, will channel the spirit of the clown by attempting to turn his church into a veritable circus through dancing, joking, and cultural performances. These bizarre spectacles have not been limited to a few far-off cases: the clowns and their spirit have left a deep mark on the Catholic Church and on the psyche of those who have been subjected to them.
