A priest from Eastern Visayas has called on Catholics to show greater patience toward families with young children at Mass on Wednesday.
In his recent Facebook post, Fr. Mark Ivo A. Velasquez of the Archdiocese of Palo said their presence reflects a living Church and the quiet faith of parents who persist despite disruption and discomfort.
The priest made the statement in response to complaints about noisy and unruly children during liturgical celebrations.
“Children, small kids are unruly and noisy and should not be brought to church. That is what I think,” Velasquez wrote, candidly acknowledging a sentiment commonly felt by clergy and congregants alike. He quickly clarified, however, that personal irritation should not determine pastoral practice.
Drawing from years of celebrating Mass, Velasquez said moments of disruption lead him to notice not the child, but “the effort of a guardian, a parent, or a grandparent who took great pains to dress the child up and get him ready… for church.”
“That is the reason why I absolutely tolerate children to play in church even during the Mass,” he said, adding that exposure to the liturgy helps children learn proper behavior over time, “aided and guided of course by their parents.”
The priest acknowledged that such noise can be challenging for celebrants. “I feel irritated and disturbed and even interrupted in mid-thought, especially during homilies,” he wrote.
Still, he said greater pastoral fruit comes from patience and concentration on the liturgy itself, describing the Eucharistic celebration as the “opus Dei” being realized at the altar.
Velasquez also pointed to the role of priestly example in shaping parish attitudes. “If people see that the celebrant tolerates, and even in some way, endures the din which these children do, then they too would learn how to be patient,” he said.
He framed the presence of children as a sign of ecclesial vitality, recalling a remark attributed to the late Pope Francis that “the sound of children in church is another sign of its being vibrant and living.”
He also cited Scripture, quoting Jesus’ words, “Sinite parvulos venire ad me… Let the little children come to me.”
While stressing the importance of teaching reverence in church, Velasquez cautioned against public shaming, saying such behavior is “never a Christian nor decent thing to do.”
He urged pastors and church workers to address the issue with calm, objectivity, and “Christian and pastoral charity.”
He reserved stronger criticism for adult behavior during Mass, writing, “Do you know what’s more fitting of sterner reprimand? People—adults— who don’t keep their phones on silent mode during the Mass, or use them even during the liturgy.”
Velasquez ended with a personal recollection of a child who once ran through the aisles of Palo Cathedral and later became a priest there, suggesting that patience toward families today may bear lasting fruits for the Church.
