Silence the Church Bells
The Angelus Domini, or "the Angelus" for short, is the ringing of the church bell. The Angelus commemorates the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Mother that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and Christ would be born. Every Catholic Church sounded the Angelus -- in three groups of three chimes with a pause in between each group, followed by 9 consecutive strokes -- at 6AM, Noon, and 6PM roughly, and its associated prayers, which spring from the monastic practice of praying the tres orationes at Matins, Prime and Compline. That is, until Vatican II, when the practice was declared voluntary and gradually fell out of favor in more diversified communities. At the sound of the Angelus Bell, the faithful would stop what they were doing and say 3 Hail Marys in honor of the Incarnation. This is the significance of bell-ringing in the Catholic church.
An early attempt to quiet the bells was reported in the The New York Times in October 1912. A Dr. Watson of Baltimore conducted an anti-noise crusade backed by many old-fashioned folks in town. They aimed to silence factory whisltes, church bells and all kinds of noises, industrial and otherwise. An appeal was made to Cardinal Gibbons to have the catholic churches silence their chimes but the Cardinal took no action. The Rev. Father Wade, pastor of Sts Phillip and James Catholic Church, did, however, direct that no bells be rung for the early masses.
Frequently used tools are the sound level meter (SLM) for noise levels caused by a discrete source and noise surveys, the noise dosimeter for personal noise exposure and the integrating sound level meter (ISLM). The user's manual will provide details on calibration, operation and interpreting readings. Church PA systems often reach 125dBA. That level of noise is damaging to the ear, and could cause initial acoustic trauma leading to partial or total loss of hearing. The maximum limit of noise, considered acceptably moderate, for outdoors is 75dBA, while indoors the limit should be no more than 45dBA. Most church bells are probably much louder, both indoors and outdoors. The health risks from noise are manifold and can cause both mental and physical damage. Mental: aggression, bad temper, lack of concentration, severe stress, depression, panic attacks, etc. Physical: tinnitus, migraine headaches, impaired hearing, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, interrupted sleep or even insomnia, agitation, constant tenseness, etc. To name a few!
Learn how to measure noise levels. For strategy in fighting noise pollution, read the Noise Off website.
In the U.K. there have been several "Quiet campaigns" lately.
In Aldeburgh, once a peaceful day of rest, Sunday is increasingly disturbed by the noise of lawnmowers, hedge trimmers and boisterous barbecues. One sound, though, remains as much a part of the sabbath as a roast joint — the ringing of church bells. Yet the traditional peal in Aldeburgh is at risk. A group of residents have complained about the church bells, saying that they disturb the Sunday peace. In a move that threatens the heritage of bellringing in 5,000 churches across the land, they claim that the noise in summer amounts to a statutory nuisance under environmental laws. At least 20 residents are understood to have signed the petition.
Some residents claim the bells "have been rung for at least 500 years — warning of possible invasion and shipwreck", not conceeding that such a thing is no longer necessary in the 21st century. The petition has gone to Suffolk Coastal District Council, which will decide whether the bells amount to a nuisance in law. Rev Nigel Hartley, the Vicar of St Peter and St Paul's Church, said that if he were ordered to stop the bells he would seriously consider mounting a challenge.
Elsewhere:
— A council failed to silence bells in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, this year at a cost to taxpayers of £12,000. The council had issued a noise abatement order but villagers fought it and won in court.
— Churchgoers were forced to find an extra £100,000 in April to silence complaints about the noise of their bells at All Saints Church, Writtle, in Essex. The money went on repairs and
building a “sound lantern” to mute the noise.
— Residents complained to their council about “excessive” late-night bellringing last year at St Peter's Church, in Witherley, Leicestershire. The bellringers agreed to practise earlier.
- A Crediton couple called for the church clock bell to be silenced for the first time in 150 years. The clock at the Holy Cross Church chimes on the hour and every 15 minutes but Claire
and Peter Robinson wanted the pealing stopped between 7pm and 9am. Ms Robinson said "A quiet life and a good night's sleep are important to us. We were shocked to find out that we have to
put up with a loud noise from the bells every 15 minutes all through the night, every night."
And lately in the U.S.
In May 2009 Phoenix Municipal Court Judge Lori Metcalf told the church, Cathedral of Christ the King, to pipe down. The bells could ring, she said, but only once a week on Sunday morning. Christ the King Church had recently moved to the residential area, from a commercial area. The bells rang thirteen times a day, seven days a week. The sound actually comes from an electronic system played through a loudspeaker. Bishop Rick Painter lamented, "People are saying we're not loving our neighbors and we're a poor witness."
ADF attorney Erik Stanley told U.S. District Court in February 2010 that he could not understand the Phoenix noise ordinance and that he believes it is overly vague. Bishop Rick Painter at Christ the King Cathedral in Phoenix was found guilty on two counts of disturbing the peace. He received a 10-day suspended sentence and three years' probation. Stanley also remark "no pastor should be convicted for peacefully exercising his religion." Somebody doesn't understand the definitions of "peacefully" and "noise". In Superior Court, Judge Crane McClennen at one point interrupted ADF attorney Erik Stanely to ask if the tolling of Big Ben in London is religious. "Did God divide the day into 24 hours?" McClennen asked.
In December of 2006, Fairfax County, Washington officials ruled that the bells at St. John Neumann's in Reston must toll within the limits of the county's noise ordinance or not at all. The church bells registered at an average of 75 decibels, which is considerably above the 55-decibel maximum permitted limit in residential areas. James P. Zook, director of Fairfax's Department of Planning and Zoning, recently told the board in a memo that creating an exception for church bells could be constitutionally problematic, leaving the county open to court challenge. "Localities cannot enact different standards for noise emanating from a place of worship," Zook said.
St. John's, a Catholic church in south Reston, installed a $50,000 electronic bell system in 2004 as part of a major expansion. When the bells began ringing, in three-minute bursts -- three times on weekdays, once on Saturdays and before each of five Sunday Masses, starting at 7:30 a.m. -- neighbors complained. The dispute has kept the bells silent for 23 months. Sean Walsh, who has lived on nearby Pegasus Lane for 20 years, said the county's ruling was good news for most of his neighbors. Walsh said. "People just want some peace and quiet."
A Marine Park, NY man is fed up with the noise of church bells in his home. "It's too much. I hear it every hour of every day," said John Russo. "I don't need to know what time it is, I've got a watch." Russo hung signs in his front yard demanding the parish turn down the racket which is heard hourly from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Russo has always led a silent vigil. He admitted that he once allowed his car alarm to wail during Mass to irritate churchgoers.
Unfortunately, in Marine Park, NY bells and organs at places of worship are given an unconstitutional exemption from the city's noise code - even electronic bells like the ones at St. Thomas, said Environmental Protection Department spokeswoman Mercedes Padilla. Russo and 58 neighbors petitioned officials at the church, asking them to moderate the volume. Russo claims the church ignored their request.
Dorothy Collins, a parishoner in her 80s said "The bells are beautiful and to me, it makes me feel like I'm in heaven."