Free Republic

Every three years as the Church is reading the Gospel of Mark, during the dog days of summer it stops for five weeks and turns instead to the Gospel of John for instruction on the Eucharist. We began this process July 26 with the account of the sign of the multiplication of the loaves, and will continue it August 2 and 9 as we make our way through Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse.Earlier this year, I wrote an article in these pages about the ongoing abuse of extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, a phenomenon that become de facto established...

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke Vatican City, Aug 12, 2010 / 01:14 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The rights of girls and Catholic lay faithful to carry out certain roles on the altar are not prescribed as "rights" within the Church, according to the Church's top legal authority, Archbishop Raymond Burke. The statement came in a clarification he wrote about the consequences of the reintroduction of the Latin Rite Mass by Pope Benedict.The Catholic Church of Germany recently printed a commentary on the application of Benedict XVI's 2007 motu proprio, "Summorum Pontificum," which made Pope St. Pius V's Latin Rite Mass more...

Amazing. One would think that after the multicultural musical mayhem that occurred yesterday at National's Stadium, that your average 'catholic' progressive would be basking in the glow of this liturgical train wreck for weeks. Not so. Some progressives are equally upset about the mass. There are so many things that one could be upset about when it comes that liturgy that it would be the work of days to try and list them. Leave it to the Associated Press and their cadre of perpetual dissenters to uncover one I hadn't even thought of. The AP is upset that there were...

ROME, FEB. 12, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.Q: I am an extraordinary minister of holy Communion. I am not an instituted acolyte. In December we had training in the new procedures for purifying and cleaning chalices, ciboria and other vessels used in Communion. We have been told that there have been more changes and we are to receive new training. Can you provide any information on recent changes? -- F.C., Little Egg Harbor, New JerseyA: The changes probably referred to a letter from the Holy See which...

Sid Dumuk got Sunday Mass rolling, instructing worshipers to greet their neighbors before singing the entrance procession. Then Steve Armatis read from the Old Testament, Mary Webb from the New Testament, and the Rev. Art Willie gave the Gospel according to Luke. Later, 14 people in khakis and skirts fanned out across the church offering communion wafers and wine. All told, about 20 people actively led Mass that crisp Sunday morning at St. Maria Goretti's parish in San Jose - and only one of them was a Roman Catholic priest. Lay ecclesial ministers are flourishing throughout Catholic parishes, and the...