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Vatican says Mass norms must be followed exactly to ensure reverence
Catholic News Service ^ | April 23, 2004 | Cindy Wooden

Posted on 04/23/2004 6:04:36 AM PDT by Desdemona

Vatican says Mass norms must be followed exactly to ensure reverence

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The norms for celebrating Mass must be followed exactly to ensure reverence for the Eucharist and to preserve the unity of the Catholic Church, said a new Vatican document.

"In some places the perpetration of liturgical abuses has become almost habitual, a fact which obviously cannot be allowed and must cease," said the document, "Redemptoris Sacramentum" ("The Sacrament of Redemption"), written by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

The instruction, approved by Pope John Paul II and released at an April 23 Vatican press conference, particularly cited as abuses the use of eucharistic prayers not approved by the church, changing approved prayer texts, and allowing lay people to carry out functions reserved to a priest or deacon.

The document said that while it was "laudable" to encourage boys and young men to be altar servers, girls and women can be altar servers if the local bishop permitted the practice.

Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the congregation, told reporters, "No one should be surprised that over the course of time the holy church, our mother, has developed words, actions and, therefore, directives regarding this supreme act of worship.

"The eucharistic norms were elaborated to express and safeguard the eucharistic mystery and, even more, to demonstrate that it is the church which celebrates this august sacrifice and sacrament," he said.

Because the Mass and Eucharist are so important to the church, he said, practices that violate the church's norms cannot be taken lightly.

The norms reaffirm church teaching that a Catholic, in a situation of serious sin, must go to confession before approaching the Eucharist.

Cardinal Arinze refused to answer a direct question about whether Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, the probable Democratic nominee for U.S. president and a supporter of legalized abortion, should be denied Communion unless he goes to confession and repents for his position.

"The norm of the church is clear," he said. "The church exists in the United States. There are bishops there, let them interpret it."

However, when asked more generally if a priest should refuse Communion to a politician who supports abortion, Cardinal Arinze said, "Yes."

"If the person should not receive Communion, then he should not be given it," the cardinal said.

Introducing the document, Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which collaborated in writing the instruction, said that celebrating the Mass in an "arbitrary" manner not only "deforms the celebration, but provokes doctrinal insecurity, perplexity and scandal among the people of God."

The document highlighted violations of existing church norms, but did not set new rules.

It recognized as legitimate the various practices that local bishops have been authorized to permit, including Communion in the hand and the distribution of Communion under the species of bread and wine.

At the same time, it insisted that lay people delegated to assist with the distribution of Communion be referred to as "extraordinary ministers of holy Communion," rather than as eucharistic ministers to emphasize the fact that in the Catholic liturgy the priest is the minister of the Eucharist.

Extraordinary ministers are to assist only when the number of communicants would make it difficult for the priests present to distribute Communion to everyone.

If other priests are present at the Mass and able to help distribute Communion they must do so before extraordinary ministers are employed, it said.

The instruction explicitly bans the practice where priests, "although present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons."

Any member of the church, it said, "has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan bishop ... or to the Apostolic See."

The document said, however, that a complaint should be submitted first to the local bishop and that it should be done "in truth and charity."

Unlike an early draft of the document, which was leaked to the press last summer, the instruction did not ban liturgical dance; it did not mention dance at all.

The document said the Second Vatican Council fostered the participation of lay people in the Mass through "responses, psalmody, antiphons and canticles, as well as actions or movements and gestures, and called for sacred silence to be maintained at the proper times."

Following the council's direction, it said, in the choice of music, optional prayers, church decoration and the homily, "there is ample possibility for introducing into each celebration a certain variety."

But only approved Scripture readings are allowed, only a priest or deacon may give the homily and only approved eucharistic prayers can be recited -- and those only by priests.

Anyone at Mass who gives "free reign to his own inclinations, even if he is a priest, injures the substantial unity of the Roman rite, which ought to be vigorously preserved," said the instruction.

"The reprobated practice by which priests, deacons or the faithful here and there alter or vary at will the texts of the sacred liturgy that they are charged to pronounce must cease," it said.

The instruction emphasized that the Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's sacrifice and is not simply a "fraternal meal."

Standing, sitting and kneeling, singing, reciting prayers and praying in silence are all part of an active participation in the Mass, it said.

Reaffirming previous Vatican directives, the instruction said wheat is the only grain acceptable for making hosts and that honey or sugar are not to be added.

While priests who have been laicized may administer the sacrament of confession to someone in danger of death, they are not to celebrate Mass under any circumstances, nor should they serve publicly as lectors or altar servers "lest confusion arise among Christ's faithful."

According to the instruction, some very serious abuses arise from a misplaced desire to promote ecumenism; the document said Mass is not to be concelebrated with a non-Catholic minister.

"The Eucharist is the apex of a Catholic celebration," Cardinal Arinze said. Shared Communion is the goal of Christian unity, not a means to foster full unity in faith and doctrine.

"The Eucharist is not our possession to be given to our friends," he said, but rather it belongs to the church and is a sign of faith held in common.

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To: Investment Biker
I am 72 years old. Until 2 years ago I had not been to confession or communion since 1973.

I will pray for you not to follow my path. I realized, after so many years of my mistakes, that the Church with all its faults was still the only way. It must be doing something right after 2000 years.

I have prayed daily for the Church and will continue to pray.

It is very cold out there alone.
61 posted on 04/23/2004 12:57:44 PM PDT by franky (Pray for the souls of the faithful departed. Pray for our own souls to receive the grace of a happy)
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To: Fast Ed97
the instruction did not ban liturgical dance; it did not mention dance at all.

I believe this will cover 'dancing girls' around the altar.

[79.] Finally, it is strictly to be considered an abuse to introduce into the celebration of Holy Mass elements that are contrary to the prescriptions of the liturgical books and taken from the rites of other religions.

The 'prescriptions' are those things enumerated in the liturgical books. Dancing is not given as an option in any 'prescriptions'. To introduce it into the Mass would be contrary to the 'prescriptions'. Essentially, nothing may be introduced into the Mass that is not allowed in the GIRM or other authoritative documents.

62 posted on 04/23/2004 1:56:37 PM PDT by lrslattery (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam - http://slatts.blogspot.com)
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To: ArrogantBustard; Desdemona; Maximilian
There is no doubt about what the Vatican wants--and there is no doubt that it will be up to the Bishops to make it happen.

Altar girls are transitory and Des. nailed it--they're an afterthought in the document, and should be similar at Mass.

Since there IS no such thing as "Liturgical Dance," the Vatican didn't have to address it. But they certainly nailed "Clown" Masses and Polka Masses, too.

Of course, there will be disobedience--and screeching from the usual quarters: the schismatics of the Poofterwonk persuasion, and the SSPX persuasion.

Nothing new under the Sun.
63 posted on 04/23/2004 2:02:46 PM PDT by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: ninenot
Altar girls are transitory

Not after an official Church document grants bishops the right to use them. Don't count on that authority to be pulled back.

64 posted on 04/23/2004 2:17:35 PM PDT by sinkspur (Adopt a dog or a cat from an animal shelter! It will save one life, and may save two.)
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To: lrslattery


65 posted on 04/23/2004 2:22:34 PM PDT by Fast Ed97
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Comment #66 Removed by Moderator

To: Fast Ed97
I have some pictures, too. How do you post them here?

There are here...
http://slatts.blogspot.com/2003_10_12_slatts_archive.html

with commentary...
67 posted on 04/23/2004 2:31:07 PM PDT by lrslattery (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam - http://slatts.blogspot.com)
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To: sinkspur
I used the term for a reason: altar girls are like bell-bottoms, or love beads. Transitory.

No documents needed.
68 posted on 04/23/2004 2:31:48 PM PDT by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: lrslattery
>>[79.] Finally, it is strictly to be considered an abuse to introduce into the celebration of Holy Mass elements that are contrary to the prescriptions of the liturgical books and taken from the rites of other religions.<<

Do you think this could cover the "raising of hands" for the Our Father????

69 posted on 04/23/2004 3:36:50 PM PDT by netmilsmom (Laz, where are you? Are you ok?)
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To: ninenot
Altar girls are transitory and Des. nailed it--they're an afterthought in the document, and should be similar at Mass.

You get the idea that it was a sort of conciliatory add-in, just to keep the peace. It wouldn't surprise me if we see a big change in the next ten years.
70 posted on 04/23/2004 6:06:31 PM PDT by Desdemona
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To: ninenot; ArrogantBustard; sandyeggo; lrslattery; NYer; sartorius
From Zenit

Document on Eucharist Underwent a Dozen Drafts

New Instruction Addresses a Key Concern of John Paul II

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 23, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican instruction "Redemptionis Sacramentum," on abuses regarding the Eucharist and the celebration of Mass, responds to one of John Paul II's key concerns, and went through a dozen drafts.

At a press conference today, Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, revealed that the work of preparation began even before the Pope announced its commission officially in the 2003 encyclical "Ecclesia de Eucharistia."

The cardinal said that the instruction is the fruit of the intense collaboration of his congregation and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose prefect is Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Before the publication of the encyclical, "we asked our member bishops, cardinals and others to send us the complaints and doubts that are expressed to have an idea" of the problems to be addressed, Cardinal Arinze explained.

"Then, the two congregations established a joint commission at the beginning of last year. The two prefects and secretaries revised this work," he added.

The first draft of the document was presented last May to all the members of the two congregations -- some 70 cardinals, archbishops and bishops. The text was then discussed last June.

"There was still much work after that, as a first draft always needs many changes. We then started the consultations and contributions. We have written some 12 drafts between May and two months ago," the cardinal said, adding with a smile "this is normal" for Vatican documents.

71 posted on 04/23/2004 6:16:00 PM PDT by Desdemona
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To: ninenot
I meant to mention that the USCCB has the document on the homepage. The complete version, too.

Interesting.
72 posted on 04/23/2004 6:29:18 PM PDT by Desdemona
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To: Desdemona
That's very unkind. Faced with such a response, I might just walk out too. The church is open to everyone.

It may be "unkind" but it's also true! This is not a "cafeteria religion" or a bowling club! [Didn't you notice?] If it's "fellowship" you want, there are millions of organizations to pick from where you can do whatever you please, and say that what you are doing is right. But if you happen to be a Jewish Boy and want to be bar mitzvahed, don't be surprised if the rabbi wants you to be circumcised first. And if you want to receive communion in a catholic church, or get married in one, don't be surprised if you are asked to follow the rules!

73 posted on 04/24/2004 12:28:03 PM PDT by gemoftheocean (geez, how come this seems so straight-forward and logical to me......)
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To: Desdemona
Please understand that not all of us think that way and some of us mourn greatly those who walk away. It is unchristian to do anything else.

BTW, I have to thank you two for giving me the laugh of the day. Desdemona, you're moaning that the Vatican didn't forbid female altar servers, crying in your beer that you *know* in your little heart of hearts think Jesus would have slapped away some little girl handing him a cup of wine to consecrate...while at the same time moaning at me for taking issue with a guy who is upset that the priest just can't make up his own words at the eucharist prayer (I guess a "ghetto" consecration can be along the lines of "whoop - dere it is") and consecrate a vodka mai-tai and a bag of dorritos.

You two are enough to make a cat laugh.

If you can't figure out what is really essential, then maybe both of you ought to rethink being in the church. It will shed the rest of us of having to deal with such silliness at both ends of the spectrum.

74 posted on 04/24/2004 12:41:41 PM PDT by gemoftheocean (geez, how come this seems so straight-forward and logical to me......)
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To: gemoftheocean
And I just went to confession, so I'll refrain from saying to you what comes to mind.
75 posted on 04/24/2004 3:01:28 PM PDT by Desdemona
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To: gemoftheocean
HOld on just a second - I'm a problem because I want to see vocations flourish and I believe that boys serving Mass is a way to foster it? Or is it because, I disagree with you? Frankly, Ive always thought that the whole girl altar server was less about service than it was pushy women whining until they got their way.

And frankly, I doubt Jesus would have slapped at any child, but remember who He was with when He instituted the Eucharist - 12 MEN. He wasn't with children.
76 posted on 04/24/2004 3:11:50 PM PDT by Desdemona
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To: Desdemona
HOld on just a second - I'm a problem because I want to see vocations flourish and I believe that boys serving Mass is a way to foster it? Or is it because, I disagree with you?

No, you're a "problem" because you think that a boy is so insecure that if a female also hands one of the cruets to father the altar boy's whole little world will be shattered. Sheesh. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe a girl serving at mass might also be inspired to become a nun? 100-1 it never occured to you. Serving mass is good for BOTH OF THEM.

Frankly, Ive always thought that the whole girl altar server was less about service than it was pushy women whining until they got their way.

Then you think wrong. Why is having a penis a prerequisite for assisting the priest at mass? IS the server ALSO consecrating the bread and wine? NO. Then lay off with your fantasies about "pushy women" and realize that it's good for BOTH boys and girls to learn to serve mass and develop a love of the eucharist. Think about equity and justice for once. Did you have a sister that regularly beat the snot out of you? Or if you are a woman, were you one of those "weak sisters" that threw a ball "like a girl" and resented any any girl that didn't feel like hanging around wearing pink all day and giggling about boys and had a life of her own not ordained or governed by your little clique of what was "socially proper?"

And frankly, I doubt Jesus would have slapped at any child, but remember who He was with when He instituted the Eucharist - 12 MEN. He wasn't with children

Gee, then by your "logic" [/snicker] women shouldn't attend mass at all. Who do you think made the bread and washed the dishes?

There weren't ANY "altar boys" at the last supper either. "Altar boys" were a man made _CUSTOM_. Man made customs can be altered. OR perhaps you will argue for slavery too since Paul told slaves to be obedient to their slave masters.

Try realizing that times change. Do you stand by the door of your church and wag your finger at women/girls wearing braids and pearl earrings too? You sound like you have enough time on your hands to worry about that.

There may be some good reasons for a male only priesthood. But I can find NONE for a "male only" altar server "requirement." To hear some of you talk it's like you believe the sacristy is some sort of male locker room with gang showers. Or it's like you hold some sort of primative belief that if a menstruating women touches something a virile man is using he becomes ritually impure or some such nonsense. Get a grip and come into the 21st century.

77 posted on 04/24/2004 6:44:31 PM PDT by gemoftheocean (geez, how come this seems so straight-forward and logical to me......)
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To: gemoftheocean
No, you're a "problem" because you think that a boy is so insecure that if a female also hands one of the cruets to father the altar boy's whole little world will be shattered.

Actually, as an older sister of three all American boys, I don't think this - I KNOW it.

What I do with my own time, is my own affair. I do not stand at the church door and wag my finger at anyone. In another 40-50 years I'll be old enough to do so, but at the moment, I try my darnedest not to pay attention to girls' fashions because they don't know how to dress. I was lucky enough to have a mother and grandmother who cared enough to be sure my sister and I learned what is decent and what isn't.

Think about equity and justice for once.

I have. I think it is wrong for women to encroach on everything men do. There are some things that we should just respectfully allow to be a male, character building experience. So many poor boys aren't learning what it means to be masculine.

Did you have a sister that regularly beat the snot out of you?

My sister would never do anything of the sort. SHe did a lot of pushing, though.

Or if you are a woman, were you one of those "weak sisters" that threw a ball "like a girl" and resented any any girl that didn't feel like hanging around wearing pink all day and giggling about boys and had a life of her own not ordained or governed by your little clique of what was "socially proper?"

I had a better pitch than a lot of boys I knew and still have a much better batting stance, but truthfully, my sport was swimming. Well, I also was in ballet, gymnastics, figure skating and still am in music. I was never in a clique. The girls I went to school with were mean, nasty and had not the slightest idea of how to be feminine. And none of them had any interest in being, either.

My interest is in fostering young boys so that they grow up to be good men. That takes guidance from men. One does not need to serve Mass to have a solid relationship with Christ. I have one. I go to Adoration once a week, confession regularly, say my Rosary every day. I don't buy that girls "have" to serve Mass to have a good relationship with Christ.
78 posted on 04/24/2004 8:40:23 PM PDT by Desdemona
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To: gemoftheocean
And what exactly is wrong with pink? It happens to be one of my better colors. A good chunck of my wardrobe is pink.
79 posted on 04/24/2004 8:45:39 PM PDT by Desdemona
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To: Desdemona; Investment Biker
Another one that just can't undersatnd, huh.

Becky
80 posted on 04/24/2004 8:53:26 PM PDT by PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain (Proud member of the Lunatic Fringe, we love Spam, Uzi's and Jesus)
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