Posted on 02/25/2008 5:48:28 AM PST by NYer
Rome - The Vatican is poised to introduce stricter norms on Roman Catholic mass, including halting the taking of communion in the hand and setting a time limit for homilies, an Italian newspaper reported Monday. Turin-based daily La Stampa quoted senior Vatican official, Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don saying the move was necessary to eliminate "extravagancies" that have crept into Mass celebrations.
Provisions include restricting to 10 minutes homilies and sermons and ensuring that they be exclusively based on the Gospel readings, said Ranjith who is Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship.
The practice of allowing the faithful to receive Communion - the bread host which Catholics believe represents the body of Christ - in their hands would also be "urgently reviewed", Ranjith was quoted as saying.
The Vatican wants the host "placed directly into the mouths of the faithful so they don't touch it (with their hands)... because many don't even realize they are receiving Christ and do this with scant concentration and respect," Ranjith said.
The distribution of communion on the hands of those attending mass has been widespread since the so-called Vatican II Council - a series of reforms introduced in the 1960s aimed at making church celebrations more accessible to the world's 1.1 billion Catholics.
But according to Ranjith the practice was "illegally and hastily introduced by certain elements of the Church immediately after the Council".
"Some people keep hosts with them as a sort of souvenir, others sell them while in some cases the hosts have been taken away to be used in blasphemous Satanic rituals," he said.
Ranjith said the measures to bring back "dignity and decorum" to mass celebrations were in line with Pope Benedict XVI's wishes, but he did not specify when they would be introduced, nor if they would be issues as an order or a set of guidelines.
Benedict, who earned a reputation as a conservative before being elected pontiff in 2005, last year eased restrictions introduced by Vatican II on the celebration of the traditional Latin mass.
The move which has included softening a prayer for the conversion of Jews contained in the Latin liturgical text, has drawn criticism from Jewish groups who resent what they say remains a singling out of members of their faith.
Meanwhile hard-line traditionalist Catholics have expressed anger over what they say is Benedict's tampering of the original Latin mass which they regard as sacred.
It is my understanding that that lay persons may be deputed to be extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. Am I wrong about that?
True story:
Went to a dinner party with old friends, and some new folks. One of the newer ones is the head of music at our local Catholic school, and is the "organ grinder" for some of the Masses at my former church.
Oh, yeah, and she's a convert.
She was just RIPPING on all the "old" music, saying how boring it was and how she's trying to get it so all the music is new. She spent much time gossiping about local priests and music personnel.
I was so mad, we left early. I hate it when someone new to the church wants to change it around to their tastes. If she liked the Protestant music so much, why'd she bother to convert???? Grr..I'm still mad about it!
...measures to bring back “dignity and decorum” to mass celebrations...
&&&
Yes, yes, please, Dear Lord, I pray....
Now if they only would stop the singing...
&&
And that annoying Sign of Peace!
Don't forget you guys tore out 7 books that why you can't find it.
The Eucharettes
&&
Love it! Thanks.
I will pray for you.
And it was just as impossible for Jesus to multiply the Loaves and fish (John 6), but none the less he did did it not once but twice for Jews and gentiles.
Since Martin Luther assumed the authority to decide the canon of Scripture.
He probably had knee pads on beneath the cassock.
I don't understand, unless the Priest was not using a paten. That's the little stick with a brass plate on the end of it, that the altar boy holds under the host, as the Priest takes it from the ciborium, and to the communicant's mouth. The alter boy holds the paten beneath the chin of the communicant, so that it would catch anything that falls.
LOL!
Well, as usual, Babel bobbled it! It’s a little closer to “(Extremely)Excellent and fabulous!” Ausgezeichnet doesn’t translate into English with an exact equivalent, but the idea is pretty much as I just noted.
Unfortunately, having read further into this thread in the meantime, I see that Fr. Zuhlsdorf has pretty much dismissed the assertions in the article as just another “urban legend.” (sigh)
“She was just RIPPING on all the “old” music, saying how boring it was and how she’s trying to get it so all the music is new. She spent much time gossiping about local priests and music personnel.”
As a convert myself, she may be full of spirit, but misguided. When she talks about the old music, tactfully remind her that it is an old Church. Inform her that there are speciall masses where different music is played and that many of the members where she plays prefer traditional music. Then remind her of the old Tradition and how they go hand in hand.
She may have a good heart, but she may be prone to jumping in too fast, sort of like when a football coach comes in and tries changing everything before looking at the current system and personnel. Help guide her. Sometimes converts turn out to be the great Catholics. Although, I’m still woking hard on that myself lol.
Personally, I'm annoyed by people who don't sing, by people who show up, barely pay attention and don't participate in any way.
Is THAT what they're doing? Well, that explains a lot!
Nicely expressed, by why bother? I’m with Matthew on this case:
Matthew 7:6
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
Absolutely. Our parish has grown in leaps and bounds since we've gone to web-cam masses with communion by mail.
I reckon that it depends on location — in many places the singing has devolved into pretty much the whole point of the Mass. It’s hard not to wish for some silence once in a while, and as far as the folks who seem to “just show up”, I would hazard that in some areas of the country they were never taught any better.
Freegards
*****************
Absolutely right.
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