Posted on 12/17/2025 2:20:02 PM PST by ebb tide
Thankfully, the Church in western North Carolina has a liturgical heavyweight to guide it, a true giant of the faith.
From his episcopal letter, "on the reception of holy communion":
The episcopal conference norms logically do not envision the use of altar rails, kneelers, or prie-dieus for the reception of communion. Doing so is a visible contradiction to the normative posture of Holy Communion established by our episcopal conference.
Instead, the instruction emphasizes that receiving Holy Communion is to be done as the members of the faithful go in procession, witnessing that the Church journeys forward and receives Holy Communion as a pilgrim people on their way. 8 The USCCB in its explanation for the norms governing reception of Holy Communion reminds us of the beauty of this procession: “In fact, each time we move forward together to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord, we join the countless ranks of all the baptized who have gone before us, our loved ones, the canonized and uncanonized saints down through the ages, who at their time in history formed a part of this mighty stream of believers.” Therefore:
Clergy, catechists, ministers of Holy Communion, and teachers are to instruct communicants according to the normative posture in the United States. They are not to teach that some other manner is better, preferred, more efficacious, etc.
The use of altar rails, kneelers, and prie-dieus are not to be utilized for the reception of Communion in public celebrations by January 16, 2026.
Temporary or movable fixtures used for kneeling for the reception of communion are to be removed by January 16, 2026.
Pope Francis' WYD Mass in Rio
Compare:
Dictator Bishop Ping
Dear bishop,
You have to move forward in procession to get to the altar rail. One action does not negate the other.
Whoosh! - that’s the sound of tens of thousands more parishioners (and donors) leaving the Church.
Hey, Your Excellency - Hippies don’t have any money.
The bishops don’t appear to care what the norm is or should be for the posture of receiving the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar, as long as it’s not kneeling and on the tongue.
Many people, especially elderly, have bad knees and bad backs and need these things to steady themselves and to get up and down safely.
If he wants to get rid of the rails and kneelers so badly, then he should heal them of their infirmities.........
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