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News from Adoremus Bulletin 12/02
Adoremus Bulletin ^ | December 19, 2002 | Adoremus Bulletin Staff

Posted on 01/01/2003 5:13:54 AM PST by ninenot

"Catechesis" on Liturgy varies widely in US dioceses

Cardinal Jorge A. Medina Estévez's letter of October 25, 2001 to the USCCB, commenting on proposed American Adaptations to the IGMR, said the following:

"In cases where the Conference of Bishops is to legislate, such legislation should be truly specific, and the law intends precisely that any particular episcopal legislation on these matters be enacted in common by the Bishops of the Conference rather than being left to be determined variously in different dioceses".

At present, different interpretations of liturgical rules from one diocese to another -- a "balkanization" of the Church in the US -- is causing very serious and very widespread confusion. It is a source of grief for Catholics in dioceses where draconian measures are taken to eliminate kneeling or other traditional gestures of reverence. People are especially distressed (and perplexed) at the harshness of the directives of some bishops, and find themselves torn between their wish to obey the bishop (some bishops are invoking obedience to enforce their directives) and their profound desire to express bodily their reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.

As we have said elsewhere, this is a conflict no Catholic should be forced to encounter.

Below are a few samples from the past few months:

In Arlington there has been a crisis at Christendom College, where it has been customary to kneel at the altar rail to receive Communion. Bishop Paul Loverde objects, and has ordered the practice to cease, as he states in an article in the November 14 Arlington Catholic Herald: "...Although no one would be denied communion if he or she knelt, the proper norm is standing and any other posture is really an act of disobedience to what the liturgical discipline is providing".

(http://www.catholicherald.com/loverde/2002homilies/homily1114.htm)

Saint Cloud Bishop John F. Kinney wrote in June 2002 that people should stand during the Eucharistic Prayer ("a 'resurrection' posture"). He said "kneeling visibly expressed reverence in former ages and other places (for example, in the medieval courts of European monarchs). Now, in our culture, standing seems to more clearly express respect and honor".

The diocese produced a set of liturgical directives, bound for reproduction as parish resources for "catechesis", mostly written by liturgist Father Dennis Smolarski, SJ, or "based on" materials on the BCL web site. These publications freely interpret liturgical rules. (In his book Liturgical Literacy, Father Smolarski defines "liturgy" as referring "to any official form of public worship" [p.140]).

The priests of Wichita received a communique from Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and the Office of Worship in June instructing all the faithful that they "must" kneel from the Sanctus to the Great Amen and they are "encouraged" to kneel after the Agnus Dei. There are many other good signs in the communique. Father Shawn McKnight, STD, is the Director of the Office of Worship and has put together and excellent overview of the principal changes in the new liturgical instructions.

Monterey Bishop Sylvester Ryan, in "The Sign of Unity" - a two part letter published in March on the diocesan web site, invoked his episcopal authority (saying that the GIRM "designates and empowers the diocesan bishop" to regulate the Liturgy). In the letter he forbids people to kneel after the Agnus Dei, and orders people to assume the "orans" posture ("extend the hands in the same way that the celebrant does") for the Our Father, "the opening prayer, the prayer over the gifts and the prayer after Communion". The bishop also expressly forbids genuflecting or kneeling to receive Communion.

Lafayette Bishop William Higi wrote in his columns in May that kneeling "dissents from the mind of the Church", and "rather than reverence, the emphasis will be refusal to embrace particular law approved by the Vatican for the United States".

He expressly forbids any gesture other than a bow of the head: "A person is not to genuflect before receiving nor are they to kneel to receive. Rather, standing before the Eucharistic Minister, they are to bow their head.... If a person chooses to kneel, Eucharistic Ministers of this Diocese will be instructed to say quietly to that individual: 'the proper posture is to stand, please'".

Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz is more liberal. He issued a letter this summer permitting Catholics in the Lincoln diocese to either kneel or stand for Communion, and he does does not forbid genuflecting.

The Archdiocese of Boston responded to an inquiry in May, saying that communicants are free to choose their posture for receiving Holy Communion.

Archbishop Thomas Kelly, OP of Louisville issued a directive to parishes, "New Gesture of Reverence Before Receiving Holy Communion", effective the first Sunday in Advent 2002.

An accompanying flyer from a parish expands the "catechesis" on posture of the people during Mass:

"The posture for reception of Holy Communion is to be standing. There are some who prefer to kneel to receive Holy Communion. While no one will be denied Communion if they choose to kneel, for the sake of uniformity throughout the Archdiocese, all are called to 'humble obedience'.

"Remember that we are not 'pick and choose Catholics'. If some can choose to kneel to receive Holy Communion, then why can't others choose to stand for the Eucharistic Prayer?

"The 'gesture of reverence' is a simple bow of the head before receiving the Sacred Host, and also a simple bow of the head before receiving the Precious Blood from the chalice, if one chooses this option.

"There are some who prefer a more solemn sign of reverence, such as a profound bow or a genuflection. Again, for the sake of uniformity, all are called to 'humble obedience'. We are not 'pick and choose Catholics'.

"The communicant is reminded to respond 'Amen' to the words 'The Body of Christ ... the Blood of Christ'. No other response is appropriate, such as 'Thank you' or 'I believe"'.

The directive states that "The USCCB voted that the posture is to be standing and the gesture of reverence will be a bow of the head before receiving both the Body and the Blood of Christ. The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship approved this decision.

The Louisville directive states that during the 10th century "people became so focused on the awesome reality of the presence of Christ in the consecrated Body and Blood that they believed themselves to be unworthy to receive. Awe and reverence dominated over the actual reception of Holy Communion", and it links this with other liturgical issues. "The emphasis on confession before Communion, the fast from midnight, and the age when a child could receive Holy Communion (adolescence), were just a few of the practices that supported this decline of the faithful's reception of Holy Communion".

Not so today. No longer feeling "unworthy", Catholics now "receive the Body of Christ to become the Body of Christ for the world", the directive says.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; US: California; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: bishops; bruskewitz; catholic; liturgy; loverde; religion; rigali
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To: sinkspur
Well, you've been imposed upon.

We don't celebrate adulterers and fellow-travelers, although MLK did have some redeeming social values.

Further, the music must conform to Vatican directives--not to Bert Weakland's feeble mental musings.

Your Bishop ought to get a clue.
81 posted on 01/03/2003 6:41:11 AM PST by ninenot
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To: Catholicguy
Please advise/cite the Forcible Kneeling Directive
82 posted on 01/03/2003 6:42:22 AM PST by ninenot
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To: Aquinasfan
We have some Hispanic members who literally walk on their knees from the doors to the altar rail.

Genuflection? My swag is about 50%.
83 posted on 01/03/2003 6:43:45 AM PST by ninenot
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To: Aquinasfan
What percentage of people in your parish genuflect when walking past the tabernacle? (In our parish I'd put the number at 10%)

Outside of the choir, 99%.

How many people do you see genuflecting toward the tabernacle when they enter the Church? (Sadly, in many churches the tabernacle is hard to find).

Taberbacle is right where it is supposed to be - at the foot of the Crucifix. Other than the choir...100%.
84 posted on 01/03/2003 6:48:03 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: Aquinasfan
Nobody in my Parish genuflects toward the Tabernacle... We don't have one. We haven't built any of our facilities, yet and are meeting in a Public School Auditorium. I do see a few people genuflect in the general direction of the Altar... I don't. Nor do most people. In neighboring Parishes, with regular churches, almost everybody genuflects toward the Tabernacle.
85 posted on 01/03/2003 6:48:24 AM PST by ArrogantBustard
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To: ninenot
Further, the music must conform to Vatican directives--not to Bert Weakland's feeble mental musings.

Well, we can dream, can't we.
86 posted on 01/03/2003 6:49:06 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: ninenot
Well, you've been imposed upon.

It didn't bother me. I rather liked the Liturgy.

I suspect you'll find lots of Catholic Churches in the US recgonizing or honoring MLK in some way or another.

We do celebrate some adulterers and sinners by honoring saints. Anyway, the Liturgy didn't honor MLK's private life.

87 posted on 01/03/2003 6:53:46 AM PST by sinkspur
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To: ninenot
<> Sure. I'll have to wait until I get home to search for the citation. As I recall, it was post 800 a.d., but that is just off the top of my head<>
88 posted on 01/03/2003 6:55:08 AM PST by Catholicguy
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To: sinkspur
It didn't bother me. I rather liked the Liturgy.

Would you do us all a favor and define "liturgy". Was it Mass? Was it Benediction?

Liturgy is too generic and benign to describe Mass. IMO, of course.
89 posted on 01/03/2003 6:59:00 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: skull stomper
You are so right. My old church as even gone to great expense to erase all interior furnishings that might look "Catholic". No more statues (not for years), no Mary celebrations, it now looks very generic. The Church left me a long time ago, when they turned the alter around and quit the latin mass. I miss it, but I can't go back because it's no longer there :-(
90 posted on 01/03/2003 7:13:16 AM PST by pepperdog
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To: Desdemona
Taberbacle is right where it is supposed to be - at the foot of the Crucifix. Other than the choir...100%.

That's great to hear. This must be a Massachusetts thing.

91 posted on 01/03/2003 7:20:07 AM PST by Aquinasfan
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To: Aquinasfan
This must be a Massachusetts thing.

I don't know, but two years ago or so our archbishop (Rigali) ordered, and I mean ordered, all Tabernacles to the foot of the Crucifix, regardless of whether or not renovations had been done. Several churches had to completely redo things.

There is one church which has theirs on a side altar, which according to what I've read is allowed. But, it's in full view at all times.
92 posted on 01/03/2003 7:24:37 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: Desdemona
What on earth is your choir up to? ;-)
93 posted on 01/03/2003 7:39:51 AM PST by AnAmericanMother
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To: AnAmericanMother
What on earth is your choir up to?

I think it has something to do with familiarity. I was a cantor (and will get back into it once a few other singing commitments are finished) and you forget why you're there. I know it sounds awful, but it happens. Which is why I started going to Mass twice a weekend, once for Congregation, once for me. You can't really assist well and sing/cantor at the same time.

I don't care what the bishops and liturgists have to say about Mass not being a performance. When once is a musician, it has all the elements of a performance and deserves to be treated with the same respect one gives a performance. That means Mass assistance suffers, hence going twice. Okay, rant off.
94 posted on 01/03/2003 7:47:00 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: Desdemona
Liturgy is too generic and benign to describe Mass. IMO, of course.

Mass.

95 posted on 01/03/2003 8:11:47 AM PST by sinkspur
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To: Desdemona
I THOUGHT that was what you meant! (I am a cantor too).

By and large every choir is a repository of jokesters (I'm third generation, so I've grown up involved with choirs in two major parish churches and one cathedral, and they've all been that way.) Maybe it's the performance background that most of us have, maybe it's the fact that we are privileged to see the pulleys and wires and backs of the scenery - the priest struggling with a too-small chasuble or dashing around muttering to himself "oh my ears and whiskers, I shall be late!"

But I hope that we know how to behave when the chips are down and we're "on". At least with our crowd, we try to "flip a switch" when we enter the sanctuary and leave the foolishness in the rehearsal room. There is a temptation to chit-chat while figuring out which anthem is next and wondering aloud how on earth we got through measures 24-26 without flubbing that G sharp . . .

Luckily our choirmaster is good about reminding us to show proper reverence. We can't genuflect in procession (and there's not room in the chancel) - but we pause and bow at the appropriate times as we pass the Tabernacle, crucifer, etc.

96 posted on 01/03/2003 8:18:48 AM PST by AnAmericanMother
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To: Desdemona
. . . but what I meant to say, before I mashed the "send" button prematurely, is that you are absolutely right about serving interfering with worship. When it's an "ordinary" Mass almost everything of a performance nature can be put on autopilot, so that except for the offertory and communion anthems we don't really need to be "on". But it's precisely at the times that you would really like to fully participate in the worship -- the high holy days with the highest ceremony, incense, bells, etc. -- that things are definitely NOT ordinary and you have to concentrate fully on your work. Midnight Mass at Christmas this year was WORK first -- nine anthems all told, special psalms, different Gloria, different Sanctus -- and worship afterwards. Not an ideal situation for the choir, but the congregation really likes the music. (At least they say they do. :-D )
97 posted on 01/03/2003 8:26:19 AM PST by AnAmericanMother
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To: AnAmericanMother
I love the Triduum. I'll probably not sing it this year, either, just due to circumstances. And you cannot put it on autopilot at all. You're right there.

98 posted on 01/03/2003 8:35:03 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: Desdemona
My favorite service - or cycle of services - as well. And our choirmaster takes the view that it is THE big event of the ecclesiastical calendar, and the choir is in evidence for ALL services in the Triduum then rolls on into three services with brass on Sunday morning. . . . then all call in sick to work on Monday morning . . . :-D

The one thing I can never get used to is that I usually stand on the end of my row, and the acolyte on the decani side is always VERY free with the aspergillium. . . . there I am, concentrating with all my might on the "Vidi Aquam", and suddenly get hit in the side of the face with what FEELS like about a quart of holy water . . . eek!

99 posted on 01/03/2003 8:44:27 AM PST by AnAmericanMother
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To: AnAmericanMother
I used to stand on the end of the last row in self-defence. More or less to keep the soprano section in tune.

Of the two Masses, Saturday is the one which is always so contentious, usually over the Exultet since none of our priests could sing. And then a few people have to register the typical complaints about Latin... we sang "Pange Lingua" at the processional on Thursday, "Adoramus te Christe" Friday during Veneration and maybe a Regina Coeli. Used to drive me crazy. And I was the youngest one there.
100 posted on 01/03/2003 8:51:52 AM PST by Desdemona
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