Posted on 01/23/2007 5:21:58 PM PST by NYer
Break out a pen and paper and take this True/False quiz about the Mass. Click on the "Answers" link to see the answers and their sources.
1. It is permissible for the priest to change the word 'brethren' to 'brothers and sisters' in the Mass.
2. A lector may have the liberty to change the words of the Scripture Readings by eliminating all male references.
3. A parish may change and revise words in the Creed during Mass, as long as they make note of the changes and show these changes in the Sunday missal which the public uses.
4. At the conclusion of Mass, the lector or priest may make general announcements for the information of the parish.
5. A priest may give a 'general absolution' during the penitential rite of the Mass or during a communal penance service if he chooses to do so.
6. If the priest chooses to use the rite of blessing and sprinkling, he must omit the "Lord have Mercy" and the penitential rite.
7. A Lector may use the NRSV version during U.S. Masses.
8. The priest may not omit the homily on Sundays or holy days of obligation.
9. The priest may not omit the homily at any Mass.
10. An individual who is not a priest, deacon or bishop may not give the homily at Mass.
11. Those non ordained ministers who assist in passing out Communion are properly called "Eucharistic Ministers".
12. A person who is not an ordained minister (priest, deacon or bishop) may give a 'talk' or 'reflection' in place of the homily at Mass.
13. It is permissible to omit the Creed on a Sunday or solemnity if the priest chooses to do so.
14. The "Apostles' Creed" may be used in place of the "Nicene Creed" at a Mass for children.
15. A priest must not omit washing his hands at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
16. The priest may say, "Lord, wash away our iniquities and cleanse us of our sins" (instead of 'my') in the hand-washing prior to the Eucharistic Liturgy.
17. A bell is not required to be rung during the Eucharistic Prayer.
18. At special occasions, the people may join in with the prayer:"Through him, with Him, in Him..." if the priest invites them to do so.
19. A priest may never use an unapproved Eucharistic Prayer.
20. The altar bread dough may not include ingredients other than flour and water.
21. Communion in the form of ginger bread or a sweetened cake may be used at Masses for children.
22. The Vatican has issued guidelines encouraging people to hold hands during the "Our Father".
23. The priest may omit the sign of peace during Mass if he so chooses.
24. The priest may move the sign of peace to another part of the Mass if he feels it is for the best.
25. During the sign of peace, the priest may leave the sanctuary to exchange peace with the congregation.
26. Those non-ordained ministers who assist with distributing Holy Communion are called "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion."
27. People assisting at the altar may receive Holy Communion at the same time as the priest.
28. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion must be used at every Mass to ensure proper participation of the lay people.
29. A minister or Priest may refuse a person the right to receive the Eucharist on the tongue in the United States.
30. A priest may not refuse an altar server the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue.
31. The priest may change the words of fixed prayers in the Mass upon approval from his bishop.
32. The chalice of Precious Blood may be left on the altar for the people to pick up and share from during lightly attended Masses.
33. An individual may dip his host into the Precious Blood instead of taking the Chalice to drink.
34. Communion may be distributed to Protestants during special occasions (like weddings and funerals).
35. Communion may be given to Protestants if they are the Heads of State or other dignitaries.
36. Children must receive First Confession prior to their First Communion.
37. Precious Blood which is not consumed during Mass may be disposed of by throwing it down the sink or sacrarium.
38. A deacon or other minister may purify (clean) the vessels instead of the priest.
39. The chalice may be made of clay or silver.
40. A decorative basket may be used to hold Holy Communion.
41. A cross must be on or near the altar during Mass.
42. An image of the Resurrected Christ may be used in place of a cross on or near the altar.
43. The tabernacle may not be re-located to an out-of-the-way chapel, even if the pastor wishes to do so.
44. It is permissible for a Church to be totally bare of any images of the Saints if the pastor deems it appropriate.
45. People must always genuflect when passing in front of the Eucharist.
46. People are not required to kneel during the Consecration.
47. If there are no kneelers, the people may stand during the Consecration.
48. The priest may invite individuals to stand around the altar and hold hands during the Consecration if it is a lightly attended Mass.
49. After Communion, people are free to stand, sit or kneel.
50. Dancing may be performed during any liturgical service, especially those with children.
51. In America, blue may be used as a liturgical color during Advent or Lent instead of purple.
52. It is required that crosses be veiled from Good Friday to the Easter Vigil.
53. Women may join the 12 selected members of the parish to have their feet washed on Holy Thursday.
54. All holy water fonts must be refilled with water which was blessed at the Easter Vigil.
55. All holy water fonts must be covered during Lent.
56. While giving a homily, the priest may leave the Sanctuary and walk among the people if he so chooses.
57. During the recitation of the Creed, all are required to bow or kneel during the lines "by the power of the Holy Spirit..."
58. If improper bread and wine are used, the Consecration may be invalid.
59. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion must be of 'mature age' and 'outstanding piety".
60. The wine must have a small amount of water mixed with it in order to be properly consecrated.
I sang at the funeral of a Priest one time. It was a great experience. Archbishop DiNardo was there and I got to meet him. But the thing I wanted to mention was that all of the brothers from the guys order that could make it were there... maybe 50-75 priests, and they all came up into the Sanctuary during the Eucharist. They all said all the words of the mass so all you could hear was all of these voices doubling and overdoubling. It was a bit eerie and arcane, but I really enjoyed it.
Then they all sang Salve Regina together. It was touching. Funny, but I've been to more funerals since I've been Catholic than I've been to in my life.
Thank you!
Great freeper name! Mind sharing how you came to choose it?
As for what you have described from the (RC) diocese of Lansing, I would suggest that you consider 'looking East'.
Although it is not widely known in our Western world, the Catholic Church is actually a communion of Churches. According to the Constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, the Catholic Church is understood to be "a corporate body of Churches," united with the Pope of Rome, who serves as the guardian of unity (LG, no. 23). At present there are 22 Churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The new Code of Canon Law, promulgated by Pope John Paul II, uses the phrase "autonomous ritual Churches" to describe these various Churches (canon 112). Each Church has its own hierarchy, spirituality, and theological perspective. Because of the particularities of history, there is only one Western Catholic Church, while there are 22 Eastern Catholic Churches. The Western Church, known officially as the Latin Church, is the largest of the Catholic Churches. It is immediately subject to the Roman Pontiff as Patriarch of the West. The Eastern Catholic Churches are each led by a Patriarch, Major Archbishop, or Metropolitan, who governs their Church together with a synod of bishops. Through the Congregation for Oriental Churches, the Roman Pontiff works to assure the health and well-being of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
While this diversity within the one Catholic Church can appear confusing at first, it in no way compromises the Church's unity. In a certain sense, it is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity. Just as God is three Persons, yet one God, so the Church is 22 Churches, yet one Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this nicely:
"From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God's gifts and the diversity of those who receive them... Holding a rightful place in the communion of the Church there are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions. The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church's unity" (CCC no. 814).
Although there are 22 Churches, there are only eight "Rites" that are used among them. A Rite is a "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony," (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28). "Rite" best refers to the liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the sacraments. Many Eastern Catholic Churches use the same Rite, although they are distinct autonomous Churches. For example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Melkite Catholic Church are distinct Churches with their own hierarchies. Yet they both use the Byzantine Rite.
To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:
The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15).
To locate an Eastern Catholic Church in your community, follow the following link:
Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.
A Roman rite Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic Liturgy and fulfill his of her obligations at any Eastern Catholic Parish. A Roman rite Catholic may join any Eastern Catholic Parish and receive any sacrament from an Eastern Catholic priest, since all belong to the Catholic Church as a whole. I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith at a Maronite Catholic Church. Like the Chaldeans, the Maronites retain Aramaic for the Consecration. It is as close as one comes to being at the Last Supper.
It is now your duty to inform your parents that the practice of liturgical dance is not only banned in the US but also renders the Mass they attend, illicit. I battled this with the pastor of my (former) RC parish and won - but only by making the time to address the issue with him. When that could not be resolved, I wrote to the diocese which, no surprise, supported the pastor. Undaunted, I quoted from the documents posted in the link at #5, summarizing with the statement that "all Catholics are entitled to a valid liturgy". That was it! They could not refute those documents.
The only way to stop this practice is to address the issue directly with the pastor and, if necessary, the diocesan Director for Divine Worship. Are your parents up to this? If not, can you do it for them? Should the letter writing campaign fail, send copies of ALL correspondence to Francis Cardinal Arinze, at the address posted in link #5. This is your Mass and you and your parents, are entitled to a valid liturgy.
I would too! Find yourself a new parish! After years of battling liturgical abuse at my former RC parish, I compiled a list of other parishes within a certain radius of home. Thanks to a fellow freeper, I included two Eastern Catholic parishes. It was at the Maronite Catholic Church, that I finally found the reverence I had so desperately been seeking.
There are many Eastern Catholic Churches in MA. To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:
The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15).
To locate an Eastern Catholic Church in your community, follow the following link:
Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.
A Roman rite Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic Liturgy and fulfill his of her obligations at any Eastern Catholic Parish. A Roman rite Catholic may join any Eastern Catholic Parish and receive any sacrament from an Eastern Catholic priest, since all belong to the Catholic Church as a whole. I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith at a Maronite Catholic Church. Like the Chaldeans, the Maronites retain Aramaic for the Consecration. It is as close as one comes to being at the Last Supper.
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BAM!!!!!!!!!!!
You always come through :-) Great job! Much appreciated.
We're on it, don't worry. My parents are not up to the fight. Their parish has been hijacked by Episcopalian converts who are far from orthodox Catholics. They have started attending another church in the vicinity that is uber-orthodox. They are all fought out and the pastor basically tells people that are towing the Vatican line to back off. They have asked that my husband and I file the complaint instead of them. My husband, who is a convert, is WAY offended by what he saw. We do have an office of divine liturgy in Atlanta. They will be hearing from us.
Thanks again for your post. I love my Catholic brethren at Free Republic. What a fount of information y'all are!
You are correct. 25 December and 25 March.
The only local churches I have seen it happen, however, are St. Pat's and HR.
Which is how I know :) Did you hear that the new Provicial for the Western Dominican Province is Fr. Emmerich Vogt? I think this will be a good thing, he wasn't so hot at the administrative stuff, but excellent at the spiritual stuff. The last guy was an utter disaster, to replace him with a priest that Mother Theresa personally requested retreats from should be good.
Nice to have good news. I have heard that the Dominicans about two hours south of you are a lot like the Jesuits.
Are you talking about the Eugene guys? Would have agreed with you until our new prior arrived. He was previously at the Neuman Center at U of O. He's great, but he's also young so I am still pretty distrustful of the older hippie guys. McKenezie River had nut cases for a while, but I don't know now...
"... but I don't know now..."
My info is not current either. I have not been to Eugene for quite a while. I have not been up the river to McKenzie since I lived near Leaburg forty-six years ago. BTW McKenzie was just fine back then. I used to go to Mass there in the summer.
Yes! Thanks.
I was thinking of Lent and the Stations of the Cross when we genuflect.
Question: Have you ever heard of genuflection on the left knee for all such as the Pope and the right knee for Jesus? I'm from the old school and grew up in the 1930s and 1940s. Much of the old training from our Nuns is still with me including not chewing the Host but letting it slide down the throat.
I'm a V-II baby, so I really don't know. Heck I'm having a good day if I am able to bless myself with my right hand, there's a squirmy someone who has taken up a semi-permanant postion on my right hip.
This answer is incorrect. The Holy Father has forbidden Extraordinary Ministers to purify the sacred vessels!
Actually, while crossing your forehead, lips, and heart, you are supposed to silently pray the following: “May the Lord be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart”, in order to prepare yourself to HEAR the Gospel. Does that help?
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