Mahalo to all of you who commented or send me an email regarding my question yesterday.
It appears that the GIRM does not state one way or another that we have remain standing until the Tabernacle door closes. At least not yet.
However, since that is the directive our bishop Larry Silva has given to all the churches in our diocese, through his priests, that is what we have to do.
We have to obey our bishop.
But seriously, if the bishop said "do a handstand" would we be obligated to do it? It sounds more like the answer from Rome was "will you ding dongs back off and let common custom prevail instead of being dorks?"
ReplyDeleteSounds like someone in the bishop's office --- is being a dork. As long as I can remember the custom has always been: If you've not received Communion, you sit. If you have, kneel in prayer. When the tabernacle door has shut, you kneel, if you were sitting. I you didn't receive communion, but want to kneel, you do. If you did receive, but you have bad knees, sit. Some busybodies should just leave well enough alone. And this is one of those times! If it ain't "broke" don't "fix" it.
Karen, I think most devout Catholics use common sense. If our bishop were to tell us we HAD to go to the altar and hold hands while Communion was given or something absurd as that then I think we would have a legitimate concern and could question his authority to his superior.
ReplyDeleteOur bishop is asking us to stand (for uniformity sake I guess) and standing is a sign of respect if not reverence.
Of course, I would rather be kneeling but I think I would rather "pick my battles" and this one is not that egregious.
I was just wondering if the GIRM had indeed changed.
Esther,
ReplyDeleteGood for you! You should try to be obedient to your Bishop! I am certain our bishop must have said we could all go back to do whatever we wanted (sitting, kneeling, or standing) but I just don't remember when he changed it, ect... Anyway, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to put together a short petition asking if you can kneel--maybe a special dispensation!
God Bless!
Esther,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure a bishop can tell you to do something the Church has ruled is unnecessary. I think ordering you to stand is akin to asking you to go hold hands at the Our Father - it isn't in the rubrics and the Church does not require it (and there is no provision for the bishop to ask this of the people here - he CAN ask the people to stand after the Agnus Dei)
This is an innovation, not a legitimate posture that a priest or bishop can require of the congregation.
Cardinal Arinze has already stated that standing until all receive is *not to be enforced*. It isn't that standing isn't a sign of respect or reverence, but standing until all receive is a distraction from prayer in a very big way. I cannot close my eyes when I am standing - at least not for long, because I am about the least coordinated person there is. I close my eyes when I receive and try to be alone with Christ. I NEED that personal time with Him, to be 'alone' in myself with Jesus, not standing around watching other receive. I do not think it is right to force people to give up time with Christ for an innovation which has no merit.
I think you should respectfully write to your bishop and send him the CDW's response and request that this not be enforced because it has been ruled that it should NOT be. Perhaps he does not know, or whomever has made this decision that the Vatican has already ruled on this and said NO.
I'm with Shana. Count me in on the "you and what army is going to make me stand when 'Rome has spoken.'" Maybe bishops ought not to pick fights with the "little people" over small potatoes. It is "innovation with no merit." Give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
ReplyDeleteWhen the saints were unjustly persecuted or told to do something out of obedience from their bishop they did so without question and defended their bishop! Writing/petitioning the bishop is a wonderful option, but we should always be obedient unless it is something sinful or sacrilegious.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless!
PB, yes in fact St. Francis of Assisi did just that. Mahalo.
ReplyDeleteWell, you have to do what you feel is necessary, but we are only required to respond to his authority when he commands *legitimatly*. I am pointing out that this is not a legitimate requirement, and there is no authority to require it, and the Universal Church ruled on it and said it is not to be enforced. Do you obey a bishop and not obey the Church Herself?
ReplyDeleteAnd Saints did say "no" to bishops when what they required was wrong or irregular. (St Mary MacKillop of Austrialia, for example because what her bishop commanded of her was not within his authority: to turn over her school & order to him and place her sisters under his authority, which was not in his own authority to ask of her. (Sisters promise obedience to their Rule and superior, not to a bishop unless he is founder of the order and that authority is part of the Rule) He went so far as to excommunicated her for her 'disobedience' to him, and only later admitted that he had no authority to force his will on her in his requirement and the excommunication was lifted.
There is a very real need for obedience to our bishops. Yes, St Francis obeyed authority, but as far as I can remember in all of the writings of his life, he was never ordered to do an irregular thing. I do not believe he would have obeyed a bishop who told him to disobey the ruling of the Church Herself because he saw himself the Church's loyal son and "knight".
I know he would have fasted, prayed and did massive penance for that bishop, though!
Shana and Karen. I think I will wait until I go to our annual EMHC meeting and ask our associated parish priest (the announcement was made at the church where I go for daily Mass) and see if in fact this was a directive from the Bishop and the source of it.
ReplyDeleteStay tuned.