ANOTHER INANE SERIES OF COMMENTS ABOUT THE PRIEST FACING THE CONGREGATION AT MASS

This is from that awful blog, Praytell, and its progressive liturgical nonsense. These particular comments were written on a post about the Bishop of Idaho, Bishop Pete wrongly saying Vatican II itself mandated that the priest faces the congregation during the entire Mass.

Here are three comments from that blog with my comments at the end:

Penny Silver says:

April 9, 2020 at 12:02 pm

Bizarrely, immediately following his section 1. condemnation of “sources…unaffiliated with the Holy See or the USCCB” as “not to be considered trustworthy or appropriate for catechesis”, much of the text of point 2. in the Bishop’s statement seems to come verbatim from an article on paulturner dot org, the blog of a priest of the diocese of Kansas City, Missouri, posted on 6/9/2016:
“The Order of Mass does indicate places when the priest should face the people, but it never asks him to turn away as the preconciliar missal did. The GIRM presumes that the priest is celebrating mass at a freestanding altar. It was clearly the mind of the council that the priest should be facing the people.
There are priests who prefer ad orientem. I am convinced that they mean well and find it a devout way to pray. But the overwhelming experience worldwide after Vatican II is that the priest faces the people for the mass, and this has contributed to the sanctification of the people.
There are some historical churches with fixed altars where the priest does not have the option of facing the people. I think the rubrics in the Order of Mass are for those situations, where he needs to be told when, at least, he should face the people.”
For what it’s worth, the nuptial blessing even before the council was always said facing the couple, not facing the altar. God can be addressed when facing people.”

Reply

1. RP Burke says:

   April 9, 2020 at 1:27 pm

   Fr. Paul Turner is not a random priest from a random diocese. He has a doctorate from a Vatican university, is director of liturgy and rector of the cathedral in K.C., has published numerous books and articles, and has lectured all over the world.

   Reply
   1. Anthony Ruff, OSB says:

      April 9, 2020 at 3:01 pm

      This is all true. At the same time, I’m grateful that Penny Silver unearthed a connection that I had not known of.
      awr

      My comments:

      First of all Penny, prior to Vatican II, the rubrics stated that the priest turn to the faithful to greet them as well as at the end of Mass to tell them “The Mass is ended” and then to offering the Last Blessing. The Nuptial Blessing during Mass in the EF Mass indeed has the rubric that the priest turn sideways toward the couple to offer the blessing. Why? Because it is a blessing directed to them!

      R P Burke, are you promoting the “clericalism of academics” which is so rampant in the world of academia because these academics see themselves as a cadre of people who are different and better than others because of their academic abilities and live on a higher pedestal than priests do, meaning very high up in their ivory tower?

      And AWR, what connection did Penny Silver unearth that you had not known, that Father (I mean Dr.) Paul Turner has a doctorate or that the priest turns to the laity during the EF Mass to offering greetings and blessings, nuptial or otherwise, as well as tells them “Ite Missa est”?

      Oh brother! I mean, Father, or is it Doctor??????