THE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE MULTIPLE CHOICES OF THE MODERN MASS AND SELECTIVE ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN OPTIONS ALLOWED, EITHER BY THE PRIEST OR THE BISHOP, WHO DOES IT BY MANDATE

The Modern Mass is what it is. The most important aspect for our personal Faith and life in the Holy Spirit is that in the Modern Mass, as with an valid form of the Mass, in the East or West, Jesus Christ is experienced in a sacramental way, first in His Holy Body and Blood, and also in the Word of God, Prayer and the priest and people together who form the Body of Christ in a parochial setting with Christ as the Head of the Church.

There are so many options, though, in the Modern Mass and in its General Instruction. As well, there are no rubrics or laws concerning certain things, that the Ancient Mass included in its rubrics. Thus importing rubrics from the Ancient Mass which are not included in the Modern Mass has occurred since 1970!

The Modern Mass has a built in clericalism by law. This means the celebrant has to make choices about which option he will use. This is all very subjective and sometimes some priests eliminate certain choices because they subjectively don’t like them, that’s it. That is called clericalism, the four letter word of the post Vatican II Church.

Here are just a few of the options left to the priest’s choice in the Modern and “Improved” Mass:

1. Numerous options for the initial greeting of the Mass as well as choices for the Penitential Act. The Penitential Act might be eliminated in favor of the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water. Whatever choice is purely discretionary on the part of the priest. 

2. A priest might choose to chant the priestly parts or not—his choice and he can pick and choose what he will chant or not chant. Pope Leo has an odd way of selecting what he chants or doesn’t. It is all purely discretionary.

3. Even what is sung in the Mass can be Willy Nilly. 

4. The distribution of the Holy Communion has options. Standing is the norm but one has a choice to receive the Host in the hand or the tongue. One may choose to break the norm and kneel and this is allowed as an exception. But no one should be forbidden to kneel and this is by mandate of the Holy See. 

5. The Precious Blood may be given by means of a multiple common chalices. The law states it should be to a small group not a humongous group. Who decides that? Also Intinction is allowed but only by the minister offering the Intincted Host to a Communincant. Self-intinction is not allowed, but often people do it nonetheless. 

6. The altar arrangement is decided by a parish or its priest. At least two candles should be on or near the altar, but 4, 6 or more in even numbers are allowed. The crucifix can be near or on the altar. Options galore here and we see a fluctuation in how the altar is set from week to week like at the Vatican currently where the altar arrangement is anyone’s guess for a particular Mass. What nonsense. 

7. The Modern Missal’s Latin rubrics, corrupted by their English translation assumes that Mass is celebrated at the Altar ad orientem. This does not forbid facing the nave. Both are allowed. 

8. There are numerous Eucharistic Prayers, at least 8 which could be used in general. Who makes the choice? The priest. Usually priests make the choice for the shortest. Or if traditional in liturgy, the Roman Canon is always used, no other. It is all subjective. CLERICALISM BUILT INTO THE MASS. 

9. The use of palls, chalice veils, burses and how the corporal cloth will be placed, have no explicit rubrics or rules in the Modern Mass, thus one has to rely on the Ancient Mass’s usage of these things, if they are used. Who makes that choice? The priest of course. 

10. The final blessing has many options too, from simple to prayers over the people to a three fold blessing. Who chooses and why? The priest and for him it is subjective. 

WHY WOULD A BISHOP SUBJECTIVELY NOT ALLOW WHAT IS ALLOWED IN THE MASS AND NOT WORRY ABOUT OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE ALLOWED? 

Some bishops  micro manage priests’ clericalism in options as it concerns legitimate choices for ad orientem, kneeling for Holy Communion and the use of intinction for the Precious Blood instead of multiple common chalices. 

The bishop, in an act of clericalism, rules that out and forbids priest to make those choices.

But he allows the priest to make any other choice from the options that are allowed.

How many bishops ban ad-libbing any part of the Mass or changing the words of the Mass according to the priest’s clericalist desires? Not many that I know of as so many bishops do it themselves too.

MEH!