I have already complained bitterly about the clericalism of the Mass of Pope Paul VI and by design, in terms of all the choices that can be made in the Modern Mass and that those choices all rest with the likes and dislikes, the desires and fancies of the priest—clericalism on steroids.
And now we see bishops of various dioceses pursuing a poisoned clericalism overturning decisions of their predecessors as it concerns altar railings, ad orientem and the like.
Although this is not applicable in my Diocese of Savannah, when I was pastor of St. Joseph Church in Macon, we completely restored and remodeled the entire historic church with major changes in the sanctuary, one of which was the removal of the altar railing. All we did, was sent to Bishop Kevin Boland at the time for his approval which he gave. This was in 2004.
In 2014, a parishioner offered me $100,000 to restore the altar railing. After a synodal discussion with the Pastoral and Finance Councils, we sent the request to restore the altar railing with drawings to show what we planned to the the Bishop of Savannah, Bishop Gregory Hartmayer, now the Archbishop of Atlanta.
He gave his approval. He also stated that if the altar railing is used, communicants must be allowed to stand (as well as kneeling) to receive and still have the choice to receive Holy Communion by hand or tongue.
That has worked out very well. As well, one of our five Modern Sunday Masses, the one at 12:10 PM, was offered ad orientem, with the monthly TLM once a month at that Mass time.
After I departed St. Joseph in 2016, Holy Communion is still distributed at the railing to communicants either standing or kneeling, although now there is a new bishop, Bishop Stephen Parkes, who has not forbidden it.
Bishop Parkes also gave permission to my successor as pastor of St. Anne Church in Richmond Hill to install a new altar railing in the new church there consecrated in 2016 by Bishop Hartmayer. Bishop Parkes allows Mass there to be ad orientem (although he asked one Sunday Mass to be facing the nave) and that people be allowed to stand at the altar railing, if they choose, to receive Holy Communion by mouth or hand, either kneeling or standing. It has worked out very well there, too.
But what if another bishop succeeding Bishop Parkes, rescinds all the proper permissions his two predecessors allowed? St. Joseph Church in Macon and St. Anne Church in Richmond Hill would be victims of the new bishop’s clericalism and lack of charity to previous processes of permission on the Synodal parish level and permissions granted by his bishop-predecessors.
4 comments:
That isn't holiness, its the imposition of ideology and just plain silliness. Stop worshiping VII! It's not a sacrament! And then "they" wonder why the TLM'ers are so sensitive. Constant churn and pointless, absolutely pointless tinkering. It gets to the point where bishops can "mandate" that which has no juridical basis, the priest can convey the bishop's "wishes" and if the people approach and start kneeling, I wouldn't deny them communion.
You Romans will be so much better off when the ideologues, tinkerers, felt banner iconoclasts, "liturgists" who know little about tradition, social justice warriors and any other who wish to reduce liturgy to an almost tambourine-like ugliness and plainness have gone on to their much deserved "reward". These folks are beyond boring and these endless missives are becoming sickening. Don't forget to consider e-giving, however!
These rogue bishops are just underscoring we are no longer a great, universal Church. They are usurping inveterate, legitimate options in the Missal. In a just world these bishops would be removed and degraded from their office.
The spirit of Vatican II is the clericalist's dream.
Nick
LOL! Don't forget e-giving! They just don't get it!
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